Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
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i have so many surveillance camerasAnd they’re great for peeking into places you can’t normally reach. But they are typically large and heavy, designed for mechanics and HVAC engineers, which limits their usefulness when it comes to inspecting device ports or probing around cracks and crevices in search of a lost fastener.
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In my quest to find a small, portable, low-cost camera for limited spaces, I found it’s from amazonSpecially designed to inspect the ear canals.
Although this is its advertised purpose, this little 1080p HD camera can be used for a variety of technical needs. I’m not a doctor, so I wouldn’t recommend that you insert this camera into any orifice. If you’re going that route, you’re on your own! I’m also not reviewing any ear cleaning device. I’ll leave that to someone else.
Instead, we have a compact 360-degree wide-angle 1080p camera that is perfectly suited for use as an inspection tool. Six small LED lights are mounted on the tip of the camera, illuminating any small port, socket or internal mechanism you enter.
Inspecting the very dirty USB-C port on my iPhone.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
The business end of the unit is IP67 rated for water and smoke resistance, and can be cleaned with a cloth or alcohol wipe. Despite the camera and LED, the camera end is only 0.17 inches/4.3 mm in diameter.
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The camera connects to iOS and Android, where you can see what the camera sees, take photos and video, and control the front light. It connects using Wi-Fi, and the process is intuitive and straightforward.
There is a 350mAh battery inside the camera that can be recharged using USB-C. It runs for 90 minutes once fully charged and can remain charged for at least a month.
USB-C charging means one less thing to use microUSB for!
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
There is a small metal prong on the end of the unit that takes the small silicone sleeve to dig into your ear canal, and you can choose to keep it or cut it off.
Why do I recommend this product?
Let’s get the price out of the way. this cameraWhich includes a charging cable and all the bits you need to put in your ears (but I’d bin that) for only $13. For that price, this makes it an excellent camera that I’m not afraid to damage.
Speaking of damage, my last one cost about $25, used micro USB for charging, and lasted a few years until I “damaged” it by dropping a portable power station on it. I had no hesitation in getting the new one, and it has been in use for a few weeks now. It’s the perfect addition to my toolkit.
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