Conclusion

The Axis 205 Network Camera is quite an innovative product from its form factor standpoint. It is very small and compact. This provides you the ability to put this camera in places where it might not be as noticeable for stealthy surveillance.

The integrated Web-based management and delivery software functions well and performed as expected. The level of features supplied is quite good and Axis does provide a mix of options to support a variety of situations and uses that purchasers may want to use the 205 in. Axis does an excellent job with the firmware that is loaded in the 205, and this indicates their depth of experience in this market space, providing Axis leap over its competition. Still, we found the documentation for the 205 somewhat lacking and we did encounter some difficulty getting the camera to work with our router/firewall configuration. Many buyers may likely encounter problems similar to ours; it is clear that Axis needs to address this deficiency by providing better documentation to address this issue.

The video quality from the 205 was good, but not the jaw dropping quality that we have experienced from other products from Axis, which was a disappointment; but at the price point of only $199 US, you can expect to make some trade offs.

Overall, the 205 packs a lot of punch into a small package. There are many applications where the 205 will find a nice home, but the lack of at least zoom support will cause some users to look at other options. The 205 Network Camera is a nice addition to the Axis family. One can only wonder how much smaller and how much more performance these products can be made capable of delivering.