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Blink Mini is currently the overall bestselling wireless security camera in the market. The low pricing used to be the favorite aspect for a lot of people. But in the new Blink Mini Pan-Tilt camera reviews online, the recently-released mount has won hearts of many from the enhanced functionality.
Instead of the regular 110-degree field of view, the Blink mount has made it possible to watch an entire room in full 360º. And in this short guide, we’ll tell you how it does that without sacrificing the original image quality.
Verdict: Things we Like Best on Blink Mini Pan-Tilt camera
- Blink Mini Pan-Tilt camera has a cheap price tag
- Blink Mini Pan-Tilt camera has a compact design
- Blink Mini Pan-Tilt camera has clear, smooth footage
- Blink Mini Pan-Tilt camera has multiple audio functions
- Blink Mini Pan-Tilt camera has easy-to-use app controls
- Blink Mini Pan-Tilt camera has the option to disable night vision
Blink Mini Pan-Tilt Camera Reviews: A Summary of the Indoor Security System
| Feature | Blink mini pan tilt camera |
| Release Date | 2022 |
| Video Quality | 1080p Full HD |
| Frame Rate | 30fps |
| Field of View | 110° |
| Night Vision | YES |
| Audio Functions | YES |
| Built-in Siren | NO |
| Activity Zones | YES |
| Motion Detection | Pixel-based |
| Live Stream Time | Up to 90 minutes of continuous (5 minutes without a subscription) |
| Continuous Video Recording | NO |
| Local Storage | YES (USB drive) |
| Power Option | Plugin |
| Environment | Indoors |
| Smart Home Compatibility | YES (Amazon Alexa) |
Would you like to see what happens inside your house or small office while away? The new Blink Mini Pan-Tilt camera is a great pick. It’s not only super-cheap but also has the various crucial features you need, starting with a decent resolution and audio functions.
Before we come to these other features, the blink mini pan tilt review is a revamped first-gen Blink Mini. And what happens is that the Amazon’s brand took the 2020 creation, then created a Pan-Tilt mount to enhance its coverage.
The Blink Pan-Tilt mount came out in the fall of 2022. It’s available as an add-on accessory for those owners who already have the Mini indoor camera. But for new customers, you can get the Blink Mini camera with the pan-tilt mount as one system.
Let’s jump into our Blink Mini Pan-Tilt camera review and see more of the features and capabilities to expect from the system.
Blink Mini Pan Tilt Camera Review: Crucial Things to Know Before Buying
How’s the Pricing?
In the Blink vs Ring security camera review the other day, we saw the Blink Mini has a price tag of $35. If you already have the camera, the Pan-Tilt mount is available (alone) as an add-on accessory for $30.
However, when you purchase the Blink Mini Pan-Tilt camera as one unit, the total price is $60, which saves five bucks.
Tip: you can save more on the Blink Mini Pan-Tilt camera during the holiday and limited-time deals. For instance, the last Black Friday security camera deals had the complete bundle (camera and pan-tilt mount) for under $30.
How’s the Build & Durability?
Similar to most consumer WiFi security cameras, the Blink Mini Pan-Tilt camera consists of a polycarbonate build. The plastic Blink team used here feels rugged enough to last a couple of years if you care for it well.
As an indoor-only camera, though, the Blink Mini has no weatherproof protection. If you’d want to use it to monitor your yard (temporarily), the trick will be to place it behind a window from inside the house.
But even inside the house, this camera has an operating temperature rating of 32° to 95°F (0° to 35°C). If the room is colder or hotter than this, it’ll shut off or risk permanent damage.
How’s the Video Quality?
As a company, Blink seems in no rush with the others to adopt the latest technologies. In the Blink vs Eufy comparison, the S220 Cam we used as a reference (also came out in 2020) records footage up to 2K quality.
Images in 2K HD are usually 1.5 to 2x sharper than the standard 1080p HD resolution. But the thing about our Blink camera is that its 1080p videos are clear enough to identify faces within proximity.
Another thing, Blink Mini records in 1080p at a 30fps frame rate. A lot of people rarely take note of this, whereas the feature is what decides if your recordings will be choppy/ “laggy”.
Speaking of recordings, the app settings of your Blink Mini Pan-Tilt camera will have three options to view and record footage: Saver, Standard, or Best.
How’s the Coverage?
Our Blink Mini Pan-Tilt camera has a 110-degree field of view. This is a fair range of vision, and the reason the image still looks great at 1080p (compared to competitors with an extra wide-angle lens).
When we add a Pan-Tilt mount, the Blink Mini camera can pan (rotate horizontally) up to 350°, then tilt (move vertically) up to 125°. And this gives you a whole 360-degree coverage, with no blind spots.
Tip: to control the Blink Mini Pan-Tilt camera directions (pan or tilt), you’ll have to use the navigation control that appears on live view from the app.
How’s the Night Vision?
As an indoor camera, the Blink Mini has no built-in spotlight. It only supports infrared (black & white) night vision using its built-in 850nm LED.
The infrared night vision isn’t ideal, as you won’t be able to identify unknown intruders or important details like colors. But the good thing is that you can see the objects lurking or creeping in the darkness.
It’s worth noting the Blink app allows you to adjust the light intensity of the IR LED between low, medium, and high. Then, you can also turn off the IR LED (or night vision feature) completely.
How’s the Audio Quality?
The Blink Mini is a perfect option when looking for a security camera with audio features. It has both a built-in microphone and a speaker. Thus, you’ll be able to record footages you can listen to, as well as use the two-way talk feature.
We’re not going to lie the audio output on both ends is equivalent to your home stereo. But it’s clear enough to hear every word of it with no echo or static noise.
Sadly, though, Blink didn’t include a siren feature in the indoor security camera. The only way to ward off potential intruders will be to use the two-way talk feature, whereby you can scream or warn them.
How’s the Smart AI Detection?
Are you looking for an indoor security camera with personal detection, pet detection, or audio detection? While it’s the best motion sensor security camera under $50, Blink Mini isn’t exactly an advanced AI system. Why so?
First, the indoor cam has pixel-based motion detection, which works by the change in pixels between consecutive frames. And this means sliding the motion detection sensitivity bar (on the mobile app) full will result in many false alerts- from even things like bugs.
Secondly, Blink didn’t give any smart AI detection to the Mini camera. It has no pet detection, face detection, facial recognition, or just the people-only mode in its step-sister Ring Indoor Cam.
Moreover, mounting the Blink Mini on the Pan-Tilt mount still doesn’t make it an auto-tracking security camera. The brand doesn’t support the motion tracking AI feature, whereby it should lock on the object and follows around.
Note: the Blink Mini Pan-Tilt camera also doesn’t have the option to set waypoints. If you tap the pan scan (360 pan) button, the camera can only follow the manufacturer’s preset route.
How’s the Storage Option?
The Blink Mini Cam has no built-in MicroSD slot like in the Eufy indoor cam I mentioned earlier or even Wyze Cam. You’ll have to either pair your camera with the Module hub to take advantage of built-in local storage or pay a monthly subscription.
The local storage option on the Blink Sync Module (2nd generation) involves a USB flash drive. It records short motion-activated clips, which you can access under the app clip list (tap the media icon).
As for the Blink cloud subscription option, you can choose either the $3/ month basic plan or the $10 Plus plan. The basic plan is only for a single device, whereas the Blink Plus is for as many cameras as you want.
Common Related Questions
In a nutshell, it’s so easy to control Blink Pan-Tilt camera. You’ll just need to go to the live view mode. Then tap on the left/ right buttons of the navigation control to pan (rotate horizontally) or up/ down buttons to tilt (vertical movement).
If you’d like to perform a complete 360-degree sweep of your room, tap on the “More” button, then click “360 pan”. The camera mount will rotate fully right and left before coming back to the resting (default) position.
The way how Blink Mini Pan-Tilt work is that it extends the coverage of your camera without compromising video clarity. It can pan up to 350° and tilt 125° while still giving you a 110° field of view.
Yes, after setting up the Pan-tilt mount, the Blink Mini does rotate automatically when you tap on the “360 pan” button. The camera will perform a complete sweep of the room before coming back to the default position.
If your Blink Pan-Tilt mount is not moving the camera in your desired direction, it can be from either:
Inadequate power from the power adapter or the main supply unit. It can also happen when you’re using an incompatible USB cable
The camera is in a crowded area or so close to the wall and has no room to rotate.
Issues with the Blink app: it can be either a missing update or a glitch that may be affecting the entire software
The rotating part of the Pan-tilt mount has clogged with dirt or debris
Final Thoughts:
At thirty bucks, the Blink Mini was already a great security camera, and it’s still great now with the Pan-tilt mount for the additional $30. Yes, there are a handful of the latest features we’d love the camera to have- say, person-only detection, a siren, continuous live view/ recording, or even motion auto-tracking.
However, the Blink Mini Pan-Tilt camera reviews from consumers are proof people still love the system without these latest features. We (at Getlockers) also find it worth the amount on the tag, considering we’re speaking of an American company. The thing we’re not so happy about is the lack of its own built-in local storage as not everyone has or wants to use Sync Module.
