This post is sponsored by Vimtag. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the camera, but everyone knows Scratchings and Sniffings only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Vimtag is not responsible for the content of this article.
Still image of Emily lounging by the fireplace

Hey everybody, Tom here. I don't get a chance to post here very often, but Yvonne asked me to let you know about our initial experience with this new gizmo, since I'm the one who plays with our new tech toys most.
And this one is fun! The image at the top shows Emily sleeping peacefully, which is what you want to see when you're out somewhere checking on them right? ;-D
The second shot shows me waving at the camera while snapping the still photo from it by clicking on the app from my laptop. The HD image quality is one of the several pleasant surprises from my first experience using it.
And if you compare the two, you get some idea of how far you can pan the camera, also using the remote control on the app.
The basics
Sorry for getting excited. Starting over ... the Vimtag IP Camera VT-351 is available from Amazon for $99, as a single camera. You can also buy multi-camera packages, but we just received the one for review.
The camera itself came fully assembled. The power and ethernet cables just needed to be plugged in and the wireless antenna screwed on. An optional wall-mounting bracket came with it, but we're not using that (yet). The user manual walked me through starting it up and setting up our account on the MIPCM.com website, which allows you to control the camera from anywhere.
I messed up following the setup steps, by not connecting the ethernet cable to our network, because I wanted to use the Wi-Fi connection. But that gave the Vimtag tech support folks a chance to shine. I called in, the first person I spoke with said he'd have a "Level 2" support person call me, and in about 10 minutes, they followed through. The Level 2 guy guided me through the rest of the setup quickly and stayed on the line while we tested everything.
When I thanked him, he asked if I'd bought the camera on Amazon and be willing to give it a review — which reminded me that I had not mentioned I'd received the camera from them in order to do a review. So the excellent support I experienced was not influenced by that relationship.
After getting through the camera and online account setup, I was able to play a little, panning the camera up and down and through it's well over 180 degree viewing angles. And the microphone and speakers in the camera worked well from my laptop.
Next tests
I need to get a micro-SD card to record some video and, of course, go out to someplace off site to test how all this works as a way to keep eyes and ears on the dogs and cat. Not to mention how they react when we try talking to them through the camera!
We wanted the camera mainly as a pet safety and security tool, of course. But who knows, maybe we'll catch them doing something outrageously cute or funny and post a viral YouTube video, eh? Smile for the camera you three!

Should be fun and we might just have a chance to try it while we're out over the next few days. Stay tuned!
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