“The EZVIZ C8PF delivers a crisp, clear, 360-degree panoramic view of your out of doors setting, though elements of the app depart one thing to be desired.”
Professionals
- Nice daytime video high quality
- Straightforward to put in
- IP65-rated
- Encrypted cloud storage
- Pan-and-tilt performance
Cons
- Lackluster nighttime efficiency
- App will be glitchy
- No voice assistant help
- Some wiring is not weatherproof
Out of doors safety cameras provide a spread of options and advantages, however it appears no two cameras are created equal. For instance, some out of doors cams focus on superior zooming and floodlight capabilities, however lack a mechanized gimble for panning and tilting. Then there are cameras that may pan and tilt, however undergo by way of picture high quality when focusing in on a topic.
Is there a such factor as “the perfect of each worlds” relating to out of doors surveillance? In principle, sure, and it’s the main target of right this moment’s review.
EZVIZ, a smart home firm launched in 2013, has produced various good safety cameras, sensors, and several other different Web-of-Issues units. The EZVIZ C8PF is an outside camera with pan, tilt, and zoom capabilities, together with full high-definition recording, two-way speak, customizable movement zones, and a number of different add-ons.
Is the C8PF any good? It’s … alright. After testing the camera for a while, right here’s the whole lot we found about it.
Unboxing and setup
EZVIZ will be hit-or-miss relating to aesthetics. I benefit from the look of lots of the firm’s stationary cameras, however fashions with pan-and-tilt controls are typically a bit on the bulbous aspect. Such is the case with the C8PF.
A snowy-white plastic shell joins fingers with the camera’s globular chassis, making for a considerably ugly peripheral (in my view) that’s not inconspicuous within the slightest. Let’s simply say you’re going to have a troublesome time protecting the C8PF hidden, if that’s your objective. Then once more, a visual camera may very well be a deterrent to intruders.
Conveniently, the EZVIZ C8PF comes pre-attached to its mounting plate, making it straightforward to repair the bracket to an awning or exterior wall with out having to snap the camera in place later.
EZVIZ’s movement monitoring is clever sufficient to disregard pets, transferring autos, and different nonhuman intrusions (object consciousness is adjustable within the app).
By way of wiring, you’re going to want entry to {an electrical} outlet. With no battery possibility, the C8PF requiresDC energy. Frustratingly, the DC lead is fairly quick, and the feminine adapter it plugs into (hooked up from the camera physique) just isn’t weatherproof. Whereas you should purchase weatherproofing tape to wrap issues up with, that is fairly the oversight for an outside camera.
Earlier than bodily putting in it, we suggest activating the camera inside your house after which mounting it in place outdoors after it’s been registered to the EZVIZ app.
System activation is a fairly simple course of. When you obtain the EZVIZ app (for iOS and Android {hardware}) and create an account, you’ll be prompted so as to add your first EZVIZ camera. Choose the C8PF from the listing of obtainable choices and scan the QR code on the underside of your cam.
Subsequent, you’ll select the Wi-Fi community (2.4GHz solely) to which you’ll be connecting the camera. As soon as on-line, the C8PF will carry out a software program replace. After the replace, you’re prepared to start out utilizing it.
Options
The C8PF is constructed to ship a powerful vary of movement. As soon as mounted, the camera pans as much as 340 levels left and proper and tilts 80 levels up and down. Advertising for the C8PF lassos these dimensional specs collectively for a full 360 levels of panoramic protection.
With two onboard lenses (extra on these under), the EZVIZ app presents a grasp stay view from the telephoto lens at no matter preset zoom you’ve chosen, together with a picture-in-picture view from the wide-angle lens.
One of many main desires for any out of doors camera is the flexibility to set predetermined movement zones. Each time a human topic crosses into the partitioned zone, the cam ought to robotically focus and begin recording. The EZVIZ app means that you can create customizable movement zones in three other ways: Drawing the zones, using preconfigured shapes, or implementing line crosses that cue the camera into motion at any time when a topic crosses an app-arranged “fence.”
Higher but, EZVIZ’s movement monitoring is clever sufficient to disregard pets, transferring autos, and different nonhuman intrusions (object consciousness is adjustable within the app).
Designed for out of doors use, the C8PF is IP65-rated, that means it might probably tackle just about any quantity of grime, mud, and water. There’s additionally a built-in speaker on the mounting plate and a microphone for two-way-talk capabilities, permitting you to talk with household, couriers, and different front-door visitors.
Whereas there’s no subscription required to truly use the camera’s recording capabilities, you’ll nonetheless have to pay for a spot to retailer your footage. The built-in microSD card slot can deal with as much as 512GB, however in case you’d want to go card-less, EZVIZ presents distant storage by way of its CloudPlay platform.
Powered by military-grade encryption from end-to-end, you possibly can strive the service totally free for the primary 30 days. After the trial, Normal plans begin at $4-per-month or $40-per-year for protection of a single camera, with Premium plans beginning at $9-per-month or $90-per-year for as much as 4 cameras.
Oh, and we virtually forgot to say that the C8PF is sadly not appropriate with Alexa and Google Assistant, in contrast to different fashions within the firm’s lineup.
Video high quality
One of many massive calling playing cards of the C8PF is its dual-lens functionality. A 12mm telephoto lens will get in shut on the motion, with as much as 8x zoom (different stops embody 1x, 2x, and 4x) in a very lossless format. On high of that, there’s additionally a 2.8mm wide-angle lens that’s at all times capturing a widescreen view of no matter you have got the C8PF directed towards.
By daylight, each lenses do a improbable job. Capturing in 1920 x 1080p, total picture high quality is sharp, with well-balanced colours and distinction.
By daylight, each lenses do a improbable job. Capturing in 1920 x 1080p, total picture high quality is sharp, with well-balanced colours and distinction. Relying on the time of day, daylight bouncing off of the snow piles scattered round my residence complicated have been rendered a bit harshly, however this harsh publicity definitely didn’t happen on a regular basis.
I suppose I’m used to camera zooms resulting in a dip in picture high quality. Sure, you do lose some constancy when pushing the telephoto into 4x and 8x close-up territory, however I have to say, not as a lot loss as I anticipated. Zeroing in on the constructing throughout the road from me, the C8PF did a pleasant job of specializing in the unit numbers, with only a contact of blurriness current in-frame.
By dusk, the camera kicks its 4 onboard IR sensors into gear, delivering a black-and-white picture that’s rated to seize footage as much as 98 toes away. Does it do its job? Sure, however not as successfully because it did throughout the day. Dropping the relative sharpness of sunlit footage, the C8PF’s evening imaginative and prescient is a bit cloudier. Additionally, lights from automobiles and streetlamps proved troublesome to render, leading to extra overexposure than appeared crucial.
Dropping the relative sharpness of sunlit footage, the C8PF’s evening imaginative and prescient is a bit cloudier.
Maybe the addition of even a low-powered floodlight would have made a distinction right here. If nighttime readability is of utmost significance, the EZVIZ C8C, C8W, and C8W Professional all embody two built-in floodlights for capturing evening footage in full colour.
The EZVIZ app
I’ve used two completely different EZVIZ cameras, and I’ve discovered the EZVIZ management app to be … effective. Out there for iOS and Android units, the EZVIZ app is your all-in-one hub for camera controls, profile and {hardware} customizations, common settings, movement controls, and extra.
Launching the platform, the Gadgets display screen will show thumbnail views of the last-captured footage from no matter EZVIZ cams you have got put in. A Library tab retains a log of all motion-triggered video clips. As soon as you choose the C8PF (or different EZVIZ cam), you’ll be taken to the controls and customizations for the {hardware} you’ve chosen.
Dwell views from each the telephoto and wide-angle lens are displayed on the high of the telephone display screen (if holding your machine in its vertical place), with a video log and filtering choices positioned under. On the backside of the display screen, you’ll discover choices for Snapshot (takes a static image of no matter’s onscreen), Report (takes a video clip), PTZ (pan, tilt, and zoom controls), Speak (for two-way-talk choices), Pic in Pic (for toggling on/off), Alarm (for adjusting movement alert settings), and Definition (decision changes).
Should you’re holding your telephone horizontally, the stay view takes up the entire display screen, however you possibly can nonetheless entry the primary toolbar of choices by tapping the display screen and deciding on the Three Dots icon.
Sure, the whole lot works, albeit not completely. As an illustration, there’s a notable delay when deciding on the course during which you need your C8PF to maneuver. After tapping Left or Proper, it might probably generally take a strong few seconds for the cam to even acknowledge your command, to the purpose the place I might usually suppose there was one thing incorrect.
Additionally, the app and field manuals are suffering from typos and unusual syntax. I’m guessing this may occasionally have one thing to do with language conversion? Whereas I hate to be a stickler about it, I’m simply by no means a fan of the primary device I take advantage of to regulate my peripheral being suffering from grammar troubles. I don’t know. It makes issues really feel … low cost.
Worth and guarantee
Proper now, the EZVIZ C8PF sells for $169 and features a one-year restricted guarantee.
Our take
The EZVIZ C8PF delivers what it guarantees and proudly touts — a 360-degree panoramic camera with panning, tilting, and zoom capabilities. Video high quality is nice throughout the day and PK at evening. There are many app controls and customizations, though the appear and feel of the companion platform feels a bit subpar.
Ignoring just a few hiccups, the C8PF is fairly dependable. Actually, although, we’d suggest spending a bit extra dough to get a distinct out of doors camera altogether. Whereas 1080p footage is nothing to shake a stick at, in our expertise, manufacturers like Arlo provide higher picture high quality total.
Is there a greater various?
Sure. Whereas it’ll be robust to search out an outside camera that may pan, tilt, and zoom for the value that the C8PF sells for, manufacturers like Arlo provide out of doors cams that ship a sharper image and a greater companion app. We additionally suppose that Wyze (and even Blink) can go toe-to-toe with the EZVIZ.
How lengthy will it final?
Primarily based on its IP65-rating, we’re betting you’ll get about three to 5 years out of the C8PF.
Must you purchase it?
We’d purchase the EZVIZ C8PF if there was no different out of doors camera possibility on the retailer, and we actually wanted to go residence with a brand new cam that day. If there have been different choices, although, we’d look elsewhere.
Editors’ Suggestions
