Ezviz C6 2K+ Security Camera review
One minute review
When it comes to home security, it's the dream to have eyes absolutely everywhere. While most security cameras are best placed in key positions, where the most action takes place, pan and tilt models such as the Ezviz C6 2K+ go a few steps further by being able to move around whenever motion is detected.
The best home security cameras can cope with whatever environment they're placed in, and the Ezviz C6 is arguably more versatile than most. With AI-powered motion detection that can differentiate between humans and pets, boosted audio for two-way calling, and auto-zoom tracking, its capabilities go way beyond what its compact form might suggest.
The camera might not suit those who would like cloud storage but without a subscription; however, unlike many options, the C6 offers local storage via microSD card, if you want to keep your clips for another day.
Ezviz C6 2K+: price and availability
- List price: $130 / £99.99 / AUS$199.99
The Ezviz C6 2K+ is available from Amazon in the US, UK and Australia, priced at $130 / £99.99 / AUS$199.99. You can also purchase the camera in the UK from Very, Maplin and The Electric Showroom.
You can use the camera straight away without paying extra fees by using local storage, but a 30-day free trial for Ezviz CloudPlay is available for new users. This subscription is required for cloud storage. The Premium Plan (7-day video history) costs £4.99 / $4.99 per month or £49.99 / $49.99 per year for a single camera, while the Elite Plan (30-day video history) costs £9.99 / $9.99 per month or £99.99 / $99.99 per year.
- Price and availability score: 4/5
Ezviz C6 2K+ design and setup
- Can be mounted or left freestanding
- 360-degree view
- Privacy screen
The Ezviz C6 is a spherical device with a black opening up front, where you'll find the camera, and a base for mounting if you choose. A join in the middle allows the device to pan, and the camera can tilt up and down as needed. It's small enough to fit nicely on a sideboard, shelf, or anywhere else without making a nuisance of itself.
As mentioned, the camera is mountable if you want it completely out of the way, and everything you need to do this is included in the box. However, note that its shape does mean this doesn't feel like the natural thing to do. It arguably looks and performs better when just placed on a surface.
However, the degree of pivot may impact your decision here, since the camera can't see as much in a downward direction unless it's attached to the wall. Then again, the C6 has to be wired, and it's easier to hide those trailing cables behind a cabinet.
One of the best design features is the sleeping face on the privacy screen, which is visible when the camera is hidden. It isn't something that serves any real purpose, but it made us smile. You'll find the microSD card slot in this mode, too.
- Design score: 4.5/5
Ezviz C6 2K+ features and performance
- 2K resolution and nightvision
- Good motion detection
- Buggy app
The Ezviz C6's 2K video resolution doesn't disappoint, providing a clear view of the area, with just a small downturn in quality once nighttime sets in. We tried out the camera in a few different places to see how it performed. When in the lounge, the view of the room was wide and clear, allowing us to see whoever passed through on their way to the kitchen.
Motion detection
We then moved the camera to the kitchen entry way to see how it responded to sudden motion. We set the C6 to beep when it saw someone – and, sure enough, it immediately spun around and made a (very loud) sound when we entered the room. It can apparently determine the difference between people and animals, which limits the number of false alerts. Unfortunately, we don't have pets and so we couldn't test this element.
The 4x zoom offers a better view of "events" that the camera detects, plus onboard AI can be tweaked to do this only for people in view.
Ezviz app
While we were impressed by the camera's performance, the Ezviz app was another matter. While you can connect the C6 to the internet via ethernet cable, the position of our router meant that this wasn't an option, so we opted for Wi-Fi. Since we had previously tested an Ezviz doorbell, we could just log in to the app and add the new camera. This took a few attempts, but worked eventually.
Accessing the camera with our phone was a frustrating experience, showing as offline at times and taking far too long to load a live view on most occasions. A slow app is a real problem for security devices such as this, since it can take you so long to load a view of the area that anyone up to no good is given a head start.
Customization
Outside of these connectivity issues, there are actually a good number of useful features to be found within the app. Two-way talk means you can speak to someone in the same room as the camera from wherever you are, and you can choose to have a wave at the camera trigger a call to your phone.
A lot of these communication features are super-useful if you have a smart display, since you'll be able to use any of the best smart speakers with a screen from Alexa or Google to view what your camera is seeing.
- Performance score: 3.5/5
Score card: Ezviz C6 2K+
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price & affordability | A mid-range option with no required subscription | 4/5 |
| Design | An appealing design with a privacy mode and near-360° view | 4.5/5 |
| Performance | A dodgy app lets down an otherwise solid camera with good motion detection, nightvision and 2K resolution | 3.5/5 |
0 comments:
Post a Comment