Though battery-powered outside safety cameras are normally simpler to put in than their wired counterparts, they are typically much less handy over time as a result of you need to recharge them now and again. The wi-fi EufyCam 3 S330 ($549.99 for a pack of two) provides one of the best of each worlds as a result of it has a photo voltaic charging panel that retains its inside battery operating with only a few hours of direct daylight. The digicam is not low cost and requires an (included) hub, however these are minor quibbles in mild of options like razor-sharp 4K decision, face recognition, colour night time imaginative and prescient, and a built-in highlight. Whereas the Lorex 4K Highlight is a superb various that prices much less at $229.99, it merely cannot match the EufyCam’s wire-free setup and photo voltaic charging capabilities, incomes the S300 our Editors’ Alternative award for high-end outside safety cameras.
A Slick, Photo voltaic-Powered Design
Whether or not you select a pack of two ($549.99), three ($769.99), or 4 ($988.99) EufyCam 3 models, every bundle contains the required HomeBase 3 hub and energy adapter, mounting brackets and {hardware}, a LAN cable, a USB-C charging cable, and a person information. Add-on cameras go for $219.99 every, and an optionally available 1TB 2.5-inch storage drive is on the market for an additional $80 (we focus on storage choices in additional element under).
The white, semi-rectangular digicam enclosure, which measures 2.6 by 2.6 by 5.1 inches (HWD), has an IP67 weatherproof ranking that makes it appropriate for any outside circumstances. A photo voltaic panel embedded within the high retains the interior battery full assuming it will get two hours of direct daylight per day, although you’ll be able to all the time convey the digicam indoors for charging through the included cable if the set up spot you select would not get sufficient solar publicity. In accordance with Eufy, the battery ought to last as long as one 12 months between prices (with out utilizing the photo voltaic panel) with regular utilization.
The entrance of the unit homes the lens meeting, a highlight, mild and movement sensors, two microphones, and a standing LED that glows strong blue when the digicam is charging, strong crimson when it’s recording or streaming, and flashes crimson when the battery degree is low. A 100dB siren and a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi radio sit inside, whereas a speaker resides on the underside. On the again, there is a threaded mounting gap, a sync button, and a rubber cowl that protects a USB-C charging port.
The digicam captures 4K (3,840 by 2,160 pixels) video, has a 135-degree discipline of view, and helps as much as 8x digital zoom. It provides full-color and black-and-white night time imaginative and prescient recording modes.
Like the unique EufyCam and the EufyCam E2, this model requires an indoor hub to arrange the connections between the digicam, your telephone, and your community. The included HomeBase 3 (S380) measures 5.7 by 3.1 by 4.3 inches (HWD) and appears in step with the digicam because of its clear, white-and-silver design (pictured above). To set it up, you should join one finish of the included community cable to the LAN port on the again of the hub and the opposite to your router. A USB 3.2 port, a USB 2.0 port, a sync/alarm off button, and an influence port are additionally on the again. You should utilize the USB ports to cost the digicam in addition to to obtain movies to an exterior USB drive (not included). An LED indicator on the entrance of the hub glows crimson while you energy up the system, blinks blue throughout setup, and exhibits strong blue when every thing is related and functioning correctly. The underside features a reset button.
Take away the small Philips-head screw on the high of the hub to disclose a drive sled for a 2.5-inch SATA arduous drive (the hub helps 5V drives of as much as 16TB). 16GB of onboard EMMC reminiscence can also be out there for onboard video storage. Underneath the hood, a quad-core ARM Cortex-A55 processor gives the computing muscle for Eufy’s BionicMind AI know-how that powers the face recognition, human detection, pet detection, and automobile detection options.
The digicam sends a push alert and robotically information video when it detects any of the above movement occasions. It may well save captures to the arduous drive you present or the embedded reminiscence, however Eufy additionally provides cloud storage plans. A $2.99-per-month ($29.90 per 12 months) Primary plan grants you 30 days of rolling storage for a single digicam, whereas a $9.99-per-month ($99.99 per 12 months) Premier tier will get you an identical for as much as 10 cameras. Skilled monitoring plans can be found as nicely: The $4.99-per-month Primary plan provides a button inside the app that connects you to a 24/7 emergency response dispatch middle, whereas the $9.99-per-month Plus plan robotically contacts that dispatch middle at any time when the digicam detects movement. If you would like each cloud storage {and professional} monitoring, it’s worthwhile to subscribe to each plans individually.
You aren’t getting help for Apple HomeKit or IFTTT right here, however the digicam works with Alexa and Google Assistant voice instructions and routines. It additionally works with different Eufy merchandise, so you’ll be able to set it as much as set off different cameras from the corporate, and vice versa, in addition to react to a Eufy Movement Sensor that detects motion, for example.
EufyCam 3 App Expertise
The EufyCam 3 makes use of the identical cellular app (out there for Android and iOS) as different Eufy gadgets. Every digicam you buy will get a devoted panel on the primary My Units display screen. Merely faucet the play arrow within the panel to view the stay feed from any of them.
Beneath the playback view are buttons for recording video, taking a snapshot, muting the sound, initiating two-way speak, activating the siren, turning on the highlight, enabling colour or black-and-white night time imaginative and prescient, and viewing movement occasions. Every occasion video will get a separate thumbnail with an identifier icon (individual, pet, automobile, or different); you’ll be able to obtain, share, favourite, or delete any of those.
To entry the digicam settings, faucet the gear icon within the higher proper nook of the video display screen. Right here, you’ll be able to flip the digicam on and off, configure good movement detection preferences, alter the highlight brightness, select an influence administration setting, view photo voltaic charging statistics, set the video high quality, configure night time imaginative and prescient choices, and create privateness zones. You too can choose notifications and alert tones, arrange NAS storage, share entry to the digicam with different customers, and allow an Anti-Theft Detection characteristic that sounds an alarm if somebody strikes or tampers with the digicam.
Fast Set up and Excessive-High quality 4K
Battery-powered cameras just like the EufyCam 3 are simple to put in. I started by charging each cameras in my take a look at bundle for round eight hours till their standing LEDs went darkish (indicating a full cost). Then, I tapped the plus icon within the My Units part of the companion app (it’s worthwhile to obtain this and create an account if you happen to do not have already got one) and chosen the S380 HomeBase hub. I adopted the directions to attach the hub to my router and activate the unit. I verified that my telephone was related to the identical community, tapped Subsequent when the hub’s LED started blinking blue, and used my telephone to scan the QR code on the underside of the system. A voice immediate knowledgeable me that the HomeBase obtained a pairing request and instructed me to press the sync button which was flashing crimson. The hub instantly confirmed up within the app and I simply needed to give it a reputation and set up a fast firmware replace,
Then, I tapped the plus icon once more, chosen the S330 EufyCam, and selected my dwelling group. I tapped Subsequent, positioned the digicam near the hub, and pressed the sync button on the digicam. After I heard a beep, I tapped Subsequent once more and the digicam immediately appeared within the app. I gave it a reputation after which repeated the method for the second digicam. After that, I hooked up each mounting brackets to deck posts in my yard and hooked up every digicam to finish the set up course of (you’ll be able to observe the instructions for mounting within the app or use the printed information).
The EufyCam 3 delivers gorgeous 4K video. Particulars in daytime recordings look razor-sharp, whereas colours are correct. Coloration night time video additionally seems clear, although colours aren’t fairly as vibrant as in the course of the day. Black-and-white night time recordings present robust distinction and enough element out to round 30 toes. Two-way audio sounds loud and clear, and the spotlights do a superb job of illuminating my yard.
The cameras did not have any bother streaming video to an Amazon Echo Present in testing, and an Alexa routine I arrange for a Wyze Bulb to activate when one of many cameras detected movement labored each time. Face recognition and movement detection options additionally carried out as anticipated.
A Good Alternative for Dwelling Surveillance
Though you would possibly scoff on the excessive value of the EufyCam 3 S330, it manages to ship loads of worth. In spite of everything, you get a number of battery-powered outside cameras that ship excellent 4K video and a hub that may save numerous hours of recordings regionally. The entire options you anticipate from a premium outside digicam are right here too, together with clever alerts, face recognition, a highlight and siren warning system, and voice management. A built-in photo voltaic panel for infinite battery energy is simply icing on the cake. We additionally just like the aforementioned Lorex 4K Highlight, significantly if you happen to solely want a single digicam, although it requires wired set up. The identical goes for the ultra-affordable Wyze Cam Pan v3 ($43.99), which solely provides 1080p video and lacks a highlight. That makes the EufyCam 3 S330 the highest high-end outside safety digicam we have examined, incomes it our Editors’ Alternative award.
