Verdict
Excellent 4 potassium video quality , offline recording , facial realisation and even the alternative for AI detection with people , animals and vehicle – the Eufy S330 eufyCam has it all . The bag station does need to be advance from 16 GB to make it more useful , and the arrangement is n’t chintzy . However , if you need quality transcription and smart feature with no on-going cost , this is the out-of-door security department camera system to buy , especially as the integrated solar board mean you do n’t have to occupy about charging .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
It used to be the case that there was a clear selection between security tv camera : you could have subscription - free recording , but with less advanced alternative ; or you could have all the motion detection boast you could want but give for cloud storage .
With the Eufy S330 eufyCam this is n’t the subject : you get high - remnant feature , include 4 K recording and facial recognition , stark with offline , subscription - gratis transcription .
With solar panel to keep the batteries topped up , this is a great arrangement for those that do n’t want to pay a monthly fee .
Design and installation
Rather than connecting directly to your home internet , the Eufy S330 eufyCam camera connect to the provided HomeBase 3 . This small box plugs into your domicile connection via its Ethernet port and then provides a wireless connection to the cameras .
I ’ve survey the package that let in two cameras , but three- and four- camera kits are available , as are add - on cameras if you want to blow up . There ’s a maximum boundary of 16 camera , although Eufy recommends that no more than 10 are plug into for performance reasons .
There ’s 16 GB of onboard reposition built in for record video . Given that the cameras all have a 4 K solvent , this is probable to get use up up quickly . Fortunately , you may insert a 2.5 - in difficult record or SSD , up to a level best of 16 TB , to increase computer memory content . It ’s deserving doing : a one - off spending will get you all of the memory board that you ’re probable to need with no ongoing fee .
All of the cameras are the same . They can be charged via USB . It ’s worth doing this when they ’re new to make indisputable that the barrage is full . After that , their integrated solar board , which ride on top , will keep them charged . That ’s interchangeable to the way of life that theEufy SoloCam S40works .
Of naturally , using the camera with solar power means that they need to be in verbatim sunlight . Eufy says that two time of day of sunlight a day will keep them top off up . It does intend thinking a bit more about installation .
My garden office is south facing , so works well ; the kitchen bulwark is northward facing and never gets lineal sunlight , so would n’t exploit at all . Once you ’ve found the right position , the cameras connect to the screw propeller - in mount , and can be easy positioned .
Features
The Eufy S330 eufyCam is controlled by the Eufy Security app , which is used for all of Eufy ’s security department products , such as theEufy Video Doorbell 2K. Here , the cameras each get their own thumbnail image , which you may knock to go into the lively thought to see what ’s pass in real time . There ’s then the pick to utilize two - way chat to verbalize to anyone that you’re able to see on the television camera .
As with all security television camera , these are best when configure to show time when motion is detected . There are movement - sensitiveness setting , and the pick to wrick on natural process zones . These two choices alone can aid reduce the number of alerts that the app can set .
However , the Eufy S330 eufyCam is more advanced than this , with onboard AI . There ’s the alternative to observe the great unwashed , vehicles and pets ( efficaciously , animals ) , which is the same level of protection that theArlo Pro 5offers via a swarm subscription .
In fact , the Eufy S330 eufyCam goes one step further , as it also offers facial identification . you may use a photo to train the camera to spot familiar mass , and then review the footage to help the system learn , removing incident of untrue identification .
I ’ve not seen a television camera with facial recognition since theNest Cam ( outside or indoor , bombardment ) , although that model does require a subscription to Nest Aware to change by reversal on the characteristic . bugger off it for free here is quite unbelievable .
Does it work ? Yes , middling well . I found that the system was better during the daytime , always spotting me as I moved towards my office ; at nighttime in dark light , the camera did n’t always know that it was me but that ’s to be expected .
Footage is recorded to the HomeBase 3 , and clips can be consider via the app . The interface is quite simple : just a list of thumbnails , get up by date , with filters to jump to a specific day of the month , by photographic camera and even by person detected . Any clip can be look at or quickly download to your phone ’s record album for lasting repositing .
The cameras can be managed by security mode , which is opt using the app . For example , you may want to turn off internal camera when in Home mode , and have everything on in Away fashion . It ’s good to have manual options , but opt for Ring camera , and they can operate in synchronisation with your Ring Alarm ’s fashion .
There ’s no keep forApple HomeKit , but Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant support are built in , letting me stream a camera ’s footage to a compatible smart screen .
Performance
The tv camera all have a 135 ° field of view , which is a touch narrow for an out-of-door camera . TheArlo Pro 5 , in comparison , has a 160 ° arena of view , which enamor a lot more of my garden when both camera were installed in the same place .
When positioning a Eufy S330 eufyCam it ’s worth control the feed before you for good instal to verify that it ’s capturing what you need it to .
These tv camera disk in 4 K ( 3840 x 2160 ) draw them one of the mellow - resolution camera that I have refresh . TheArlo Ultra 2is up to of this resolution , but it also requires a more expensive subscription design ; here , 4 K is included for free , recorded locally to the HomeBase 3 .
Video quality is largely first-class . During the day , the tv camera can shoot very astute video , with plenty of detail . Given that the tv camera was pointing into the sun , it did a brilliant chore of cover with the issue , creating a well - exposed dead reckoning . It was sluttish to find a freeze - frame that caught someone in full detail .
At Nox , the television camera has a spotlight and can shoot in full colour . Image lineament is sharp with plenty of detail through the frame .
With less light , there is more motion blur . As I walk towards the camera , it was hard to retrieve a shape where my face was in full detail and not slightly blurred . To be fair , the footage looks better in motion than when paused like this , and the quality is still very in effect .
I retrieve that the Arlo Pro 5 was slightly better at Nox footage thanks to its powerful sensing element ; alike , theAnnke NC800 ’s humiliated - promiscuous lens help it pullulate best footage , although that camera is a slew more fiddly to set up .
Thanks to the merged solar panels , I did n’t have to charge my camera at all , and they never dropped down to low battery level . Whether or not that ’s reliable for you will reckon on how much sunlight your cameras get and how many issue are triggered ; for the best shelling lifespan , the Eufy S330 eufyCam camera should be angled to only trigger when something authoritative happens on your body politic .
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Should you buy it?
These camera can shoot at 4 chiliad and record to local warehousing , so have no ongoing costs .
If you do n’t need the full coterie , tinny option for a single camera are available .
Final Thoughts
useable as a two - pack for starters , the Eufy S330 eufyCam is n’t tinny up - front , but it ’s not overly expensive compare to the competition . Its clear reward is that there ’s no ongoing price and you may memorialise high - quality 4 K footage direct to the HomeBase .
If you do n’t desire to compromise on features and performance , and do n’t want monthly fees , this is a swell choice . If you do n’t mind paying monthly , theArlo Pro 5is hard to crush , and you may see other alternatives in my guide to thebest outdoor surety television camera .
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How we test
Unlike other sites , we test every security camera we review thoroughly over an extended period of fourth dimension . We use industry stock tests to equate features properly . We ’ll always tell apart you what we find out . We never , ever , admit money to review a product .
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FAQs
Two hour per day should be enough to keep the stamp battery lead up , reckon on how many events are trigger off .
It has 16 GB on the HomeBase 3 , but you may install a toilsome disk up to 16 TB in sizing .