As the owner of a camera, I don’t actually need it to function an anchor for data scraping companies who make their money via the commodification of my personal information. Enter the EufyCam 2C Pro, a security camera from Anker that works with HomeKit to lock down all the footage it grabs. Get more in EufyCam 2C Pro Reviews.
The updated version of Anker’s HD HomeKit Secure Video-compatible camera, the 2C Pro records 2K video, has 6-month battery life, and employs on-device AI to detect people and…whether they’re crying? I couldn’t get the cry detection to figure by faking it, and while i assumed about watching the intro to Up to form the tears happen, I can’t handle that immediately . The 2-pack I tested came with the bridge, called Home Base 2, and two cameras and retails for $320. The bridge looks a touch sort of a smaller, tapered Airport container , with the cameras encased in glossy white plastic, and that they are Definitely Cameras, so if you wanted them to be sneaky, they aren’t that. Find everything that you want to know in EufyCam 2C Pro Reviews.
There is also a mount, comprised of 4 pieces: a base that you simply screw into the wall, then bits that clip into the mount and hold the ball-jointed, articulating arm, which itself features a little screw tip that you simply affix the camera to. this is often a pleasant convenience, but hot damn you’ll just take it right off the wall if you wanted to steal it. I don’t skills many of us are out there stealing security cameras, but things happen!
LIKE
It’s easy to line up, with solid functionality, and welcomed HSV-support.
NO LIKE
I had to seek out a firmware update for the simplest HSV support. 2K is merely available with the Eufy app and not noticeably better than 1080p
EufyCam 2C Pro Reviews
The Eufy website pushes privacy together of its biggest selling points, which was the first reason I wanted to seem at it. It’s no secret that we’re not enthusiastic around here about Ring cameras due to its Orwellian approach to surveillance (talk amongst yourselves), and that i am not willing to shop for a camera that doesn’t offer local storage, an inexpensive , encrypted alternative, and a few assurances that the videos it captures aren’t used or accessed without my consent.
In evaluating Anker’s privacy claims, the foremost important thing on behalf of me was its compatibility with HomeKit Secure Video, which is Apple’s security camera platform that permits for 10 days’ worth of end-to-end encrypted cloud storage, requiring no additional subscription fees beyond those purchased during a 200 GB or 2 TB iCloud storage plan. Heavy bonus points if I can use the camera without ever downloading the manufacturer’s app. So, how did the eufyCam 2C Pro do?
I provides it a B. Setup is straightforward , though it involves a startling ladybot voice that yells at you, so i counsel against setting it up while people are sleeping. While i used to be ready to complete the setup exclusively using the iOS Home app, the clips the cameras captured were never longer than 5 seconds long, if they were recorded in the least . Motion detection was iffy, working about 50% of the time. I did some quick Ask Jeeves-ing, and it seems this is often a standard issue, resolved by e-mailing Eufy support to request a non-public firmware update I’d examine . Eufy responded overnight, saying it’d push the update, and lo, I awoke subsequent morning to the magic of Firmware Festivus, and a working HomeKit Secure Video integration!
If you’re unclear on HomeKit Secure Video, you’re not alone! Apple’s support doc is pretty light on detail, but here is a few stuff to remember: Recordings reach at 1080p, your videos don’t count against your total iCloud storage, and they’re accessible within the camera pane within the Home app. Additionally, all processing of motion detection occurs on your chosen Home Hub – in my case, a HomePod – and Apple says it’s unable to interrupt the encryption of your videos, so, theoretically, you and people you permit should be the sole ones ready to view them. face recognition , also processed locally, uses your chosen iCloud photo library because the point of reference , too, which seems to figure about also as this stuff do. If you’ve got a HomeKit Secure router, you’ll limit the camera’s connection to your local network, and aside from the house Base 2’s friendly blue status ring turning to an angry red, it doesn’t seem to complain about it that limitation. Though you are doing lose the Eufy app’s functionality.
EufyCam 2C Pro Reviews – storage
Nice as HSV is, though, iCloud’s gonna iCloud, which suggests that loading the videos are often sluggish, no matter your internet speed. there’s also no great way to batch download videos from iCloud, so you’ve got to travel through an equivalent process of tapping the share icon, then “next”, then choosing where to save lots of the video, for every and each one.
You can get automatic local storage (up to 16 GB) by concurrently using the Eufy Security app, but this hits your camera’s batteries hard. It wasn’t clear to me why until I looked within the Eufy app and located that it had been recording a minimum of one video about every 3-to-5 minutes, no matter what was happening over within the Home app. Turns out, if you employ HSV, Eufy’s default is to line to record all motions, so I almost might also are livestreaming from it.
HomeKit
In fact, after only four days of use with HomeKit, both cameras’ charges fell below 50%. The batteries aren’t user-replaceable, so I’ve seen some concern about the batteries’ overall life, but given they’re an equivalent cells utilized in e-cigarettes – that’s , batteries that tend to require a beating and undergo many charge cycles within the time these will undergo two or three—I’m not concerned that . They charge via micro-USB.
Setup
I also used the cameras for a time without HSV, and it’s actually a reasonably nice experience! The Eufy app is fairly easy to use, and viewing videos is quick, because of local storage on the house Base 2. They even loaded fast outside of my home network, trouncing iCloud.
In settings, you’ll find options for NAS storage (using the Real-Time Streaming Protocol, which traditional IP camera users are going to be familiar with), customizing recording length, choosing whether to timestamp your video or not, disabling the status LED on the camera, and adjusting motion sensitivity. NAS storage set-up aside, It’s all pretty easy to urge around and understand, which is, of course, never a given with this stuff .
Geo-fencing
Oh, and it’s a siren, just in case you would like to form boom boom in your pantaloons whenever you ditch it and substitute the camera’s line of sight a touch too long. It’s not the worst sound, but it’s definitely alarming, so confirm you found out geofencing so it only works when you’re away, then customize the length of your time the camera waits before it starts Chicken Little-ing whenever a spider crawls across the lens. Personally, I’ll never use it, because i do know that thing is simply getting to yell at an equivalent bush or tree a day , and my neighbors are going to be too nice to mention anything about it, but will privately resent me forever.
Now, you’ll notice I haven’t yet mentioned the flood light or 2-way audio. That’s because I couldn’t test them until i used to be using the Eufy’s app—neither has been made available within the Home app. Worth noting is also that, since HomeKit Secure Video only supports 1080p, you’ll be unable to access full 2K video unless you’re exclusively using Eufy’s app.
EufyCam 2C Pro resolution Reviews
Let’s mention that 2K resolution. Right next to the eufyCam 2C Pro, I even have a Netatmo Presence. one among the primary cameras to vow (yet-to-be-delivered) HSV support, the Netatmo maxes out at 1080p. Comparing the 2 , I noticed more realistic colors and better exposure control with the Eufy—images taken thereon tended to not be all blown out. However, even at 2304 × 1296, the eufyCam 2C Pro initially lacks much of the detail of the Netatmo, the previous only gradually resolving to more detail than the latter after my wife’s car had moved mostly out of frame the shots below. It looked good once it got there, but the eufyCam’s slow ramp-up to full resolution ended up being the difference between reading a car place number or not, which may be a pretty important disclaimer. That said, eufyCam’s night-sight was significantly better than on the Netatmo, seeing much farther, with quite bit more detail. it had been just silly what proportion better it had been .
EufyCam 2C Pro Reviews verdict
No smart home security camera, as far as I can tell, comes without some compromise, except for what it does, and the way it does it, the eufyCam 2C Pro may be a very solid product. It offers a largely foolproof setup and installation, also as good-looking video (for a security camera) and overall consistent functionality. It’s easy to use during a way that largely respects your privacy, too, making this a reasonably good camera for anyone concerned about such things. the most important caveat I can come up with is that the 2K resolution just doesn’t look all that far better than standard HD, which doesn’t help it justify that $100+ premium.
EufyCam 2C Pro customer Reviews
Easy set-up and great product
Initial thoughts: Eufy states that this camera can run on a single charge for up to one year. That couple with the camera features and the fact there is no monthly fee for services sounds like a winner from the start. What’s in the box?? -The base station -2 cameras -Mounting hardware(for both inside(magnetic) and outside(screw in type) -Network Cable -Power cable for base station -Charging cable for cameras -Quick start guide SETUP: Setup wasn’t too difficult, but I did have some issues.
First you have to connect the base station to power and a router via the supplied ethernet cable. You then are supposed to scan a QR code on the bottom of the base station to get it up and going. This did not work for me, you can also type in the code manually which did not work for me. After I restarted the base station I went back in the app and searched for devices and it found it right away and connected. When connecting the cameras, I suggest you do one at a time.
To start open the app and following the instruction on adding cameras. You essentially hold the button on the camera for few seconds then it connects. I suggest you then walk to the place you would like to mount it and look at the signal strength meter on the app to make sure it good before you install it. Eufy also recommends that you mount the camera 7-10 feet high out of direct sunlight and away from reflective services if you want optimum performance.
Like I stated previously if you mount the cameras inside then use the magnet mounting hardware and if you install outside, use the screw in mounting hardware. One thing to note on the screw in mounting hardware is that it is limiting on the angle so double check the position and angle before you mount it outside.
Features: There are a lot of features of this camera and honestly one of the most appealing for me is the no contract/monthly fee. I like that there are no wires to mess with and the fact the battery life is supposed to last 365 days. It also has 16GB of internal eMMC storage. This system also has human detection software that focuses on humans in the image. I confirm that it does connect with apple home kit but if you do beware some of the features will not work and the image quality is not as good as using the Eufy app. I like the 2 way talk on these cameras as it pairs nicely with my doorbell. It also has a 100db intruder siren. These cameras are IP-67 rated as well.
The last feature that I would like to mention is the ability of the HomeBase 2 to serve as a Wi-Fi extender. Performance: I mounted one camera on my front porch to watch the driveway and front entrance and the other camera on the back deck to watch over the inground pool and surrounding area. I felt that both cameras offered good coverage angles of my property. I felt that watching the live video was very sharp and accurate as well as previously captured video. The night mode I felt gave the same results, the clarity/sharpness and distance was very nice in night mode as well. You can also zoom in on either mode (live/recorded).
The motion detection worked very well and the alerts came within seconds. The front camera detects cars driving down my street and its 60ft from the house. You can adjust the motion detection by increasing or decreasing with the slider or creating activity zones in the app. The zones was a neat feature as the cameras will only send alerts if there is activity in the zones you set.
Keep in mind that it does still record all view area but it will only send alerts if there is activity within the zone you set up. The App: The app is super easy to install and use. When you open the app it takes you to a screen where it lists the cameras and the last recorded image. At first, I didn’t understand how to get to the live feed but if you just click play on the video you see for the camera it open up the live feed. Once in the live feed you have options to record, take a snapshot, activate 2 way-talk and muting/unmute the cameras speaker.
There is also a 3 line icon that opens to another menu where there is the library of saved clips, turn off/on nightvision, activate siren and access the camera settings. There is an events tab where you can set security modes. There is a Home mode (set as default) where the camera will detect motion, record video and send alerts. In away mode it basically does the same thing but add in an alarm to fend off intruders. There is even a schedule mode where you can set home and away schedules and the it uses your GPS to activate modes based on your location.
PRO’s: -IP67 rated -365 day battery life -Wire free -No Monthly fee -100db Intruder Siren -16GB local storage -Very sharp images in day and night -HomeBase 2 serves as Wi-Fi extender -Pairs with Apple Home kit, Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa
CON’s: – The provided instructions were not very clear -The outside mounting brackets limit the angle you can move the camera, the magnetic mounts offer a wider and superior angle Final Thoughts: Overall, I feel that this product worked very well and I would recommend this to a friend if they are in the market for device like this. This would be great for people who do not want to mess with a wired system.
By Ohanaman at Best Buy
