EZVIZ C8C
The C8C is the first 360° camera from Ezviz for outdoor use. It should allow to monitor a larger area than a traditional surveillance camera.
Presentation
The C8C joined this year the catalog of Ezviz, becoming in passing the first motorized outdoor camera of the manufacturer, a treatment so far reserved for indoor cameras, such as the C6CN Pro or the C6W. Like the latter, it can thus offer a 360° vision. On the video side, it films in 1080p and incorporates infrared LEDs and a LED projector to obtain a night vision in black & white or color.
Images can be stored on a microSD card as well as on the Ezviz cloud, which also offers two connection methods: Wi-Fi and wired, via an RJ45 port. The power supply, on the other hand, requires an electrical connection, but we can recall that Ezviz also offers battery-powered cameras, like the BC1. The C8C includes a microphone, and most stores now offer it for less than $100.
Ergonomics and installation
The C8C is very round and has two small antennas on each side. However, having a camera visible outdoors is not necessarily a bad thing. On the contrary, it can dissuade the less reckless thieves from going further.
However, beware of those who would try to take it or put it out of service: if the right-angled support was designed for installation on a wall or a roof return and therefore rather high, it is made of plastic. A material that can be found all around the device. A small gap is also to be deplored between the two parts of the sphere. We would have liked a design a little more qualitative and more neat.
Ezviz nevertheless announces an IP65 certification, and the microSD port seems quite well protected. It is located at the back of the camera, behind a plate fixed with two screws. Remember that it is also possible to opt for cloud storage, admittedly at a cost, but guaranteeing continued access to images even if the camera or its memory card is stolen.
The greatest interest of the C8C obviously lies in its motorization. From the application, it is possible to rotate the camera on 352° and to tilt it on 95°. This motorization allows you to monitor a large area, or rather to observe a large area. The motion detection remains limited to 105° of the camera. Unfortunately, Ezviz has not provided automatic tracking of movements, but the C8C still inherits the private mode of other motorized cameras of the manufacturer: the lens is then "stored" to prevent any image capture.
The installation of the camera is not complicated in itself, but we would have appreciated a removable support to facilitate access to the screws. You will need a screwdriver long and thin enough. Screws and plugs are obviously provided, and Ezviz has also provided a drilling template.
In the absence of battery, the C8C must be connected to the current. To do this, it is delivered with a conventional 220V power supply, but still very short (1.5 meters) for an outdoor camera. Ezviz leaves the choice between a wireless or wired connection for Internet access, but it will be necessary in the second case to waterproof the connection if the RJ45 socket is likely to be exposed to rain with the kit provided.
Application
Ezviz has recently updated the application that accompanies its cameras. While the homepage has not changed and still features a quick disarm button in addition to a full history, the live page has been completely redesigned. The shooting and piloting commands that were previously available just below the video stream have been grouped in a line at the bottom of the screen to make room for a timeline of events in the center.
The interface is quite clear and allows you to scroll up and down through the events using a zoom. Filters can also be selected in addition to the storage method, and the command line at the bottom can be customized to show the most used ones first and not have to scroll to find them.
On the settings side, Ezviz allows you to disable the audio capture, the power indicator or the infrared leds and offers as always several options for the motion detection. It is thus possible to limit the alerts by activating the human recognition, by adjusting the sensitivity of the detection and by removing zones from the image. A programming tool is of course also included and an option allows the projector to flash in case of detection. A rather dissuasive sign that we would have liked to be able to couple with a siren.
Ezviz also offers several options for night vision. It is thus possible to leave the projector on to enjoy continuous lighting and color images, to opt for an infrared vision in black & white or to opt for a mix of both: the camera uses infrared vision to detect movements and turns on its projector in case of activity.
As always, the Ezviz application is stable and responsive, but some features that are now widespread or in the process of democratization are missing, starting of course with the automatic tracking of movements that can be found on the motorized indoor cameras of the same manufacturer, but also on the Rheita 100 from Thomson. The camera turns here only on command. However, it is possible to associate it with motion detectors and set it up so that it turns automatically in the direction of one or the other when it is activated.
Two-way audio is obviously not offered either in the absence of a speaker, and we can add that competing cameras offer recognition of animals, vehicles or even packages, like the Arlo Pro 4. The notifications sent by the latter are also a little richer, just like those of the Nest Cam (Battery) from Google.
Image quality
If Ezviz proposes more and more 2K cameras, the C8C remains limited to 1080p. Two lower definitions are proposed to limit the weight of the recordings if necessary and thus be able to store more on a microSD card. We find with that infrared leds and a LED projector to record at night, in black & white with the first, and in color with the second.
To show the image quality offered by the C8C, we made several recordings on our test scene to extract images and compare them to extracts of recordings made with the C3X, which remains our reference of wired cameras for the outside.
As always or almost always with Ezviz, the image quality is very good. The manufacturer skillfully uses the accentuation and contrast to bring out a maximum of details and the exposure is perfectly controlled. The blacks are not blocked, and the bright areas are not burned. In short, the C8C has nothing to envy to its big sister by day.
The observation is just as positive for the infrared vision. It is also a little better on the motorized camera than on the C3X, which tends to flood our test scene with light. The C8C manages to offer a perfect balance between the dark and light elements of our scene while capturing a very satisfactory level of detail. We were able to recognize a face up to 5 meters away from the camera.
The C8C was also able to detect an activity at the other end of our test lab of about 10 meters. However, the AI showed its limits around 7 meters for human recognition and, as is often the case with Ezviz, the infrared vision is slow to activate. It allows about 6 seconds to pass after the lights go out. Moreover, it is frequent that the infrared vision remains activated when the light returns.
In addition to the infrared vision, the C8C offers a night vision in color thanks to its integrated projector. It does very well again, whether on our test scene or when filming someone. The power is perfectly proportioned to reveal the elements in its field of vision. We also noted the same distance during our identification test as with the infrared vision. On the other hand, we observed the same slowness as with the infrared vision for the activation and the deactivation of the projector.
Audio quality
Surprisingly, Ezviz has chosen not to integrate a speaker to the C8C, while most of the cameras in its catalog are equipped with one. There is no siren either, but a microphone is still offered to capture sounds live or during recordings. Without being fundamentally bad, it lacks a little sensitivity and the sound seems muffled in playback. Noises and voices can therefore be difficult to recognize. The sound is nevertheless clear enough and the C8C avoids the continuous hiss that other cameras suffer from and that can sometimes cover the sounds.
Conclusion
The C8C makes a very good outdoor surveillance camera for those who are not afraid of cables. It combines effective motion detection with excellent image quality in a motorized unit. It is therefore also possible to change the angle of view, but not to enjoy any motion tracking. A feature that could have allowed the C8C to really stand out from the competition. As it is, and without a speaker, this outdoor surveillance camera finally leaves a little taste of too little.
