Ezviz C8PF

[testman78]

Introduction

Outdoor security cameras offer a range of features and benefits, but it seems no two cameras are created equal. For example, some outdoor cams specialize in advanced zooming and floodlight capabilities, but lack a mechanized gimble for panning and tilting. Then there are cameras that can pan and tilt, but suffer in terms of image quality when focusing in on a subject. Is there a such thing as “the best of both worlds” when it comes to outdoor surveillance? In theory, yes, and it’s the focus of today’s review. Enter Ezviz's C8PF. This pan/tilt camera uses two lenses to deliver a picture-in-picture view. The idea with the C8PF’s “mixed zoom” system is that the camera provides its two viewing angles simultaneously, courtesy of a picture-in-picture system in the app. This is very different from the dual-lens Reolink Duo, which stitches the feed from its two lenses into a single almost panoramic view. With the C8PF, you can pinch to zoom in and out on the primary image–up to 8x–while the thumbnail maintains the zoomed-out perspective, though you can’t really interact between the two views. It’d be amazing to be able to tap on a point on the wide-angle picture and have the telephoto lens zoom into that spot but, alas, it’s not possible here. The PiP feature is admittedly much more useful when you turn your phone on its side and allow the frame to fill the screen. The standard portrait view, which populates pan and tilt controls or a history of recorded videos underneath the picture, is admittedly much less valuable, as the picture-in-picture thumbnail becomes too small. After experimenting with the camera for a while, here is our review of the product.



C8PF has won the "Good Design Award 2020." Presented by the Japan Institute of Design Promotion (JDP), the award is one of the four most-renowned international design awards, with about 5,000 entries submitted from all over the world each year.





Packaging & Contents

The C8PF packaged in a nice retail box that shows off the Camera quite nicely on the front cover.



Helpful information can be found throughout the box, but most of what you need is on the back in 9 languages.




Ezviz also lists a few of the more prominent features of the Camera. The Camera itself is packed very securely. Foam pad is made in the most vulnerable places.



The Camera is supplied with power adaptor, a CE declaration of conformity and short instructions - both in English. The quick start guide has a QR code to enable you to download the full user guide and the app. There is also a drilling template for the pre-assembled bracket, screws and dowels for wall mounting and a coupling to protect the LAN cable from water and dirt.




A Closer Look

The all-white ball-shaped body unit is largely crafted from plastic. I enjoy the look of many of the company’s stationary cameras, but models with pan-and-tilt controls tend to be a bit on the bulbous side. Such is the case with the C8PF.




Conveniently, the EZVIZ C8PF comes pre-attached to its mounting plate, making it easy to fix the bracket to an awning or exterior wall without having to snap the camera in place later. The stand also has a built-in speaker and a microphone for two-way talk, allowing you to talk to family members, couriers and other guests.



As for the camera's power supply, you'll need to use a power outlet. C8PF requires 12V DC power. The adapter it plugs into (connects from the Camera body) is not weatherproof. You need to buy weatherproof tape to wrap everything around, but that's pretty trivial for an outdoor cam.



The camera will record with both lenses at the same time so you will have two different recordings, one for the 2.8mm lens and one for the 12mm lens. This means you can have picture in picture display so you can view both lenses at the same time in live view. And same when you watch playbacks you got two different recordings one for each lens.



This camera comes with 340-degree swivel and 80-degree vertical rotation with an 8x zoom. Seeing exactly what you need will never be a problem.



Designed for outdoor use, the C8PF is IP65 rated, which means it can resist virtually any dirt, dust, and water.



Storage is also never a problem as it comes with 512 GB of SD storage AND comes with a one week free trial of the EZVIZ cloud storage so you can get a feel for what their award winning cloud storage is like (Personal Data Privacy Protection Management System Certification).




EZVIZ App

Device activation is a pretty straightforward process. Once you download the EZVIZ app (for iOS and Android hardware) and create an account, you’ll be prompted to add your first EZVIZ camera. Select the C8PF from the list of available options.




Then tapped Add Device in the app and used your phone’s camera to scan the QR code on the front cover of the quick install guide (there’s also a code on the base of the camera).



Next, you’ll choose the Wi-Fi network (2.4GHz only) to which you’ll be connecting the camera. Once online, the C8PF will perform a software update. After the update, you’re ready to start using it.




Available for iOS and Android devices, the EZVIZ app is your all-in-one hub for camera controls, profile and hardware customizations, general settings, motion controls, and more.



Sound and image are recorded automatically, and the APP will also remind you when someone appears, helping the owner to capture the scene right from opening the application on the phone. Using the Download option, you can save clips to what the software calls ‘My Ablum’. You can use the Pan & Tilt section to move the camera around, and control the zoom.



As there are two lenses in the camera, you get a picture-in-picture view, with a thumbnail showing the wide-angle clip and the main picture showing the zoomed-in view, with your choice of 1x, 2x, 4x and 8x zoom. It feature two options, allowing you to be alerted on any type of motion (aka Image Change Detection) or only if a person is seen (aka Human Shape Detection). Notifications can be set for 24/7 or on a schedule, and you can opt to have notifications trip the siren if desired. A motion-detection area can be set in the app, and a line-crossing detection system is available, too. I found motion sensitivity to be solid at higher levels of its six sensitivity levels.





Performance

Before physically installing it, we recommend activating the camera inside your home and then mounting it in place outside after it’s been registered to the EZVIZ app. Installing the hardware is similar to most other cameras, so you will need to drill four holes and screw the camera arm into place and then, you have to choose the power source. To install it, the camera can be placed on a wall or the ceiling thanks to its wall bracket. In both cases, you must have a socket nearby in order to connect the camera to the mains. Like most of the outdoor camera, it does not have a battery. The camera doesn’t have Power over Ethernet (PoE) to deliver data and power over one cable.



In terms of function, it can meet the needs of large-area large-area surveillance and close-up detailed monitoring at the same time. EZVIZ C8PF magnifies 4 times the original image: delicate images, like the effect of the viewer's eye. The still image supports multiple zooms, and the dynamic video also supports short-range and long-range dual-channel video recording.



The EZVIZ C8PF Hybrid Zoom CAMERA incorporates a 2-megapixel ultra-high-definition lens with a high-resolution F1.6 aperture, which increases the amount of light entering and presents a more refined image quality. You do lose some fidelity when pushing the telephoto into 4x and 8x close-up territory, but I must say, not as much loss as I expected.






Through the image, it is not difficult to see that the image is still clear in low-light environments at night.



EZVIZ C8PF has four built-in infrared lights, supporting 50 meters infrared night vision. From the video screenshot below, the details within 30 meters are completely preserved.




Final Thoughts

With its air of a black and white color magic ball, the Ezviz C8PF goes quite unnoticed and will not be spotted by an intruder. The plastic used seems resistant and the quality of the finishes is there. Waterproof and dustproof design is adopted to avoid malfunction of equipment operating in rainy or humid weather. It can be wall mounted and hoisted. The EZVIZ C8PF can be rotated 80° up and down and 340° left and right, and multi-view monitoring can cover a wider range. Regarding the performance of the product, it can be applied to many occasions, such as courtyards, driveway entrances and so on. The camera’s video quality (1920 x 1080 pixels) is top-notch, and its IR-illuminated night vision looks great. The camera includes a solid infrared night-vision mode, but it does not include a flood- or spotlight for “color” night vision. By daylight, both lenses do a fantastic job. Shooting in 1920 x 1080p, overall image quality is sharp, with well-balanced colors and contrast. There are plenty of app controls and customizations, although the C8PF is not compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant, unlike other models in EZVIZ's lineup. Thanks to EZVIZ’s advanced AI technologies, the C8PF reduces false or irrelevant alarms by distinguishing human shapes from pets or objects. In addition, you can customize detection sensitivity and time schedules to further filter out unwanted alerts. With auto zoom and smart tracking, the C8PF camera automatically zooms in on and follows moving subjects and alerts users to the incident in real time, offering state-of-the-art protection.



The EZVIZ C8PF delivers what it promises and proudly touts — a 360-degree panoramic camera with panning, tilting, and zoom functions. Video quality is great during the day and PK at night. With its price tag sitting around $170, it feels right in line with other cameras in this price point. But it’ll be tough to find an outdoor camera that can pan, tilt, and zoom for the price that the C8PF sells for. The EZVIZ C8PF includes a one-year limited warranty.