EZVIZ has just released a new 720p mini wi-fi camera that can be controlled via smart device.
As a parent with a small child (and another in our near future), we’ve had our fair share of experiences with baby monitors and cameras. Our Motorola baby monitor has done a decent job for the past two years, but it is lacking a lot of features like motion detection, control and viewing via smart device, and capturing of stills and video. Even the newer model Motorola, while adding a couple of these features, still doesn’t provide them all, is out of our price range, and still tethers you to a monitor. It’s really annoying to have one more device that needs to be plugged in and charged just to check in on your little ones.
The EZVIZ, however, hits all of our newer needs based on years of experience and at a lower price point, a smaller camera, and with a sleeker design! The camera itself has a built-in stand with a magnetic base. This makes placement and mounting super easy, especially if you want to put it on something metal. The box also includes a metal plate that you can screw anywhere to magnetically attach the camera as well. There is also a foam sticker if you don’t want to use the magnet. There is an included 16 GB microSD card for recording images and video (which can be upgraded to 64 GB). And one of the most basic yet unique features is that the power adapter can be USB powered.
Setup couldn’t be easier–download the app, plug the camera in, scan the QR code on the back of the camera, and get walked though a quick registration and configuration process. (Your phone needs to be on the wi-fi network you also want the camera to be on).
Despite my initial poor placement choice, the picture color and quality completely blew our old monitor out of the water.
The EZVIZ app makes it really simple to view what’s going on, including the ability to switch between Basic, Standard Def, and Hi-Def. You can see the difference between the high- and low-end, and this is zoomed in. How clear or choppy the video is will be directly dependent on how fast your internet connection is. You can also tap the camera or video icon to snap a picture or record the video output to the microSD card. (Or, if you setup a cloud account with EZVIZ, you can record there. I didn’t get a chance to try out the cloud features).
One of the features I hadn’t thought I wanted but can see a lot of uses for is the motion sensor and alarms. You can setup schedules for when you want the camera to monitor movement and it will send you alerts. Going into your alerts will allow you to see a few second clip of what triggered the alarm and exactly when it happened.
The only feature we use a lot on our existing monitor that is missing from the EZVIZ is two-way communication. While you can listen to and record audio from the camera, there is no talk-back. We often use the baby monitor to talk to our son when he’s goofing around when he should be asleep. Is it enough of a minus to prevent us from using the EZVIZ? With everything we are gaining with the EZVIZ, I’d say absolutely not.
For the technophiles, here are the specifications:
- 720p resolution
- 115° angle of view
- True day/night auto switch
- Up to 30 feet infrared night vision
- MicroSD card slot up to 64 GB
- Built-in microphone for audio recording
- 14° – 122° F working temperature
- DC 5V power
- 1-year warranty
And system requirements:
- IEEE802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n wireless
- 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band
- High-speed internet connection
- iOS 6.0+ or Android 4.0+
The EZVIZ is available on Amazon for $69 with a 12-month subscription to their cloud services. If you’re in the market for a high-quality, easy to use indoor camera, I would highly recommend checking it out.
Note: I was sent a review unit but all thoughts and opinions above are my own.
