Our Verdict
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Pros
- 2K resolution with colour night vision
- Fully usable without a cloud, cloud storage optional
- Encrypted video transmissio
- Support for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
Cons
- PTZ configuration could be better
- No manual control over LED lighting
- No integration with standard smart home systems
- Supports only a 2.4 GHz band
- WLAN change only via a reset
With Wi-Fi, battery and optional solar panel, the Ezviz CB8 2K is virtually self-sufficient. Its lens can be tilted and swivelled and automatically tracks captured objects. The test shows what else it has to offer.
With the CB8 2K surveillance camera, Ezviz offers a model that, thanks to a swivel and tilt lens, covers a range of 340 degrees horizontally and 65 degrees vertically automatically track detected objects. It is equipped with WLAN and a rechargeable battery so that users can position the surveillance camera relatively freely. With an optional solar panel, they do not need to charge the device’s battery under favourable conditions manually. This makes the CB8 2K, which also offers colour night vision thanks to Spotlight, almost energy self-sufficient. It stores videos on a microSD card, which is not included in the scope of delivery, and optionally in the paid Ezviz Cloud. Users can test the latter free of charge. The AI-supported motion detection differentiates between people and other objects. This is intended to prevent false alarms. The camera also offers an intercom function, including an automatic response based on recorded voice messages. When movements are detected, the camera can trigger an alarm in the form of a loud siren and scare off shady characters with a flashing spotlight. The test will show how well the CB8 2K works in practice.
Features
The lens, which captures image data on a 1/2.8-inch CMOS sensor with 3-megapixel resolution (2304 × 1296 pixels), sits in a round black housing, which in turn is surrounded by a white housing with a recess for the lens. Above the lens is the PIR sensor for detecting movement. To the left and right of it are the microphone and brightness sensor, and below them are the LED lights that become active in the dark and provide coloured night vision for recording and live to stream. Alternatively, the two IR LEDs can be used for night vision. In this case, however, the image is only in black and white, but the light from the camera is not visible. Below the lens and LED lights, an LED provides information about the operating status. It lights up blue when the live stream is displayed in the app or green when the battery is fully charged.
Underneath a screwed cover is the microSD card slot, which supports corresponding cards with a maximum capacity of 256 GBytes so that the cameras can store videos locally. Optionally, users can also take out a cloud subscription, which they can test free of charge for up to 30 days beforehand.
The reset button is located on the cover of the microSD card slot. If you press it for four seconds, the device is reset to the factory settings. Unfortunately, switching to a different WLAN only works by resetting the device.
The camera’s holder contains the loudspeaker, the power supply coection and the on/off button. The latter is pressed for two seconds to switch the device on and four seconds to switch it off.
According to the manufacturer, the 10,400 mAh battery integrated into the housing should guarantee up to 210 days of operation with a daily usage time of five minutes. Of course, the runtime depends on the number of alarms and the weather conditions. In the test, the battery still showed over 90 per cent capacity after three days of intensive use with over 200 recorded videos. With the optionally available solar panel, the sun takes over charging the battery. It was not known to us for this test, but we were able to charge the battery of the Ezviz Elife 2K of the same size from 72 to 89 per cent within a good three hours on a cloudy day in June. It was not even optimally aligned but was lying on a flat surface facing the sun. This means that the charging power of the solar panel, in combination with the 10,400 mAh battery, is sufficient for the continuous operation of the camera without having to charge it manually.
Alarm zones and settings
The camera transmits alarm messages to the user via email or pushes messages. Users configure email notifications in the app under General Settings while they set push alerts under Settings of the respective camera. Under Intelligent Detection, they can also define whether the camera alerts the user for all movements (PIR) or only when people are detected. This worked perfectly in the test. If detection is limited to people, no alarm is triggered for pets such as a cat.
For both cases, zones for motion detection and the detection sensitivity can be defined under the detection zone. The camera does not send a notification for movements outside of this zone. This restriction option is also a prerequisite for operating the camera in compliance with data protection regulations if it is directed at another person’s property or a public area. Unlike the Elife 2K+, the CB8 does not offer the option of blacking certain parts of the viewing area.
Likewise, users can specify how the device alarm should work. The options available under Settings – Notification – Acoustic Notification are Audio Off, Intensive, Weak and Custom Sound, which can be set according to days of the week and times under Configure Acoustic Alerts. The Intensive option results in the siren sounding via the camera’s built-in speaker when the camera has detected a motion alarm. With the Weak option, a short beep is played. In addition, it is possible to configure personalised voice recordings, up to 10 seconds long, as an alert via Custom Sound. While the siren sounds very loud despite the compact dimensions, you must listen carefully to the personalised voice message. Here, Ezviz should optimise the software for recording, primarily since the intercom function works perfectly with sufficient volume.
Practical use and video quality
The CMOS sensor integrated into the camera records videos with a maximum resolution of 2304 × 1296 pixels and up to 15 frames per second. The recording quality meets the expectations of a surveillance camera with a spotlight and a 3-megapixel sensor. The images are rich in detail, and the colour reproduction is neutral in the basic setting. If you dislike colour reproduction, you can select a lower (Weak) or higher colour saturation (Vivid).
For recording, the camera uses the data-saving codec HEVC alias H.265. The data rate during recording automatically adapts to the wireless network’s performance and is a maximum of 1.5 MBit/s. It can be adjusted as with almost all other surveillance cameras. As with practically all other surveillance cameras, it caot be adjusted by the user. However, there are exceptions: Reolink allows an adjustment of the data rate, for example, with the Argus 3 Pro (review).
Users can take a closer look at objects with the eightfold digital zoom. The image quality is okay up to a zoom level of about four. If you need a surveillance camera that zooms, you should go for a model with a higher resolution.
The app essentially offers easy camera operation: the video resolution can be changed, which is also recommended by the app if the WLAN signal is weak. Users can start video recordings directly in the live stream or use the intercom function. However, there is also room for improvement: the brightness control of the LED lighting is only accessible under Settings – Picture. It would be desirable to control the brightness directly in the live stream, as is the case with the Arlo Ultra 2 (review). Also, users caot simply activate the LEDs manually. Instead, they automatically turn on permanently in the dark when colour night vision is activated. In black and white mode, when only the IR LEDs are used for illumination, they flash for deterrence when detection is activated.
Otherwise, the app displays the live stream with a delay of about one to two seconds, but this is also the case with other models with WLAN and battery.
Under Settings – PTZ Settings, users can activate the Person Tracking option. This allows the camera to follow human movements automatically. However, unlike the Eufy Floodlight Cam 2 Pro, the CB8 2K does not offer the option of configuring a specific surveillance area. With Eufy, the feature is called auto-cruise. This allows users to define four positions the camera checks at certain times.
Smart Home: Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa
The Ezviz CB8 2K is compatible with Google Assistant’s voice assistants and Amazon Alexa. With a smart display, users can also output the live camera stream to a compatible device such as Nest Hub or Echo Show. However, in the test, the output to an Echo Show 8 and Google Nest Hub does not work if video encryption is activated.
Otherwise, users caot directly integrate the Ezviz CB8 2K into common smart home systems. At least the camera supports IFTTT and is compatible with Homematic IP.
Conclusion
Overall, Ezviz offers a good surveillance camera with the CB8 2K, which monitors an extensive area thanks to a swivel and tilt lens and also knows how to convince in terms of image quality with 2K resolution and colour night vision. Another positive feature is that it can be positioned thanks to the battery and WLAN flexibly. The optionally available solar panel is another plus point. Even with just a few hours of sunshine, it supplies the battery with enough energy without users having to intervene manually. With the option to store videos locally, users do not need a paid cloud subscription. Those who are interested in this can still add it.
The ability to distinguish between movements of all kinds and people makes false alarms practically impossible. You can also use the desktop application or a smart display such as the Amazon Echo Show to follow the live stream. For this, however, you have to deactivate the video encryption. The two-way audio communication corresponds to the usual industry standard.
But there is also room for improvement: manual control of the LEDs in brightness and activation would be desirable. The lack of support for 5 GHz WLANs limits the device a little. With its rudimentary smart home support, it, unfortunately, shares the fate of many other surveillance cameras. At least Ezviz offers support for IFTTT for CB8 2K. A configuration option would also be desirable so that the camera checks predefined waypoints at certain times. Those who prefer such a feature should look closely at the Eufy Floodlight Cam 2 Pro. However, it is also considerably more expensive than the Ezviz CB8 2K.
EZVIZ Battery-Powered Pan & Tilt 2K Camera, Wireless, 360° View, 210-Day Battery Life, Human Motion Detection, Auto-Tracking, Colour Night Vision, Weatherproof, Works with Solar Panel (CB8)
as of September 27, 2022 9:33 pm
Price History
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| Current Price | n £119.99 | September 27, 2022 |
| Highest Price | £149.99 | August 23, 2022 |
| Lowest Price | £119.99 | August 28, 2022 |
Last price changes
| £119.99 | September 26, 2022 |
| £149.99 | September 19, 2022 |
| £119.99 | September 15, 2022 |
| £124.99 | September 12, 2022 |
| £149.99 | September 5, 2022 |
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