Ezviz EB8 4G 2K Review

To keep an eye on the far end of a garden, beyond the reach of a home wifi network, Ezviz proposes going straight to 4G with the EB8 4G 2K. It is a completely self-contained camera, but not one without shortcomings.

Outdoor security cameras usually rely on the home wifi network, which lets them record to the cloud, stream live to a smartphone and send notifications when movement is detected.

For anyone with a large garden or grounds, though, installing that kind of camera outside the wireless coverage area is ineffective. Scattering repeaters around does not guarantee a stable connection either, with poor image quality and the risk of alerts arriving late as the consequence.

The EB8 4G 2K answers that problem with a 4G connection — and only a 4G connection. Using it therefore means taking out a SIM with a mobile data plan, an extra commitment to weigh up beforehand. Otherwise the camera does not reinvent the genre, carrying a single motorised 2K sensor, a spotlight for colour images at night and a 10,400 mAh battery. A solar panel can be connected so that recharging never becomes a chore.

The recorded test ran firmware version 5.4, build 250206, with the Ezviz app in version 7.5.5.0615 on Android and 7.5.7 on iOS.

Designed to live outdoors permanently, the EB8 4G is solidly built. It is rated IP65 against the weather and specified for temperatures between -20 °C and +50 °C. Made from hard plastic that looks very tough, it is fairly heavy at 835 g.

That means fixing it firmly to a wall, a tree or under the eaves using its bracket and the four screws and plugs supplied. Only the base needs to be anchored; the body of the camera then clips onto it, which simplifies installation and, just as importantly, removal when the battery needs charging.

The 2K sensor (2304 x 1296 pixels) sits inside a large motorised sphere. It rotates through 340° horizontally and 65° vertically, and can follow a moving subject. Beneath the lens is a small spotlight to illuminate the scene as light fades and deliver colour images, flanked by two infrared lamps for black-and-white night vision.

Below that, tucked behind a screwed plastic cover, are a slot for a microSD card of up to 512 GB and a second for the micro-SIM. Ezviz supplies a nano-SIM to micro-SIM adapter in case the network operator does not provide one.

Two microphones sit at the base of the sphere and a speaker is housed under the mount, together allowing two-way audio. The speaker also produces the alarm siren.

Rounding off the tour is a power button that would ideally be both more discreet and less accessible, because it is easy to switch off whenever it is within reach. Next to it is a USB-C port hidden behind a soft, weather-sealed silicone cover, used to charge the battery or to connect a solar panel. Without one, Ezviz quotes battery life of up to 210 days.

No 4G antenna is visible anywhere, so they must be integrated into the sphere alongside the GPS module — yes, the EB8 4G carries GPS, intended to help locate the camera if it has been installed somewhere remote and hard to remember. With no external antenna, though, it is worth checking which operator offers the best 4G coverage where the camera is going, to avoid dropouts. As for the plan itself, a 1 GB data allowance should be ample for average use, meaning two or three viewings a day plus alerts.

Look closely and the EB8 strongly resembles the manufacturer's HB8 2K+, released a few months earlier: 4G added, wifi removed.

The camera is configured and controlled through the Ezviz app for iOS and Android. Since this model has no connection other than 4G, the SIM has to be inserted as soon as the camera is switched on, and it must not be locked with a PIN code. If it is, the card can be put into a smartphone and the code disabled in the settings.

Once connected to the network and the app, the EB8 delivers its first live images in an interface that is conventional but effective, despite some convoluted menu and option translations. Resolution is adjustable across three levels: Quad HD (2304 x 1296 pixels) — so not truly 2K (2560 x 1440 pixels), as the camera's name might suggest — plus Full HD (1920 x 1080) and HD (1280 x 720). Keeping the maximum setting is strongly advised for the best results, although a low-capacity microSD card is an argument for dropping down a level so that storage does not fill too quickly.

Colour rendering can also be adjusted for more or less vivid tones, and clip length can be changed through the battery settings: High performance mode records for longer but draws more energy.

Recording starts as soon as a presence is detected, accompanied by a push notification. The clip can be viewed almost immediately, although the 4G connection can be a little slow depending on the operator and coverage. Ezviz still provides no thumbnail preview in its notifications, so the video has to be opened to find out what triggered it. Every clip saved to the microSD card is available from the app's library, time-stamped and properly organised, and the image can be zoomed to examine a detail. Zoom is available during live streaming too, as is camera orientation.

The EB8 4G carries the bare minimum of on-board intelligence for detection: it recognises the human form and nothing else, with no animal or vehicle categories. To capture wildlife passing along the edge of a wood, passive infrared (PIR) detection has to be used instead — bearing in mind that this method relies on the heat given off by a warm body, so high ambient temperatures can compromise it. Sensitivity is adjustable so that detection triggers at a greater or shorter distance from the lens.

With its spotlight, the EB8 4G can produce colour images after dark, and the light can also be used on its own. When something is detected, and if the option is enabled in the app, automatic PTZ tracking kicks in and the camera follows the subject using its motor, panning up to 340° horizontally and 65° vertically. Responsiveness was not always there during the recorded test: if the subject moves too quickly — someone running, for example — the EB8 4G cannot keep up. The absence of a patrol mode is also a shame, since regular automatic rotations would let the camera watch a wider area rather than waiting for movement to appear in its field of view.

The EB8 4G uses a 1/2.8-inch, 3-megapixel CMOS sensor to record video at 2304 x 1296 pixels and a maximum of 15 frames per second. As with the CB8 before it, the optics offer a 100° diagonal field of view (83° horizontal, 44° vertical), a frame wide enough to cover a large area, helped further by the motorised rotation. There is still no HDR mode on this type of device.

By day, the 3 Mpx sensor copes reasonably well, aided by Ezviz's software processing. There is enough detail for legible images, edge enhancement helps small elements stand out, and sharpness is respectable. Colours suffer slightly from the processing and look a little washed out, without affecting readability. Compared with the wifi-only HB8 2K+, the EB8 4G does have some difficulty producing images as clean.

At night, the switch to infrared takes about two seconds, which is very reasonable, and quality remains surprisingly good with a still-sufficient level of detail — although again behind the HB8, which resolves finer detail and handles edges better. Light sources in the frame are managed properly and do not wreck legibility. For colour images after dark, the built-in spotlight has to be used; detail comes through fairly clearly and sharpness holds up, with bright areas slightly disturbed by the beam and mildly overexposed, but nothing dramatic.

Whether in black-and-white infrared or in colour with the spotlight, the ability to identify a face is the same: possible up to 5 m. Beyond that, the image simply carries too little detail to make out someone's features. The 2K quality promised on the box is therefore not really delivered, though the images are adequate for identifying someone provided they are not too far from the lens.

The microphone at the base of the sphere is capable enough to pick up sounds several metres away, although whispers escape it and turn to gibberish. Speak up and the voice stays clearly audible at up to 4 m; move a little closer and a conversation is possible thanks to the built-in speaker. The sound can occasionally seem slightly muffled at the other end, but it remains intelligible in both directions.

The small speaker also handles the siren, which was measured at 78 dB(A) at 1 m — not enough to wake the neighbourhood. From the app, the siren can be replaced by a personalised pre-recorded message.