Many of us today are seeking a solution to home security, here I’ll be reviewing a camera from EzViz, parent-owned by Hikvision who are a major player within the global security market and have been since 2001.
The China based company manufacture a number of security devices such as cameras, alarms and sensors and my review is based on one of their cameras, the C2C Mini O.
What does the C2C Mini O do?
The Mini O is a very small, very nice looking Wi-Fi enabled camera with the ability to record footage that can be both cloud-based (subscription required) and/or via SD Card storage (purchased separately and installed within each individual camera).
Like most of the cameras available in today’s market it boasts the following features:
- wide-angle 720p lens
- infrared for night-vision recording
- auto-switching between day and night-vision
- live streaming and alerts
- two-way audio
EZVIZ Mini O C2C Indoor Camera with WiFi
I feel EzViz have built the Mini O around simplicity, the camera is very small in size and very unobtrusive but packs a powerful punch when compared to the bigger players within the market such as Nest. While the body of this camera is plastic, the build feels very good.
Packaged within the box is the Camera, Mains Adapter with accompanied Micro USB Cable and Metal Plates for magnetic use should you wish to install it onto a metal area.
Within the smartphone app there is the ability to create a ‘Motion Detection Area’ and pick exactly where in the cameras view you wish to be alerted of an intruder. This particular setting is ok, I feel it requires some tweaking as I was still sent alerts in areas I had not selected but I like the feature and with improvement can be a very useful tool.
You can also change the sensitivity of the motion detection to the level you are happy with, as well as change the notification sound from Intensive to Soft or Mute.
How easy are they to setup?
Very easy!
After downloading the app (I am using an iPhone, EzViz have their own designated iOS app) I was prompted to create a login, after which I was then prompted to install my first device.
First you scan the QR code, the app detects your device and then you are prompted to connect it to your Wi-Fi network. Within a matter of minutes your camera shows within the app with a live view.
What’s the connectivity?
EzViz have IFTTT capability and I tested this using the designated IFTTT app, I was able to trigger a Philips Hue light to turn on if motion was detected.
Connectivity like this provides the user with many more features to be enabled such as
‘Turn on Sleep Mode when I arrive home’ and ‘Turn your camera off when you leave home’.
These applets were presented when I logged into IFTTT as it recognised I had the EzViz app installed.
The Mini O is also Alexa enabled.
How much does it cost?
The Mini O retails on Amazon for £39.55.
When you consider this price it’s extremely affordable and on the lower end in comparison to it’s competitors.
What’s it like living with it?
It’s a very good camera, it does exactly what it’s expected to do. The app is good, has the required settings and more.
However I feel the UI could do with updating and simplifying as people who may not be tech savvy may struggle with the settings. That said you do get a very solid package for the price.
Footage can be downloaded to your phones picture folder and takes just a couple of minutes to process and you can also view footage via their desktop application for anyone who prefers a laptop or PC view.
For cloud storage, there are four options; two for 7-days and two for 30-days, billed monthly or annually. The costs are:
- 7-days, monthly: £4.99
- 7-days, annually: £49.99
- 30-days, monthly: £9.99
- 30-days, annually: £99.99
One thing I like about the camera setting is the date and time are visible on screen so when footage is stored it’s automatically written into the image. Some market competitors do not have this feature and EzViz have included this which, in my opinion, is a very good decision on their part.
What are our final thoughts?
This is a great camera, especially for the low price!
Anyone looking for security that is simple to set up, has many features available to tailor the experience and does not want to break their wallet I would recommend the Mini O. If you require a camera that has the ability to connect to other third-party apps, this could be the one for you.
As you can expect from Smart Home Geeks this article will be updated when more features become available.
For more information visit: https://www.ezvizlife.com/uk
Review by David Camilleri for Smart Home Geeks.