There are loads of security camera solutions on the market with many confusing combinations of technology, scalability, and pricing. I wanted a simple solution - a single inexpensive outdoor wide-angle camera with night vision, wireless connectivity, and the ability to view the camera online. The EZVIZ husky fits the bill nicely. My setup only required me to screw the camera base in under the eave, run a concealed power cord, and connect to my house wireless. I've been using the camera since Nov 2016.
PROS:
1. Easy setup. I had no problem getting it connected to my wireless network.
2. Motion detection. (The way this works is you configure a sensitivity setting. Each time it "trips" a couple minutes of video are recorded on the embedded memory card - or up in the cloud on the Internet if you pay a nominal fee - $5.99/mo for 7 day plan.). To play a recorded file you call up a time index with highlighted areas representing times when recording was active. I can use this feature to find out when a car arrived/left my house.
3. Decent resolution - 3 available settings up to 1080p. This is not a PTZ camera, but I get a good, clear wide-angle field of vision.
4. Night vision - infrared lights provide an inconspicuous but good area of coverage.
5. Push notifications - Need to be alerted when your camera detects motion? The app will do that. You can also configure time windows when you want to turn on or suppress notifications. Even with notifications off the camera will record motion events.
6. Internet connectivity - You can connect to your camera from anywhere in the world over the net as long as you have the app. You logon with a username/password, and there are encryption settings to protect your data.
CONS:
1. Unless you use PoE (power over Ethernet) and run a network cable you will need to make provision for electrical power. The camera has a small "wall wart" AC adapter that you will need to shield from the elements. I located my camera under the eaves and was able to conceal an outdoor extension cord to provide power.
2. EZVIZ app - You have to use the EZVIZ app to view your camera. It gets the job done, but the interface feels dated. I've used both the Android and the Apple version and both work well. The app will support multiple cameras at once and you can view stored video from either the cloud or off the memory card. There are rudimentary features available to pause, zoom-in etc.
3. Memory storage - I have bandwidth issues with my Internet provider so piping a bunch of video onto the net was out of the question. I can get about 3 days of stroage on the embedded memory card before the images begin overwriting. This is enough for my needs. You can save video from the camera to an external file if you are determined.
4. Connectivity - I have periodically had issues with the camera dropping offline. Sometimes this happens when my wireless access point freezes up. Sometimes it seems to be the camera's fault. I have learned which circuit breaker cycles power to the outside outlet the camera uses as most issues are resolved by cycling power. Unfortunately if you are two states away and your camera goes off-line you are stuck.
I really like the set of features offered on this unit. It has power-over-ethernet (don't forget to order a separate PoE injector) so that you don't need to locate it near an outlet or run a long power cable to it. The picture is crisp. The motion-detection worked right out of the box (I didn't even need it for several months, and then I checked the app and saw that it had all of this saved video from detected motion since I installed it). It has an internal memory card so that you don't need to sign up for their cloud storage service. It's supposed to do wi-fi but I didn't want to hassle with that (especially since doing so would require my running *power* out to it. As long as I'm going to be running *some* cable out to it, I decided to just go with ethernet and use PoE). The weather-proofing looks pretty solid. There's a rubber gasket around the memory card slot and the ethernet connector is weatherized. The iPhone app is OK... not great, but OK. It lets me watch live from anywhere in the world, review past video captures, view cameras 4-up at a time. The layout and icons aren't all that intuitive, but I only use the app about once every couple of months. If I used it more often, perhaps I would find it more fluid to use. I think I'm about to order another one of these as well as one of their pan-tilt dome ones.
At first, very hard to get connection from ATT wifi, but after connecting directly to router and take it out. This camera received signal from wifi. The picture is clear, good.
A comparison between the two cameras can start with the general appearance. The husky does look more appealing than the zmodo bullet cam to me. As seen in the pics I really appreciate the ezviz placement of the power/ethernet cable. It is hidden by the mount which also has a gasket in it. This offers a much cleaner look on the outside of your building.
PoE is offered by each cam BUT the big difference being ezviz supports STANDARD PoE, zmodo ONLY works with their OWN DVR. So if you have a PoE switch at home the ezviz works great and I tested successfully - zmodo, not at all.
I had no trouble at all adding the device to WLAN and have yet to see it drop off or go offline as others have described. I do use mesh at home rather than a single WAP. Wifi issues most likely are due to outdated, single WAP deployments servicing 50 smart home devices.
The IR capabilities seem better on the ezviz than zmodo but each server the purpose and function well.
Both management apps have their pros and cons. I do wish the ezviz app allowed for swiping through event notifications rather than returning to the list each time. Setting schedules on each is no problem, notifications (false and positive) are comparable with each even with sensitivity adjusted low. I have also used Ezviz Studio on a PC which works fine from remote locations.
Neither allows you to take advantage of your synology NAS for data dumps. Zmodo used to but a 'firmware upgrade' suddenly took that away as they push their cloud storage as well.
As this is the second ezviz cam I have tested getting it to work with a Spot was easier. Chose a name, alexa - discover devices ...... Show backyard camera and a little bit later there it is. Just like with the other ezviz the feed is 6 to 10 seconds behind but good enough to confirm if anything is there.
I like the cam and would/have recommended it. Be aware of your WLAN implementation, bandwidth constraints and give it a try.
The initial setup can be a bit difficult to get the Wi-Fi to connect, but once it is set up it works pretty well. The quick setup guide that comes with the camera does not give complete setup instructions. It also makes reference to an indicator light that is not on all models of camera. The Ezviz website gives more detailed instructions. But there are actually multiple ways to input the Wi-Fi information.
1. Connect to eithernet, then one the camera is connected with the app, you can input the Wi-Fi name and password from within the app and then disconnect the eithernet.
2. There is a Wi-Fi connection feature within the app that gives you a QR code on your phone screen, then hold the QR code about 5" in fro t of the camera and it will connect.
3. If you install a memory card, you can put a text file on the card with the SSID and password (details on the website) and it will connect to the network.
I bought 2 of these cameras and did have an issue with one of them going offline, turns out it was caused by my wireless house phone base station being too close the the camera (on the other side of wall) and after moving the phone base station, the issue was resolved. The mobile app can be setting give alerts when detecting motion, and can be set to specific times\days. There is a 5 minute limit on watching live feed from the camera on a mobile app, however you can download a Windows app that lets you view the camera feed without the limit (download from the Ezviz website) and gives you all the same function of the mobile app.
Feature Product
- Note:Please note that the Micro SD card is pre-installed in the unit. You would need to open the panel underneath the camera in order to find it
- Works with Alexa for voice control (Alexa device sold separately).
- EZVIZ MEETS ALEXA - Our WiFi Cameras can now be controlled by Alexa through Echo Show. Simply ask her to show you the baby's room, the backyard, or anywhere you have an EZVIZ camera. Stay tuned for new skills as our relationship with Alexa grows. The Husky camera can also be controlled by other smart home IoT devices through IFTTT.
- ADVANTAGES OF WIRELESS - No more difficult cable wiring. You can deploy the Husky easily and quickly anywhere with WiFi, and retrieve images and live recording from your tablet and smartphone.
- BENEFITS OF POWER OVER ETHERNET - Eliminates the unnecessary electrical components. You can reduce your installation and maintenance expense. (No AC power or AC/DC adapter.) You can easily move, change, upgrade or modify existing network without hassle.
- POWERFUL OPTICAL AND STURDY BUILD - See in the dark with night vision up to 100 feet. Never miss any detail with sharp 1080p HD video and wide-angle 107.5° lens. Sturdy weatherproof IP66 rated construction works in extreme indoor and outdoor temperatures from -22°F to 140°F.
- FREE ONE MONTH CLOUD STORAGE - Record and play directly on the 16GB MicroSD card included. Highly recommend to store on the 128GB card or EZVZ Vault 1TB storage drive. Get EZVIZ APP and Wifi security system for a free one-month Cloud storage with 7 day playback.
Description
The Husky is an outdoor HD 1080p smart home camera that has the flexibility to connect with Wi-Fi or PoE.
"Alexa Show me the Living Room"
With the EZVIZ skill and Alexa, you can now interact with your Husky Camera using your voice through Alexa and Echo Show.
Connect and Share
Stay connected when you’re not home. Receive motion alerts on your phone to keep track of what's happening. Take photos and record footage any time you want with the EZVIZ app, while easily saving or sharing on social media from your smartphone.
Storage
(1) Local storage up to 128GB MicroSD card to save video.
(2) 7-day and 30-day cloud storage options, with free 30 day trial.
(3) Use all of the above for duplicate backups of your video.
Add-On
Adding as many cameras as you want is easy and visible all in one app, for your home or small business. The Husky runs on EZVIZ's adaptable platform, which adds new features and functionality as they become available with easy one-click updates.
Requirements
High-Speed Internet Connection (1.5Mbps+)
Mobile OS: iOS 7.0+ (iPhone, iPad), Android 4.0+
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz (802.11 b/g/n) or PoE (Power over Ethernet)
Please Note: Does not support Wi-Fi 5GHz
Setupp
(1) Download EZVIZ app on iOS 7.0+ (iPhone, iPad), Android 4.0+.
(2) Have smartphone or tablet on same 2.4GHz network as camera.
(3) Create an account and follow easy and quick setup steps in app.
*Please ensure to update your device firmware from the EZVIZ APP upon initial setup and check back regularly for future updates.
ALEXA Skills Setup
(1) Select the “Enable Skill” button in the Alexa APP to link your EZVIZ account and discover your device.
(2) Select a suitable name for your camera in the EZVIZ APP.
(3) Discover your camera in the Alexa APP.
*Image Encryption must be turned off from your camera settings in the EZVIZ APP to properly connect with Alexa.
Package Contents
1 x Husky Camera
1 x Mounting Template
1 x Screw Kit
1 x PoE Weather Protection Kit
1 x Power Adapter
1 x Quick Start Guide
Initial setup was alittle tricky, but once setup it worked like a breeze. Video quality is excellent and its very easy to view the recorded video off the micro SD inside the app. The App even highlights sections of the video with motion for easily finding the spot you want to watch. Recording is not 24/7 but instead only records when motion detected however motion detection seems quite good.
I had problems getting the camera to connect to my wifi network. Solution was to temporarily turn off the 5ghz channel on the router, finish configuring the camera and then turn the 5ghz back on. Everything worked fine after that. (Some routers broadcast the same SSID on the 2.4ghz and 5ghz channels and it can confuse some devices)
Camera is much larger than expected. Almost the size of a sneaker.
These cameras are amazing! So easy to setup and install! Visual quality and resolution of the videos is top notch! Even the night videos are crystal clear. We liked them so well, we ordered more for my employer! Video storage to a hard drive isn't possible unless you have an ethernet cable connected to them with a direct connect to a computer, but the wifi connection from our house to our garage works fine for us. We store the videos on the included micro card with the overwrite option when the card is full. You can pay a subscription fee and store your videos online but that storage is overwritten every 30 days, so there's not much difference between the two. Why pay for something you can get for free? Other than that, we love our cameras!
But not great...
PROS- Quick and easy installation. Made from a durable metal material, which seems like it will hold up to the elements well. VERY easy to get up and running with the app. Literally took me 3 minutes. (*NOTE) The cam ONLY works on the 2.4ghz WiFi, so when you are activating it with the app, make sure your phone is connected to your main router, not an extender on the 5ghz frequency. This seems to be the biggest issue people have when trying to get their cam up and running. Very crisp image during daylight.
CONS- No audio. Night vision mode makes the video a bit "cloudy", but still good enough to see what's going on. Sensitivity settings for the cam are either too much, or not enough. If set at level 2(out of 6), I get notifications for every car that passes on the street. If I set it at level 1, I sometimes don't get notifications when I pull my Toyota Tundra into my driveway. This is a bit concerning should the time come when someone does approach the house or driveway with bad intentions and the motion sensor doesn't prompt the recording or notification. Also, as some other reviewers have stated, there are tiny little screws used for the various joints for which you can make adjustments. It's very easy to strip the screws with a screwdriver if you aren't careful, when trying to tighten or loosen them for adjustment.
Overall for the price point, it's a good buy and it does the job.
This camera is very easy to settup and the software (I downloaded the EZVIZ application from the iphone app store). It takes one through the coupling of the app to your WIFI network, and then couples the camera to the WIFI network. It was a trivial process.
The Amazon page does not provide a clear overview of what is included, so I attach a picture of the contents of the box (not including the padding that protects the camera). From left to right starting at the top is an installation template, the camera with the two connecting cables (one is power, the other connects to the ethernet 10/100 network with POE capability), the Quick Start Guide with a QR code (see below), the power supply (black, lower left), connectors and a mounting screw kit. Note that one does not need to use the network connector at all if WIFI is used. Also, the 16 GD micro SD card is preinstalled inside the camera so it does not show up in the picture.
During setup one can use the QR code on the front of the quick start guide to enter the serial number and camera info which makes setup that much quicker and easier. I think it too me less than 80 seconds to be up and running.
Installing the camera outside is much more time consuming and may require hiring a professional if you plan to bring the cables inside through your wall. But I used WIFI and simply attached the power supply and plugged it into an outside outlet. My wifi signal (from a standard Apple Time Capsule) was more than adequate to couple with the camera outdoors.
Signal quality is excellent as shown in the attached picture looking out onto our back yard. The wide angle lense produces a nice comprehensive view. The picture quality is excellent and the colors are rich and accurate. Although the camera is listed as having a max resolution of 1920 x 1080, the picture that was transfered to my iphone was 1280 x 720. Not sure why the difference since I requested HD. Nevertheless, the 1280 x 720 picture provides adequate detail for the purposes of security or monitoring of children playing in the back yard.
I have a total of four cameras. Three are VIMTAG 361 HD cameras and the fourth is the Husky EZVIZ reviewed here. In all respects, this camera (Husky EZVIZ) is superior in image quality and software. It is also about $25 more expensive. A key advantage of the Husky is that when the wifi network goes down, it automatically reconnects. The VIMTAG 361 needs to be reset when this happens. This is a major advantage of the Husky should power go out and you are traveling.
This cam works well. It did take a bit of messing around to getting it on-line for wi-fi mode. You have to download their app which gave me some minor problems but I was also getting our echo view set to operate with it. There's a skill on the Alexa app that you can enable then allows you to sync with the cam. I'm no computer wiz by any means but I had it up and operating on my phone, iPad and Alexa in about an hour. Just waiting for some better weather to mount it outside. My only gripe, and it's minimal, is the instructions are a bit vague on certain points but I find that's becoming a common phenomenon lately. Overall, I'm really happy with it. It produces a good clean image and the infra-red actually lights up a good sized area.
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