Protect Your Castle with a digital Guardian! Never miss a moment.
The 2K EZVIZ C6 offers several amazing features. Enjoy 2K resolution, 360-degree view, privacy mode, clear color vision, night mode, AI-powered human movement detection, two-way talk, Voice activation, motion sensing, auto-zoom/tracking, 2.4Ghz/5Ghz support, microSD support, and Cloud capabilities. The device offers a small physical footprint but a powerful promise. Despite the positives, the EZVIZ C6 relies upon antiquated USB-A to USB-Micro power, suffers from an overly large wall charger, no Homekit support, and an expensive cloud storage option.
- DESIGN
- EASE OF USE
- PRICE
- APP INTEGRATION
- FEATURES
EZVIZ Camera protects your castle with a digital guardian! Never Miss a Moment.
The EZVIZ C62K+ Smart Home Camera arrived in a 4 5/8 inches wide by 6 1/2 inches tall by 4 9/16 inches thick retail package. The company name and product name were at the top of the cover panel, while the EZVIZ logo, Apple App Store, and Google Play Store icons were displayed along the bottom right. The main showcase of the panel was the large, photo-quality image of the dome-shaped C62K+ camera.
I liked the depth provided by the clean white tablet and the dual shade off-white color scheme of the package/camera. The right side panel continued the theme and provided an image of a modern living room scene. The camera rested atop a side table, while the curtain, chaise lounger, and green plant added fullness and staging.
At the bottom of the panel, you will find nine product-defining icons: 360 degrees panoramic View, 2K resolution, Color vision with starlight lens, supports dual-band 2.4/5Ghz Wi-Fi, AI-powered human shape detection, auto-zoom tracking, voice activity detection, two-way talk, supports micro SD card and EZVIZ cloud storage (only certain countries).
The left side panel provided another picture of a fun living room scene with three active kittens. However, this image showed motion lines around the camera representing 360-degree rotational motion. The camera targeted the cats and provided a pictorial representation of the pet detection feature mentioned at the bottom of the panel.
Beyond capturing “your furry friend” on camera, the panel detailed the camera’s waving hand mechanically. By waving your hand in front of the camera, it will automatically call the EZVIZ app. The rear panel provided an EZVIZ sticker at the top left of the panel (Smart Home Camera, SKU #/barcode, product manufacturing labels), the same App/App store logos as the cover, and copyright information. The top panel provided an SKU barcode along the top left and the EZVIZ name/logo at the top of the panel.
I removed the outer plastic, lifted the top half of the outer box, and chuckled after finding the 11.4-ounce EZVIZ camera resting within an internal tray. As a father of a teenager, a preteen, a seven-year-old drama enthusiast, and a three-year-old she-hulk, I would recognize an eye roll anywhere. The central 1 3/4 inches wide by 2 3/4 inches tall black “eye” lens embedded within the white-colored, 3 7/8 inches round camera shell, pointed straight up.
The bottom half of the lens mechanism displayed a white slumbering face outline to represent when the camera was in sleep mode. The lower 1-inch gimbal style base allowed the camera to cover nearly a full 360-degree arc (~330 degrees). The flat bottom contained 3 small 1/4 inches diameter rubberized feet and a tripod-shaped cutout for a wall mount.
The cutout space listed the EZVIZ name/logo, the CS-C6 model number, SN, 10W/2A I/P, verification code, and a QR code. The posterior surface of the speaker provided a 1-inch wide by 1-inch tall hexagonal speaker cutout, while the base had an Ethernet port and an antiquated USB-Micro input port.
Beneath the cardboard tray, you will find a small 14-panel instruction manual and a 4 3/8 inches square by 2 1/8 inches tall accessory box. The box contained a 1 3/8 inches wide by 1 13/16 inches tall by 15/16 inches thick Type A wall adapter, a 2 3/16 inches diameter wall mounting plate, a small bag with three 7/8 inches long by 1/4 inch head screws plus drywall anchors, and a 117 1/4 inches long USB-A to USB-micro cable.
Even before testing the camera, I was a bit taken aback by the design of the wall adapter and the use of USB-A plus USB-micro tech. I would have preferred a flat wall plug to allow for optimal cable management or at least for the USB-A plug to insert at the side. Several chargers have bendable type A prongs to allow the body of the adapter to fold flat against the wall.
Unfortunately, once you plug the USB-A into the adapter, it juts out beyond 2 1/2 inches from the wall. Beyond the adapter, the use of USB-Micro charging is a bit old-fashioned. I would have expected this device to use a USB-A to USB-C cable or USB-C to USB-C. In fact, USB-C will be the only charging system allowed in Europe as of 2024 due to recent legislation.
I plugged the wall adapter into the wall, the USB-A cable into the adapter, and then the micro cable into the camera. I half expected the camera to make a whirring noise and to rotate down, but the camera stayed in place and displayed a red icon just below the camera. After about fifteen seconds, the camera slowly moved down to level, the top segment rotated to the left, and then circled back to the center.
A blue LED flashed at the camera’s base, while a female voice announced, “Please use EZVIZ App for WiFi Configuration.” I used the Camera App on my phone to scan the QR code within the instruction manual, navigated to America, and then selected “English.” If needed, you can select a variety of European language options (16), APAC options (7), MEA options (6), or American options (4). The ten-page manual provided legal information, a table of contents, a product overview/accessory list, and then a rundown of the camera/LED basics.
Next, the manual detailed the setup process:
- Connect to power.
- Download the App from the iOS App Store or Google Play Store.
- Connect to the internet.
- Add camera to EZVIZ App.
Since I had not used the App previously, I had to set up the system de novo. I downloaded the 4.5* EZVIZ/EZVIZ Inc App (4+ category Photo & Video), waited about twenty seconds for it to initialize, then opened up the App. The App asked to use my location and provided three options “Allow once,” “Allow While Using App,” “Don’t Allow.” I chose Don’t Allow. Next, the App asked to track my activity across other Apps, to which I selected “Ask App Not to Track.” Lastly, it asked to send me notifications, which I allowed.
I tapped the light blue “Create New Account” box, entered my name, region (USA), selected “Save,” entered my email, phone number, chose not to select the marketing tab, and then tapped “Continue.” I reviewed the TOS (terms of service), Privacy statement, Use of Cookies, and then selected “I Agree” at the bottom.
The App Asked me to create a password, verified my non-robot status, I entered the four-digit number sent to my phone, and then activated Face ID login. The main screen of the App showed the EZVIZ name along the top of the panel, a cartoon living room along the middle, devices and library along the bottom. To add the camera, I found that I could either tap the “+” or the “Add Device” option to move to the next panel.
I selected “Cameras,” allowed access to the phone camera, scanned the QR code on the Quick Start Guide, and followed the prompts. The app made sure the camera was powered on and then provided a descriptive networking page for those who may need a bit more information. Ideally, the phone, router, and camera would be close together for the initial pairing process. Unfortunately, the App would not let me proceed without allowing location tracking.
When I entered my Guest Access information, the EZVIZ device connected easily. I changed the name of the camera to Leeroy Jenkins, selected “Bedroom,” and then selected “Done.” A female voice announced, “Connecting to WiFi Please Wait…” “WiFi Connected” “Password Registration Successful” and then “Connection complete, welcome to EZVIZ.”
The main App provided a large image of the live camera feed and a small blue CloudPlay storage bar. The App provided 7 days of CloudPlay free with the download. The subscription plan allowed 24/7 event-based video history, 1 GB free storage, plus various plans for 3-day, 7-day, or 30-day recovery (7-day yearly 59.99, monthly 5.99, 30-day yearly 109.99, monthly 10.99, 3-day yearly 39.99, monthly 3.99).
I did not choose to add my credit card to the subscription; instead, relying upon the add-on MicroSD card. Beneath the CloudPlay link, you will find an arrow next to the word Today. You can select the option to change the date and review clips that are saved to either the cloud or to the MicroSD card. These clips can be accessed along the lower section of the App. If you tap one of them, it will play at the top of the screen and replace the “live” view. To return to live viewing, select the live option.
Along the bottom edge of the App, you can select “Snapshot,” “Record,” “PTZ,” “Talk,” “Definition (Ultra HD, Full HD, Hi-Def-Standard)”, “Privacy mode,” “360 Picture” and “Rearrange.” The snapshot option will capture a photo and save it to your phone camera. Tapping the record option will start a recording and save it to the App. If you tap the PTZ option, it will open a D-pad-style controller that will change the angle of the camera.
You can pinch to zoom on the image up to ~8.0x. I found the zoom feature to be useful but suffered from a lack of definition. The pan and tilt function was quite easy to control but suffered a bit from lag. When I controlled the camera from my living room, I was able to see the camera rotate before the image updated.
Without realizing that the image had shifted, I panned the camera too far. After a few trial/error sessions, I realized that the pan/tilt was not live/real-time and required a bit of patience. The “Talk” feature allowed for sound and two-way communication, which was a neat way to communicate with my children. If you tap the definition option, you can change the definition of the recording between the different settings.
If you tap the privacy mode, the camera will pan completely upward to hide the lens and will show the white slumbering face painted onto the surface. Personally, with concerns for privacy, I felt that this was the best feature of the camera. You can press the 360 picture option to capture a full 360-degree view. Lastly, if you tap the live image, options for pause, sound, pan/tilt/zoom, and talk will become available along the bottom.
If you log out of the App and then back into the App, it will take you to an earlier screen than the one I mentioned above. You can use the shield at the bottom to activate/deactivate the camera sentry mode. With the notifications options, the AI will send information when motion is detected, will record the activity, and then notify you about the activity.
This data will be saved in the App for easy recover/review later. The same warning message “Leeroy Jenkins AI Human detection 2022-06-09 20:10:36” message was also sent to my Apple Watch Generation 6. Once I received the warning message, I returned to the App and reviewed the data. I tapped the upside-down beaker option and found that I could adjust the event type between Motion, person, vehicle, sound, alarm, system message. I tapped the library option and found that I could review the previous events. Overall, the App proved to be quite intuitive, easy to set up, and easy to navigate.
I was quite pleased with the EZVIZ camera, the 2K video, the full-color spectrum, bright night mode, the sensitivity, and the motion capturing ability. The video proved to be quite sensitive and the included features worked perfectly for a home with small kids. The device could be used as a nanny cam, room monitor, or possibly as a baby cam.
I was impressed with the easy setup, the quick connection to the network, and experienced only a single disconnect error over the last two weeks. The camera stopped connecting, and I was forced to reset the device. I rotated the camera upward, used a sharp device to remove the rubber stopper, then held the reset button for about 8-10 seconds. The female voice announced, “Reset Successfully.” I attempted to connect back to the network following the app instructions and experienced no further issues.
The notification system worked well to alert me to motion/activity, and the talk feature added a neat way to communicate with my children. The sensitive motion detection/tracking coupled well with the alert system and the App features. At $160, the price may be a bit high for some. Even though there are devices for around $50, the camera is a solid investment. With a few updates to the App, a cheaper cloud storage option, and even USB-C, the device could easily support the listed price.
Pros:
- Smooth Pan/Tilt
- Intuitive App Function/integration
- Night Vision
- Voice chat/2-way-talk
- Privacy Mode
- EZVIZ notifications
- Auto-Zoom and Follow
- Supports up to 260 GB SD card
Cons:
- Antiquated USB-A to USB-Micro Cables
- No HomeKit Support
- Cloud Storage is too expensive.
- MicroSD not included
For more information, visit ezviz.com, Facebook, and Twitter.