The EufyCam 2C allows you to monitor what's happening outside in high quality, but unless you have Eufy's HomeBase 2, it won't work with HomeKit or standalone. EufyCam 2C review: Camera mounted and active

Outdoor cameras are great to install if you want to know what's happening outside your building. They can alert you if someone has left a package on your doorstep or is pulling into your driveway. At Homekit.Blog, we're no strangers to Eufy cameras, and when we tested them, we were pleased with their performance and retail price. They were easy to set up, flexible in placement, and offered compatibility with HomeKit Secure Video. However, these were indoor cameras that could not be placed outside, otherwise they would break. The EufyCam 2C is an excellent choice if you are looking for an outdoor camera that is compatible with HomeKit Secure Video and easy to install. However, you must install the required hub for the camera to work. EufyCam 2C - A resistant design

The EufyCam 2C uses the same colors as the company's indoor cameras, but the size is a little more important due to the extra features. Measuring 3.2 x 1.89 x 2.24 inches and weighing 0.48 ounces, the 2C is compact and can be mounted virtually anywhere. Placing the camera wherever you want is easy with the included mounting base. On the front there is a 1080p HD camera with a 135-degree view. Below this is a spotlight that illuminates the area in front of it when it's dark.EufyCam 2C review: Camera mounted and spotlight display

Infrared settings are also available to help enable night vision when motion is detected. It also supports color mode, allowing you to see people and objects vividly. Below the camera there is a micro USB port for charging. It is protected by a silicone lid that closes the port securely when not in use. The 2C has an IP67 rating, making it resistant to dust and water. This ensures that your camera remains protected during a rainy day or strong wind. Throughout our experience with the 2C, it endured harsh weather conditions, including rain, snow, and high winds, yet the camera remained connected and stable. EufyCam 2C - Choose your charging route

The EufyCam 2C has a built-in 6,700 mAh battery that lasts 180 days on a single charge. The battery can be fully charged within five hours. EufyCam 2C review: Charging port connected and actively charging

Charging the camera is simple; you simply plug the supplied cable into the micro USB port, but if the camera is mounted you may need to unplug it from the base to connect it. This scenario may encourage people to connect a separate solar panel to charge the camera instead with the 2C you don't need a dedicated solar panel to stay continuously charged; you can use any panel you want and just connect it to the camera. This charging route eliminates the need to unplug and remount the camera when the battery is low. Charging via solar energy is slower than charging the camera via a wall socket. However, the camera will continue to charge if the solar panel is exposed to sunlight. When the panel is not exposed to sunlight, the camera will stop charging until it receives light again. EufyCam 2C review: Battery fully charged notification

Once the battery reaches full capacity, you will receive a notification from the native Eufy app. While this is good to know, it becomes annoying if you continuously get the notification and can't turn it off. EufyCam 2C - The camera's partner

While other Eufy cameras can be used and controlled independently, you must pair the EufyCam 2C with a required hub to use it. The Eufy HomeBase 2 is the necessary camera hub, making it compatible with the native app and HomeKit. EufyCam 2C review: HomeBase 2 connected and active

Setting up the base is easy; Plug it into a wall socket, connect it to the native app and connect it to WiFi. However, you will need to connect the hub to an Ethernet port initially, but once set up you can switch to a wireless connection. The HubBase 2 is essentially the bridge that connects the original Eufy app to the Home app. You can choose which devices you want to transfer and have HomeKit Security Video enabled. EufyCam 2C review: HomeBase 2 settings menu for changes and customization.

Since the 2C is the primary device you'll be using, you can set up the hub and essentially forget about it. But again, it's essential to remember that the HomeBase 2 is required to use the 2C. EufyCam 2C - App Connectivity

Unlike other HomeKit devices, where you can choose which app you want to set up the device, the EufyCam 2C instructs you to start with its own app. Once the HomeBase 2 is set up, it acts as a bridge between apps and allows communication with accessories that cannot communicate directly with HomeKit. After installing the hub, you can choose to transfer the 2C to the HomeKit app and use it mainly there. But while both apps offer the same basic features, each app has some that the other doesn't. Eufy's own app

The Eufy app offers several customization options to change the video quality, audio level, and notification settings for the 2C. And even though the camera is connected to the hub, it has an independent device card in the app. You'll see a lot of options in the live feed at the bottom of the screen. Its most notable features include turning the spotlight on and off, manually recording video and taking screenshots of the current view, muting the audio, and getting real-time Wi-Fi connectivity strength. EufyCam 2C review: The main features of the Eufy Security app with the 2C.

If you want to customize any of these features, go to the settings section hidden behind the three lines in the lower right corner. When you first enter settings, you can change the brightness of the camera's spotlight and decide which method you want to enable to optimize the 2C's battery life. The video settings allow you to decide which version of Night Vision you want to enable, with the IR LED or with the spotlight. Additionally, you can set privacy zones to prevent the camera from seeing certain areas, which is great for calming down neighbors who may have a problem with your camera. Audio settings allow you to control the microphone and decide whether you want audio to be captured while recording video, whether the speaker should be enabled and, if so, what its volume should be. Although notifications cannot be turned off completely from the native app, you can mute the APP notification tones and change the sound. You can also decide how you want the notification to appear: text only, text first and then a thumbnail, or both at the same time. Motion detection can be fine-tuned by deciding which areas to monitor for motion, how sensitive the section is, and whether the camera should notify you of all activity or just people. You can also disable this feature completely. If you have friends and family who have the Eufy Security app on their devices, you can also share the camera with them. Apple's Home app

Once you've set up the 2C, you can go to the hub's settings and select it to enable in the Home app. Once enabled, it will be added to the camera dashboard at the top of your home screen. When you open the Home app, the dashboard will automatically refresh and show the timestamp of the view. If you view the feed from there, you will only get a snapshot. To access the live feed, you have to tap on each camera individually. The setup for the live feed is simple and focuses on what the camera sees. You can also zoom in and out to closely examine a specific area within the shot. At the bottom is a log of previously recorded moments triggered by movement within an activity zone. Recordings are kept for a maximum of ten days. EufyCam 2C review: Home app features

The four square button at the bottom right gives you easy access to other accessories in the same room as the camera. The name of the camera is shown at the top center of the screen. Tapping it will bring up all the other cameras in your home in a menu. If you tap on it, you will see their live feed. In the top left corner you'll find an 'X' button to close the live feed, a button to activate picture-in-picture for multitasking, and access the camera settings. While the settings offered are largely the same as those in the Eufy Security app, some specific features are quite useful. This includes changing the recording options, setting facial recognition and having various automations activated by the 2C. However, unlike the native app, you can only set the spotlight to turn on automatically via the Home app when it is dark outside. EufyCam 2C review: Home app display of camera battery percentage

If the camera is connected, you can know if it is actively charging and what the battery percentage is. However, you cannot ask Siri what percentage the camera is at and have to check this manually. You can change the recording options to enable streaming, recording, or both always or only when you are at home. You can also set when you want the camera to start recording: continuously or when a specific object appears, such as a package, animal or person. Thanks to facial recognition, the Home app can intelligently identify people in the picture. It points to identified people in the Photos app and uses it to recognize them if they are included. If you want specific actions to occur when motion is detected, adding specific automations within the camera settings is sufficient. This can be useful, for example, by turning on the outdoor lighting when someone walks to the front door. You can also set activity zones, which will only notify the Home app when motion is detected. You can add multiple zones to the area and invert them to close off a spot you don't want to keep an eye on. EufyCam 2C - Keep an eye on the outdoors

The EufyCam 2C is a durable and compact outdoor camera that alerts you when there is motion is detected via the Home app. But the camera cannot be used unless you have the required hub connected to it. EufyCam 2C review: Camera mounted and motion captured

During our time with the camera, we had little to no trouble maintaining a stable connection to the hub or the Home app. The image he presented was clear, and the spotlight made it easy to see what was happening at night. But while the camera worked very well, the price may not be that high for many people. The camera alone costs $120, and including the hub ($100) it costs $220. This price is five times higher than that of the C120, and no hub is required. But while HomeKit outdoor cameras aren't typically cheap, this is one of the most expensive setups due to the mandatory hub. If you want an excellent outdoor camera that integrates well with HomeKit, the EufyCam 2C is a worthy choice. Prepare to pay an arm and a leg for installation or wait until it goes on sale. EufyCam 2C - Pros Compact and lightweight design Compatible with HomeKit Secure Video Easy setup and setup

EufyCam 2C - ConsHub required Charging can be a hassle High price Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Where to buy the EufyCam 2C You can get the EufyCam 2C through their website for $119.99. If you prefer to bundle it with another camera and the hub, it costs $239.99. The camera is available in white. You can also buy it on Amazon for $99.99. The bundle is also available, but for the same price. Read more on Homekit.Blog