We all want to keep our homes safe and secure, and there is no shortage of outdoor security cameras to help do just that – many featuring built-in spotlights that come on when motion is detected. Still, we also want our homes to feel like, well, homes – rather than looking like some sort of Soviet-era gulag.
The Ezviz EL3 could be the answer. Housed within an attractive outdoor light is an advanced camera with AI-powered detection. The light can be programmed to come on to provide pleasant but bright 780-lumen ambient lighting when the sun goes down, with adjustable color temperature to suit the mood. It links to a mobile app, so the color and brightness of the light can be controlled remotely, and schedules set.
The in-built camera, tucked into the base of the light, can send automatic alerts when it detects people or vehicles moving within its detection zone. The camera records in 2K, for crisp and clear video, and rotates by 200°, automatically following subjects of interest and giving a much wider view than is possible with a fixed camera.
It's mounted on a folding bracket, so the angle of view can be further adjusted for the optimum degree of coverage. Spotlights provide far-reaching color night vision to capture vivid details of the surroundings in low light – or when it is pitch black outside.
A built-in microphone and speaker enables two-way communication, so guests can be welcomed, couriers directed where to leave their parcels, and uninvited visitors politely told to go away, all with a tap on a smartphone. For more persistent unwelcome visitors, should the camera detect signs of unauthorized entry, it triggers a piercing 92-decibel siren while flashing dazzling spotlights to deter the intruder.
It can read and recognize license plates – sending the user an instant alert of the plate number of unknown vehicles. Vehicles from the household and trusted visitors can be registered by the device, thereby limiting the number of false alarms by not notifying the user when a known car turns up.
The latest WiFi 6 protocols ensure a smooth connection to the home WiFi network, with dual-band 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz Wi-Fi options for optimum connectivity, ensuring it stays stable over long transmission distances or through walls, which some outdoor WiFi cameras can struggle with.
A weatherproof enclosure offers resistance against dust and water, protecting your home even under the most inclement weather conditions. Videos can be saved to a microSD card of up to 512GB capacity, or uploaded to fully encrypted cloud storage via an optional Ezviz CloudPlay subscription. H.265 video compression reduces the size of recorded files by 50% compared to the prevailing H.264 format, thereby reducing the amount of storage space required.
The recommended price is £129.99 in the UK. US and Australasia pricing to be confirmed.
You might be interested in the best 360-degree outdoor security cameras, along with the best doorbell cameras.
