Shintu Dhang
Security cameras have become a necessary gadget in our modern lives to protect ourselves and our property. The increase in demand led brands to design robust security cameras at an attractive price. There are countless choices for you if you’re in the market for an affordable solution.
We have already looked at several solid home security camera solutions but most of these are dominated by major players like Xiaomi, TP-Link, etc. Recently Ezviz launched a new set of smart security cameras and wanted us to review the latest C1C-B 1080p Smart Home camera. We received the product a month back and decided to extensively test the performance in our day-to-day life and here we are our review
What’s in the box
Ezviz C1C-B comes in a compact cardboard box, in which, in addition to the camera itself, there is a power adapter (5V/2A) with a long micro-USB cable which is about 3 meters. There we find a foam sticker, a Metal plate, an installation template, and a set of documentation.
Design
Ezviz’s C1C-B design represents a typical surveillance camera. The case is white and the front panel with the lens is black. Primarily, everything is made of high-quality matte plastic, and the gloss is only on the front. The camera itself looks rather concise and neat, clearly not trying to disguise itself as anything else.
Let’s go over the configuration. In front, there is a 1080p camera lens, infrared sensors, a microphone, and an LED indicator. There is Ezviz along with its logo embossing below the camera eye. The bottom side contains a reset button for the camera and a slot for a microSD card on the left side. On the bottom right side is a place to insert power through a micro-USB slot. The lower one has a leg that is easy to rotate. On the back, there are holes with a speaker.
The camera module is located on a small leg-stand, which in turn is mounted on a special base. On the base, it includes a magnet, so it can stick to any metal object or pillar. In case, the place doesn’t have any metal surface, there is a metal plate included in the box that can be placed at the location to stick the camera.
Setup & App
Ezviz C1C-B can be controlled via. Android app available on Playstore and iOS app available on App Store. To connect the C1C-B, a 2.4GHz WiFi network is required. C1C-B needs to connect the power source to begin the process.
The application needs you to either sign-up for first-time users or login into Ezviz cloud. Adding the device is easy, just go through the steps shown in the app, and within a few minutes, the camera setup will be ready.
Controls
The Ezviz C1C-B is a simple security camera that doesn’t have 360-degree movements. The only available controls are the option to set the quality of the video, talk, record, and take a snapshot. Ezviz does also offer smart integrations with Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT which is handy if you have a Google Assistant or Alexa with a display.
Camera Quality
For an inexpensive camera, the C1C-B delivers excellent image quality. Ezviz’s live view defaults to a “low quality” mode, which is more than adequate to see what’s going on, but you can switch to a Full HD mode. In both, the camera copes admirably with a range of lighting conditions within the same scene.
I was impressed by the C1C-B ability to get a clear picture in darkly lit areas without resorting to its built-in infrared LEDs. It could resolve a street-lit scene – even at midnight – without needing to fire these up. The Infrared LEDs will only lit-up in case it is pitch dark. When on, the camera’s infrared lights could illuminate the far end.
Video footage from the C1C-B is limited to 25 frames per second – even at its lower resolution stream, available when using it as an IP camera. In the app, you can manually trigger a snapshot or video.
Verdict
If you want to monitor an area of your home with a camera at a budget-friendly price, the Ezviz C1C-B will no doubt catch your eye. This affordable compact smart security camera has night vision and motion alerts, and you can store video clips locally on an SD card. We wish the company could have provided an affordable cloud-based storage subscription plan or a trial option for atleast a month to make a decision.
But overall if you’re looking at a simple and affordable solution along with a local storage option, Ezviz C1C-B Smart home camera is a perfect choice.
