The previous Ezviz pan-and tilt cameras I’ve seen were all hard-wired, and required a nearby power source. The Ezviz CB8 does away with the wires and replaces them with an integrated battery.

The app has some useful features such as human tracking and favorite positions. However, it could be improved to take full advantage of the camera’s ability for movement.

Why Buy Futures/En-Primeur Wines?

The Arlo 4 , Nest cam IQ Outdoor and Arlo PRO 4 are still better in terms of apps and control.

• Top pick smart security cameras

This camera is a good choice if you’re looking for a device that can give you a better view outdoors.

Continue reading for a full Ezviz CB8 Review.

Ezviz CB8: Design

The Ezviz CB8 is similar to other cameras in the Ezviz line, like the Ezviz C8WPro.

The two cameras have very similar features. However, there is one major difference: the CB8 does not require a power source.

It has a built-in battery that is charged through the USB-C port. This makes installation much easier as you only need to screw the mount to the surface and the CB8 will slide into place.

A thumb-operated locking mechanism secures the camera in place. The battery cannot be removed as this means that you have to take the whole device in order to charge it.

You can change the batteries in Arlo 4 if you’d like to have constant coverage.

This camera has a lens with a field of vision of only 100 degrees, which is very narrow for an outdoor camera. However, the camera offers 340 degrees of pan to give a 360-degree panorama.

The vertical limit is slightly less limited with only 65-degrees tilt.

Mount the camera higher so it can look down on the area that you wish to cover.

The Ezviz CB8 has an optional cloud-recording service. It also features a microSD slot, secured with screws, that can hold cards up to 256GB. Installing one is worth it if you don’t wish to pay for video storage.

The Ezviz CB8 is equipped with 2.4GHz Wi Fi and connects to Ezviz, which houses the wide range of security camera products from the company.

Ezviz CB8: Features

One problem with pan and tilt cameras is that many do not have pre-set locations. It can be difficult to set up these cameras, because they can end up pointing the wrong way after use.

The Ezviz CB8 is similar to the C8W Pro and allows you to save 12 preset locations. The PTZ option in the app brings up a joystick that can be used to move your camera.

As long as the Wi-Fi is strong enough, the feed will not be delayed. A location can be saved by pointing to the desired place.

You can retrieve your favourite by tapping the Preset Location, which is not very clearly highlighted. It took me a while to locate the Preset Location option. Ezviz should highlight favourites better.

It is best to make your first location the default position. It’s a pity the camera cannot be set to automatically return to this location after a timeout. You will need to remember, after remote controlling the cam, to reset it to the desired position.

This is especially important if you want to control which part of an image will be used for motion alerts. The zones can change as the camera moves. It’s easy to miss an alert.

Human Shape Detection is the best way to reduce alerts. Activity zones are also helpful. It reduces the number of alerts so that you are only notified if a person is detected. This dramatically reduced the number alerts I received.

One odd thing I noticed was that the Ezviz application in iOS had been set up to send out Critical Alerts. My phone then beeped loudly and made noises even in Do Not Disturb Mode. As a result, I disabled Critical Alerts in this app.

Geofencing or manual arming/disarming the camera are two ways to control this.

The Ezviz CloudPlay service is included with this camera as a trial. After the free trial, you will be charged $5.99 per month for a seven-day history of one camera. This increases to $15.99 for a 30-day history of four cameras.

This is a lot more expensive than the other options, like Nest Aware Ring Protect, and Arlo Secure. It’s more economical to save data on a microSD.

The app shows all recorded video clips as thumbnails. The app allows you to playback clips, but saving and downloading them can be a hassle.

Then, you have to select the Download button, which will bring up a new page with the same thumbnails. After selecting the clips that you wish to download, they will be downloaded to your app’s album.

You can now save clips directly to the photo album on your phone by opening up the Album. Ezviz should implement a single-button option for saving clips directly to the phone.

Battery life is at least 6 months with the internal battery. This will depend on how often you use the camera to record and how much you pan and tilt.

I would say, based on a few weeks of usage, that the camera will last for at least three months. However, it is possible to use the camera longer.

Ezviz CB8: Video Quality

The Ezviz CB8 also has 2K resolution. It records video with a resolution 2304 x1296. The footage is a big step up from Full HD.

The daylight footage is clean and detailed. However, the details tend to get a little soft towards the rear of the image. The Ezviz C8W Pro, powered by mains power, produced slightly sharper video.

The camera’s IR light can be used to shoot black and white at night. However, with the spotlight, and depending on ambient lighting, it can also shoot full colour.

The night footage, as you can see in the sample, is almost as good as that recorded during the day.