EZVIZ (pronounced “EasyVis”) recently launched a range of home security cameras, doorbells, smart locks and control panels. Keen to see how one of the world’s best-selling smart home brands compares to the rest of the market, I tested the EZVIZ HB90 Dual 3K Kit security camera and the EZVIZ EP8 Ultra video doorbell. I found they both have a few tricks up their sleeves.
It makes sense to review these two products together. If you install a home video security camera solution, you will likely have more than one camera, so I also looked at how they work together.
Table of contents
- EZVIZ HB90 features
- EZVIZ EP8 features
- Specifications and price
- Using the EZVIZ cameras
- Who is the EZVIZ HB90 Dual 3K Kit and EP8 Ultra for?
EZVIZ HB90 Dual 3K Kit features
The EZVIZ HB90 Dual 3K Kit is a weatherproof, wireless, solar-powered, spotlight dual-camera system, with both cameras able to rotate and record continuously in 3K. Having two cameras is common, but having two cameras that can rotate is less common. The benefit is that both cameras can capture video separately in different directions and over a wider arc than a single fixed camera.
Whilst 360-degree capable, most will mount this camera on a wall or the corner of a building, so your practical viewing angle will be 180 to 290 degrees. The lower camera can pan, tilt, and zoom, allowing it to track a person, for example, walking across your front garden. The HB90 can digitally zoom the image up to 4x. You can save preferred camera view positions for quick access.
The package includes mounting hardware and a drill template to assist installation, a USB cable, a 16GB SD card, and an 8W solar panel. You can mount the camera on a wall, ceiling, or pole. You must also mount the solar panel, preferably facing north. Depending on your camera settings, you will need at least 30 minutes of direct sun a day to run the camera continuously.
Always on Video (AOV) allows continuous recording, but in time-lapse until movement is detected. It captures one frame per second until movement is detected; then the camera bumps that up to 15 frames. This means you always get the shots before and after a detection, giving you the full story that would traditionally be out of the camera’s trigger range. Continuous recording has traditionally been the domain of a mains-powered camera, but the HB90’s 10,400mAh battery and solar panel enable wireless connection. 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi 4 provides the internet link.
AI-powered shape detection is built into the cameras, meaning you can receive alerts for humans and vehicles. To take this to the next level, you can also add familiar faces to the app. Once the camera recognises them, your alerts become more descriptive. E.g, wife detected.
At night, two built-in infrared lights provide a black-and-white image up to 35m away, while a trigger activates the spotlights and changes the image to colour. An optional alarm can also trigger both a siren and flashing lights. Alternatively, you can trigger a customisable voice alert, or use the app for a two-way conversation from anywhere you have internet access.
EZVIZ EP8 Ultra features
The EZVIZ EP8 is a battery-powered dual-camera video doorbell with an interactive display, built-in lights and an included chime.
The EP8 comes with 32GB of built-in storage, two 9,600mAh batteries and an installation kit. This lets you install it wherever you choose, without power cords. Anti-tamper protection means others cannot easily remove the doorbell.
The first thing you notice is that the EP8 has a screen that displays one of three cartoon characters. My first thought was that this was a gimmick, but what it does for a visitor is provide a visual indicator that you have been detected in a user-determined friendly or, alternatively, a cautious representation. This same screen also enables two-way talk and video between your doorbell and the app. This means you appear on the video doorbell screen.
The doorbell has a movement detection sensor with a range of 6m (adjustable down to 2m), which is advantageous if your door faces a busy street. Two 2K cameras allow a forward view and a downward-facing view. The downward-facing camera is designed to track packages. The EP8 records starting a few seconds before a trigger and continuing until it no longer detects a person. This ensures it captures the full story.
Like the HB90, the doorbell camera will recognise familiar faces and packages. The smart package detection will also recognise and alert you if a package is removed. This helps you understand if a theft has occurred. You can customise a recorded message that the doorbell broadcasts after a set time, such as “please leave the package next to the front door”. The app even lets you disguise your voice.
The built-in lights illuminate when movement is detected, ensuring a clear colour video recording and providing light for your visitor even if you don’t have mains lights installed. Infrared lights also provide a black-and-white image for live video reviews without a trigger. The included chime will signal when someone presses your doorbell, in addition to your app notification. All family members can receive alerts by downloading the app. The EP8 can also trigger a chime on Amazon Alexa devices and even an old-style electric chime (8-24v)
EZVIZ HB90 & EP8 specifications and price
| Specification | EZVIZ HB90 Dual 3K Kit | EZVIZ EP8 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 2880 × 1620 at 5MP | Main camera: 2464 × 2464 at 6MP Bottom camera: 1920 × 1080 at 2MP |
| Field of view | Top camera: 110 degrees diagonal Bottom camera: 60 degrees diagonal | Main camera: 162 degrees diagonal Bottom camera: 88 degrees diagonal |
| Networking | Wi-Fi 4, 2.4Ghz | Wi-Fi 4, 2.4Ghz |
| Size | Camera: 135 × 136.5 × 229.5 mm, 890g Solar panel: 267.3 × 186.5 × 17.5 mm, 428g | 120 × 103 × 190 mm |
| Price (RRP) | $549.95 | $399.95 |
| Website | EZVIZ Australia | EZVIZ Australia |
| Warranty | One year | One year |
Using the EZVIZ cameras
When you buy a security camera solution, you look at the specs and read about video playback and AI smart features, then take it home only to find out you may get certain features only if you pay an extra monthly subscription. The big difference with EZVIZ is that you get all of the functionality for one upfront price. Yes, you can pay for cloud storage as well, but you don’t need it, since the cameras include onboard storage and AI capabilities. A cloud storage solution starts at $9 a month, meaning you still have the images if someone steals your camera.
The idea of receiving a security alert seems great until you install your cameras. What you think might be a rare event that you react to can quickly become a constant alert that can tend to make you ignore them.
The first step is to set up your cameras properly. If you live near a busy road or footpath, you don’t want an alert when every car or person walks by. Instead, go into the settings menu and set up what areas (in the camera’s view) you want alerts for and, with the EZVIZ AI, whether you want vehicle alerts, etc. You can further adjust this with intelligent alerts such as familiar faces.
Other brands offer AI functionality but charge extra for it as part of a monthly subscription. EZVIZ includes the AI functionality at no extra cost. In fairness, others offer more with their AI, but this is simply a software upgrade, and EZVIZ may offer more functionality over time.
For my testing, I set up the pan-and-tilt camera facing down my driveway and the doorbell at my front door. To enter my property, you must walk up the driveway. The dual camera does a great job detecting and tracking a person as they walk toward the camera, turn right, and go up the stairs to my front door. Unless someone wants to climb fences, no one is going unseen. Once the visitor reaches the top of the stairs, the doorbell camera takes over and also does a great job monitoring packages. A feature I would like to see is the ability to group the camera and doorbell images into one event rather than two separate events.
The front of my two-storey house faces south. For Australia, this is problematic for solar panels. In my case, no sun gets on the solar panel. This means no charge, and the battery depletes after a week when AOV is turned on.
If you put a camera in a high-traffic area, such as a driveway, and then, for example, wash the car, you will get many alerts. Some brands offer an alert snooze feature (for example, pause alerts for 1 hour). EZVIZ does not offer this function.
Who is the EZVIZ HB90 Dual 3K Kit and EP8 Ultra for?
If you want the latest security camera features, including smart alerts and panning cameras, but don’t want to pay monthly subscription fees, EZVIZ cameras are a great option. Their prices are competitive, and the setup is relatively simple.
The doorbell offers a personal touch with the built-in screen, and the security camera, with its two swivelling cameras, provides the ability to monitor and record more movement, even in two directions at the same time. Although relatively new to the Australian market, this is a brand to watch.
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