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As we mentioned the other day, Eufy Technologies is the closest to Arlo when it comes to battery-powered security cameras. The EufyCam 2C is the third camera series from the brand after the Eufy Evercam and Eufycam E. But unlike the others, the model’s the lowest cost. So, in this post, we’re going to look at how it compares with its brothers and cousins to see what it doesn’t have.
Surprisingly, however, the cost of the EufyCam 2C, or Eufy cameras in general, drops from time to time. Early last year, the system was selling around $220 for a pack of two cameras and the HomeBase. Then, at the time of writing this article, the same kit was going at around $170, yet wasn’t listed on any kind of special offer.
Eufycam 2C: Do I Have To Subscribe To Cloud for Recording?
Put simply, Eufy wireless security camera systems are now the top competitors to Arlo. Yes, we could argue Google Nest and Ring Stick Up Cam cameras are still at the top, but we doubt it will be very long.
If Anker and Eufy continue to offer the kind of services they have now, their camera will surpass every other. When asked how the company compares to the Arlo system, many who have used both confirm that Eufy is “clearer, faster, and more secure”.
At the security part, the Eufy cameras have built-in local storage, EMMC or MicroSD card, and encrypted cloud packages for unlimited space. However, the local storage can be accessed remotely via phone app, plus it continues to record even with an internet outage. As such, you necessarily don’t need to subscribe to the cloud and will always have the most recent evidence.
EufyCam 2C: How’s the Video Quality?
After the free storage space, image quality is another strong selling point of the EufyCam 2C camera. It has a superior 2MP sensor that captures objects in color and rich clarity during the day. Then at nighttime, you can choose to go with infrared (black & white) or colored recordings.
If you want the camera for the backyard, infrared night vision will be much better as it has a longer range. The colored mode is much preferable for the front door as it’s short-range and crispier to watch the doorstep.
However, enhancing the night vision clarity relies on the integrated spotlight that could drain the batteries pretty fast if left on for long hours. You can set it to light up automatically through motion or activate it manually through the app. Hence, can also be a great deterrence to ward off intruders.
EufyCam 2C: Can the Camera Work Without Internet?
As we’ve just mentioned, this camera can continue to record after the internet drops. But does that mean one can use it in a place without internet?
Well, to be clear, you can make the most from your Eufy cameras if you have the internet on your property. In the initial setup process, you need to hook up the Homebase hub to your home router using the Ethernet. Then, now you can install the Eufy security app on your Android or iOS device and complete the camera setup.
The HomeBase unit acts as the NVR of a wireless security camera system, whereby its built-in WiFi auto-pairs with the camera. Then, the hub pairs with the router so that you can access the camera via your smart device remotely.
So, a EufyCam 2C camera will still record after an internet outage since Homebase and the cameras can still communicate. The only thing you won’t be able to do now is viewing via your phone or webpage since the Homebase-router bridge is closed.
But again, Eufy has made it possible to access the local storage via the app. So, all the recordings when the internet was off will sync up to your phone once the connection resumes.
That said, though, it’s worth noting the Homebase relies on plugged-in power, unlike the cameras with batteries. So, the camera/ s won’t record if there is a power outage.
EufyCam 2C: Does the Camera Work With Apple HomeKit?
For those who bought their EufyCam 2C and other Eufy cameras before December 2020, there was no Apple HomeKit support. This was a major Setback to iOS users, who surprisingly are the majority. But in case you had your Amazon Alexa or Google Home devices, you still could use hands-free control.
Eventually, however, Apple’s evaluation came through around the end of December 2020 and HomeKit support availed for the new Homebase 2. So, you can now link your EufyCam 2C with Homekit and call up the various cameras using Siri voice commands.
EufyCam 2C: Does the Camera Support Facial Recognition?
Born in a time of smart tech, Eufy Cam 2C has multiple AI features to enhance your monitoring experience and overall security. The best amongst these features is human detection that includes facial detection to create a “thumbnail” for easy identification of the persons.
Please note, the actual facial recognition to sort out the unrecognized human faces is currently available on only the Homebase 1. The first generation EufyCam is a good example that has the feature, but we’re hoping other models will soon have as well.
Despite lacking facial recognition, EufyCam 2C camera does have smart PIR motion detection and also you can highlights areas the camera can detect movements. So, it will only record and send alerts that matter.
Furthermore, Eufy 2C does have a built-in mic and speaker if you’re looking for a security camera with two-way audio.
Special Notes:
Like any other battery-powered security camera system, EufyCam 2C goes into sleep mode when there’s no activity. Then, when an object crosses the sensor, the camera wakes up, starts recording, and shares a push notification to your mobile device.
Therefore, as you choose the camera, expect a few seconds delay as the camera wakes up.
Secondly, the EufyCam 2C doesn’t support continuous video recording (or simply CVR). It only records based on events- when there’s motion within the camera field of view. All the recording happens in the internal local storage, which has average usage of 3 months. If on a high traffic area, it can be lesser than that, but the camera has loop recording enabled. Hence, it will start overwriting the oldest data when full so that you can have the most recent footage.
Geofencing: for those who bought their EufyCam 2C in 2019, the company didn’t have a geofencing feature at the time. So, you had to toggle the Home/ away mode manually through the phone app. But after many people seemed interested in the feature, Eufy finally issued a software update on the Homebase 2 unit. So, now EufyCam 2C has geofencing to auto-activate the camera when away, albeit it still has some glitches.
See more: How to Set Up Eufy Security Camera Systems
How Does the EufyCam 2C Security Camera Compares With the Others
Eufycam 2C vs EufyCam 2
Summary
When you compare EufyCam 2 vs 2C performance, you’ll notice very minimal differences between them. The company released the two at almost the same time in 2019, with only 2 months difference between them. Also, both cameras record in 1080p Full HD, which means you’ll notice little to no difference between their daytime recordings.
Other similarities and differences between the two include:
Design:
EufyCam 2C has a decent, sleeker design that you can use indoor or outdoor without being intrusive. It’s also compact enough to mount without being obstructive, or else hide with the surroundings.
EufyCam 2 is an upgrade of the Eufy EverCam (first generation EufyCam), thus shares its body style. You can use it indoors but it might seem odd from its slightly large bullet design.
Night vision:
EufyCam 2C also wins in this one, all thanks to the built-in spotlight. The CCTV supports both colored and infrared night vision, whereas the EufyCam 2 has only the infrared.
Field of View:
EufyCam 2 has a 140-degree wide-angle lens, which is five points larger than that of its cousin. Thus, will cover a bit wider area or offer lesser blind spots. Nonetheless, both the EufyCam 2 and 2C records in 1080p Full HD, which means the latter’s object will appear slightly more detailed because of the narrower lens.
Smart AI:
This is a shared point as all the two cameras have human detection, face detection, smart motion detection, and activity zones features. Neither of the cameras has facial recognition like the original EufyCam.
Active deterrence:
While both cameras have multiple deterrence features, each has unique ones. EufyCam 2 has a siren that you can set off automatically or manually, and an anti-theft program. With the anti-theft, the built-in siren will go off when someone tries to move the camera without disarming it first.
Unfortunately, EufyCam 2C doesn’t have an antitheft feature, but there’s an automatic/ manual siren and also the integrated spotlight.
Geofencing:
Both the Eufy Cam 2C and EufyCam 2 cameras have a geofencing feature to switch between the Home/ away modes as per users’ locations. However, the company added the feature as a software update just recently, in early 2020. It still in beta, though, and doesn’t always work as we’d expect. But we believe the company will soon take care of it as they did with Apple HomeKit.
Eufycam 2c vs 2c pro
Summary
As the table shows, comparing Eufy 2C vs 2C Pro is like speaking about one thing. The only differences between the two are the video quality and the pricing.
At the time of posting, the EufyCam 2C Pro was selling about $150 more than the EufyCam 2C. That we can try to understand as it’s the updated model and currently the highest resolution (2K) for Eufy’s line of security cameras.
So, if the price won’t be a concern, EufyCam 2C Pro image quality really shines great as 2K is double 1080p HD. Like its brother, the security camera also has an integrated spotlight to improve the clarity at nighttime.
Ps. Apart from the 2K image sensor, all the other features of EufyCam 2C Pro are similar to first-generation EufyCam 2C. So, there’s no need to go through them again.
Even so, we would recommend the first-generation, considering it is cheaper and has everything else with the Pro version except the 2K resolution. Since both cameras come with a Homebase 2 unit, you can even get an add-on EufyCam 2C Pro for the high-value locations. That way, you’ll have three strong security cameras and still pocket about 20 bucks.
To Conclude:
Eufy Cam 2C security camera is a remarkable system to have at home or even office. 1080p HD is the now-standard video quality for CCTV and pretty enough for general-purpose monitoring. Also, the internal storage of the camera is a big plus as you won’t need to pay for the cloud, yet you can view recordings from anywhere.
Speaking of recordings, by the way, Eufy Cam 2C (and other cameras from the company) is very easy to access video history. It arranges the footage as per camera and by the days like a calendar. So, even for the footage from the past two months, you can bring them on the front screen within seconds.
Another thing, between EufyCam 2C vs EufyCam 2 vs EufyCam 2C Pro, we still stand with the former from its affordability. The three cameras use the latest Homebase 2, which means you could get the others as additional cameras. Not only will you save some dollars on that but also improve your home security from the capabilities of each.
