EZVIZ C3X review: A near-perfect outdoor Wi-Fi camera with colour night vision

With more people concerned about the safety of their property, the home security camera market is booming. There are plenty of options to choose from, some better than others. EZVIZ is a company you may not have heard of, but they have been around for a while. In fact, we reviewed one of their indoor cameras back in 2016.

Our EZVIZ C3X review takes a look at an outdoor smart Wi-Fi camera that has an interesting feature — colour night vision. Read on to see why this security camera earned an Editor’s Choice Award here at Techaeris.

Specifications

The EZVIZ C3X Outdoor Smart Wi-Fi Camera has the following features and specifications:

• Color night vision under ultra-low light
• H.265 video technology
• Two-way talk
• MicroSD slot for local storage (up to 256GB)
• Human Detection based on AI deep-learning technology
• Wi-Fi 2.4GHz with dual external antennas
• Active defense with siren and strobe light
• Secure optional cloud storage
• App features live view, audio reception, instant alerts, video history, up to 8x zoom, smart home enabled

Model	CS-CV310-C1-6B22WFR
Image Sensor	1/2.7″ Progressive Scan CMOS
Shutter Speed	Self-adaptive shutter
Lens	4 mm @ F1.6, view angle: 89° (Horizontal), 106° (Diagonal)
Minimum Illumination	Color night vision, 0.005 lux
Lens Mount	M8
Digital Noise Reduction	3D DNR
Wide Dynamic Range	Digital WDR
Video Compression	H.264 / H.265
Video Bitrate	Ultra-HD; HD; Standard. Adaptive bit rate.
Maximum Resolution	1920 × 1080
Frame Rate	50Hz: 25fps; Self-Adaptive during network transmission
Back Light Compensation	Supported
Storage	MicroSD card slot (Max. 256 GB)
Wired Network	RJ45 X 1 (10M/100M self-adaptive Ethernet port)
Smart Alarm	Motion detection, human shape detection, vehicle shape detection
Setup Motion Detection Area	Supported
Wi-Fi Pairing	AP pairing
Protocol	EZVIZ cloud proprietary protocol
Interface Protocol	EZVIZ cloud proprietary protocol
Wi-Fi Standard	IEEE 802.11 b/g/n
Frequency Range	2.4 GHz ~ 2.4835 GHz
Channel Bandwidth	Supports 20 MHz
Security	64/128-bit WEP, WPA/WPA2, WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK
Transmission Rate	11b: 11 Mbps, 11g: 54 Mbps, 11n: 144 Mbps
Power Supply	DC 12V±10%
Power Consumption	Max. 12W
IP Range	Max. 30 meters (98.43 feet)
IP Grade	IP67
Operating Temperature	-30°C to 60°C (-22°F to 140°F)
Dimensions	72 x 72 x 150 mm (2.83 x 2.83 x 5.9 inch)
Weight	425g (0.94 lb)

What’s in the box

• EZVIX C3X Outdoor Smart Wi-Fi Camera
• Drill template
• Screw kit
• Waterproof kit
• Power adapter
• Quick start guide

Design

Security cameras come in all shapes and sizes. The EZVIZ C3X Outdoor Smart Wi-Fi Camera is white and features an egg-shaped main body attached to a swivel mount. The camera portion itself is three inches in diameter and three inches in length. The underside of the camera has a mic, a cover that hides the reset button and a microSD card slot, two antennas, and a speaker. The cover is held in place by two screws so the reset button and microSD card slot can not be easily accessed. The antennas angle up from the bottom and are each about four inches in length.

The front of the camera has a black face which houses the spotlight, dual camera lenses, LED indicator, and IR light. When the EZVIZ C3X is plugged in, the LED light flashes differently to indicate different events.

• Solid Red: Camera starting up
• Slow-flashing Red: Wi-Fi connection failed
• Fast-flashing Red: Camera exception (i.e. microSD card error)
• Solid Blue: Video being viewed in the EZVIZ app
• Slow-flashing Blue: Camera running properly
• Fast-Flashing Blue: Camera ready for Wi-Fi connection

The main camera attaches to the mount on a swivel, allowing you to adjust where the camera is pointing rather easily. Just in front of the actual base, which has three holes for screwing into a wall, is a ring that allows you to loosen or tighten the camera for adjusting.

Coming out of the back of the camera is a single cable which splits into two. One cord has an Ethernet connection, should you want to hard wire the camera, while the other has a power port to connect to the included power adapter.

The camera and mount are nicely designed and feel solid. Considering it is mostly made out of metal, that should be no surprise. As for branding, the EZVIZ logo is printed on the side of the camera itself.

My one complaint about the design is the power plug itself. As you’ll likely need an extension cord and the power plug is a mini-brick, it can make for an interesting installation. Had the power plug been standard sized, at least in my case, I could have more easily tucked it into hiding as opposed to having it exposed for everyone to see.

Installation/Setup

Installation is pretty easy and takes roughly 20 to 30minutes, depending on where you are going to set it up. You’ll want to make sure you’re near enough a power outlet or have an extension cord to make up the difference. The power adapter that comes with the camera is only about 4 1/2-feet in length. The cord attached to the camera adds about another foot to that.

To start, you’ll need to download the EZVIZ app from the App Store or Google Play Store. After installing the app, create an EZVIZ account. Next, connect the camera to the power adapter and plug it in. While you may want to install it first, I like to set cameras up first to make sure they work before I start drilling holes in my walls. Once plugged in, the LED should flash blue quickly to indicate it is ready for Wi-Fi configuration.

Make sure your phone is connected to your 2.4GHz network. Open the EZVIZ app and log into the account. On the Home screen, tap the “+” in the upper right corner. You’ll then be prompted to scan a QR code. You can scan the code on the front of the user manual or on the base of the camera body. The wizard then walks you through configuring your camera for Wi-Fi. Alternatively, you can connect it to your router with an Ethernet cable and follow pretty much the same steps for a wired connection. Once you’re done, and verify the camera is connected and working, you can unplug it and install it where you want to.

Physically installation is pretty easy and EZVIZ has included a drill template. Tape the drill template to where you want to mount the camera and drill three small pilot holes. Once done, remove the template and screw the camera in place. Next, you can plug it into an outlet or extension cord. Once the camera is powered up, you can view it in the app and then adjust it to the proper positioning.

Set up and installation was really easy and I had no issues with either the software or physical installation.

Software

As mentioned above, you’ll need to install the EZVIZ app in order to install and use the EZVIZ C3X Outdoor Smart Wi-Fi Camera. The home screen of the app gives you an image overview of all the EZVIZ cameras you may have installed. This includes a still of the time when you open the app. From here you can click on the image to open the live view or check the cloud or local video history.

When viewing previous video clips, the app displays a timeline with yellow blocks where it has recorded motion. These blocks will be different widths because the camera records for the duration of the activity, not just for a preset time which is a great feature to be honest.

Click on the person icon below the image still on the home screen takes you to the Alarm Notification settings. This lets you adjust between Human or Vehicle, Human only, Vehicle only, or Image Change Detection. You can also toggle detection marking (the camera will mark the target objects it detects), set a notification schedule, adjust the motion detection area, the motion detection sensitivity, and adjust the alarm warning sound and light flashing when people or animals are detected.

Clicking on the settings cog will open the settings tab for the camera. These include toggling the audio for live and recorded video, status light, enabling or disabling alarm notifications, toggling smart PQ (auto-brightness adjustment for better images), changing the time zone, accessing Wi-Fi configuration, checking cloud storage subscription, checking local storage, updating the firmware, toggling image encryption and password, and access advanced image settings.

The second screen is your notification messages screen. Clicking on that will bring up all your previous notification alerts and provides easy access to each event. You can also filter by date, message type, and device, and edit the messages so you can delete specific notifications or even mark all as read.

The third, and last screen in the app, lets you check your saved clips, manager device setting, account security, check your CloudPlay subscriptions, set up IFTTT, provide feedback, and manage third party accounts.

If you’re so inclined, the camera is also compatible with Alexa devices and Google Home so you can view the video from those as well.

EZVIZ App Screenshots

Performance

I’ll just say it. This is one of the best, if not the best, performing security cameras I’ve tested so far. Everything from the recording to the notifications are bang on. The detection rarely registers false positives and, as far as I can tell, has not missed any motion regardless of weather or time of day. One thing I really like about it is when you are notified about movement, clicking on the notification takes you to a page with a screen grab of the motion so you can decide if you really need to click through to the live video. The notifications are pretty instant as well with little delay between the time of the motion detection to notification so you can usually catch whoever is lurking about if that’s the case.

When set to soft, the audible warning indicates activity with a voice prompt from the camera that says “secure area, please leave as soon as possible.” When set to intense, a loud siren sounds to warn of a possible intrusion. And it is quite loud. You can also record a custom sound or message to play as well.

In addition, I have not had any issues with the camera since setting it up. I have not had to restart it for any reason, the firmware and app updates have gone off without a hitch, and, as mentioned already the recording and notifications are fantastic.

Sound Quality

When warnings are set, the audio that comes from the camera is clear and crisp. It is also audible at a nice volume so there is no missing it. With the alarm alert, it is loud enough that it will scare an intruder off as I am sure my neighbours heard the siren sound.

When it comes to conversations, however, it is a bit soft but it is still crisp and clear. A bit more volume on this front would be nice.

Camera

The camera image quality on the EZVIZ C3X Outdoor Smart Wi-Fi Camera is outstanding. The 1080p resolution is crisp and clear during the day or with an outside light on. There are also options for default, soft, and vivid colour depending on your preference. The night vision shots are pretty clear as well, but the camera really shines with its colour night vision without needing external spotlights. I was truly amazed at the fairly decent quality of the colour night vision images when I first saw them.

Camera sample photo gallery

Reception

The EZVIZ C3X, like most Wi-Fi security cameras, only operates on 2.4GHz wireless. While that’s fine and I had no connection issues, some users may want a 5GHz connection option for various reasons.

Microphone Quality

As with the sound quality, the microphone, while clear and crisp without being garbled, could be a tad louder. Still, I was able to hear the person I was conversing with outside when they were standing under the camera just fine.

Price/Value

With an MSRP of US$149.99, the EZVIZ C3X Outdoor Smart Wi-Fi Camera isn’t exactly cheap. However, it is well constructed and performs admirably — and you can’t really put a price on good security.

In addition, there is an optional cloud storage service with eight options. For a single camera with 7-days of cloud backup, you can pay $5.99/mth or $59.99/year. For 30-days this will cost you $10.99/mth or $109.99/year. If you have more than one camera, the multi-camera plan covers up to 4 cameras. This costs $8.99/mth or $89.99/year for 7-days of cloud backup or $15.99/mth or $159.99/year for 30-days of cloud backup.

Photo Gallery

Wrap-up

I know the review title says this is a “near-perfect outdoor Wi-Fi camera” as I’m hesitant to call anything perfect. That being said, I really don’t see anything wrong with this camera aside from the power plug size. While a bit on the pricey side, it is well worth the cost with its admirable performance, easy installation, easy to use app, and colour night vision.

As a result, the EZVIZ C3X Outdoor Smart Wi-Fi Camera was an easy choice for an Editor’s Choice Award here at Techaeris.

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Last Updated on February 3, 2021.