The reason I purchased the Eufy Security 2C - 2 Cam Kit along with an indoor Eufy cam, was to be able to monitor the entrances to my home and inside an outbuilding - our home gym - which is about 25' from our back door. I chose this system over Amazon's Blink system because Eufy doesn't require a monthly subscription fee and the camera videos and stills are of better quality, especially in low light than Blink cams. (My best friend has a Blink system that I've viewed for comparison prior to purchasing, but you can also check that on YouTube.)
In order to get more 2C cameras, I actually bought two of these kits - using only the cameras from the second kit - as it was cheaper to do this versus buying more cams individually during Prime Days when I purchased this system. Doing so also gave me a backup for the homebase too.
I have set up four 2C outdoor cameras: front door, backyard patio angled towards back doors, inside the garage, and outside garage towards the street.
➡️ UNBOXING & CHARGING: Grade A
The kit comes with clear directions for easily getting started. You should have the EufySecurity app installed on your phone or tablet and have signed in with your account prior to unboxing the pieces of this kit. You will need your wifi password and be prepared to connect the homebase via ethernet to your router for the initial setup.
Once you have the kit unboxed follow the prompts in the app to add devices to the app. As you do so, directions are given to pair the cameras with the homebase. Once all the cameras and homebase are set up, you can disconnect the homebase from the ethernet cable and use it wirelessly in a centralized area of your home. The homebase will then act as an access point for wifi, bouncing your wifi signal further and helping with the connectivity of the cameras around your home. I placed my homebase in my living room on the top of a tall shelf. All of the cameras on my half-acre lot work great. I do have a strong router and 300Mbps internet, which undoubtedly helps too.
The cameras need to be charged before mounting. A full charge takes about 5 hours. Once charged, the light on the front will turn off. You will also be able to see the percentage of charge of the cameras (while charging), and a green bar, indicating the charge when fully charged. I wish the percentage of charge left would still be shown after charging in the app, but alas, it does not.
Overall, this is easy to setup kit that most people will appreciate thanks to the efforts of Eufy to make it as simple as possible to get started using it.
➡️BUILD QUALITY: Grade A
I'm kind of a tech-geek and have tested and reviewed a lot of electronics, including home security cameras. The Eufy 2C cameras and homebase are of very good quality - they feel sturdy and performed as expected. The system comes with a 1-year warranty and the products are automatically registered when you set up your system. Serial numbers for the cameras can be viewed on Eufy's web portal where you can also view your video events as you would in the EufySecurity app.
➡️EUFYSECURITY APP: Grade A
I'm impressed with the EufySecurity app for iOS. I have it on my iPhone 8 running iOS 14.6 and it works perfectly! No glitchiness or crashes and the features of the app are intuitive to use. There's a lot more information about setup and use, as well as "help" resources in the app than expected. Adding cameras with the app was a breeze, and monitoring cameras with the app is very easy. I like that I can adjust the order of cameras, view captured clips, and turn cameras on/off easily within the app. I also like that I can customize notifications of movement.
The only thing I wish the app had that it doesn't have is a percentage of battery life for each camera after it is charged and mounted.
NOTE: Using the LIVE view option will rapidly drain your phone's battery.
➡️TIPS FOR DECIDING ON PLACEMENT
I knew I wanted to cover the doors into my home and the interior of our home gym. I also decided that inside the garage and the driveway would be good too. Because my husband is a fall risk, I worry that he's going to fall while outside and I won't be able to easily find him to help. There are certain areas he traffics more heavily than others, so those were the areas I decided to focus on in locating our cameras.
The suggestions that I've read from multiple sources on security camera placement tend to be based on common sense.
🎥 These are the suggestions I followed and found important.
1. Don't place in direct sunlight. This also means not in direct line to bright lights, especially at night.
2. Elevate the cameras to 7'-10' for optimal coverage. This requires taking a connected camera out and using live-view in the EufySecurity app to decide where you want to place the mounts.
3. Consider weather conditions and whether you want your cameras to be visible or not. I purchased silicon sleeves in black to add a layer of protection against weather and falls and conceal my cameras. I purchased them from Eufy to make sure they'd fit the way I wanted them to and they are perfect. The mount is still white but could be spray painted.
➡️ MOUNTING THE CAMS: Grade A
I'm a fairly handy gal to have around. I've built computers, do all the yard work on my 1/2 acre, and don't mind going up on a ladder. I"m not sure if these things helped me or not, but I easily put up all the cameras around my house after pairing them with the homebase.
Before you begin, make sure you know where you want to place the mounts. I suggest testing that out first, marking where you want to place the mount, and then getting your drill. Each base (the part that you attach with anchors and screws) is plastic and each comes with a sticky template for drilling the holes. This was a great addition to the kit! You also have screws for each camera, and extras should you need them. Also a thoughtful addition. The directions tell you what size drill bit to use to pre-drill (I really, really appreciated that bit of info...) and if you need them, directions for mounting on walls and the ceiling area in the EufySecurity app for reference.
Once you have mounted the base, loosely attach the rest of it and then screw on the camera and tighten things down. The camera will be activated in the app, so if for some reason it's not working, make sure it's actually "on" in the app.
➡️ACTIVITY ZONES: Grade B
The ability of these cameras to be set for activity zones, and to set up privacy zones to prevent recording your neighbors, is a great feature. Unfortunately for me, I've yet to dial it in to provide me with the coverage I want. This could be a user error, or it could be the app or camera placement. I think having your cameras set to record straight on, versus at an angle would help. I also think the app having a freeform tool to personalize zones would work better than the one they have, but I'll keep trying to use it, especially for my driveway to avoid catching all the street traffic.
➡️IMAGE CLARITY: Grade A
This is the real reason to choose Eufy - they give you great photos and video footage. The cameras are 1080P HD quality which for general home monitoring is great. I wouldn't recommend them for capturing fine details like license plates at 30', but for identifying people or animals on your porch or patio, it's great. I was especially happy with the low-light performance of these cams. Not too grainy and actually sharper than expected.
NOTE: If you are looking for sharper images, consider a 2K or 4K camera setup. Eufy has a 2K indoor camera that I added to this system for monitoring my home office and I love it!
➡️MOTION ISSUES : Grade C+
You can set up your cameras to detect motion; animals, people, or all motion, or not monitor motion at all. Depending upon your goals, the amount of traffic in the area, and how long you want the battery of your 2C cameras to last, motion activation settings will need to be tweaked.
The sensitivity of the motion activation is a little bit tough to dial in. As I set up my outdoor cameras during a very hot period with lots of bugs buzzing around, if I set the motion detection to high, every flying bug that comes near the camera sets it off. This is despite the 'people' only setting for the motion being set in the app.
🤨 I have also had the camera take a photo of my dog's face instead of mine when I come out my front door. This camera is set to "people only" too at the highest setting, so unless those people are 18" high and covered in fur - that setting needs some fine tuning by Eufy! Motion is captured 30' away on the walkway up to my front door, but the photo of the dog about 7' away on the front door mat was weird.
Another issue with motion sensitivity has to do with when a recording starts when motion is detected. The photos of the person being detected are hit and miss. Sometimes the photo thumbnail is too late - catching a photo of the person's ear and not their face. Ideally, someone would be walking directly at the camera and the video would engage quickly. In practice, that doesn't always happen.
It's a little frustrating that the motion detection delays the recording of events. If you had someone running or walking fast through your yard, this system may miss it unless the motion detections were set to "HIGH" and even then, it's hit or miss.
The motion activation works best when the movement is within 15' of the camera, but it will work at 30', but it takes more time to engage when the subject is further away.
➡️BATTERY LIFE: Grade B-
I've been fortunate enough to enjoy other products by the parent company, Anker. I've always found their products to be of good quality and I expect these Eufy 2Cs will be the same. A 6 month estimated battery life is under perfect conditions. I suspect that in the heavily trafficked areas of my home a 4 month estimate is more likely.
You can see your camera's battery percentage in the app's settings. Click on the little wheel icon to view individual camera settings. then click on Power Manager for that camera. The percentage of battery life will be displayed and underneath it, there are detection statistics including Used Days, Total Detected Events, False Events filtered by AI, and Recorded and Saved Events.
After 2 days my front door was down to 98% from the 100% initial charge, making me think it might last 2 months on its current charge in this high traffic area. The camera is set to provide optimal battery life.
🎯CHARGING HACK: If you don't want to disconnect the camera, get an "S" hook and a small phone charger backup pack. Use a large plastic clamp on the battery pack, connect the "S" to the hole in the handle of the clamp, and put the other end of the "S" over the arm of the mount. Connect the included cord to the charging port on the bottom of the 2C camera.
➡️NO MONTHLY FEE: Grade A
When comparing the Amazon Blink camera system to Eufy I was almost going to buy the Blink system as it was cheaper, but then I read about the monthly fees for storage and viewing recorded content. That, combined with the poor low-light performance of the Blink cams (as viewed on my best friend's system) I went with Eufy 2C.
This 2C kit records to the homebase. There's 16GB of internal storage and then it overwrites the old footage as it fills up. You can save videos and stills within the app to your phone.
➡️NOTIFICATIONS: Grade B
I have my cameras set to notify me via text-only when motion is detected. This can be changed within the app to no notifications - recordings will be saved to view later, or audible notifications with or without text. The notification tells me when movement or sound is detected and by which camera.
There is a slight delay and depending upon what your motion settings are, the movement may have occurred up to 10 seconds prior to notification. You must have motion detection set to "ON" for the camera to notify you. I have my indoor cameras set not to detect motion as there is a lot of traffic in each room. I set them to monitor motion only at night via the app.
Being able to monitor your home when you are at work or traveling is great, and receiving these notifications is a plus, but only if the captured video movement is available. Sometimes the delay on that functionality and notification may delay seeing what's really going on.
NOTE: I did receive EufySecurity app notifications on my Apple Watch with the EufySecurity app installed on my iPhone.
➡️LIGHT, SOUND, COMMUNICATION & SIREN: Grade B
You can monitor the sound in a room using these cameras. You can also use the cameras as a two-way communication device, and deter animals and people with the siren and spotlight on each camera.
The spotlight on the cams can be set to come on automatically, but that drains the battery. Manually engaging the spotlight is how I have set mine. Good for scaring away animals and people at night. The spotlight is somewhat disappointing because it's not very powerful, but for short distances, it's helpful in capturing color video and stills at night.
The sound monitoring works well, but in some ways, too well. The crickets are LOUD and there's often feedback in the form of a "whooshing" sound. I'm not fond of it, but it is necessary when using the cams as two-way communicators.
The two-way communication with these cameras works well. The messages sent are clearly heard at up to 30' when the sound is set to its highest setting. Communication is clear and better than expected. A good way to communicate with family members and pets, even if you are at work or traveling. If you can use the app, you can communicate via these cameras.
The siren feature is one that can annoy your neighbors. It's loud, but not super-loud, and can be set to just go off via your homebase inside versus the cameras. You can manually operate them too, which is how I have them set.
NOTE: If you are looking for a baby or pet monitor, consider the indoor Eufy cams C22/C24 models - which monitor for crying.
🎯CONCLUSION: Grade A-
The EufyCam 2C 2-camera kit is a winner for anyone who wants a simple to set up home or office security system with no monthly fee. It isn't perfect, but it's very good.
Minor frustrations are something I can live with. The motion detection can be set to just people, but bugs set it off if they fly close enough and appear large to the camera. The spotlight is pretty weak, but it does provide some illumination at short distances, thus providing color video and more clarity at night.
Considering all the features in the app, the camera clarity, and the improved low-light performance with and without the spotlight - especially over the Blink system - and no monthly fee to view and store footage, this is a great option for home monitoring at a reasonable price. Easy for homeowners to set up and use, providing an eye in the sky and peace of mind.
NOTE: Photos included are at 25' (camera to the back door of patio) in the low, evening light and then with the spotlight engaged. The front door picture is without the spotlight, but the porch light on, and then the daytime photo with no additional light source. The picture of the top of my head is in complete darkness of my bathroom - checking lowlight clarity.
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| Manufacturer | Eufy |
|---|---|
| Part Number | T8831 |
| Item Weight | 1.4 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 3.2 x 1.89 x 2.24 inches |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Item model number | T8831 |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. (included) |
| Size | 2 Count (Pack of 1) |
| Color | Gray+White |
| Style | 2-Cam Kit |
| Power Source | Battery Powered |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Mounting Type | Wall Mount |
| Special Features | HD Resolution, Motion Sensor, Night Vision, Local Recording, Weather Resistant |
| Included Components | eufyCam 2C, HomeBase 2, Mount, Micro USB Charging Cable, AC Power Adapter, Ethernet Cable, User Manual |
| Batteries Included? | Yes |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Battery Cell Type | Lithium Ion |
| Warranty Description | 1-year warranty |
