An affordable outdoor security cam with swivel and tilt controls

The Ezviz C8C is an affordable outdoor security camera that offers mechanical pan and tilt controls, but it doesn’t support two-way audio and you have to jump through a few hoops to stream video to a smart display.

If you need an outdoor security camera to keep an eye on the exterior of your home, the affordable and weather-resistant Ezviz C8C Outdoor Pan/Tilt Camera ($89.99) may fit your needs. It supports mechanical pan and tilt controls, works with lots of other smart home devices, and delivered sharp recordings in testing. However, it lacks two-way talk capabilities, a staple among home security cameras, and Ezviz still hasn’t fixed a bug that prevents you from streaming the camera's live feed to a smart device out of the box. If you can give up the pan and tilt controls, our Editors’ Choice winner, the $35.98 WyzeCam V3, is a much better value and supports two-way talk.

The C8C's round, black-and-white IP65 weather-resistant enclosure measures 6.22 by 5.87 by 6.18 inches (HWD) and sits on a mounting bracket that allows you to install the camera on a wall or an overhang. The bottom half of the enclosure contains two motors that allow you to swivel the camera up to 352 degrees and tilt it up to 95 degrees. The upper part of the enclosure houses two adjustable Wi-Fi antennas, a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi radio, and a weather-protected microSD card slot. Although a microphone is onboard for recording audio, the C8C doesn't support sound detection or two-way audio, which is surprising because nearly every other security camera we’ve reviewed offers this basic feature. 

Protruding from the mounting bracket is a cable with dual jacks; one connects to the included AC power adapter and the other is an RJ45 LAN connector for wired networking. Also in the box are mounting screws and anchors; a drill template for installing the camera; a waterproof kit for the cabling; and a quick start guide.

The camera captures 1080p video at 30fps; it has 8x digital zoom and a 105-degree diagonal viewing angle. Onboard infrared LEDs handle black-and-white night video. You can set the two small LED spotlights to trigger when they detect motion or enable them via the app. If the spotlights are on, the camera captures night video in full color, but otherwise, it uses whatever ambient light is available. If there’s not enough light, the camera defaults to black-and-white recordings.

When the camera detects motion, it sends a push alert, begins to record the action, and informs you if a person is responsible for the motion event. You can store video locally on a microSD card (not included) or in the cloud with an Ezviz CloudPlay subscription. 

For $3.99 per month or $39.99 per year, you get three days' worth of video history for one camera. For $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year, you can view up to seven days of video for one camera. The 30-day plan goes for $10.99 per month or $109.99 per year. If you have multiple cameras (up to four), you can pay $8.99 per month or $89.99 per year for seven days of storage; the 30-day plan that covers the same number of cameras goes for $15.99 per month or $159.99 per year.

You can arm and disarm the C8C using Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands, but if you want to stream video to Amazon or Google smart display, you need to disable the Image Encryption and Daylight Savings settings for the camera. This flaw has plagued Ezviz cameras for more than a year, and the only reason I was able to stream video to those smart screens was because I experienced the same issue with the Ezviz LC1C Smart Floodlight Camera. I reviewed that camera way back in July of 2020, and apparently Ezviz hasn't yet fixed the problem. The camera integrates with other smart devices via IFTTT, but it doesn’t support Apple’s HomeKit platform.

The C8C uses the same mobile app (available for Android and iOS) as the Ezviz DB1C Wi-Fi Video Doorbell and the Ezviz C3X Outdoor Camera. It appears in a dedicated panel on the app’s Devices screen and displays the last captured still image. Tap the panel to launch a live stream and turn your phone sideways to enter full-screen mode.

A timeline of recorded events sits below the video panel; tap the play arrow to view the clip. At the very bottom of the screen are buttons for enabling Privacy Mode; enabling the on-screen pan and tilt joystick; manually recording video; selecting a video resolution; and taking a snapshot.

Additional buttons enable you to take a 360-degree picture that you can use as a reference for faster pan and tilt motions; rearrange the buttons on the bottom of the screen; and turn on the spotlight. To view older videos, tap the Library button at the bottom of the Devices Screen. Here, you can also arm and disarm the camera.

Installing the C8C camera is quick and easy, but if you don’t have a weatherproof AC power outlet nearby, you should find a way to snake the power cord into your house. 

To start the setup process, I downloaded the mobile app, created an account, and powered up the camera indoors. Next, I tapped the plus icon in the upper right corner of the Devices screen and selected Cameras from the list. Then, I used my phone's camera to scan the QR code on the base of the C8C and followed the instructions to connect to the camera’s SSID using my phone’s Wi-Fi settings. When the app prompted me, I entered my network SSID and password. After I gave the camera a name, it showed up in the app and on my Alexa device list immediately. I mounted it on a soffit in my backyard and plugged it into a nearby enclosed GFCI outlet to complete the installation process.

The C8C delivered detailed 1080p video in my tests. Daytime colors appear well saturated, while black-and-white night video looks crisp and sufficiently bright. Colors in nighttime recordings look good when the spotlights are active, but otherwise appear a bit dark. Mechanical pan and tilt movements are very responsive and motion alerts arrive quickly. The camera had no trouble adhering to my notification schedule, and the person-detection feature worked as intended, too. Once I turned off the Image Encryption and Daylight Savings settings, I had no trouble streaming video to an Amazon Echo Show.

The Ezviz C8C Outdoor Pan/Tilt Camera is an affordable way to get a 360-degree view of your yard or driveway. It’s easy to install, delivers clear 1080p video, and offers color night video and person detection. Notably, it's also one of the few outdoor cameras we've tested with pan and tilt capabilities. That said, it lacks a few basic features, such as two-way audio and sound detection, and it suffers from a bug in its software that makes streaming video to Amazon and Google smart displays impossible unless you change a few settings. As mentioned, if you can live without the pan and tilt controls, the Wyze Cam V3 is an even more affordable indoor/outdoor camera that offers sound, motion, and person detection, as well as color night video and local and cloud storage options, and remains our Editors’ Choice winner. 

The Ezviz C8C is an affordable outdoor security camera that offers mechanical pan and tilt controls, but it doesn’t support two-way audio and you have to jump through a few hoops to stream video to a smart display.

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I’ve been working with computers for ages, starting with a multi-year stint in purchasing for a major IBM reseller in New York City before eventually landing at PCMag (back when it was still in print as PC Magazine). I spent more than 14 years on staff, most recently as the director of operations for PC Labs, before hitting the freelance circuit as a contributing editor. 

I do all of my writing on my aging but trusty Lenovo Thinkpad T460.

At home I have two wireless networks running: one for streaming, gaming, and other day-to-day networking tasks, and another for testing all sorts of smart home devices including smart plugs and switches, lighting, indoor and outdoor security cameras, home security systems, air conditioners, smart grills, robotic lawn mowers, pool cleaners, and whatever else finds its way to my door.

It’s not uncommon to find people standing in front of my house taking video of a robotic lawn mower traversing my lawn during the summer months. Now if only someone would come up with a robotic snow blower, I’d be all set. 

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