This high-end 4K security cam bucks the cloud storage fee trend

Price When Reviewed

$549.99

Best Prices Today: EufyCam S3 Pro 2-camera Kit

$549.99

$549.99

Cloud subscriptions that lock your safety digital camera footage behind a month-to-month charge are a irritating actuality for householders. The EufyCam S3 Pro 2-Cam Kit affords a approach out. With 4K video decision, good AI detection, and photo voltaic panels built-in into the 2 cameras, it delivers top-shelf efficiency with out roping you right into a cost plan.

Eufy does supply cloud storage as an choice, however the cameras on this providing retailer their recordings regionally on Eufy’s HomeBase 3 hub—a NAS field (network-attached storage), basically—enhancing your privateness whereas saving you cash on subscription charges.

Design and options

The EufyCam S3 Pro cameras have a bullet-style physique with a white end and a black face. Each digital camera has a photo voltaic panel on prime, neatly built-in into the design reasonably than bolted on as an afterthought. It’s a clear, useful look that matches whether or not you’re mounting them on brick, siding, wooden, or stucco.

The cameras are strongly shielded from the weather, boasting a ranking of IP67. Our IP code guide tells meaning the cameras cannot solely face up to a blast from a stress washer (from an affordable distance), however they will even face up to being submersed in as much as three ft of water for as much as 30 minutes.

Michael Ansaldo/Foundry

The S3 Pro system is filled with critical {hardware}. Each digital camera captures video in 4K Ultra HD decision (that’s 3840 x 2160 pixels), delivering crisp element that makes it simple to identify faces, license plates, and different vital options. A 135-degree subject of view offers large protection with out the heavy barrel distortion you typically get from wide-angle lenses. At night time, Eufy’s MaxColor Vision know-how kicks in, delivering full-color night time imaginative and prescient with no need vibrant, battery-draining spotlights. Instead, the cameras depend on a bigger sensor and wider f/1.0 aperture to drag in sufficient mild naturally.

Powering the system is Eufy’s Photo voltaicPlus 2.0 know-how. The cameras use a 13,000mAh battery that Eufy says will maintain them operating for as much as a yr on a single cost with simply an hour of direct daylight a day. To give householders much more flexibility relating to mounting the cameras, Eufy affords exterior photo voltaic panels for $29.99 every. You can add one and place it for the most effective solar publicity even when your supreme digital camera placement is in everlasting shade.

For movement detection, the S3 Pro pairs radar sensing with typical passive infrared (PIR) to higher separate actual threats from shifting branches or passing vehicles. AI-powered recognition additionally types movement occasions into classes—folks, autos, pets, and faces—so that you’re not continually bombarded with pointless notifications. You may create privateness zones to dam out components of the body you don’t need recorded, which is helpful in case your cameras overlook a neighbor’s property.

Michael Ansaldo/Foundry

The audio options are simply as sturdy. Two-way audio permits you to hear and communicate via the cameras, with built-in AI noise discount that helps voices come via clearly even from 20 to 25 ft away. If it is advisable scare somebody off, every digital camera additionally comes outfitted with a 100dB siren and customizable voice warnings.

Footage is saved regionally on the included Eufy HomeBase 3, which has 16GB of built-in storage. That’s not quite a bit, however it may be simply expanded as much as 16TB by plugging in an inside 2.5-inch SATA exhausting drive or SSD. A single HomeBase 3 can host as much as 16 Eufy cameras, together with most Eufy video doorbells and floodlight cameras. And whereas Eufy doesn’t but have a strong residence safety platform past its cameras, its NAS field may monitor Eufy’s movement and door/window sensors. Local storage means no cloud charges, no obligatory subscriptions, and no dependence on third-party servers on your knowledge.

The HomeBase 3 has twin USB-A ports in again that you should use to cost the cameras and to again up its inside storage. If you need one other layer of backup safety, you’ll be able to join an elective cloud backup service: Eufy’s cloud plans, which begin at $0.99 for the primary month and $3.99/month after that for a single system. A $13.99/month Plus Plan covers all units and shops movies for 30 days.

The S3 Pro works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HouseKit, together with HouseKit Secure Video. There is a small tradeoff to utilizing HouseKit, nevertheless; video decision will get capped at 1080p as an alternative of 4K. It’s a limitation that gained’t matter to everybody, nevertheless it’s price understanding up entrance.

Setup and efficiency

Getting the EufyCam S3 Pro system up and operating is about as simple because it will get. The cameras include the whole lot you want, together with sturdy wall mounts and clear directions that stroll you thru every step. Simply plug the HomeBase 3 into your router, scan a QR code on the underside with the Eufy Security app, and comply with the prompts to finish the connection. You then press the sync button on every digital camera to pair it to the HomeBase. Once paired, the HomeBase manages video storage, powers the AI options, and acts because the brains behind the entire setup.

Michael Brown/Foundry

In daylight, the S3 Pro’s video high quality stands out. Footage is sharp and vibrant, with colours that look pure as an alternative of overly boosted. Details like faces, clothes, and license plates keep clear even whenever you zoom in. Motion detection additionally works nicely proper out of the field (though you’ll be able to regulate sensitivity to tailor detection to your liking). The mixture of radar and infrared sensing does a very good job of catching actual exercise whereas ignoring typical false alarms like tree branches or passing shadows.

Image high quality holds up impressively after darkish. Footage stays in shade even when streetlights or porch lights are scarce, making it a lot simpler to pick particulars like clothes shade, automobile fashions, or faces that might blur collectively in an ordinary black-and-white feed. You don’t must squint at muddy photos or guess what you’re seeing—what’s recorded at night time appears virtually as sharp and recognizable as daytime footage.

Michael Brown/Foundry

Using the Eufy Security app is clean and intuitive. Live feeds, recordings, and settings are simple to seek out, and you’ll soar between cameras rapidly. Notifications arrive promptly and embody quick AI-powered summaries, so you’ll be able to inform at a look whether or not it’s an individual at your door or simply your neighbor’s cat wandering by.

This overview is a part of TechHive’s in-depth protection of the best home security cameras.

Battery life and photo voltaic charging are additionally sturdy factors. Once put in, the cameras maintain their cost steadily, with the built-in panels simply topping off the battery. Placement nonetheless issues—put the cameras the place they’ll get good mild publicity—however for those who can’t, the exterior photo voltaic panel is price contemplating.

Should you purchase the EufyCam S3 Pro 2-Cam Kit?

At $549.99, the eufyCam S3 Pro 2-Cam Kit affords a compelling bundle for these looking for high-quality residence safety with out recurring charges. If you’re searching for a dependable, high-quality residence safety resolution that places you answerable for your knowledge and prices, the EufyCam S3 Pro 2-Cam Kit is a straightforward advice. It’s probably the greatest choices on the market for patrons who need premium options with out getting locked into month-to-month charges.