EZVIZ C8PF review: Excellent coverage, disappointing app

EZVIZ can be hit-or-miss when it comes to aesthetics. I enjoy the look of many of the company’s stationary cameras, but models with pan-and-tilt controls tend to be a bit on the bulbous side. Such is the case with the C8PF.

A snowy-white plastic shell joins hands with the camera’s globular chassis, making for a somewhat ugly peripheral (in my opinion) that is not inconspicuous in the slightest. Let’s just say you’re going to have a tough time keeping the C8PF hidden, if that’s your goal. Then again, a visible camera may actually be a deterrent to intruders.

Conveniently, the EZVIZ C8PF comes pre-attached to its mounting plate, making it easy to fix the bracket to an awning or exterior wall without having to snap the camera in place later.

In terms of wiring, you’re going to need access to an electrical outlet. With no battery option, the C8PF requiresDC power. Frustratingly, the DC lead is pretty short, and the female adapter it plugs into (attached from the camera body) is not weatherproof. While you can purchase weatherproofing tape to wrap things up with, this is quite the oversight for an outdoor camera.

Before physically installing it, we recommend activating the camera inside your home and then mounting it in place outside after it’s been registered to the EZVIZ app.

Device activation is a pretty straightforward process. Once you download the EZVIZ app (for iOS and Android hardware) and create an account, you’ll be prompted to add your first EZVIZ camera. Select the C8PF from the list of available options and scan the QR code on the bottom of your cam.

Next, you’ll choose the Wi-Fi network (2.4GHz only) to which you’ll be connecting the camera. Once online, the C8PF will perform a software update. After the update, you’re ready to start using it.

One of the big calling cards of the C8PF is its dual-lens capability. A 12mm telephoto lens gets in close on the action, with up to 8x zoom (other stops include 1x, 2x, and 4x) in a totally lossless format. On top of that, there’s also a 2.8mm wide-angle lens that is always capturing a widescreen view of whatever you have the C8PF directed toward.

By daylight, both lenses do a fantastic job. Shooting in 1920 x 1080p, overall image quality is sharp, with well-balanced colors and contrast. Depending on the time of day, sunlight bouncing off of the snow piles scattered around my apartment complex were rendered a bit harshly, but this harsh exposure certainly didn’t occur all the time.

I guess I’m used to camera zooms leading to a dip in image quality. Yes, you do lose some fidelity when pushing the telephoto into 4x and 8x close-up territory, but I must say, not as much loss as I expected. Zeroing in on the building across the street from me, the C8PF did a nice job of focusing on the unit numbers, with just a touch of blurriness present in-frame.

By nightfall, the camera kicks its four onboard IR sensors into gear, delivering a black-and-white image that is rated to capture footage up to 98 feet away. Does it do its job? Yes, but not as effectively as it did during the day. Losing the relative sharpness of sunlit footage, the C8PF’s night vision is a bit cloudier. Also, lights from cars and streetlamps proved difficult to render, resulting in more overexposure than seemed necessary.

I’ve used two different EZVIZ cameras, and I’ve found the EZVIZ control app to be … fine. Available for iOS and Android devices, the EZVIZ app is your all-in-one hub for camera controls, profile and hardware customizations, general settings, motion controls, and more.

Launching the platform, the Devices screen will display thumbnail views of the last-captured footage from whatever EZVIZ cams you have installed. A Library tab keeps a log of all motion-triggered video clips. Once you select the C8PF (or other EZVIZ cam), you’ll be taken to the controls and customizations for the hardware you’ve chosen.

Live views from both the telephoto and wide-angle lens are displayed at the top of the phone screen (if holding your device in its vertical position), with a video log and filtering options located below. At the bottom of the screen, you’ll find options for Snapshot (takes a static picture of whatever’s onscreen), Record (takes a video clip), PTZ (pan, tilt, and zoom controls), Talk (for two-way-talk options), Pic in Pic (for toggling on/off), Alarm (for adjusting motion alert settings), and Definition (resolution adjustments).

If you’re holding your phone horizontally, the live view takes up the whole screen, but you can still access the main toolbar of options by tapping the screen and selecting the Three Dots icon.

Yes, everything works, albeit not perfectly. For instance, there’s a notable delay when selecting the direction in which you want your C8PF to move. After tapping Left or Right, it can sometimes take a solid few seconds for the cam to even acknowledge your command, to the point where I would often think there was something wrong.

Also, the app and box manuals are littered with typos and strange syntax. I’m guessing this may have something to do with language conversion? While I hate to be a stickler about it, I’m just never a fan of the main tool I use to control my peripheral being littered with grammar troubles. I don’t know. It makes things feel … cheap.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes. While it’ll be tough to find an outdoor camera that can pan, tilt, and zoom for the price that the C8PF sells for, brands like Arlo offer outdoor cams that deliver a sharper picture and a better companion app. We also think that Wyze (and even Blink) can go toe-to-toe with the EZVIZ.

How long will it last?

Based on its IP65-rating, we’re betting you’ll get about three to five years out of the C8PF.

Should you buy it?

We’d buy the EZVIZ C8PF if there was no other outdoor camera option at the store, and we really needed to go home with a new cam that day. If there were other options, though, we’d look elsewhere.