Eufy Solocam E40

The eye has it

Security camera with no strings attached

Security with no subscription, wires or online storage – just clear images

You can’t move for wireless security cameras these days, but few get as much right as the Eufy Solocam E40. With many rivals, such as Arlo’s range of cameras ( www.arlo.com), you have to pay a monthly subscription fee to access footage or unlock features. This camera bucks that trend.

In the box is the camera itself, which has a rechargeable (non-swappable) battery, so you don’t need to worry about wiring or cables. There’s also a small plastic bracket for mounting on a wall. There’s no need for anything else, as it connects directly to your home Wi-fi network.

It can be mounted anywhere – indoors or outdoors – because it’s weatherproof to IP65 standard. Eufy claims it will last up to four months on a single charge, but that will depend on how many video clips are recorded, how long they are and which resolution you choose.

We found that by optimising video quality and restricting recordings to 20 seconds, the battery comfortably lasted six weeks. We managed to make the battery last two months by recording even shorter clips, which could, however, make them less useful for security purposes. Recharging is done by simply removing it from its mount and plugging it into a wall socket with the supplied microusb cable.

It can record footage up to 2K resolution (2560x1440 pixels), has automatic infrared night vision and can make individuals

SPECIFICATIONS

8GB storage • 2K resolution (2560x1440 pixels) • IP65 water- and dust-proof • Rechargeable battery • Wi-fi networking • 1x Infrared LED • 57x96x57mm (HXDXW) • 399g • One-year warranty www.snipca.com/39381 recognisable. It can also be voice controlled using Alexa and Google Assistant.

The Solocam E40’s main attraction, however, is that you don’t need to pay for a subscription to access any of these features. Also, instead of being stored online by default, video clips are recorded straight to the camera’s 8GB internal storage, which can keep two months’ worth of footage and is accessed through the Eufy Security phone or tablet app.

Once you’ve hung the camera in place, setup is a doddle. The app uses your smartphone’s settings to connect the camera to your Wi-fi network. It’s also very easy to use, though we found setting up motion zones (where any movement will trigger recordings) was a bit tricky on a touchscreen.

All of this worked flawlessly when we tested it. Notifications are only generated when required and video quality is crisp and clear. With the 2K resolution, we found details such as faces were easy to pick out. Its night-vision footage was also good quality, albeit slightly softer and more blurry than daylight captures.