Logitech Circle 2, Ezviz C1C? Nope, IMOU Cue 2. We’ve brought up an Ezviz C1C for this review, which is a direct competitor to an IMOU Cue 2, as the first is Hikvision’s, the second is Dahua’s consumer-focused brands and cams, and they look and feel very similar. And on top of that, their similarity goes beyond looks only, because it applies to their filling, I mean a hardware specifications. I’m curious, what are their real differences, because so far, they’re identical – let’s find this out.
The Appearance / The Box
Here’s what we have in a box:
- The exact camera in a wrapping and a cardboard brick with the other parts
- Quick start guide,
- Power adapter,
- Micro-USB power cable
- Screws and anchors pack
- Metal mounting plate
- Mounting sticker
- Piece of mounting foam
Quite regular, everything is clear. Although on a manner of C1C, the basement fits inside of it quite a strong magnet so that it will be easy for users to take it off an initial spot and place anywhere else, where a cable can reach. That is what’s good – a mobility, assuming that you can change a view scene that easily. But what’s bad – a wire addiction, which decreases the amount of available spots, but it’s ok in this class of affordable home cams.
The design. A black front panel with the 1080p camera module in the middle of it, with a 131° view angle. Below the camera module, there’s an LED indicator to show us the device status, and below it it there’s a microphone hole. On the backside, we’ve got a cutout for a speaker, a QR code to authenticate the cam in the app, a MicroSD slot, a reset button, and the micro-USB power cable input. And you know what? An identical interface for the Ezviz C1C, with the difference in how these elements are placed. Speaker, MicroSD, micro-USB, reset button, and the QR code.
And the front panel is identical too, well, except for the size. Microphone, LED, etc. I guess they have some sort of template for all of these class cameras. One more thing I want to put an emphasis on is the color. Yeah, they both are white, but not completely. I don’t know if a photo can convey this, but compared to C1C, the plastic on an IMOU Cue 2 is… yellowish. And I know, we’re talking about a low-cost home camera, but honestly, this isn’t a good sign or feeling.
Below there’s a video I’ve recorded on an IMOU CUE 2 so you can evaluate the quality, and I’ve put in there an Ezviz C1C footage for a comparison.
I can clearly see that IMOU has a wider view angle, although Ezviz says there’s a 130° angle too in C1C, while IMOU has 131°. Don’t know who lies, but the actual image speaks for itself. Also, IMOU runs a bit faster due to that they’re able to record in up to 30fps, which is 20fps for Ezviz, but you can see that the color saturation and overall image clarity are better for Ezviz.
Specifications
IMOU CUE 2
EZVIZ C1C
Now here’s a specification. IMOU Cue 2 features a 1080p lens, with a 131° view angle and has an H.265 compression rate support, which is just great because those saved videos you’ll be watching here will be less compressed in quality, yet take less storage space. And considering the MicroSD capacity supported here is two 256 GB, imagine how this combination increases your storage capabilities. Now, regarding an audio, here we have a two-way audio, owing to a mic and a speaker on the back.
And what IMOU declares is that this camera can spot a crying baby, meaning it has a built-in sound volume meter, so as a parent, you will probably find this quite handy. On the other hand, a rear speaker can also act like a siren to scare out intruders if they’re spotted, but it is not loud. The infrared sensor is located next to the microphone and is capable of showing us a distance of 10 meters or 33 ft. at night. Below there’s a video I’ve taken in night mode for IMOU Cue 2, and Ezviz C1C with a 6-meter night distance view video for a comparison.
And again, IMOU footage looks faster and more natural due to its closer to a 30fps, it has a wider view angle, but the image quality, color saturation, and depth are better for Ezviz. And… IMOU says that it isn’t just a regular motion detection, but a human presence detection, which is, I don’t know what it is. What I want to highlight is a difference regarding a direct competitor, which is quite slight but is noticeable at the same time.
So, first is the video quality. Next – a sound volume meter for IMOU Cue in stock and an H.265 support, also your video can be recorded in up to 30 frames per second, that is 20 maximum for Ezviz, but an exact image quality for Ezviz is pretty much better ant that and is noticeable. Below, in a video, you’ll see a full review and live test
Conclusion
Although it feels cheap with this yellowish plastic, the image quality is quite OK. So, 256 gigs of a MicroSD capacity support, 10 meters of a night vision distance, motion detection, and abnormal sounds like a crying baby spotting, plus a siren, make this one quite a good decision.