Logitech Circle 2, Ezviz C1C? Nope, IMOU Cue 2. We’ve brought up an Ezviz C1C for this review, that is a direct competitor to an IMOU Cue 2, as first is Hikvision’s, 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 a looks only, because it applies to their filling, I mean a hardware, a specifications. I’m curious, what are their real differences, because so far, they’re identical – let’s find this out. And also, you can get either an IMOU Cue 2, or an Ezviz C1C on a Pipl Systems Store along with a worldwide delivery.
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 a 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 easy. But what’s bad – a wire addiction, which decreases an amount of available spots, but it’s ok in this class of an 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 a camera module there’s an LED-indicator to show us the device status, and below it below it there’s a microphone hole. On backside we’ve got a cutout for a speaker, QR-code to authenticate the cam in the app, MicroSD slot, reset button and the micro-usb power cable input. And you know what? An identical interface for the Ezviz C1C, with that difference in how these elements are placed. Speaker, MicroSD, micro-usb, reset button, and the QR-code.
And the from panel is identical in too, well except a size. Microphone, LED etc. I guess they have some sort of template for all of this class cameras. One more thing I want to put an emphasis on is a 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 of low-cost home camera, but honestly – this isn’t a good sign and feeling.
Below there’s a video I’ve recorded on an IMOU CUE 2 so you can evaluate a 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 say there’s a 130° degrees too in C1C, while an 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 an overall image clarity is better for Ezviz.
Specifications
IMOU CUE 2 |
EZVIZ C1C |
| FUllHD 1080p / 30 FPS. | FUllHD 1080p / 20 FPS. |
| 131° View Angle | 130° View Angle |
| H.265 Support | H.264 Support |
| MicroSD up to 256GB | MicroSD up to 256GB |
| Night View 10m (33ft) Distance | Night View 6m (16ft) Distance |
| Abnormal Sound Detection | Motion Detection |
| Motion / Human Detection | Two-way Audio |
| Two-way Audio | Built-in Siren |
| Built-in Siren | Magnetic Base |
| Magnetic Base |
Now here’s a specifications. 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, but yet taking less storage space. And considering the MicroSD capacity supported in here is two 256 GB., imagine how this combination increases your storing capabilities. Now regarding an audio, here we have a two-way audio, owing to a mic and a speaker on a 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 opposite, a rear speaker is also can act like a siren to scare out an intruders if they’re spotted, but is not loud. The infrared sensor is located next to the microphone and is capable of showing us a distance of 10 meters or a 33 ft. at night. Below there’s a video I’ve took in a night mode for IMOU Cue 2, and Ezviz C1C with a 6 meters night distance view video for a comparison.
And again, IMOU footage looks faster and more natural due to that it’s closer to a 30fps, it has a wider view angle, but an image quality, a colors saturation and a depth is better for Ezviz. And… IMOU say 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 differences regarding a direct competitor, which are quite slight but are noticeable in a same time.
So first is a 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 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 a, 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. And technically, it is superior to Ezviz C1C by a number of indicators. Get it officially on the Pipl Systems Store along with a worldwide delivery for you ?
