Plug: Incredible Solar-Powered Motion Detection Capabilities Unveiled

Plug: Incredible Solar-Powered Motion Detection Capabilities Unveiled

Frank Lv13

Plug: Incredible Solar-Powered Motion Detection Capabilities Unveiled

Key Takeaways

  • The Eufy Security SoloCam S340 delivers exceptional video quality and lightning-fast motion detection
  • The companion app is packed with features and customizations.
  • It’s a more expensive outdoor cam that’s worth the investment.

The Eufy Security SoloCam S340 was a thrill to test, and a home security device that I’ll be recommending to all my friends and family because it delivers top-notch video quality and lightning-fast motion detection. The $200 tag is a little hard to stomach, but it’s something I hope most folks who need the product will see past.

The Eufy Security SoloCam S340

Eufy Security SoloCam S340

8/ 10

Capture every event that occurs around your home in ultra-clear 3K resolution. See exactly who is approaching your home with 8× zoom. Note: The max resolution will be 2K when using AI Tracking or Dual Views.

Pros

  • Terrific video quality
  • Fast-acting motion detection
  • You may never need to charge it
  • Feature-packed companion app
  • Works with Alexa and Google Assistant

Cons

  • Only 8GB of local storage
  • Some app settings are tricky to find
  • Pricier than most outdoor cameras

$200 at Amazon $200 at Best Buy $200 at Eufy

How We Test and Review Products

Price and Availability

The Eufy Security SoloCam S340 sells for $200. The outdoor cam can be purchased at all major retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, B&H Photo, and Eufy.

The S340 is also a part of three Amazon-exclusive Eufy bundles, ranging from $230 up to $536 .

Specifications

Brand

Eufy

Video Resolution

Up to 3K

Battery

Up to 3 months

Connection

USB-C

Size

3.43 x 3.43 x 4.72 inches

Water Resistance

IP67

Storage

8GB of local storage

Subject detection

Yes

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Shine Down on That Solar Panel

The Eufy Security SoloCam S340 with mounting plate, screws, and other accessories

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Jerome Thomas / How-To Geek

The Eufy S340 is designed to be mounted on walls and ceilings and is equipped with a 360-degree rotating camera body. You’ll also be able to tilt up and down 70 degrees. While the mechanized rotation worked well in my tests, there was a slight delay when using manual controls.

The S340’s white casing is a tough industrial plastic that is IP67 rated; as is the black lens and spotlight housing. That’s solid weather-proofing, but because the camera isn’t completely waterproof, I do suggest mounting it under an awning or other type of rain deflector.

A USB-C port and Sync button are hidden behind a silicone cover on the rear of the S340. Eufy is kind enough to provide a 10-foot USB-C, which you can use to charge the internal battery, or to power my favorite accessory: the 2.2-watt solar panel. This is an optional attachment, as the built-in battery should power the cam for up to three months, but hear me out: For a couple of weeks, I tested the S340 with the solar panel connected. Once the battery hit 100% capacity, it never dipped.

The rear of the Eufy Security SoloCam S340 showing the USB port cover and Sync button

Jerome Thomas / How-To Geek

The provided mount easily connects to the top of the camera. It didn’t take me long to get everything out of the box and set up. After connecting the S340 to my 2.4GHz (no 5GHz option) and updating it through the Eufy Security app, I was ready to start using it.

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Eufy Cameras Doing What Eufy Cameras Do Best

The Eufy S340 is equipped with two lenses: a 3K (2,880 x 1,620) wide-angle with a 135-degree field of view, and a 2K (2,304 x 1,926) telephoto with 1x and 3x manual zoom options. The “8x hybrid” option Eufy speaks of is what you get when you manually zoom out as far as possible and then stretch the image to activate digital zooming.

I thought the S340 delivered exceptional video quality for a web-connected camera (and we have a whole roundup of these). Mounting it on my porch gave me detailed views of cars, passersby, and plenty of human and animal activity. A sharp, colorful picture is something I’ve grown used to with Eufy cameras. While the S340 is about a thousand pixels short of 4K resolution, it didn’t bother me. Even when I capped the pixel count at 1080p, live views were still crystal-clear, save for a bit of tiling in one or two spots.

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I loved the S340’s telephoto lens. The 3x zoom option had no issue focusing on hard-to-reach license plate numbers, and AI motion tracking did a nice job of utilizing the manual zoom when needed. As far as that hybrid zoom goes, you’ll be hard-pressed to make out anything other than the basics of a subject (height, shape, color, etc.), but it was a thoughtful addition nonetheless.

The Eufy Security SoloCam S340 telephoto lens at full zoom with hybrid zoom activated

Come nighttime, you’ll have two options for footage: full-color or B&W infrared. I recommend the latter if the field of view is starved of exterior lighting. In my case, the S340 did a nice job of leveraging its built-in spotlight with the lighting in my apartment community.

Color night vision on the Eufy Security SoloCam S340

Infrared night vision on the Eufy Security SoloCam S340

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The AI-Powered Motion Detection We’ve All Been Waiting For

The Eufy Security SoloCam S340 connected to a smartphone via Eufy app

The S340 has incredible motion detection capabilities, a vital element of any home security system (check out our list of all the best ones ) Considering how good the AI tracking was on the Eufy S350 I recently reviewed , I was expecting the same kind of performance from the S340. I was not disappointed. With AI tracking enabled (it’s off by default), the S340 didn’t let anything out of its sights. Rotating and tilting quickly and quietly, I was able to zoom in on numerous dog-walkers and passing cars without any kind of holdup.

You’ll be able to use the Eufy app to create Activity Zones. Anything that falls outside of these virtual boundaries won’t register as a motion event, so you won’t receive any notifications. You’re also able to adjust what types of motion the S340 responds to (people, cars, and miscellaneous), and how sensitive motion detection is overall.

It Does the Sound Stuff Too

You’ll be able to use the Eufy app, or a compatible assistant app (like Alexa or Google Home) to access the S340’s two-way audio features.

With earbuds paired to my iPhone, I thought the S340’s microphone did a nice job of picking up outdoor sounds. Everything from bird chirps to road noise was fairly well-balanced, with just a little too much sibilance now and then. I even listened during a thunderstorm and could hear the gentle pitter-patter of raindrops, mixed with the low rumbles of thunder.

Human voices come through crisp and clear too, for both the person standing near the S340, and the person using the Eufy or assistant app to communicate.

Using the Eufy Security App

Live view dashboard of the Eufy Security app

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Motion detection settings in the Eufy Security app

Power management settings in the Eufy Security app

Solar panel dashboard in the Eufy Security app

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The Eufy Security app definitely has some quirks, but it’s a major part of your S340 experience. Said quirks also don’t require too steep of a learning curve either. All of the most important settings and customizations are located in the S340’s main settings menu.

This dashboard is packed with adjustments for motion detection, pan-tilt, spotlight, video, and audio. I recommend tapping the “Power Manager” tab to see a nice breakdown of the S340’s stats to date. Tap “Power Source” to choose battery or power via the external solar panel. I liked having the ability to choose from different options to preserve battery life, as well as the ability to track the solar panel’s efficiency (by tapping “Solar Dashboard”).

Compatible with both Alexa and Google Assistant, I was able to get camera live views and use two-way audio through the Alexa app and on my Echo Show 5. I also successfully created an Alexa Routine to turn on my desk lamp whenever motion was detected.

Should You Buy the Eufy Security SoloCam S340?

I was truly blown away by the performance and reliability of the Eufy Security SoloCam S340 . If you can get past the steep upfront price, I highly recommend this incredible surveillance device. It delivers some of the best-looking footage I’ve ever seen from a Wi-Fi-connected outdoor camera (check out our roundup of these ), and I still can’t get over how responsive its AI-powered motion detection was. The app may take a little getting used to in the beginning, but rest assured, it’s not impossible to navigate.

The Eufy Security SoloCam S340

Eufy Security SoloCam S340

8/ 10

Capture every event that occurs around your home in ultra-clear 3K resolution. See exactly who is approaching your home with 8× zoom. Note: The max resolution will be 2K when using AI Tracking or Dual Views.

$200 at Amazon $200 at Best Buy $200 at Eufy

  • Title: Plug: Incredible Solar-Powered Motion Detection Capabilities Unveiled
  • Author: Frank
  • Created at : 2024-08-29 01:34:51
  • Updated at : 2024-08-30 01:34:51
  • Link: https://tech-revival.techidaily.com/plug-incredible-solar-powered-motion-detection-capabilities-unveiled/
  • License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.