The HB8 2K+ contains a 4-megapixel sensor that can record up to 2560 x 1440 pixels. Since it’s motorized, Ezviz may find it less useful to offer an ultra-wide-angle lens as a supplement. The one chosen still offers a diagonal 100° field of view – it’s still lower than the 116° of the BC1C 2K+, for example. On the other hand, it offers a closer lens with less distortion, while its motor allows it to rotate 340°.
In addition, the new Ezviz camera provides black and white night vision via infrared LEDs and color night vision via projectors. The app allows you to switch from one to the other and also offers lower definitions as well as chroma profiles for more or less saturation. On the other hand, there is no HDR mode on the horizon.
To illustrate the image quality of the Ezviz HB8 2K+, we decided to compare the two models‘ records against another battery-powered camera that has proven itself in our lab, Google’s Nest Cam (battery).
daytime
Between its 4-megapixel sensor and its very strict handling of contours and contrast, the Ezviz camera seems to deliver richer images than its competitors. However, a closer look at the Nest Cam’s images reveals a slightly higher level of detail, despite its „only“ 2-megapixel sensor. Its less aggressive treatment allows it to better retain the finest elements, which compromise the colorimetric process. In use, however, the differences are minimal and the two cameras can easily identify someone.
night
When the light is off, the HB8 2K+ takes 3 seconds to activate its night vision feature. That’s a second faster than the Nest Cam, while still being relatively fast. Infrared image quality is still close, but the advantage is on the Ezviz’s camera side: it manages to capture more detail, though its management of highlights is above average.
Thanks to its integrated projector, it also has the advantage of being able to provide a color image at night, providing an extra clue to identify someone. If we sometimes notice a gain in detail as a bonus, like Reolink’s Argus 3 Pro or Ezviz’s BC1C, this HB8 2K+ with very efficient infrared vision is less noticeable, save for the red elements of course.
Activation of the spotlight had little effect on our night-time recognition tests: in both cases, we were able to recognize faces from about 4.50 meters away from the camera. A very good result, it put it in front of the Google Camera, which allowed us to recognize faces up to 4 meters away.
The Ezviz HB8 2K+ is also very effective at detecting activity because, like the Nest Cam, it takes us to the limits of our lab – now 10 meters long, up from 9 meters before. It should be noted, however, that in this exercise it was slightly less IR visual, only signaling our motion from 8 meters away, although the PIR sensor responded well to motion further away. The activation or non-activation of human shape detection did not change these results.
