Sub-$40 smart cam with a range of top tech now on sale
The Wyze Cam Pan v2, which has just been made available, may turn out to be a top smart home camera buy for those on a tight budget.
It costs just $39.99, plus an additional $9.99 for delivery, but has some advanced features you might not expect when spending this little.
Granted, some of the most fun-to-use features were already present in the original Wyze Cam Pan but it is a versatile little camera.
The lens can tilt its view up and down by 93 degrees vertically and the base is motorized, offering 360-degree coverage from a standard 120-degree camera lens. A full twirl of the base takes around three seconds.
Wyze has changed the sensor and lens used for this second generation, though. Lens aperture increases from f/2.3 to f/1.6, letting more light in. And the Wyze Cam Pan v2 gets the Starlight Sensor of the static Wyze v3 camera.
This dramatically improves low-light performance and enables color night vision. It works far better than you might expect given the low cost of these smart home cameras.
However, as in the Wyze v3, Night Vision and Color Night Vision appear to be separate modes, suggesting that in some situations trusty old B&W night vision may work better.
The maximum capture resolution remains 1080p, as in the original Cam Pan.
Other features include 2-way talk, as the Wyze Cam Pan v2 has a speaker, and invisible IR LEDs. These are used for the night vision mode, and can be distracting when their output includes light wavelengths in the visible spectrum.
These “visible” IR LEDs look like bright red dots, and are typically used so you know when a camera is active.
The Wyze Cam Pan v2 has automatic motion tracking and you can set timed waypoints, should you want the Wyze Cam Pan v2 to act like a security camera, panning around the room.
Wyze offers 14-day cloud storage of recorded clips without a paid subscription, and recording to a microSD card. Or you can sign up to Wyze Cam Plus for extra features.
Longer clip recording when the camera detects motion is the big one. Clips are limited to 12 seconds without Cam Plus and unlimited with a sub.
Wyze offers fast forwarding of these clips so reviewing them isn’t so much of a chore. Extra detection modes for vehicles, people and pets are unlocked too.
A Wyze Cam Pan v2 can be used fairly effectively on its own, but Cam Plus makes it a better home security camera. A subscription currently costs $15 a year. You can currently get a month free when you buy a Wyze Cam Pan v2, worth a whole $1.25.
You can order a Wyze Cam Pan v2 now for $39.99 plus $9.99 for shipping.