In the realm of security solutions, the Anker subrand Eufy brand has consistently delivered reliable and innovative products. A couple of years ago, I had the privilege of reviewing the Eufy Security Floodlight Cam 2 Pro, now rebranded as the Eufy Floodlight Camera S330. It remained a staple in my security apparatus until recently. The unveiling of the new Eufy Floodlight Camera E340 has rekindled my interest and led me to explore its offerings as compared to the former.
The Eufy Floodlight Camera E340 comes with a dual-lens setup, boasting a standard 3K Wide-Angle Lens with a 130° viewing angle, and a secondary 2K Telephoto Lens equipped with a 3× Zoom. This dual-lens system promotes a broader surveillance coverage while ensuring detailed imagery of objects in focus. This arrangement is reminiscent of the concept applied in the Reolink Trackmix, which pairs wide-angle coverage with precise zooming capabilities.
Technical Specifications of Eufy Floodlight Camera E340:
- 360° Camera Coverage: The ability to pan 360° horizontally provides a comprehensive field of view. Coupled with AI-driven identification and tracking of human movements, it offers a robust monitoring system that can be scheduled for auto-patrolling.
- 24/7 Recording: This feature ensures continual monitoring, capturing every moment for peace of mind.
- Dual Cameras for Enhanced Imaging: The telephoto lens can pick out details from as far as 50 ft (15 m) away, while the wide-angle lens captures the broader scene in 3K resolution. This dual-camera system provides up to 8× digital zoom.
- Robust Connectivity via Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6: This feature ensures faster, more reliable connections across both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks.
- High-intensity Illumination with Smart Control: The 2,000-lumen peak brightness is adjustable, and can be programmed for motion-activated or ambient lighting.
- Expandable Local Storage: The storage can be expanded up to 128 GB using a microSD card (not included), or up to 16 TB when connected to HomeBase S380 (sold separately).
Comparative Analysis: Eufy Floodlight Camera E340 vs Floodlight Camera S330
Despite being a newer model with superior features, the E340 is priced at £220, while the S330 retails at an RRP of £279, though it often drops to around £200. This pricing anomaly presents an intriguing scenario given the enhanced capabilities of the E340.
Advantages of E340 over S330:
- Dual Cameras: The E340’s improved 3K resolution for the main camera and 2K resolution for the telephoto lens offer a significant imaging advantage.
- Enhanced Detection Capabilities: Unlike the S330’s human detection, the E340 can identify humans, vehicles, and pets.
- Compatibility with HomeBase S380: This feature, available at launch for the E340, was listed as ‘coming soon’ for the S330.
- Increased Storage Capacity: The E340 supports up to 128GB microSD storage as compared to the S330’s 8GB eMMC.
- Wi-Fi 6 and 5GHz Band: This inclusion makes the E340 superior in connectivity.
Areas Where S330 Outshines E340:
- Illumination: The S330 has three floodlight panels with 3000 lumens against the E340’s 2000 lumens.
- Adjustable Light Temperature: The S330 offers a range of 3,000°~5,700° Kelvin compared to the static 4,000° Kelvin of the E340.
Design, Build, and Installation Insights:
The design divergence between the E340 and the S330 is quite noticeable. Though both models exhibit quality construction, the S330 showed some weather-induced wear over time. However, its condition was significantly better than its predecessor, the EZVIZ LC1, after two years of usage.
The E340 comes without a protective dome over the lens, a change that Eufy confirmed was after ensuring scratch-proof lenses during the beta testing phase. The mounting mechanism too has been altered; the E340 has a different setup compared to the S330, which had a fold-down base when wall-mounted.
Installation was a straightforward affair with both models. Despite my limited DIY skills, I managed to install them without much hassle. The E340 setup was slightly more challenging but was completed in about 30 minutes. It’s advisable to set up the camera before mounting to ensure its functionality.
Connectivity and Third-party Integration:
The E340’s compatibility with 5GHz band and Wi-Fi 6 results in faster stream connections and more responsive notifications. Although when connected to the HomeBase S380, the camera utilizes Wi-Fi directly for connectivity, which in my case, slightly reduced the signal quality. However, it didn’t impact the notification or connectivity performance.
On the downside, third-party integration is somewhat limited, similar to competitors like Arlo and Ring. The provision for Google and Amazon is there, but the apparent discontinuation of Apple Homekit and RTSP feeds, which were available on the EufyCam 2C/2, is a disappointment.
Application Settings, Storage, and Motion Detection:
The E340 offers two recording options – utilizing the on-device microSD slot or connecting to a HomeBase. While the microSD supports up to 128GB, continuous recording seemed unsupported according to Eufy’s website. Nonetheless, during beta testing, 24/7 recording worked with a microSD card. The HomeBase S380, on the other hand, has 16GB built-in storage with a provision for a 2.5” SATA disk bay, supposedly supporting up to 16TB, even though 2.5” HDD disks max out at 5TB or 8TB for SSDs.
The motion detection and auto-tracking, powered by the AI human detection, work harmoniously with the telephoto lens to capture detailed footage. However, some false positives like identifying hanging laundry as a human were encountered, a common issue across many brands.
Image Quality, Day and Night Footage:
The E340 delivers crisp footage at 2304×2592 resolution, showcasing both wide and zoomed-in views. The pan and tilt movement appeared a bit choppy when zooming, due to the exaggerated movement caused by the 3x zoom. Nonetheless, the image quality remains exceptional for a Wi-Fi camera, both during the day and at night, especially when the spotlight is activated for colour video recording.
Concluding Thoughts:
The Eufy Floodlight Camera E340 presents a substantial upgrade over the S330 in terms of imaging, detection capabilities, and connectivity. While the S330 shines brighter literally with its superior illumination, the E340’s dual-camera setup, enhanced storage, and robust connectivity provide a compelling proposition for anyone looking to bolster their security setup.