The folks at Wyze Cam are at it again. $30 for a full 360 degree connected camera, and zero monthly fees. I've been an alpha tester for about a month now, and I am still in disbelief how inexpensive it is for what you get compared to others like Nest.

I had the opportunity to try out the new Wyze Cam Pan as a part of the alpha testing phase and was impressed with what it has to offer. I’ve had an original Wyze Cam as a part of my home monitoring setup for a year or two, so I was really excited to see what the Pan had to offer.

Initial Thoughts

Upon opening, I was immediately struck by the size of the Pan. When I heard that the camera would have full motion capabilities, I expected something pretty hefty. In reality, though, the camera is quite a bit smaller and lighter than I thought it would be.

As with my older Wyze Cam unit, setup was simple. It only took a minute or two to get the Pan connected to my network and added to my list of cameras. The Pan also runs through a little calibration phase when first plugged in which I thought was pretty cool because it immediately gives you an idea of the range of motion that the camera is capable of.

Picture Quality

The Pan, like other cameras from Wyze is a 1080p HD camera and offers night vision. Overall, I would say the picture is in line with what I expected. Depending on network conditions, I occasionally notice some loss of clarity, but I chalk that up to my home network and not the camera.

Motion Tracking

Motion tracking was the part of the Pan that I was most interested in. The original Wyze Cam offers motion notifications and recording, but it doesn’t have any features to highlight motion so it can be difficult to see what actually triggered a recording sometimes. The Pan, on the other hand, can outline the source of motion in a video clip and you can also set it to actually pan and tilt to follow the motion automatically.

Right off the bat, I enabled motion tracking and tested it out by walking around the room. I was pretty impressed with how well it was able to follow me, even if I was moving at a fairly brisk pace.

I did have a couple of instances where the camera would over-rotate and then get stuck looking in the wrong direction, but after a couple seconds it would typically reset to its initial. From my testing, it seemed like the reflective surface that I had the camera sitting on would sometimes be misinterpretted as motion and the camera would end up following that rather than the actual moving object. As far as I can tell, a lot of this have been ironed out, though.

Noise Level

This is my only gripe with the Pan. When I first set up the camera, I was struck by how quiet it was when moving. After a few days, though, my wife and I started to get a little annoyed by the sound of the motor. I’m not sure if it actually got louder or if we just started to notice the sound more, but it got to the point that we decided to turn off the automatic panning and tilting when we’re home. I set the camera up in a pretty high-traffic area, so it was moving a lot and we decided we’d rather not hear it constantly. My wife also raised concerns that if someone were to break into our house, the motor sound would probably draw their attention to the camera which I think is a valid point.

Final Thoughts

All in all, this is a great camera—especially for the price. I have already started recommending the camera to friends now that it is officially released and I’ve been trying to think of places in my house where I could add more Pans.

Wyze has also recently added IFTTT support which I am very excited about. I can’t wait to see what kinds of things become possible going forward. I’m hoping they’ll introduce a web app soon so that viewing streams in-browser is a possibility. If that becomes a reality, I’ll probably replace all of my non-Wyze cameras with Wyzes.

Pros:

Full motion control, easy to set up, great price

Cons:

Motor sound can get a little annoying

I was first introduced to Wyze Cam Pan through testing for WyzeCam. When I received the Wyze Cam Pan to test I was not disappointed a bit by the packaging. The look and feel was great, and it was very secure. The size was slightly off putting at first, but it turned out to not be as bothersome as I first expected.

Through testing different placement areas with this camera, I did find it critical that you place this camera on a smooth and level surface. At first, I placed the camera on a shelf that had a slight lean (not noticeable to the eye), the Pan ended up “walking” off the shelf.

The second area I tested in I mounted the Wyze Cam Pan inverted on a ceiling. This camera mounts very easily to a traditional tripod mount. (1/4” thread) Once inside the Wyze app it was very easy to go to the advanced settings and rotate the image 180 degrees. With this camera mounted to the ceiling I could gain clear view around corners, and be able to track motion in those areas.

Pros:

• Simple setup

• Fantastic image quality

• Sleek design

• Easy mounting

• Two-way audio

• User friendly app

Cons:

• Slight motor noise

• Freaking family members out with the camera movement

If you are already familiar with the WyzeCam’s, you will not be disappointed in the quality of the image you are able to view, and you will very much enjoy having movement control of the Pan Cam. If you’re not familiar with the WyzeCam, I really do encourage you to make that investment for yourself.

Pros:

See around those pesky corners and can’t beat the price point!!

Cons:

People get freaked out by movement

Hi Folks, I had the opportunity to test the WYZE CAM PAN and it has earned several spots in my home! Below is my experience with the unit, enjoy!

The WYZE CAM PAN is rectangular in shape, taller than the v2 and mounted on a separate, circular base. On the bottom of the camera, a microSD slot and setup button can be found. On the rear, a full size USB port is available for charging and future accessory support. Power is supplied via a microUSB charging port that is located on the base.

From a feature and performance standpoint, the WYZE CAM PAN offers broad set which would be found in more expensive smart equipment. Similar to the v2, high definition 1080p video (i.e. LiveStream, local recording), environmental detection (CO, motion, smoke, sound), motion tagging, and two way audio is standard. Where the WYZE CAM PAN excels is the 120 degree field of view, 360 degree x 93 degree pan tilt range, improved night vision (18 step gray scale and 6 x IR LEDs), and improved microphone design. These features work in conjunction with the Wyze app to support two new functions: Motion Tracking and Pan Scan. At a high level, Motion Tracking enables the WYZE CAM PAN to continuously monitor an object, maintaining the object within the camera field of view. Pan Scan introduces the concept of 4 way points (default or user defined) that will ensure 360 degree coverage, by having the camera move between each of the way points in 10 second intervals.

I tested the WYZE CAM PAN in 3 areas of my home: foyer, living room, patio. The camera, while larger in size, was easily mounted in each room with adhesive, magnetic disks. In using the WYZE CAM PAN, the benefits of using a pan tilt camera were immediate and significant. In the foyer, the camera was able to maintain a constant visual (Motion Tracking), on a subject from the moment they entered the home, through their activities within the same and adjoining rooms. This removed the need for additional cameras, as blind spots were addressed. In the living room,the wide angle lens enabled full capture of the entire room and two way audio was very clear to occupants, from a distance of 8-12 feet. Even with multiple objects in motion and ambient noise from the television, the camera was able to clearly capture all activity and communicate to occupants. In the patio, the camera excelled in providing 24x7 full outdoor property coverage with (Pan Scan) custom way points. The 6 IR LEDs provided excellent outdoor night vision in total darkness, producing quality which exceeded some outdoor IP cameras on the market.

In summary, my overall testing experience with the WYZE CAM PAN has been positive. From installing the unit to using it on an daily basis throughout multiple rooms of the home, the WYZE CAM PAN is easy to use and intuitive. The Motion Tracking and Pan Scan feature, combined with high quality hardware, and enhanced app controls, makes the WYZE CAM PAN a welcome +1 for the smart home, a must buy!!

Pros:

Ease of use, expanded home coverage, pan/tilt/tracking options

Cons:

None!

As an owner and beta tester of all versions of WyzeCam, I can say that this one is certainly the most interesting. It can spin a full 360* either manually or automatically, making it ideal for covering large spaces. (WyzeCam v2 covers a lot of space already!) It has the same super-easy setup as the other cams: just point the camera at a QR code on your phone screen and you are good-to-go. You can share cams with family/friends. It's all super easy.

One thing that differentiates all WyzeCams is that you get free motion detection alert storage on Wyze's servers, which makes these the most economical solution out there. (Other cams charge a monthly or annual fee for storage.)

This cam has some extra tricks up its sleeve - you can set it to "Sentry" mode where you can specify certain waypoints that it will continually scan. Or you can set it to track motion automatically (and how quickly to move to track that motion). Or you can have it do both at the same time. Any motion it detects will be recorded and an alert is sent to your phone.

If you need a simple home or small business monitoring system, this is so easy and so cheap you can't lose.

Pros:

Turnkey home security, monitoring

Cons:

Larger than first two WyzeCams

I have been alpha testing this product for over a month. This would be especially good in a large area or room/ warehouse. This unit has motion tracking/ tagging along with a scan setting that allows you to to set up to 4 scan points. Along with all the features of their other cameras including micro sd card slot for recording and two way audio, all for only five dollars more. Can’t beat it.

Pros:

Great price! Covers large areas with pan and tilt. Easy setup.

Cons:

Little noisy in quiet areas when motion tracking is turned on.

I will be buying more for other rooms in the home.

Pros:

This is a great camera, smooth operation and very reliable. The picture quality is that of a much more expensive camera. Easy set up.

Cons:

Really have no cons for me personally

I was lucky enough to be selected as an alpha tester for the Wyze Cam Pan. Having 6 V1s and given several away as gifts this last Christmas, you know I am already a big fan. I was excited when my box came! Like all the Wyze Cams it was a breeze to set up. It is amazing how well it tracks movement and noise. I put mine in the dining room in a spot where it can see all my living room, dining room and kitchen ( I have a small mountain home). The motor does make noise and when I am home alone without a TV or radio on, I can hear it- but when there is any external noise - you don't notice it at all. The Wyze team, being the amazing team that they are quickly worked on any small quirks that would come up and fixed them immediately. As with all Wyze products the quality of the video is amazing. The best part is I used it to record my grand daughters first steps across the room- and it tracked her the entire time! Wyze Cam Pan will amaze you!

Pros:

Easy set up, video quality, 2 way audio, flexibility and easy of mounting, user friendly app

Cons:

motor noise