Google Nest Cam with Floodlight review

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The Cam with Floodlight is the primary blended safety digital camera and light-weight that Nest has made. It’s designed to switch an present out of doors mild, and will have to be wall fastened.

It gives the entire similar options because the Nest Cam (battery) except for that the unit is mains powered and, although the digital camera has a battery, it might probably’t run completely from battery energy. It’s there principally for backup so it might probably document if there’s an influence reduce.

This native recording is going hand in hand with the brand new 3 hours’ unfastened recording that lets you see occasions captured from the previous 3 hours. It’s no longer a lot, however it might imply you don’t wish to pay additional to subscribe to Nest Mindful.

With out the subscription you continue to get particular person, package deal, animal and automobile detection and the power to arrange movement zones and make a selection what notifications to obtain from each and every zone.

The small per 30 days saving would possibly appear inappropriate given this digital camera’s top worth and, if you happen to personal older Nest Cams which don’t be offering the ones options totally free, you’ll be paying for Mindful anyway.

Options & design

  • Identical digital camera as Nest Cam (battery)
  • Dual LED floodlights with PIR
  • DIY set up conceivable

Whilst you open the field, there’s a reassuring sense of high quality. The digital camera and floodlight are solidly constructed, and the entire equipment, together with screws and wall plugs are well organized in cardboard.

Google Nest Cam with Floodlight review

You’ll want the Google House app to get the set up directions, that are equipped while you’ve scanned the QR sticky label at the entrance of the digital camera. As with the Nest Cam (battery) it’s a ache this isn’t at the digital camera itself as, until you’re very organised, it’s this type of factor that’s simply misplaced and can motive issues if you happen to ever wish to set it up once more.

The directions obviously provide an explanation for how you can connect the wall mount, together with the gear you wish to have and a reminder to show off the mains energy.

An ‘S’ hook holds the floodlight whilst you attach the wires the usage of the tool-free Wago connectors, however word that there’s no earth, so a 3rd connector is incorporated to terminate one if provide.

Google Nest Cam with Floodlight review

The mount twists into position and a safety screw is helping to forestall the unit being stolen. Likewise, a bolt secures the digital camera to its energy cable (which not like the Nest Cam (battery)’s faces backwards, no longer forwards) to forestall any individual stealing the digital camera.

Each side of it, the lighting fixtures have a restricted quantity of adjustment on their stalks so you’ll attitude them to stand ahead, up or down or extra to the perimeters. The entire unit stands out somewhat some way from the wall, however this isn’t in point of fact an issue: it’s simply bulkier than maximum of its competitors.

As discussed, the digital camera is similar one you get if you purchase a Nest Cam (battery), so it attaches magnetically and has IR LEDs for evening imaginative and prescient.

Alternatively, as a result of the dual LED floodlights – which give 2400 lumens – occasions captured at evening will also be in color and be offering much more element than grainy black-and-white pictures you get from IR LED lighting fixtures.

Movement detection

  • Aggregate of PIR + gadget studying
  • Process zones
  • Customized signals

Being just like the Nest Cam (battery) way there’s the similar set of choices for movement detection and notifications. So, you’ll create a number of process zones after which make a selection which notifications to get for each and every. You’ll be able to additionally set what to be notified about in spaces outdoor of the ones zones, which is largely the remainder of the picture the digital camera can see.

You’ll be able to additionally use process zones to forget about movement in explicit spaces by means of disabling all notifications for it. And because of the integrated intelligence, the digital camera can recognise folks, animals, programs and cars although you don’t subscribe to Nest Mindful.

Nest Cam with Floodlight review

No longer simplest does this imply you don’t get notifications for random items blowing round within the wind, it additionally way you’ll set zones to look forward to explicit issues, corresponding to ignoring animals and cars and alerting you when an individual is noticed.

You simplest get facial reputation if you happen to subscribe to Nest Mindful. It really works smartly, too, despite the fact that it’s arguably much less helpful on a floodlight digital camera than a doorbell.

Recording

  • 1080p HDR
  • 3 hours unfastened
  • Works if web / energy is going down

High quality, in fact, is equal to you get from the Nest Cam (battery). That’s 1080p HDR pictures at 30 frames according to 2nd. It’s no longer the most productive you’ll get from a safety digital camera, however it’s lots just right sufficient.

Nest Cam with Floodlight review

In fact, the massive distinction is the standard recorded at evening. So long as the movement has induced the floodlights and the topic isn’t too some distance away, the pictures is far clearer than it could be the usage of infrared LEDs by myself.

The additional mild way the video is in color and whilst there’s no longer the similar element and high quality you get right through the day, it’s in any other league in comparison to the Nest Cam (battery)’s evening imaginative and prescient.

Nest Cam with Floodlight review

One of the vital advantages of subscribing to Nest Mindful is the choice for steady recording. That’s simplest to be had with the dearer Plus tier, however it signifies that you don’t pass over the beginning of occasions as you have a tendency to with the event-based recording. There’s no pre-roll, so clips normally get started mid-way in the course of the occasion.

As a result of the battery and inner garage, the digital camera will proceed to document if the web connection is misplaced (an advantage in comparison to older Nest Cams) and although there’s an influence reduce.

When energy and web are restored, the video will then be to be had within the Google House app.

Observe that the 3 hours of unfastened recording is a rolling three-hour window, no longer 3 hours’ price of occasions. That is not up to supreme, particularly because it way you’ll’t see occasions that came about in a single day whilst you had been asleep: simplest the 3 hours in an instant previous to you waking up.

Google House app

As I stated within the Nest Cam (battery) review, one of the crucial downsides of those new Nest cameras is that they don’t beef up the Nest app. In any respect. Older Nest Cams will also be considered from the Google House app however you’ll’t see historical past or exchange any settings past turning them off and on.

So if you happen to’re bearing in mind the floodlight as a result of you could have older Nest fashions, remember you’re going to finally end up the usage of each apps.

Even supposing you don’t have ‘legacy’ Nest cameras, the Google House app merely isn’t as just right for viewing and reviewing pictures. There’s a timeline view which is terrible to navigate: the ‘Complete historical past’ timeline is what you’ll use.

This will also be filtered to only one digital camera, or by means of more than one cameras and a selected form of movement. You’ll be able to obtain clips in your phone, however there’s no internet portal as there’s with Nest and the House app feels too busy and as though the digital camera options had been bolted on awkwardly.

Google has fastened the flickering preview movies now, however no longer wealthy notifications. Those will have to display a symbol or brief animation of the development, however the house is clean on an iPhone and Apple Watch.

Within the settings for the digital camera you’ll to find some additional choices in comparison to the Nest Cam (battery). Those mean you can alter the sensitivity of movement detection (there’s a PIR along with the algorithms that the digital camera makes use of) and what will have to flip at the floodlight: movement (i.e. the PIR), reside viewing (so it lighting fixtures up every time you have a look at the reside move) and digital camera occasions.

Google Nest Cam with Floodlight review

You’ll be able to additionally make a selection how lengthy the lighting fixtures stay on – from 10 seconds to five mins – after movement is detected (the timer will reset if movement continues to be going down) and the way darkish it must be earlier than the lighting fixtures will likely be induced: there’s a selection of Brighter, Medium, Darker, Darkest.

You’ll be able to flip at the lighting fixtures manually – they seem as a separate software in Google House – and that’s additionally the place you’ll discover a slider for adjusting brightness.

Worth & Availability

Worth is any other of this safety digital camera’s issues. At £269.99 / US$279.99, it’s much more pricey than floodlight cameras from Ring and others. Arlo’s Professional 3 Floodlight Digicam is somewhat less expensive (it used to be discounted by means of 40% on the time of writing) and is battery powered. You’ll be able to even get a sun panel to stay it charged, and this makes it extra versatile than the Nest.

In fact, you’ll purchase it from native outlets as smartly, corresponding to John Lewis and Jessops in the United Kingdom and Best possible Purchase (Google Store) in the United States.  Other Google cameras can be found at Amazon.

On the other hand, if you happen to in point of fact need a Nest Cam you should purchase the (battery) model and a floodlight mount for it. Wasserstein gives a 3-in-1 floodlight and sun panel for $69.99 which has the similar 2400 lumens however, as it doesn’t want mains energy, you don’t wish to exchange an present floodlight.

Wasserstein will also promote you a package deal together with the digital camera for $229.99, so it’s $50 not up to the Nest Cam with Floodlight.

Verdict

If you have already got Google Nest sensible audio system and presentations, use the Google Assistant for your phone and will reside with the top worth (and Google House app), the Nest Cam with Floodlight does a tight process.

Video high quality is okay and the floodlight works smartly and provides simply sufficient keep an eye on (however no longer on/off scheduling).

When you would possibly escape with out a Nest Mindful subscription, many will to find the three-hour rolling window too restrictive.

For possible choices, see our roundup of the most productive safety cameras.

Specifications

Google Nest Cam with Floodlight (stressed out): Specifications

  • Answer: 1920×1080, 30fps, HDR
  • Box of view: 130° diagonal
  • Running temperature:-20°C to 40°C
  • Climate proofing score: IP54
  • Integrated rechargeable Li-ion battery, 6Ah, 3.65 V
  • Calls for minimal 2Mb/s broadband connection (add pace, according to digital camera)
  • Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, 2.4 GHz (5GHz US simplest)
  • Bluetooth Low Power (BLE)
  • Dimensions: 83 x 83mm (3.27 x 3.27 in)
  • 398g (14 ounces)
  • Floodlight: 165 x 315 x 93 mm (6.5 x 12.4 x 3.66 in)
  • Weight: 1165 g (41.09 ounces)
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2 Comments

  1. Hi Sehrish, I’m figuring out how to install the Nest Cam with Floodlight outside my garage and saw this post. That white block you have attached to the wall, my camera didn’t come with that, instead it came with a some completely different plates / mounting system, just as shown in google’s installation videos. Is this because you got a pre-production review unit? or is this something you bought separately or 3D printer yourself?

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