The C120 can stream and record video in up to 2K resolution, supports two-way audio (with some latency), and has a microSD card slot for up to 512GB to store recordings locally. This affordable security camera has great color night vision, a Starlight sensor that provides subscription-free smart detection (people, pets, vehicles), and is IP66 rated so it can be used outdoors (if you can run a power cable). The convenient base easily mounts to a wall, can rest on a shelf, and is magnetic. You don’t need to spend more to monitor your front door or a specific room in your home.
Motion detection is reliable, and you can tweak the sensitivity and customize the notifications you receive. Video is clear, but the frame rate is up to 20 fps, so fast-moving subjects can appear blurry. You can set up activity and privacy zones in the Tapo app, and there’s AI detection to recognize people, pets, vehicles, and crying babies. Unfortunately, the extensive notifications, including snapshots, are bundled with the optional Tapo Care subscription, which also comes with 30 days of cloud storage for your clips. Pricing is on the high side, at $3.50 per month for a single camera or $12 per month for up to 10 cameras. It doesn’t support HomeKit or IFTTT, but it does work with Google Home and Amazon Alexa. However, it was a bit slow to load the stream on my Nest Hub. The camera also supports the open Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP).
If you’re on a tight budget, Tapo C110 ($19) It’s even cheaper, with just a few compromises (lower frame rate, no pet or vehicle detection, microSD limited to 256GB).
