As someone who tests the best security cameras, there's no getting around the fact that the $549 bundle of two EufyCam S3 Pros and a HomeBase is an expensive upfront investment

However, after using the new EufyCam S3 Pro for the past week, I have been pleasantly surprised by its performance; Eufy's latest wireless security camera boasts sharp 4K images enhanced by technology the brand calls “MaxColor Vision”

Under the hood, the camera also benefits from upgrades such as a larger built-in solar panel and radar that reduces false alerts, as well as access to Eufy's useful Bionic AI features like local video storage and facial recognition

See what the EufyCam S3 Pro has to offer and why it could be one of the best smart home devices you can add to your property

Eufy's new MaxColor night vision technology uses a 1/18” CMOS sensor, f/10 aperture, and AI-powered image signal processor to reproduce the truest tints I have seen in low light conditions Other color night-vision cameras I have used fall into one of two extremes: either too warm with disgustingly vivid colors or too desaturated with washed-out gray undertones

The S3 Pro's 4K resolution and MaxColor technology accurately extract color details like the hot pink of something as small as a shoelace or the dark royal blue of a New York Giants jersey Below is how my low-resolution Wyze Cam v4 (admittedly much less expensive) captures night vision footage that seems overly saturated

You can see how the green of the grass and tree leaves tends toward yellow Looking at the EufyCam S3 Pro below, you can see that with the higher resolution, the lush green of the grass is more subdued and the leaves of the trees are a forest green hue The neon blue of the wording on my shirt and the blue of the Nike box in my hand are also cooler shades This increase in resolution means that even when dealing with highlights and shadows, I can actually see the logo on the box and all the letters on the license plate of the car because I get more information from the image

I have used several Wyze Cam v4s around my property over the past few months Because they are wired, they have to be strategically placed near electrical outlets, which limits the angles But for the affordable price of $36 per unit, it's a small price to pay; theIR 25K resolution is sharp enough to reliably inform you of company, and it doesn't strain your bandwidth However, the image is often blurred around text and textures that help identify visitors

On the other hand, Eufy's camera requires no wiring, so it can be installed anywhere from the roof of a storage shed to the top of a pergola In addition, the wide 135-degree field of view allows the camera to capture everything it needs, even when installed in high locations, and fewer cameras are needed The higher resolution also makes the border between views appear sharper, so that each leaf can be seen

Comparing the shots, we can see that the Wyze is perfectly usable, but there is a big difference in facial details, such as nostrils, tattoos, and the patch in the lower right corner of the jersey the Eufy camera not only shapes, but also shows details clearly with its digital 8x zoom-in, and the Eufy camera's high resolution allows the photographer to capture the details of the face in a more detailed manner, perfect for capturing text

I live on a dead-end block where cars are constantly coming and going, and the S3 Pro's sharp 4K sensor and natural-looking night vision can perfectly capture not just the make and model, like a distant license plate or a pool-ball-sized “S” on a Suzuki's car grill, but also and shows even the most minute details This was before the camera's 8x digital zoom With earlier cameras, plates were often obscured by shadows of light or blurred in the case of moving cars Now there are no such problems

Upgrading to the EufyCam S3 Pro also has one big advantage: solar power The large 12,000 mAH internal battery is constantly charged from the solar panel on top of the camera A solar plate extension that plugs into the USB port on the back of the camera is included if the camera is to be placed under eaves or other shady locations With just one hour of sunlight providing constant power, there is no need to worry about running out of battery power due to high resolution and data transfer

Eufy's free Bionic AI feature is powered by the included HomeBase 3 This hub is the brain of the camera and comes with 16 GB of local storage Capacity can be expanded up to 16TB with a hard drive for the local storage system This base can also connect to existing Eufy cameras, allowing for cross-tracking clips and Familiar Faces functionality with AI cameras

I pay Wyze $12 a month for bland facial recognition to know who and where I am, and Eufy's rock-solid performance ensures that friends, family, and neighbors are notified when they show up It can also quickly recognize strangers, like landscapers or deliverymen, and take their mug shots Of course, it also has the standard luggage, pet, and vehicle detection features to help give specific notifications and filter clip triggers by type

The AI stitch clip feature is the star of the show in my experience It follows a subject with a camera as it moves around the property; Eufy stitches together a single cohesive recording that follows the subject's path, so you can see where the subject has been without having to dig up clips between individual cameras

My system is set up to show a car coming down my street and track who gets out of the car If they come up to my front door, the front S3 Pro captures it If they go around to the backyard, the S3 Pro records until they are out of sight and the video clip automatically switches to the existing Eufy video doorbell and is triggered as soon as someone enters the backyard Here is what happened after I parked my car out front and walked through the backyard fence to the back door

Eufy's high-quality hardware comes at a premium, but paying once quickly pays for itself, and the EufyCam S3 Pro offers the best blend of performance and features for those who don't want to pay for a monthly subscription But other than the high price tag, there are no complaints like missing motion events or poor image qualityStay tuned for our review of the EufyCam S3 Pro