Review of TP-Link Tapo C120 smart camera: Strong security, affordable price

TP-Link's Tapo C120 Wi-Fi indoor/outdoor security camera is a beautiful, compact, and feature-rich camera at a reasonable price. It delivers powerful power in a compact device, making it a great choice for anyone looking to increase security around their home.

Specifications

1. Brand: TP-Link
2. Resolution: 2K, 4MP
3. Connection: WiFi
4. Application compatibility: Tapo
5. Power: Wired, USB-C
6. Camera dimensions: 2.65 x 2.26 x 1.74 inches (67 x 57 x 44 mm)
7. Weather resistance: IP66 withstands many weather conditions
8. Weight: 12oz (340g)
9. Night vision: Color and infrared
10. Color: White
11. Spotlight: Yes
12. Storage: MicroSD or optional cloud subscription
13. Two-way speaker: Yes
14. Motion detection: Yes, with AI object recognition
15. Registration required: NO
16. Private mode: Yes

Mount Tapo C120 anywhere, indoors or outdoors

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Tapo Indoor/Outdoor Home Security WiFi Camera, also known as Tapo C120, comes with everything needed to install the camera and is ready to use for 24/7 surveillance:

1. Camera C120
2. USB-C power cord is 9.8 feet (3 m) long
3. Power supply (5V, 1A)
4. The magnetic base has movable arms and anti-slip pads
5. Bracket for mounting to mounting surface
6. Metal disc for use on non-magnetic surfaces
7. 4 screws attached to the belt
8. Double-sided mounting tape
9. Reset tool to easily reset the device in case of problems

This design creates a compact and sleek device that is suitable for both indoor and outdoor environments. The white color of the camera, power cord and power supply blends well with common household surfaces.

Powerful capabilities in a compact device

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The Tapo C120 has many built-in features that make it ideal for most users who want an affordable and multi-functional security camera. Waterproof and dustproof, the Tapo C120 can withstand rain or snow and is ideal for monitoring children or pets in the home.

The device owns a 2K Quad-HD camera, 4MP resolution with 120 degree viewing angle. The starlight sensor enables clear night vision with full-color images. Additionally, a small spotlight can illuminate the environment when needed. In both daylight and night, the C120's 2K resolution (2560 x 1440) means you won't miss any important details.

The Tapo C120 features an adjustable infrared LED that provides better nighttime identification at distances up to 30 feet, as well as an LED recording light to let passersby know they are being followed. follow. If you are using the device in an environment where the recording LED is distracting rather than beneficial - such as monitoring a baby - the device can also be turned off completely.

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Motion detection alerts, which can be set to specific sensitivities, make the Tapo C120 ideal for front yards or near doors.

On either side of the camera, in a horizontal configuration, there are two spotlights that help illuminate the environment when needed. These lights make a big difference in harsh weather conditions. Additionally, spotlights can be used as a deterrent and security feature as they are set to activate in the event of motion detection. To enhance this security feature, the device can also sound a powerful alarm. This setting can be enabled or disabled via the Tapo app.

With the support of artificial intelligence, Tapo C120 can identify many types of objects such as cars, people or animals. This is available for free and allows you to only receive notifications or alerts that interest you, such as ignoring your pet wandering around the yard. Although object recognition is quite common in security cameras these days, sound recognition makes the C120 even more useful. It can distinguish between a baby's cry, a dog's bark, a cat's meow or the sound of broken glass.

For storage, you can insert a microSD card (512GB will get you about 680 hours of use) or subscribe to the optional Tapo Care service, which provides 30 days of video history, regardless of how many transfer events occur. movement is recorded.

You'll also find 2-way, full-duplex audio. This means you can talk to others through the Tapo C120 itself as if you were chatting directly on the phone, instead of having to hold down a button like a walkie-talkie. This eliminates the stutter and single-band audio that many other devices offer. This feature makes the device a great choice for talking to delivery drivers or visitors while away. Additionally, if the camera is used to monitor children or pets, it allows caregivers to chat with their children or pets easily. This is one of the biggest improvements over other security cameras of the past, allowing conversations to sound more natural with minimal miscommunication.

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Smooth user experience

Tapo C120's user experience is intuitive, easy to set up and use every day. When choosing the optimal security camera for your home, it is important to consider where it will be installed. Whether installed indoors or outdoors, in all cases installation is easy using the included hardware.

There are four ways to mount the camera in the desired position, all of which easily achieve the perfect angle thanks to the seamless connection between the arm and base. Users can:

1. Place the camera on the base that comes with rubber grips to aid stability.
2. Use the included magnetic base to attach the device to a metal surface.
3. Use pre-cut double-sided tape for convenient indoor installation.
4. Use the included brackets and screws for outdoor installation.

Using a standard USB-C connector is useful for power, making it easy to replace the power cord with a different length if needed. Indoors, the included 9.8-foot (3 m) cord is more than adequate. However, when installing the camera outside, you will need a longer cable.

The Tapo app has an easy-to-understand layout for managing your device in one place, with clear icons for common functions and settings to customize as you like. Users can take snapshots, watch live views, listen to the environment, or activate speakers within the app.

You'll also get a high degree of customization, with features like privacy zones, boundary crossing alerts, color night vision, motion alerts on or off, motion zones, and motion sensitivity dynamic. Recording schedules can be set up so your camera only actively records at specific times. Additionally, footage can be easily downloaded or shared directly from the app.

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While using the device, you will notice some very useful features:

1. You can watch multiple live views at the same time if you have multiple security cameras.
2. You can zoom in on the timeline or increase or decrease the playback speed.
3. Auto Restart can be set to automatically restart the camera from the app at set intervals for optimal performance.
4. Settings are available to determine the brightness level and duration of the spotlight when motion is detected.
5. Images may flip if the camera is installed in an inconvenient location, such as on the ceiling.
6. Motion notifications appear on the phone very quickly.
7. When not in use, the camera's base can be folded perfectly, making the camera very compact.

Potential limitations

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It's important to note that while the camera itself has an attractive price tag, the optional TapoCare subscription service is still required to unlock certain features. This includes things like cloud storage for footage. Notifications about detected motion or sound work fine without a subscription, but with TapoCare you'll also get a snapshot of the event.

However, even without a TapoCare subscription, the Tapo C120 still includes many great features, like AI-powered sound and motion recognition.

While the magnetic mounting plate is a great tool for indoor use, it's a bit weak to be reliable for outdoor use. If it encounters strong winds or hail, it will not hold up. In this case, you can choose to use the supplied mounting plate.

There is also some inconsistent visuals/lag when in low light environments. Most security cameras in low light environments have ghosting, and although there was still some ghosting with the Tapo C120, it did not disrupt the use of the camera for security. Overall, the image quality is very impressive considering the price and size of the device.

Finally, the Tapo C120 is a wired device. In most cases, this does not cause problems. However, with a magnetic mount and the ability to fold into a compact travel-ready size, it would be extremely beneficial to easily move this device around without having to reattach the cord. It will work well as a travel security camera if needed.

Is Tapo C120 right for you?

Overall, the versatile Tapo 2K QHD camera is an impressive device. Combined with an affordable price (less than 1 million VND), it packs an impressive punch. This camera is suitable for anyone who wants a security camera that is easy to install without compromising on features.

The Tapo C120 is supported by the Tapo app and includes a number of features, even without a subscription, not found for free on other platforms. It allows for a recording light to be turned off and full-duplex two-way audio for easy, uninterrupted conversations with family. It also supports on-device AI-powered object recognition to reduce unwanted motion alerts.

Whether you're interested in using it as an indoor surveillance device for kids and pets, or if you want to use it for outdoor security, this is an impressive camera, especially at such an affordable price.

Micah Soto

Update 06 January 2024