Tapo C675D review: this dual 4K security camera is like two cameras in one
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Tapo’s C675D kit is one of its most expensive outdoor security cameras, but dual 4K lenses, solar power and clever tracking help justify the price.
The Tapo C675D is another in a long line of recently launched multi-angle security cameras that claims to block out blind spots and give a dual view.
It's a clever idea, one camera watches a wide area from a static position, the other can cover effectively 360 degrees with a more detailed, telephoto view.
An AI system makes it all very automatic and hands-free, while a solar panel coupled with a beefy battery keeps the wireless camera running, and maintains 24-hour coverage.
This is, however, a really expensive system. The Tapo C675D kit, including the solar panel, weighs in at £237.99. And that's getting on for twice the price of similar setups. It's certainly one of the most pricey cameras in the Tapo range.
There are several ways Tapo justifies this, however. Firstly, both cameras have 4K sensors, and that's pretty much a first.
There's no HDR, but the quality of the image from the 8MP lenses is more or less unrivalled. This is serious quality imagery for people who need seriously good resolution.
The fixed lens gives you a 169-degree ultra-wide view, keeping the whole scene in shot, while the second 4K pan and tilt lens can move, track and zoom in on activity as it happens.
Having two 4K sensors means details such as faces, number plates, and even writing on boxes is actually pretty legible, even if you zoom right in on the footage.
The moving lens is the one with the tracking system, and it's designed to lock on to movement, identify who or what it is, and notify you of the incident.
Tapo has also added starlight colour night vision, which is important because security cameras are often at their most useful after dark, and it works well.
The AI detection can be hit and miss, but I've been using Tapo kit for long enough to know that it's improving all the time, and it's easy to reign in the sensitivity a bit to reduce false alerts. Thankfully, Tapo's app is one of the best out there.
One of the best bits about any Tapo camera though, is its subscription-free model. It goes some way to justify the price of the kit when you don't have to sign up to a monthly plan to access your footage and unlock features.
There is a cloud-based storage system available you can pay for if you like, as well as an AI assistant which sounds a trifle pointless, but installing it to a decent SD card, or linking it to Tapo's hub as part of an ecosystem works a treat.
Another feature Tapo is quick to champion is its 24/7 continuous capture, rather than relying only on motion-triggered clips.
This is useful if you want more complete coverage, because motion recording can sometimes miss the first few seconds of an event. There are customisable recording intervals help conserve power, with the camera switching to a standard recording mode when motion is detected, but with a decent amount of daylight, the solar panel does a fine job of keeping it running.
Red and blue warning lights and a siren are built in to the neat base, which is also fully weatherproof and easy to mount.
So the C675D has a lot going for it, and it's yet another impressive launch from a brand that keeps getting the basics right, at the same time as adding clever innovations you'll find genuinely useful.
Sure, you could baulk at the price, but depending on the size of your plot, this is potentially the only camera you'll need. Such is the versatility of its blind-spot free system, it's like having two cameras in one.
As an overall package, it really is about as good as it gets.