Happy Thanksgiving George!! Thank you for reviewing a wide range of cameras on this channel. You truly do it best and your subscribers appreciate you! I am using two of the tp-link cameras in my front yard as a test. We will see how they hold up over the winter months.
Thank you for actually walking thru the app! I would like to know for sure if this can be set 24/7 recording via app & SD card option, not cloud! I would like to record for example 10 hrs straight.
Great Video and just ordered two! I have now found that the Tapo camera line is 1000% better than the others. Very disenchanted with Google Nest due to their lag where Tapo smokes them. Don't really care about Homekit as I had my issues with them as well. I just wish someone would come out with a dashboard for all devices in one place instead of having multiple apps. Tried Home Assistant but I failed at it so still waiting for the perfect one.
Starlight sensor for color night vision is awesome, wyze v3 rival! If only they started to sell this one in Canada too.. we only have the c110 right now. Great review. Happy holidays.
Thank you for the review! Just ordered 4 of these to dip my toes into Tapo (aka TP-Link). Currently on Wyze V3's but wanted to find something hopefully better.
I just unboxed this camera, intending it for outdoor use. I'm kind of skeptical about it being weatherproof since there are lots of holes (mic and speaker?) and the USB power jack is exposed and doesn't have any seal to prevent water intrusion. So it seems only usable in sheltered places like under eves. I had intended to put it along my long driveway where it would be 100% exposed and that doesn't seem like a good idea. I also got the Tapo C320WS which is much better engineered and it includes weatherproof seals for power and (optional) RJ45 wire connector. Unfortunately is isn't USB powered and has a 9V transformer that is a little big for my outside AC outlet covers. If it worked with USB (5V) power, like the C120 it would be perfect.
It might not seem like it, but the C120 has an IP66 weather rating. So while it shouldn’t be completely submerged in water, it is more than suitable for any outdoor application. Just don’t put it in a Carwash.
Great video and I will get that camera witch will be my my 16th one. As far as Apple compatibility, I switch to Samsung long time ago and it is so much better and also compatible with everything. Keep up the good work with your video!
I am thinking of getting one of these and using a tablet as a monitor because I don't keep the wifi on on my cell phone. I am also thinking of getting one to use as a 24/7 weather cam. Is there a way to have it so I can have a link for people to watch it with out me paying for hosting. Thanks for all your hard work on the videos you do.
I have one on order to try out. Since this is an outdoor camera, one thing I see missing from all reviews is the size of the power adapter to know the size of the outdoor box that would be required. The majority of my outdoor outlets have a 2 3/4 deep cover. The power plug looks to be one which would be 2" tall. Adding a standard USB cable to it would add another 1", which would prevent the cover from closing. So, I am thinking I may have to get a USB-A to USB-C 90-degree adapter or find a shorter USB power brick so it can fit in the box.
Just got it in and I find that the cable is thin and flexible, but the door of the weatherproof box had to be forced closed. The amount of pressure on the cable would have me concerned in the long term. I am swapping the USB power supply to another that has the USB-A plug on the bottom side.@@GeorgeLangabeer
Thanks for the review George. Is this effectively a redesigned 320ws without the attennas? I think the video resolution, camera angle and fps are the same on both the 120 and 320ws apart from the connection (usb-c vs dc)? Happy to be corrected. Thanks
I would just like to say thanks for all the great info. I just purchased this cam based on your videos. that being said your promo code is no longer valid. just FYI. Im ok with paying full price however, At 30-ish bucks its a steal. cheers!
Nice review. Are you worried about the use of wifi jammers that make the latest cameras and systems almost useless. Is a wired camera and house system still safer.
No I’m not. I’ve been doing this for over 20 years with thousands of customers. Not one single incident with a WiFi jammer. If someone is jamming your WiFi, they are targeting you. If that’s the case, you have bigger problems to worry about.
@@GeorgeLangabeer Thanks for the reply. I did a bit more googling and it looks like most articles/videos are clickbait and insufficiently researched or they are inappropriate. The established suppliers have already been introducing encrypted sensors and frequency hopping to stay ahead too.
hello if you shake the camera it stays on the same angle or moves? Finally found this perfect for my motorhome so im thinking buying 4 of this and have all sides covered.
I was thinking about getting one for my girlfriend but before I do I wanted to make sure what SD card does the camera support? do you need a regular SD card or a micro sd card? Because on Amazon they sell the $27 SanDisk 256GB Ultra SDXC UHS-I Memory Card
@@GeorgeLangabeersomeone mentioned that this camera can 24/7 record, just by choosing the option in app?? I really need that atm, and was ready to buy this over their doorbell cam. Now I'm not sure?
Will this connect to the Tapo A200 app and the small box with the Micro sd card inside it so I do not have to put an SD card in this second camera.I would like to buy this in the combine them. will this work thanks
We ordered two of these this week and they’re now sadly boxed and ready to be returned to Amazon. Why? The major reason is that the app has one huge flaw - you can’t zoom in on playback. Zoom works absolutely fine on live view but there is no zoom on playback so it’s impossible, for example, to zoom in on a car licence plate or person without downloading the video or screenshotting the still video and then zooming in on the screenshot. Crazy and the main reason we’re returning. Also, for whatever reason, the AI recognition entirely failed to work for us. It detected movement without issue, we had AI movement detection turned on but it never once categorised movement as anything but “movement”. There’s a total lack of control over sensitivity and duration of recording - no options whatsoever. The mount is clever but I’m mounting it high on a building above a concrete pathway; I simply do not believe the magnetic bracket will hold it securely in heavy wind. What would have been ideal is some sort of tether to the bracket in case it comes loose. I was also disappointed in the plastic arm - this could have been so much more robust. The camera quality was fantastic, the camera itself feels weighty and well made but the combination of very poor functionality (I’d sad lacking critical functionality) and the weakness in the mounting render this a do not buy. I’m going to look at the Ring stick up wired camera (we have other Ring products and they’re ok), or maybe even a Eufy camera with the base station.
Maybe you should consider moving on from WiFi & move on to an actual wired NVR system. Your wishlist is going to be hard to find on a cheap WiFi camera.
@@GeorgeLangabeer I have been considering an NVR system but, to be honest, if this offered zoom on playback (and not just live view) I'd be keeping it. Zoom is critical after an incident warranting review of footage and typically one needs to zoom in as we're quickly reviewing to see if the event merits follow up or not - Ring manages this perfectly. An NVR system is problematic for me as I live in an old listed (legally protected) house in the UK and so running cables is exceptionally difficult and requires legal consent. What could work is an ethernet camera that uses TCP/IP and not some proprietary encoding as I could then run these over powerlines. The Eufy E330 looks an interesting albeit expensive proposition for WiFi.
Have been testing this camera for a week now, great features I really wanted to like it - unfortunately for me it keeps disconnecting and freezing (which defeats its sole purpose)its outside my front door about 25 feet from my wireless access point - its packaged up and ready to be returned to amazon today after i get off work...disappointed to say the least Reply
No on both counts. I would have stated they did. As I said in the video, they sent me the product for review, but they didn’t pay me. Even if they did, You’re always going to get my “tell it like it is”, honest feedback.
I run a full time business in addition to UA-cam. So I don’t rely on “UA-cam Money”. So even if it’s a product that a company is offering “compensation”, 99% of the time, I do it at no cost. When I do it at no cost, it gets me around “submitting it for approval”. I don’t like people telling me what to do with my own content. lol The only time I accept compensation is if it’s an extremely time consuming review. Like multiple product comparisons, or some something like that. If I’m going to spend an extraordinary amount of my valuable time, I’ll have them pay me. But I would always disclaim that.
George, good to see you so happy and healthy! Keep it up bud. Great, thorough review. Appreciate it
Thank you & thanks for the continued support. ❤️🙏🏻
Good review. This camera appears to be easy to use and has a lot of features for the price. You covered it well.
Thanks 😊❤️
Happy Thanksgiving George!! Thank you for reviewing a wide range of cameras on this channel. You truly do it best and your subscribers appreciate you! I am using two of the tp-link cameras in my front yard as a test. We will see how they hold up over the winter months.
Happy Thanksgiving to you as well! You’re welcome & thank you!
Thank you for actually walking thru the app! I would like to know for sure if this can be set 24/7 recording via app & SD card option, not cloud!
I would like to record for example 10 hrs straight.
Great Video and just ordered two! I have now found that the Tapo camera line is 1000% better than the others. Very disenchanted with Google Nest due to their lag where Tapo smokes them. Don't really care about Homekit as I had my issues with them as well. I just wish someone would come out with a dashboard for all devices in one place instead of having multiple apps. Tried Home Assistant but I failed at it so still waiting for the perfect one.
TP Link (Tapo) has a pretty cool Smart Home Hub on the horizon, if you’re a Tapo fan, I think you’re going to like it.
All Tapo cams are working with home assistant (only the one with no cable not for obv reason)
Great review! Thank you.
I wish it had 140 degrees field of view and 30 fps like the indoor C125
You’re very welcome. Thanks for watching!
Really like their cameras. Even the battery ones. The batteries last and I have extra batteries so I just swap them out.
They make some great cameras!
Starlight sensor for color night vision is awesome, wyze v3 rival! If only they started to sell this one in Canada too.. we only have the c110 right now. Great review. Happy holidays.
Happy Holidays to you as well!
Thank you for the review! Just ordered 4 of these to dip my toes into Tapo (aka TP-Link). Currently on Wyze V3's but wanted to find something hopefully better.
Nice!
I just unboxed this camera, intending it for outdoor use. I'm kind of skeptical about it being weatherproof since there are lots of holes (mic and speaker?) and the USB power jack is exposed and doesn't have any seal to prevent water intrusion. So it seems only usable in sheltered places like under eves. I had intended to put it along my long driveway where it would be 100% exposed and that doesn't seem like a good idea. I also got the Tapo C320WS which is much better engineered and it includes weatherproof seals for power and (optional) RJ45 wire connector. Unfortunately is isn't USB powered and has a 9V transformer that is a little big for my outside AC outlet covers. If it worked with USB (5V) power, like the C120 it would be perfect.
It might not seem like it, but the C120 has an IP66 weather rating. So while it shouldn’t be completely submerged in water, it is more than suitable for any outdoor application. Just don’t put it in a Carwash.
Great video and I will get that camera witch will be my my 16th one. As far as Apple compatibility, I switch to Samsung long time ago and it is so much better and also compatible with everything. Keep up the good work with your video!
Thanks for watching!
I am thinking of getting one of these and using a tablet as a monitor because I don't keep the wifi on on my cell phone. I am also thinking of getting one to use as a 24/7 weather cam. Is there a way to have it so I can have a link for people to watch it with out me paying for hosting. Thanks for all your hard work on the videos you do.
I have one on order to try out. Since this is an outdoor camera, one thing I see missing from all reviews is the size of the power adapter to know the size of the outdoor box that would be required. The majority of my outdoor outlets have a 2 3/4 deep cover. The power plug looks to be one which would be 2" tall. Adding a standard USB cable to it would add another 1", which would prevent the cover from closing. So, I am thinking I may have to get a USB-A to USB-C 90-degree adapter or find a shorter USB power brick so it can fit in the box.
I have a typical outdoor power outlet & I had no problem with the power brick.
Just got it in and I find that the cable is thin and flexible, but the door of the weatherproof box had to be forced closed. The amount of pressure on the cable would have me concerned in the long term. I am swapping the USB power supply to another that has the USB-A plug on the bottom side.@@GeorgeLangabeer
Thanks for the review George. Is this effectively a redesigned 320ws without the attennas? I think the video resolution, camera angle and fps are the same on both the 120 and 320ws apart from the connection (usb-c vs dc)? Happy to be corrected. Thanks
There are a lot of cameras in the world with similar specs, but I wouldn’t necessarily call any of them redesigned versions of each other.
A question: there are some option for “ always recording” ? In The sd card
I would just like to say thanks for all the great info. I just purchased this cam based on your videos. that being said your promo code is no longer valid. just FYI. Im ok with paying full price however, At 30-ish bucks its a steal. cheers!
Thanks for letting me know! Hope you enjoy the camera.
Nice review. Are you worried about the use of wifi jammers that make the latest cameras and systems almost useless. Is a wired camera and house system still safer.
No I’m not. I’ve been doing this for over 20 years with thousands of customers. Not one single incident with a WiFi jammer. If someone is jamming your WiFi, they are targeting you. If that’s the case, you have bigger problems to worry about.
@@GeorgeLangabeer Thanks for the reply. I did a bit more googling and it looks like most articles/videos are clickbait and insufficiently researched or they are inappropriate. The established suppliers have already been introducing encrypted sensors and frequency hopping to stay ahead too.
hello if you shake the camera it stays on the same angle or moves? Finally found this perfect for my motorhome so im thinking buying 4 of this and have all sides covered.
You wouldn’t want to shake it. It would move.
@@GeorgeLangabeer thank you for answer! Can you tight the screws which let the camera on certain angle?
"You can install it in 5 minutes but I'll do it in 2" 😂
I was thinking about getting one for my girlfriend but before I do I wanted to make sure what SD card does the camera support? do you need a regular SD card or a micro sd card? Because on Amazon they sell the $27 SanDisk 256GB Ultra SDXC UHS-I Memory Card
It’s a Micro SD
Hi, is the usb c end on yours loose? Just the slight movement on the cable of ours will make it loose power.
No, I didn’t have that problem. My only problem was I found the magnet mount somewhat challenging.
Do you know if any of their outdoor battery cameras can still be plugged in for 24/7 recording ?🤔
The Nest battery Cam
@@GeorgeLangabeersomeone mentioned that this camera can 24/7 record, just by choosing the option in app?? I really need that atm, and was ready to buy this over their doorbell cam. Now I'm not sure?
Will this connect to the Tapo A200 app and the small box with the Micro sd card inside it so I do not have to put an SD card in this second camera.I would like to buy this in the combine them. will this work thanks
No, this is a standalone camera.
Does it work okay when recording through windows?
The night vision is pretty worthless through a window. Because the night vision reflects off the glass.
What's your opinion on the Tapo C325WB or c320? Thanks
I’m not a huge fan of the antenna “wings”, but otherwise they are both decent cameras.
Will it connect to homekit?!?
The C125 will.
We ordered two of these this week and they’re now sadly boxed and ready to be returned to Amazon.
Why?
The major reason is that the app has one huge flaw - you can’t zoom in on playback. Zoom works absolutely fine on live view but there is no zoom on playback so it’s impossible, for example, to zoom in on a car licence plate or person without downloading the video or screenshotting the still video and then zooming in on the screenshot. Crazy and the main reason we’re returning.
Also, for whatever reason, the AI recognition entirely failed to work for us. It detected movement without issue, we had AI movement detection turned on but it never once categorised movement as anything but “movement”.
There’s a total lack of control over sensitivity and duration of recording - no options whatsoever.
The mount is clever but I’m mounting it high on a building above a concrete pathway; I simply do not believe the magnetic bracket will hold it securely in heavy wind. What would have been ideal is some sort of tether to the bracket in case it comes loose.
I was also disappointed in the plastic arm - this could have been so much more robust.
The camera quality was fantastic, the camera itself feels weighty and well made but the combination of very poor functionality (I’d sad lacking critical functionality) and the weakness in the mounting render this a do not buy.
I’m going to look at the Ring stick up wired camera (we have other Ring products and they’re ok), or maybe even a Eufy camera with the base station.
Maybe you should consider moving on from WiFi & move on to an actual wired NVR system. Your wishlist is going to be hard to find on a cheap WiFi camera.
@@GeorgeLangabeer I have been considering an NVR system but, to be honest, if this offered zoom on playback (and not just live view) I'd be keeping it. Zoom is critical after an incident warranting review of footage and typically one needs to zoom in as we're quickly reviewing to see if the event merits follow up or not - Ring manages this perfectly.
An NVR system is problematic for me as I live in an old listed (legally protected) house in the UK and so running cables is exceptionally difficult and requires legal consent. What could work is an ethernet camera that uses TCP/IP and not some proprietary encoding as I could then run these over powerlines.
The Eufy E330 looks an interesting albeit expensive proposition for WiFi.
Is a subscription required?
No. You also have a SD card option.
Mine connects to my Wifi but doesnt want to pair. Restarted numerous times. WTH?
Have you tried Tapo tech support?
Have been testing this camera for a week now, great features I really wanted to like it - unfortunately for me it keeps disconnecting and freezing (which defeats its sole purpose)its outside my front door about 25 feet from my wireless access point - its packaged up and ready to be returned to amazon today after i get off work...disappointed to say the least
Reply
Sorry to hear that. I had zero connectivity issues. Worked flawlessly for me.
Did Tapo compensate you for this review? Did they approve it before it was published?
No on both counts. I would have stated they did. As I said in the video, they sent me the product for review, but they didn’t pay me. Even if they did, You’re always going to get my “tell it like it is”, honest feedback.
I run a full time business in addition to UA-cam. So I don’t rely on “UA-cam Money”. So even if it’s a product that a company is offering “compensation”, 99% of the time, I do it at no cost. When I do it at no cost, it gets me around “submitting it for approval”. I don’t like people telling me what to do with my own content. lol
The only time I accept compensation is if it’s an extremely time consuming review. Like multiple product comparisons, or some something like that. If I’m going to spend an extraordinary amount of my valuable time, I’ll have them pay me. But I would always disclaim that.
The security alarm is a joke, my alarm clock is louder!
I just tried this C120 and was very disappointed with its low light performance at night. Very poor.
I immediately sent it back for refund.
So it doesn't work with Apple Phone ?
Yes it works with an iPhone. It just doesn’t work with Apple’s SmartHome platform (Apple Home).
Well I'm disappointed. Why is in advertised as an Outdoor camera, if you have to plug it in somewhere? Just wasted my money.
Unless you want a battery camera, that’s how outdoor Wi-Fi cameras work. There are a lot of outdoor Wi-Fi cameras that require power.
So did ya think it ran on air?