Tapo is a new brand in the home security camera market. The brand is only less than 2 years and it’s already one of the top sellers. TP-Link recently launched the Tapo C320WS which is their best security camera to date with starlight night vision and a high resolution 4MP camera.
Table of Contents
Tapo C320WS is a really well-built CCTV camera since it is intended to be used outdoor. The camera is IP66 rated for dust and water resistant. This means the camera will be able to survive even under extreme weather conditions.
Recorded video will be saved into a MicroSD card on the camera. The footage can be accessed and downloaded remotely using the Tapo app. However, the MicroSD slot and the reset button can only be accessed with a screwdriver for better water resistant.
Tapo C320WS comes with a 2×2 high performance 2.4Ghz WiFi for better performance and reliability. It comes with a power adapter with 3 meter cable. There’s an Ethernet jack for those that’s able to wire the camera but the Ethernet jack does not support PoE function.
The package comes with the wall-mouting accesories and the water resistant fittings. Installation is really simple with 3 screws and TP-Link included a sticker to mark drilling position which is rather handy. The camera can be wall-mounted or ceiling mouted.
Tapo C320WS Specs
| WiFi Specs | 2.4Ghz (2×2) up to 150Mbps |
| Camera Sensor | 4MP (2560×1440) |
| Night Vision | Dual IR/LED illuminator |
| Security Features | Line crossing detection, trip-wire, motion detection |
| Voice Feature | Sound alarm, dual-direction voice call |
Starlight Camera Sensor
The star of the show is definitely the new starlight night-vision camera. It’s supposed to have better low light performance at dark scene. The image sensor also received an upgrade which allows the camera can record up to 4MP QHD 2560×1440 resolution.
Daytime Condition
Camera quality is really good on bright conditions. The colors are accurate with good amount of detail. The image is very well balanced and there’s a good amount of dynamic range for surveillance purpose.
Extreme low-light condition
Tapo C320WS and Tapo C310
The Tapo C320WS truly shines at low brightness condition due to the starlight camera sensor. In our test, the previous Tapo C310 will automatically switch to the night-vision black and white mode while the Tapo C320WS will remain on daytime mode until it gets really dark.
Total darkness
Tapo C320WS and Tapo C310
In total darkness, the Tapo C320WS has a really neat trick. It has 2 really bright LED flood light. The flood light will switch on automatically when the brightness is low and compliment the starlight image sensor to produce a surveillance footage that’s as bright as daytime.
The advantage is really apparent when comparing to the Tapo C310 without starlight function which will only able to produce a black and white image in total darkness condition. The Tapo C320WS footage significantly brighter and it is colored rather than black and white.
Camera Features
The camera detection function also received a significant upgrade. The Tapo C320WS comes with new advanced surveillance features included Line-Crossing Detection, Area Intrusion Detection, Camera Tampering Detection in addition to Motion Detection. These powerful features make the Tapo C320WS comparable to a proper CCTV system from Dahua or Hikvision.
I really like the new Line-Crossing Detection feature. It allows me to mark the barrier of my garden on the app. This means the alarm will not be triggered if I walk into the garden from the normal entrance. But, if someone climb over the fence, it will trigger the alarm.
The Tapo C320WS also comes with a really loud speaker which will function as an alarm and the speaker for the remote voice feature. The camera will allow dual-direction voice call on the Tapo app via the speaker and microphone on the camera.
My biggest complain about the Tapo C320WS is the lack of cloud storage. This means the recorded footage will be lost if the camera is stolen. However, TP-Link says they are working on the cloud storage feature and it will be available on the Tapo C320WS via a firmware update in the future.
Closing Thoughts
If you are looking for an outdoor security WiFi camera that’s really reliable and performs really well, the Tapo C320WS is certainly worth considering. The image quality is really good with the new Starlight image sensor. The new detection features also improved the credential of this product as a great outdoor surveillance camera.
Tapo C320WS
A
Tubi Rating
PROS
- Great night vision capability
- Advanced surveillance features
- Affordable pricing
cons
- No PoE function
- No cloud storage option
May I know the wifi range for its 2×2 antenna? like how many feet or metres it can detect from the router
It’s really subjective as it depends on plenty of factors like whether there are any physical obstructions and the signal strength of your router. Realistically, I will suggest not more than 4 walls to the router and not more than 10m distance with the walls included.
I have four C320WS around the house and yes I am very happy. Looking for a NVR can you recommend any compatible one.
I will suggest getting TP-Link’s own VIGI series of NVR. It’s probably the only one where it’s guaranteed to work properly.
Is there any way to link it with my google drive?
Unfortunately this is not possible at all. I doubt there’s any camera in the market that can store directly to Google Drive.
Hey, is the cloud storage feature already available?
It depends on the region. It is available in Malaysia and Singapore.
Cloud Storage is now an option with Tapo Cloud Care!
I’m pleased to see that this is Onvif compatible and assume it will work with all NVRs. Does it have a security trigger for the LEDs to come on and do you know when it will be available for sale in the UK?
It should work with Onvif compatible NVR and yes, there’s motion trigger function for the LED lights. I wasn’t so sure about the availability in the UK so you got to check with TP-Link UK. Cheers mate.
Does this support continuous recording
Yup, all Tapo models can support continuous recording.
I would prefer not to have two LED’s visible showing where camera is 😐
Nice small review 🙂
It can be disabled actually.
Looking for a moonlit test for this camera :). Next starlight camera, don’t forget to test that condition.
Does it have FTP upload without alarm? (periodically)
Might explore that soon but the floodlight on Tapo C320WS is bright. No it does not support any external interface other than Onvif and RTSP. You will have to rely on the Tapo app for alarm.
Thanks for your review. Quick question, is there any option to store video in NAS?
Yea, it does support Onvif and RTSP. You will need a NAS with NVR feature. I know Synology NAS can do that.
Machaa u write affordable pricing but no price to be found haiyoo
The price will be announced soon. Cannot disclose now due to NDA.