Outdoor security cameras come in all price ranges and designs—but the EufyCam S4 from Eufy, a subsidiary brand of the Anker Group, takes a completely different approach. Instead of a single lens, the device features a triple-lens system that combines a fixed 4K wide-angle camera with a motorized PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) module. The result is a camera that delivers both a wide-angle overview and razor-sharp close-ups—all while operating almost entirely off its own power thanks to a convenient solar panel. We put the camera through its paces in everyday use and will tell you whether it’s worth its admittedly high price tag.
Technical Specifications of the eufyCam S4
| Model | Eufy eufyCam S4 (2-pack) |
| Camera Type | 3-lens hybrid camera (1× fixed 4K bullet camera + 2× motorized 2K PTZ cameras) |
| Resolution | 4K (bullet module), 2K + 8x hybrid zoom (PTZ module) |
| Field of View | Bullet: 130° diagonal (107° horizontal / 57° vertical); PTZ wide-angle: 121° diagonal; Telephoto: 46° diagonal; PTZ pan range: 360° horizontal / 70° vertical |
| Zoom & Range | Up to 8x hybrid zoom, object detection up to approx. 50 meters |
| Motion Detection | PIR sensor up to 10 m (Bullet), radar-based up to 12 m (PTZ) |
| Night Vision | Color night vision via LED spotlight, infrared, automatic hybrid mode; f/1.6 aperture |
| AI features | Bullet-to-PTZ tracking, person/vehicle/pet detection, BionicMind facial recognition, and multi-camera tracking (each with HomeBase S380) |
| Deterrence | Red-and-blue warning light and 105-dB siren |
| Protection rating | IP65 (rain, snow, dust) |
| Battery | Removable 10,000-mAh battery; alternatively, continuous power via USB-C (5 V/3 A; power adapter sold separately) |
| Solar panel | 5.5 watts, SolarPlus 2.0; according to the manufacturer, 1 hour of sunlight per day is sufficient |
| Storage | 32 GB internal (eMMC), microSD up to 256 GB, up to 16 TB via external hard drive with HomeBase S380 |
| Connectivity | 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, optional HomeBase S380 |
| Weight | Camera approx. 745 g, solar panel approx. 308 g, HomeBase approx. 666 g |
| Price | € 679.00 (€ 226.33 / Stück)* |
What’s Included with the eufyCam S4
- 2× EufyCam S4 (camera)
- 2× battery (rechargeable, removable)
- 2× camera mounts
- 2× Positioning stickers for the camera mount
- 2× set of screws for the camera
- 2× USB charging cables
- 2× solar panels (5.5 W)
- 2× solar panel mounts
- 2× positioning stickers for the solar panel mount
- 2× extension cables for the solar panel
- 2× set of screws for the solar panel
- 1× HomeBase S380
- 1× Ethernet cable
- 1× power supply (for the HomeBase)
- 1× reset pin, including a set of screws for the hard drive
- 1× Quick Start Guide
Design and Build Quality of the eufyCam S4
If you’re looking for a small, inconspicuous camera, you’ll have to look elsewhere: The EufyCam S4 stands out because of its size. This is due to the design itself, as the housing accommodates two separate camera modules stacked on top of each other and weighs about 745 grams with the battery installed.
The upper module, with its 4K bullet lens, can be manually adjusted vertically, while the lower PTZ module can be motorized to pan 360 degrees horizontally and vertically.
The white plastic housing is solidly built and meets the IP65 protection rating, which means it is protected against water jets and dust accumulation from all directions.
This makes the camera ideal for year-round outdoor use. Whether it’s rain, snow, or heat—weather conditions are no problem. Four built-in LED spotlights provide both color night vision and act as a visual deterrent, complemented by a red-and-blue warning light and a 105-decibel siren that can be set to trigger automatically upon detection of threats.
A practical detail: The 10,000-mAh battery can be removed and replaced in just a few simple steps, which makes the system delightfully durable. Unfortunately, this isn’t a given in this class of devices.
Setup and Commissioning of the eufyCam S4
The initial setup via the Eufy Security app takes just a few minutes. The camera can either be connected directly to the router via Wi-Fi or paired with a HomeBase S380 (Review | € 109.00 *), if you already have one or opt for the bundle. Eufy provided us with the bundle, which includes two cameras and the S380. A built-in onboarding tutorial guides you step by step through the installation process, requiring no prior knowledge.
The base station’s voice prompts also assist with this. The installation itself is straightforward and can be completed with just a few screws and, optionally, the included wall anchors; the solar panel snaps securely into place once aligned. Here, you have the choice between mounting it directly on the camera or attaching it to a separate bracket. The latter is recommended if the camera’s location tends to be shady. In that case, you should place the panel in a sunny spot. A sufficiently long extension cable is included in the package.
Important to know: You’ll only get the full range of AI features with a compatible HomeBase. If you already own an older HomeBase S380, you should first update to firmware version V3.7.2.8 or newer and the latest app version. Otherwise, essential features such as 24/7 recording and snapshots will not be available to the user. Older base stations such as HomeBase 2, HomeBase Mini, or HomeBase Professional, as well as Apple HomeKit, are not supported by the EufyCam S4.
App and Operation
In the app, you can save preset camera positions, define activity zones, and set up privacy zones where no recording takes place; these zones remain reliably masked even during motorized PTZ movement. This isn’t a given and adds convenience, as it means you don’t have to redefine the zones every time. The sensitivity of the motion detection is also adjustable. However, this wide range of options also has a downside.
With its wide range of features, the app can seem a bit overwhelming, especially for new users. After a bit of a learning curve, however, even beginners will know how to set up the eufyCam S4 properly. Overall, the app runs smoothly most of the time. Only occasionally did individual menus load a bit slowly. There were also occasional brief delays when establishing the live connection. Once the connection is established, however, everything runs wonderfully smoothly. Changes to the PTZ orientation are also quickly transmitted from the app to the camera.
Tracking and AI Features
The smartest feature of the EufyCam S4 is what’s known as “Bullet-to-PTZ tracking”: If the fixed bullet camera detects movement, the PTZ camera automatically takes over, zooms in on the target, and tracks it—even after it leaves the bullet camera’s field of view.
If multiple people are in the frame at the same time, the system automatically zooms out to capture everyone. This works reliably in everyday use and sends a push notification to your smartphone within seconds. When combined with the HomeBase 3 or the HomeBase S380, the range of features expands significantly.
The AI, known as BionicMind, processes footage from all connected cameras locally and not only distinguishes between people, vehicles, and pets. It can also store up to 50 recognized faces to distinguish family members from strangers and reduce false alarms.
Cross-camera multi-camera tracking combines footage from multiple EufyCam S4 units into a single, continuous video sequence. However, these advanced features require a HomeBase S380 with the latest firmware. If you want to take it a step further, you can also check out the Eufy S4 Max, which takes the tracking concept to an even higher level.
Image Quality and Night Vision
In real-world use, the EufyCam S4 is largely impressive. The bullet camera’s 4K footage delivers sharp images with natural colors and plenty of detail during the day—even in challenging backlighting, the image remains well-balanced. The PTZ module’s powerful zoom also produces usable results, enabling detailed shots even from a greater distance.
However, the footage in the live preview can sometimes look better than in the recorded videos. This is apparently because the videos are slightly compressed internally during the saving process. But since this is only noticeable upon very close inspection, it shouldn’t be too much of an issue.
But if you want to enjoy the full 4K glory, the live view offers more of that. The EufyCam S4 offers three modes for night vision.
Color night vision, powered by the built-in LED spotlights, captures color footage even in the dark; in addition, classic black-and-white infrared night vision is available, as well as an automatic hybrid mode. The f/1.6 aperture ensures that the camera remains relatively light-sensitive even without active lighting.
The S4 no longer offers external color night vision without the LEDs actively lighting up, as was the case with the predecessor model, the EufyCam S3 Pro; however, the spotlights do make the camera’s location visible, which serves as an additional deterrent.
Storage Options
When it comes to storage, the EufyCam S4 offers exceptional flexibility: Recordings can be stored directly in the camera’s 32-GB flash memory, on a microSD card with up to 256 GB, locally on the HomeBase S380 with its built-in 16 GB, via RTSP stream on your own NAS server within your home network, or —if desired—optionally in the eufy Cloud via subscription.
If you add an external hard drive to the HomeBase S380, you can even get up to 16 TB of usable storage, which, according to the manufacturer, allows for recordings from numerous cameras over several years. However, true 24/7 continuous video recording is not supported when running solely on battery or solar power.
To achieve this, the camera requires an additional fixed power supply via USB-C, though this is likely to be of interest only to power users. The wide range of storage options makes the camera particularly attractive to privacy-conscious users who generally prefer to avoid cloud services.
Battery Life and Solar Panel
It’s difficult to make general statements about battery life, as it depends heavily on activity and detected events. With a solar panel connected, the camera should easily last several months without recharging—provided the sun makes an appearance every now and then.
According to the manufacturer, the included 5.5-watt panel with SolarPlus 2.0 technology is designed to maintain a balanced energy balance with as little as one hour of direct sunlight per day; for optimal charging performance, it is recommended to orient the panel toward the sun at an angle of about 30 to 45 degrees.
Audio
The EufyCam S4 also makes a positive impression when it comes to audio. The built-in speaker plays back voice messages clearly and loudly, and the microphone picks up your own voice just as clearly in the opposite direction. This is made possible not only by high-quality hardware but also by AI-powered noise cancellation. This feature noticeably filters out background noise, even in windy conditions. Whether using the two-way talk feature or the deterrent siren—both worked really well in our test.
Conclusion
The EufyCam S4 is one of the most versatile and technically advanced outdoor security cameras on the market. The triple-lens system with intelligent PTZ tracking, the excellent image quality day and night, the extensive energy self-sufficiency via a solar panel, and the uncompromising approach to data privacy with local storage of up to 16 TB make it a future-proof investment.
Minor shortcomings, such as the app—which can occasionally feel cluttered—and the slightly compressed footage, only slightly detract from the overall strong impression. However, for those willing to accept the EufyCam S4’s premium price and seeking maximum coverage with a single device, this is a solution that’s hard to beat.
PROS
- Triple-lens system with 4K wide-angle and motorized PTZ
- Energy independent with 5.5-watt solar panel requiring just 1h of sunlight
- Replaceable 10,000mAh battery for extended lifespan
- IP65-certified protection against rain, snow, and dust
- AI-powered tracking with facial recognition via HomeBase S380
- Privacy zones remain reliably masked even during PTZ movement
CONS
- High price for the complete system
- HomeBase S380 required for AI features
Conclusion
The EufyCam S4 impresses with its innovative triple-lens system and excellent AI-powered surveillance. While the price is high, it's justified by its energy independence and flexibility.
