Having a one story back extension overhanging my back patch, there was no way to wire up a camera without the cable being exposed, not to mention the heavy drudgery of drilling through the wall involved. And while a wireless device would eliminate the need for wiring, for me that would mean having to remove the long ladders once the camera needed charging.

So I was very keen to test out EZVIZ’s eLife BC1C 2K+ battery-powered home security camera which already promises 270 days of battery life after a single charge, thanks to its ultra-large 10400mAh rechargeable unit.

And the icing on the cake is that the EZVIZ solar panel now sits proudly next to its sister product on my top extender.

So let’s take a look at the camera itself. In my opinion you need to have it well above head height to deter intruders from interfering with it, so ideally it should be secured upstairs where you can access through a window for loading.

A one-time wall-drilling is necessary, but before doing so, it makes sense to first test that the camera can clearly access your wifi from the chosen location.

Hopefully you’ve also given your camera that extra bit of juice via the included charger cable and plug, because you never know how much power the camera already has.

You can now download the EZVIZ app from the iPhone App Store or Play Store for Android phones, tap the big “+” sign on the top right to add a device, scan the QR code on the camera or the included quick start manual, then follow the wifi connection prompts.

Once connected and you can view camera footage on your phone, you can mount the camera base to your outside wall. Choose between screw-threaded or hemi-sphere magnetic mounts that attach to the same base, which will need to be secured with two screws (the 6mm drill bit did the job for me).

So now that you’re ready to go, what can this camera do?

There are so many outdoor cameras on the market right now, but what makes the BC1C 2K+ a bit different is the amount of built-in features it can offer for the price (which I’ll get to later).

For me, the standout feature is the 32GB built-in storage which eliminates the need for an SD card or cloud storage, although the latter is still an option if you prefer it.

It also incorporated LED spotlights, two-way talk (to advise a potential burglar to sneak in!) and built-in “AI” to detect people. You might read reviews lamenting that it doesn’t have the ability to detect animals or cars – but who wants to be notified when a cat or fox crosses your territory? For me, I just want him to spot and capture human intruders!

You can also adjust the sensitivity of PIR detection, so the device ignores people walking down the street in front of your house or your neighbor in their back yard, and only records when someone approaches your gate.

Photos/videos on my phone are pleasantly sharp because the camera has 2K+ [4MP] video clarity, but the app lets you choose between Ultra HD, Full HD and Hi-Def to save storage space.

The app also lets you choose between four different working modes (continuous recording, performance, power saving, super power saving) as well as an additional “configured working mode” where you can customize the working mode over different periods via a calendar.

The camera is IP66 weatherproof, which ensures it works well on rainy days. Other features include color night vision and active defense with siren and strobe lights to, again, scare anyone you see who shouldn’t be there! If you don’t like the siren, you can record up to three short voice messages and choose one to play over the siren when a person is detected.

This is useful to activate when you’re away from home or at night, as it can be a bit irritating to keep hearing my ominous ‘Get off my land, I see you!’ tones every time you walk around to sniff the roses.

I wish I could schedule this siren/notification/flashing light installation via an app schedule but unless I’m mistaken you can only do it manually, that means you have to remember to do it every night/ when you are away on vacation.

Nonetheless, the EZVIZ BC1C 2K+ is a reliable, quality camera priced at an offer price of £119.99 from AO at the time of writing, but also available from Very

I was particularly reassured to see that within a few days my application told me that the battery level remained at 100% thanks to its constant charging by the EZVIZ solar panel. It was June so it will be interesting to see how that may or may not change during the winter months when the days are shorter and the sun isn’t as strong.

The panel is IP65 waterproof and can easily withstand rain, dust, snow and sunlight. Made up of monocrystalline silicon solar cells, the solar panel delivers up to 4.2W of power. It will work to the fullest on sunny days to make sure the battery camera has enough power to work all day and all night.

Installation is camera-compliant, with an adjustable stand that can rotate 360 ​​degrees. The panel has a 4 meter long cable, so it can be mounted elsewhere if your camera is located in a shaded area.

The panel can be purchased for £27.99 separately from Amazon or can be purchased as a bundle with the camera for £149.99 from Amazon

EZVIZ eLife BC1C 2k+ Camera

Adjustable mounting bracket with choice of screw/magnetic mounts

Drilling template and fixing screws

Adjustable mounting bracket

Drilling template and fixing screws

EZVIZ eLife BC1C 2K+ Camera

Image sensor: 1/2.8-inch 4-megapixel progressive scan CMOS sensor

Minimum illumination: 0.01 Lux @ (F1.6, AGC ON), 0 Lux with IR

116° (Diagonal), 100° (Horizontal), 52° (Vertical)

Day and night: IR cut filter with automatic switching

Night vision: 10m / 30ft

Max. Resolution: 2560 × 1440

Frame rate 15 fps. Self-adaptive during network transmission Video compression: H.265 / H.264

Wi-Fi Standard: 2.4GHz 802.11n

Smart alarm: AI-powered human shape detection

Cloud Storage: EZVIZ Cloud Gaming

Operating conditions: -20°C to 50°C (-4°F to 122°F)

Power supply: DC 5V/2A (microUSB)

Battery capacity: 10,400mAh

Power consumption: max. 5W

Product dimensions: 104.76 × 62.80 × 62.80 mm (4.12 × 2.47 × 2.47 inches)

Product Weight: 365g (12.8oz)

Open circuit voltage 7.2 V ± 5%

Short circuit current 740mA ± 5%

Max. Supply current 700mA ± 5%

Solar cell efficiency 21.6%

Operating temperature -20℃~60℃ (-4℉~140℉), Humidity 90% or less (non-condensing)

Type of solar cell Monocrystalline solar cells

Product dimensions 222.6 × 155.9 × 14.9 mm (8.76 × 6.14 × 0.59 inches)

Package dimensions 230 × 161 × 78 mm (9.06 × 6.34 × 3.07 inches)

Weight With packaging: 611 g (21.5 oz)

Panel body without stand: 334 g (11.78 oz)