Not so long ago, we tested a very interesting and innovative outdoor camera, the IMILAB EC6 Dual, which combined a pair of cameras in one body. The Chinese giant itself has a similar model, Xiaomi CW500 Dual.
In this review, we will look at all the functions that the camera offers and we will also check the reliability of motion detection and image quality.
Technical specifications
| Model | Xiaomi CW500 Dual (MJSXJ08HL) |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 2 x 2.5K (2560 x 1440 px) |
| Objective | 4 MPx |
| Clone | f / 1.6 |
| Top camera rotation (manual only) | 25° vertical / 180° horizontal |
| Bottom camera rotation | 95° vertical / 355° horizontal |
| Video compression | H.265 |
| Night mode | yes - color and black and white |
| Memory card support | yes (microSD up to 256 GB) |
| Supported systems | Android and IOS |
| Connectivity | IEEE 802.11 b/g/n/a/ac/ax 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz |
| power supply | 12 V / 1 A |
| Certifications | IP66 |
| Two-way audio | Yes |
Content and quality of packaging
The Xiaomi CW500 security camera was delivered to us by the courier in a compact box, which was still wrapped in bubble wrap and placed in a silicone envelope.
Inside, the camera is additionally protected by another foil in a cardboard compartment. Next to it, the accessories are placed in a separate box. This consists of a self-adhesive template for pre-drilling holes for mounting the camera, a waterproof plug for the RJ45 port, a set of screws with dowels and a user manual.
Design and quality of workmanship
As usual, the Xiaomi CW500 is sold only in white. The camera is made of plastic and is relatively large compared to regular cameras. On the other hand, it is comparable in size to a similar model, the aforementioned camera from the IMILAB brand. The overall quality of processing is better with Xiaomi and the camera does not look as cheap as it was with the IMILAB EC6 Dual.
The camera combines a pair of cameras in one body. The bottom camera is the main one. It has electric rotation in both horizontal and vertical directions through the application, while the top additional camera does not have such a function.
Despite this, we can also rotate the top camera in both horizontal and vertical directions, but only by hand, manually. Both cameras have a pair of infrared diodes for night vision and also a pair of LEDs for lighting.
Installation is simple
Assembling the Xiaomi CW500 camera is completely simple and anyone can do it. We can fasten it to the wall, any structure or even to the ceiling, or even wrap it around a column.
The camera holder is integrated in it and has pre-prepared holes for mounting in both positions. We chose to mount the garden gazebo on a vertical wooden prism.
If you would like to fasten the camera, for example, to the wall of the facade of the house, where you need to pre-drill holes and insert dowels, the self-adhesive template that is part of the package serves this purpose. We didn't need her.
Pairing with Xiaomi Home app with problems
Like other smart devices from Xiaomi, the CW500 camera also works with the Xiaomi Home application. We had the camera available in the Chinese version, so we ran into a minor problem.
Since we have all other smart devices in European versions, we used the classic, official version of the application from the Google Play store. Unfortunately, it does not support the Chinese version of the camera, so we had to look for an alternative, which is a modified Xiaomi Home application, which is not limited to regions.
We have already used this version of the application in the past when testing Chinese versions of cameras. However, in June of this year, a kind of change occurred in Xiaomi Home, which made it difficult for developers to modify it. For this reason, the modified application is no longer so reliable.
Although we managed to add the camera to the application after several attempts, it did not work properly. The app still saw it as offline and couldn't show us the image transfer. So we had to reach for the standard application from Google Play and set the region to China.
Here, pairing is standard and pretty seamless. The application guided us through the entire process, during which we first chose the connection method - WiFi or cable connection. We chose a wireless connection to our home WiFi network first. We then connected to the camera hot-spot and the rest happened automatically. Later, we also tried a wired connection, which also worked without problems.
The environment in the Xiaomi Home application
The camera environment in the Xiaomi Home application is the same as it was in the case of the IMILAB EC6 Dual. Thus, the screen shows a live view from both cameras simultaneously in the initial part.
There are 5 buttons in both previews, namely: turn off the camera, take a screenshot, start video recording, change the resolution and switch to full screen.
Below the previews there are 5 more buttons: two-way audio transmission, start the alarm, turn on / off the sound, turn on / off the light and display the controller for rotating the bottom camera.
Furthermore, we can find quick access to events recorded during monitoring, video recording, storage management and a mode for creating so-called timelapse video.
In the upper right corner there is still an inconspicuous button with three dots, which is used to go to the settings.
Image quality and recording
As we mentioned above, both cameras offer 2.5K resolution, but despite the same resolution, they are not identical cameras, so the image quality is not quite the same either. So which one is better? Hard to say.
At first glance, the output from both cameras is almost the same, but after longer testing in different lighting conditions, we can evaluate that each has its pluses and minuses. The top camera usually has better sharpness, but the colors are kind of washed out. The lower camera copes better with direct sunlight, has richer colors and higher contrast, but in some places the sharpness is worse.
Since it is a cable camera, not a flashlight, continuous recording on a memory card is a matter of course. We used a 64GB KODAK microSD card, which only holds about 3-4 days of footage, as videos from both cameras are saved at the same time.
The recordings also have a sound track, the quality of which is very good. The same applies to two-way audio transmission.
Night mode
In the night mode, we have a pair of modes available - classic black and white, where we can also choose the brightness, or a color image, when the LEDs turn on when motion is detected. We can also turn them on manually when watching a live broadcast.
The quality of the night video is quite good and the faces of people are also recognizable. Of course, only if they are near the camera. Faces are difficult to recognize at a greater distance.
Monitoring and notifications
What would a security camera be without monitoring the space and sending alerts. Immediately after successful pairing, the application will offer us the monitoring settings. Here we can choose from several options.
We can monitor the space in the field of view of the cameras 24 hours a day, or only during the day or night or in the selected time interval. Again, we lack the option to set more than just one time period.
Another possibility is the choice of sensitivity, where we have a choice of low, medium or high sensitivity. Next, here we can find the interval setting between individual alarms, where we can choose 3, 5, 10 or 30 minutes.
The penultimate option is used to turn on push notifications based on detected events, and the last option in the settings is the type of notifications. Here we find the following:
- someone is approaching the vehicle
- captured vehicle
- someone entered the reserved area
- someone has left the reserved area
- captured person
- captured motion
- push notification if the smart scene has started
These names are then displayed in the list of captured events, as well as in notifications. Unfortunately, they did not work very reliably for us, probably because of the Chinese region.
Reliability of notifications and alarm
Despite the fact that at the beginning the notifications did not go to us for an unknown reason, the camera recorded the events and saved them in a clear calendar with a list. Here we mostly saw motion records labeled "Motion detected". Even with medium sensitivity, the camera will also record the movement of leaves in the rain, or various rodents and other small movements.
Often we didn't even see any movement on the recording. Personally, we turned off this type of notification because we found it unnecessary and focused mainly on detecting people.
It can capture an approaching person even at a relatively long distance and at the edge of the lens' field of view. Other cameras usually caught people only when they were closer. On the other hand, sometimes it happened that the camera did not even capture the close movement of people. The detection is thus not very reliable.
When vehicles and people are captured, we can also set the automatic start of a sound and (or) light alarm. Two melodies are available for the sound alarm, but we can also record our own using a sound recording via smartphone. In case of a light alarm, the LEDs can light continuously or flash slowly or quickly.
You will not use the AI functions to the full
Xiaomi includes detection of people and motion among the AI functions, but does not specify in any detail what the AI does in these cases, since motion and person detection is a common part of all cameras.
Next, we find detection in the selected area in the field of view of the camera, when a separate notification is generated. There is also vehicle detection in the beta version.
The last, most interesting AI functionality is face recognition. Unfortunately, this convenience is only available if you have purchased Mi Cloud, but the link to purchase it does not work for the Chinese version.
settings
In the settings we can find quite a few options. General settings include displaying the time and date in the video, correcting the roundness of the lens or rotating the image. We can also find the highlighting of the recorded person with a frame in the video.
Next, there are the night mode settings. We have a choice of color or black-and-white mode, which also has a brightness setting.
In the next section, there are sound and light alarm settings and monitoring settings, which we already wrote about above. The aforementioned AI functions or turning off the status LED also follow.
There is also tracking of people's movements, in which the bottom camera rotates behind a moving person. Similar to other Xiaomi or IMILAB cameras, even in the case of the Xiaomi CW500, this function is not very reliable, and when moving faster, the camera does not have time to turn behind the person.
The storage settings offer us information about the microSD card status, formatting or setting the recording method - only when motion is detected or constantly. Applications are also offered by connecting NAS devices, but we do not have them available.
Similar to other smart devices, this camera can also be used in home automation together with other devices.
Xiaomi CW500: Final evaluation
The Xiaomi CW500 outdoor security camera integrates a pair of cameras in one body. Both lenses have 2.5K resolution, high-quality image and motion and person detection. At first glance, it is a very interesting camera with high-quality processing.
However, this is the Chinese version, which only worked properly for us with the region set to China. This is associated with several problems, such as the unreliability of notifications or the occasional slower loading of live broadcasts, even if we connected the camera using an Ethernet cable. So the problem is the Chinese servers.
If the camera were also sold in a European version, we believe that it would not have problems with reliability. However, certain complications must be expected in this way.
