eufy SoloCam E42 4K solar security camera: features and who it suits

The eufy Security SoloCam E42 (model T8173) is a 4K outdoor security camera with its own built-in solar panel, so it can be mounted without running power cables. The camera turns for 360-degree coverage, follows people and vehicles with built-in AI, and records locally. Here is what its features mean in practice.

4K resolution and what it shows

The E42 records in 4K UHD with an 8-megapixel sensor and an f/1.6 lens. More pixels let you zoom into a recording and still make out detail, and a wide f/1.6 aperture lets in more light than a narrower one, which helps in dim conditions.

eufy says the camera can recognise licence plates up to 33 feet (10 metres) away. In practice, how much detail you capture depends on distance, angle, lighting and how fast something is moving, so treat that as a maximum under good conditions.

360° coverage and AI tracking

Rather than a fixed view, the camera turns to cover a full 360 degrees, which keeps blind spots to a minimum. That makes a single unit useful for areas such as a front porch, a yard or a driveway.

Built-in AI detects people and vehicles within view and follows them as they move, so recordings stay on the subject instead of showing a fixed patch of ground.

Siren, strobe and alerts

When the camera detects motion, it can sound a siren, listed at 103 dB, and flash a red and blue strobe light, and it sends an instant notification to your phone.

Solar charging: what 2 hours of sun means

With SolarPlus 2.0, eufy says about two hours of direct sunlight a day keeps the built-in battery fully charged. The key words are "direct sunlight". A panel in shade, under deep eaves or facing away from the sun for most of the day will collect much less. Short winter days and long cloudy spells also reduce how much charge the panel gathers, while frequent motion events and long recordings use more of it.

Local recording and HomeBase

Footage is saved locally on a microSD card of up to 128 GB. The card is not included, so you will need to add one when you set it up.

The camera also works with eufy's HomeBase S380 and HomeBase S280. With the S380, local capacity grows to up to 16 TB, and you gain extra AI features, such as cross-camera tracking, which merges clips of the same person from several cameras. The S280 is designed for group control of several cameras. You can switch between HomeBases as needed.

The camera connects over 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only. The 2.4 GHz band generally reaches further through walls than 5 GHz, which suits outdoor cameras, but your router must broadcast it.

What to check before you buy

• Sunlight at the mounting spot: note how many hours of direct sun the spot gets, in winter as well as summer.
• Wi-Fi signal: confirm your router broadcasts 2.4 GHz and that the signal is strong where the camera will go.
• microSD card: you will need a compatible card of up to 128 GB.
• Privacy: aim the camera at your own property, and check local rules on recording neighbours' property or public areas.
• Size and mounting: the camera measures about 3.6 x 3.6 x 5.0 inches (roughly 9 x 9 x 13 cm); check the mounting options in the manual.

The short version

• 4K outdoor security camera with an 8 MP sensor, f/1.6 lens and a built-in solar panel.
• eufy says about 2 hours of direct sunlight a day keeps it charged.
• Turns for 360° coverage, with AI that detects and follows people and vehicles.
• Motion-triggered siren, strobe and phone alerts.
• Local microSD recording up to 128 GB (card not included), or up to 16 TB with HomeBase S380; 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only.

Bloiq is reader-supported. Some links may earn us a commission; it never affects what we write. How we make money.