EZVIZ S2 review: part action cam part dashcam

The EZVIZ S2 is an action cam that can double as a dashcam but doesn’t excel in either.

Package

The EZVIZ S2 is quite rich but something is amiss. In addition to the action cam and the charging cable, we find a waterproof case, a pair of 3M staples, a joint arm, and the user manual.

For an action cam, there’s all you need, but for a dashcam, something is missing. In order to be able to use it in the car, it is necessary to have supported differently from the one supplied. This does not allow you to connect the charging cable, which is essential.

In short, you’ll have to figure out how to best use it as a dashcam, which is a bit ironic, as this is marketed as a product that can double as both.

Build

The EZVIZ S2 is not water-proof, but other than that there is nothing wrong with it. The three physical buttons are perhaps a little redundant, but at least the IPS touch display offers good viewing angles, is quite readable outdoors, and is quite responsive. The built-in speaker has a good sound, and the microphone can pick up sounds quite well.

At the bottom, there is a tripod screw, which gives this cam a little more versatility. The MicroSD slot can house cards up to 256GB, so you’ll never run out of space (1 minute of video takes up about 120MB).

On the left side, in addition to the micro USB charging port, we also find a mini HDMI video output port which is nothing to write home about but handy to have.

Hardware

The S2 does not have any special features. It just does what it has to do, the resolution is “just” Full HD, but at least it’s smooth. Instead of advertising resolutions with unusable framerates, this action cam shoots at 1080p@60fps, electronically stabilized. The battery is also quite large at 1.160mAh.

There is also the option for video+photo clips, in intervals of 5 to 60 seconds filmed at 30 fps. We also have timelapse video, with intervals of 0.5 to 5 seconds.

As for photos we have a maximum resolution of 8 megapixels and a burst of 15 photos per second. Timelapse is also available in picture mode, with intervals of 1 second to 5 minutes.

User experience

The EZVIZ S2 is simple and fast; whether you use it as an action cam or as a dashcam. The digital stabilization isn’t great, but it works, and you’ll love it especially in dashcam mode.

The quality of the videos is not great. It’s good for recording a car’s movement but we’d hope it was better as an action cam. They are smooth but there is always a lot of noise especially in poor light conditions. The color yield is also quite off.

The display behaves quite well. There is sometimes a little lag, but in most cases the response time is good.

Using it as a dash-cam we like the feature that uses the gyroscope to automatically save the recorded video if an accident is detected. Most dash cams usually record in a cycle, that is, overwriting the old video when memory is full.

There are also functions that can read the speed signs (with a male metallic voice) and warn us if we invade the other lanes, or if we are too close to the vehicle preceding us. Sadly for all these functions, a lot depends on weather conditions and the position of the dash-cam.

Application

The application is quite simple but powerful. It lets you control the EZVIZ S2 remotely, change all the settings and, of course, take a shot. You can also go through the storage data and download it to your device. You can also use the app to update the camera’s firmware.

Autonomy

Autonomy is bad. Given the battery capacity and recording resolution, we would have hoped for something more. With Wi-Fi on, you will not get up to an hour, and even with it off the battery life doesn’t reach 2 hours.

Price

The EZVIZ S2 currently costs on Amazon. Considering that it is two devices in one the price is not bad, however, you will have to buy more accessories to effectively use it as a dashcam.

Final Verdict

The S2 does a good job of combining action and a dashcam. You’ll have to make do with “just” Full-HD resolution, but at least the 60 framerate video is smooth. There is also a touch display that does its job well, and a practical app. It can double as a dashcam, but you will need some extra accessories. The sound alerts while driving are a good touch. This cam is for those who desire a simple action and/or dashcam but make price their priority.