Security camera manufacturers have been criticised for the lack of privacy their cameras offer users who wish to sometimes be free of being recorded. Now Ring has relaunched one of their more popular cameras, the Ring Indoor Camera, with a privacy shutter.
The new Indoor Camera arrives with all the usual features you now expect from Ring including:
- 1080p HD Video with Live View
- 2-way talk
- Real-time notifications
- Colour night vision
- Advanced Pre-roll (with a Ring Protect subscription)
- Plug in power
But, aside from the physical shutter, very little has changed in the hardware compared with the first gen Ring Indoor Camera. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the first gen Indoor Camera from Ring, in fact I have purchased several of them and have them placed all around my house but Ring, come on, you’ve had nearly three years.
I put the new Indoor Camera to the test and came away with the following thoughts.
Design and the all-new shutter
The design of the Ring Indoor Cam gen 2 camera is, aside from the new shutter and redesigned mount, is exactly the same as the first generation. That is not entirely a bad thing given how compact but feature-packed the first generation was.
The problem is that it is three years later and we have the exact same optics and resolution as we did back then. Time and technology march on but the Ring cameras have not. For more information on the hardware check out our review from 2020.
The main visible addition to the camera making this Indoor Camera a second generation is the physical shutter. The plastic physical shutter is a great addition and although you can turn camera off using the app most people, if they truly want privacy will prefer the physical shutter.
The shutter closes entirely over the camera preventing any and all vision from being recorded by the camera. Although the camera cover blocks the view it does NOT affect the two0-way talk and the microphone. If you truly want to make sure no one is eavesdropping you are going to have to unplug it.
For those who remove any chance or likelihood at all of anyone snooping on you using your own camera you can unplug the camera or purchase a Privacy Kit from Ring which has a power switch on the cable to allow you to “turn your camera on or off at the flick of a switch.”
The mount
The redesigned mount allows for much more flexibility in the placement of the camera with the mount moving to the rear of the bottom of the camera. The swivel then can also slide up the back of it allowing it to be mounted on the wall a lot easier.
Not only does it swivel up to the rear but it also is easier to move. The first gen cameras feel stiffer and are much more difficult to move – I wish there was a way to convert these first gen mounts to second gen as I can think of at least three of my first gen Indoor Cameras which would function a lot better with a more flexible mount.
It is a tough sell to replace a first gen camera though unless you really need to change that position. If you want the privacy shutter, grab a Privacy Kit for just $15 instead.
The cable is all of two metres which should be enough for nearly all locations but, because the camera hardware has not been adjusted in three years, the cable is just a simple microUSB cable. You should be able to replace it with a decent, longer microUSB cable but none of mine worked.
Setup and software features (including privacy)
The setup is extremely easy, as you’d hope from a company that has been doing this for a long time. Open the Ring app, log in (assuming you haven’t already).
Tap the add new device button from within the “Devices” section, scan the barcode, enter your Wi-Fi password and it will connect and be good to go. The Ring app will guide you through some of the more complicated and more oft used features.
My favourite features of the Ring Indoor camera Gen 2 are the motion alerts triggered by customised motion zones that you can set and change as you wish. You can also set the motion alert so that you will only get an alert when the motion is caused by a person.
Just as with the other Ring cameras you can also receive rich notifications which include a snapshot of the motion in the notification. This gives you a quick way to see whether that alert needs your attention or not.
Night vision is once again good but is still hit and miss as to whether it shows up. Ring need to come up with something better next time given that most of the other security camera manufacturers are improving their technology. Ring’s colour night vision is good but no longer a feature that sets them apart from others.
The app can also give you reminders of when you leave or return home, reminding you to switch the cameras on and off. I’d much prefer to have it perform this automatically but at least the reminder is there now. This reminder feature unfortunately requires a Ring Protect subscription but that is something I highly recommend if you are investing in the Ring ecosystem.
The reason I recommend the subscription is that there is no local recording unfortunately so none of your videos will be saved online without this subscription. If you want to be able to record to a local drive to not only save a few dollars but also give yourself some personal security, then you should look elsewhere.
Should you buy one?
This is a tricky question to answer. If you are already in the Ring ecosystem and need a new camera for indoors that has a small footprint and you have a power point close by then yes, you should buy this. It has all the usual, extensive Ring features that all Ring users know and love plus a new privacy shutter. The mount is vastly improved too so if you want to upgrade one that needs to get a better view of the room then this mount is for you. If I needed a new indoor camera I’d buy one, but then I already have about 8 Ring cameras on my subscription.
If you only want the new privacy shutter, then just buy the Privacy Kit for just $15. If you only want the new mount look for third party mounts on places such as eBay but be careful that you actually get one that is compatible with the Ring Indoor Camera.
If you do not have any security cameras and are starting from scratch and just want one or two then this is a hard sell. Unless you are kitting out your entire house, inside and out, then the new Ring Indoor Camera is tough to recommend given the hardware on this “new” camera is the same as it was three years ago.
There is also no local recording and the subscription to obtain cloud storage of recordings is much better value for money with more cameras. You may be better off looking elsewhere for something with local recording and a better resolution as you dip your toe in the security camera water.
In conclusion I can say it’s a great camera held at the same level it was by its software. It is a very slight improvement on the Indoor Camera of three years ago but only with the addition of a basic plastic shutter and a vastly improved mount. It is where it was a few years ago. The software is great but Ring need to do something in higher resolution soon before they fall by the wayside.
The Ring Indoor Camera (2nd Gen) is available to order now for $99 AUD / $119 NZD on amazon.com.au and ring.com/au/en.
