Ring cameras have been my go-to security camera for a while now but there has always been something missing – that ability to pan a camera around to follow or chase movement and cover otherwise blind spots.

Now Ring has released a new plug-in powered Pan-Tilt Camera which allows the user to pan a full 360 degrees and tilt vertically 169 degrees.  I’ve been using it for a couple of weeks now and find it great but it’s not perfect. At $129AUD I do not expect it to be perfect but it is worth the $129 if you are already in the Ring ecosystem.

Design

The design of the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Camera is mostly similar to other Ring indoor cameras we have seen.  The camera part is nearly identical to the Ring Indoor Camera but instead of the usual base, the Pan-Tilt camera has a base attachment that allows for panning and tilting of the camera.

Overall the footprint is quite small and I love it.  There is also a wall bracket included that makes for easy attachment to a wall and this is minimal as well.  This compact footprint means you can place this camera wherever you want to.

The camera includes the manual shutter that you can place over the camera lens and although it has been on their cameras for over a year now, its flimsiness still feels like an afterthought.  It does what it is supposed to though – it adds privacy by blocking the camera.  It would be nice if they somehow integrated this into the camera better rather than just a simple clip on afterwards, and even better if it could be operated remotely – not yet though.

Aside from the flimsy privacy shutter, the camera is extremely well built and feels solid, as with all Ring cameras.  Installation is super easy although that could be because I’ve set up so many of them over the years.  If you haven’t set one up before the app walks you through each setting and what it does.

Colour night vision is useful once again but then everyone is doing it now and it’s great but no longer something that sets a camera apart from the pack.  

I like the two-way intercom, and it works well, with the person on the other end easily able to hear and understand me. Nothing groundbreaking or earth shattering but the quality of the audio is good, as you would and should expect from a company who has been doing this for so long.

I love the GPS geolocation reminders for changing the Ring protection status but it would be even nicer to have them automated.

Pan and Tilt

Panning and tilting the camera is super simple.  Open the camera live view and then tap on the rotate link at the bottom of the page.  Up pops your left/right and up/down arrows to move your camera.  Easy.  It moves relatively quickly and smoothly so you can easily follow someone around the room simply.

I love that I can now move my Ring camera around and thus help prevent any blind spots at your house.  Now the next for Ring is to move into this century and automate this.  Amazon has automated their Echo Show 10 so it can be done but Ring is very slow to move in any direction of progress so don’t expect it any time soon.

But what about…

Ring cameras are very good at recognising packages, people, and pets with their camera software, so I hope they harness this to then follow those that are human faces.  This is essential in my opinion if they are to maintain their market share, and if we are talking about removing blind spots with this camera, face and person tracking would really remove the blind spots!

After that Ring needs to bring this pan and tilt to their outdoor cameras – I wish this camera was outdoor-capable as well.  Next one maybe.

1080P used to be a selling point for security cameras but that has long passed.  Many cameras are now 2K and 4K but Ring continue to bring the same optics and 1080P to their cameras.  It is time for an overhaul.  Most of us have faster home Internet and 5G now so we can handle 2K and 4K streaming of a security feed, time for Ring to step up.  

My final bug bear, which isn’t a bug bear for me but could be for others.  There is no local recording in the form of SD card and to get full use and functionality of your Ring camera you need to have their subscriptions.  They are far from the only company to do this though so my advice to everyone is, find a camera system you love and invest in it and it alone.

I have over 10 Ring cameras in and around my house and thus my subscription is relatively affordable for me because once you hit more than three cameras it becomes cost effective to get the full Ring Protect Plus subscription.  It is now AU$15 a month or AU$150 per year so for my 10+ cameras it works out at only a dollar or so a camera per month.

Final Thoughts

I love the addition of the pan and tilt functionality to the Ring cameras. I have so many of these types of indoor cameras around my house that I now wish many of them also had this functionality. My problem is that this camera is old. Ring has stuck an old camera on this new function which is far from ideal.

For me, I cannot see myself replacing any of my current indoor cameras with the exact same camera but with pan and tilt. Now, were I to need another location covered and needed another camera then yes, definitely, it’s a purchase I would consider in a heartbeat.

I sincerely hope that Ring are working on new optics for their cameras as their current ones are getting old in the tooth and run the risk of falling behind their competitors. If Ring introduced a new camera of this size with pan and tilt but with NEW optics and 4K recording then hell yes I would start replacing my older cameras when the funds deemed it possible.

Who buys this?

So who buys this? Folks who are already in the Ring ecosystem who need a new indoor camera. That is it unfortunately. As a newcomer it is a tough sell with only 1080P video and no offline storage. Already in the ecosystem, it’s a simple addition, more of the same but with pan and tilt.

The Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Camera is available now in white and black colours for $129 from Ring.com and all the usual Ring retailers.