Ring is a brand that is well known for its doorbells but did you know they also have quite an extensive security range? In this Ring security special, we will cover a number of their products such as the Ring Video Doorbell 4, Ring outdoor Siren, Ring Alarm, Ring Indoor Camera and what we will cover in this review the Ring Spotlight camera.
All of the devices mentioned team up to provide you with the maximum level of security that let you have a pair of eyes on your home even when you are not home. This is not the first review we have done on Ring; we covered the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 back in 2021. I have since found this doorbell so vital as it allows me to keep an eye on the house at any time and also communicate with delivery drivers when am not at home.
First Impressions
The Ring Spotlight camera allows me to mount the camera above a front door or what I have done down the side of my house and just like the doorbell it is designed to detect motion and comes with bright lights on either side of the camera lens to illuminate an otherwise dark area. The spotlight camera also has a very loud siren (110Db) to scare off unwanted intruders.
Ring offers the spotlight camera in 2 colour options – Black or White and allows you to use the rechargeable 6000mAh battery or you can have it installed via the mains. There is even an option to connect a solar panel for battery charging via daylight. In this review, we simply used the rechargeable battery. In terms of viewing angles, the spotlight cam offers 140-degree horizontal and 78-degree vertical angles. Now you can find a wider viewing angle camera on the market but in terms of where I have positioned this device down the side of my house, this viewing angle was more than enough.
Last but not least the Ring spotlight camera links up to the Ring App which you can use for all of the products we are going to cover. If you want to review footage either on this camera or your doorbell you will need to subscribe to Ring Protect. If this is your first time using a ring device you will get a 30-day trial then it’s £2.50 a month or you can pay for it for the whole year at £24.99. Ring Protect also allows you to customize the motion zones and you can also set it to people only useful for when you do not want the motion alarm to go off every time the cat goes past.
Unboxing
Ring has provided you with everything you need to install the spotlight camera they have provided you with the camera as well as the following accessories:
- Spotlight Cam Battery
- Mounting Base
- Quick-Release Battery Pack
- Installation Tools and Screws
- USB Charging Cable
- User Manual
- Security Sticker
Design
The first thing you will notice when you have unboxed the spotlight camera is its size and shape it’s not very easy on the eye. It’s oddly shaped with a rounded rectangular prism at the top and a dome-shaped PIR sensor at the bottom. It comes in at 4.96 x 2.72 x 2.99 inches. It may not be the best-looking camera but what it makes up is in the security features for example under the main lens is a two-way speaker and also comes with three spotlights two on either side of the main lens and one located below the lens.
On the back of the spotlight camera is the mounting plate that can be adjusted to how you want the security camera. You are provided with a drill bit and raw plugs if you want to drill into a brick wall. Ring even provides a double-headed screwdriver for attaching the bracket to the wall.
Ring even provides a double-headed screwdriver for installation.
When fitting the spotlight camera it’s recommended to place the camera 10ft above the ground. Installation should only take you about 10 minutes however when we installed the camera it was double that. Under the space where the sensor sits, you will find space for two batteries but you are only provided one in the box if you want to buy an extra battery you will need to take a trip to Amazon they cost £24.
The camera will work with just one battery but I advise getting that second battery as it will extend the time between charges. Ring claims the battery life from a single battery will last 6 months and by adding the 2nd battery you can double that claim. I expect this will depend on the amount of motion and how many times the spotlight is triggered and also the amount of live-view footage you view via the app. Unfortunately, we have not had the device for over 6 months to validate this claim but will update this review in the coming months. What we will say is it took some time to recharge the batteries using the USB cable provided.
The Ring Spotlight Cam will also work in temperatures from -5 degrees to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. It also comes with an IP55 rating which was a little surprising as the industry standard is IP65. Considering this camera is designed to be outside you would have hoped it would be completely dustproof. The camera is protected against dust just not completely dustproof. The Spotlight cam will also be fine in the rain just keep it away from any water jets in the garden.
Performance
We have been running this camera now for the last 2 weeks and I had no issues whatsoever with the performance regardless of the time of day. When in use during daylight hours the footage was clear and detailed due to the 1080P HD footage with a field of view of 140 degrees. It’s the night footage some might complain about its not the clearest footage on the front.
The Spotlight cam provides colour night vision if the spotlight is on plus infrared night vision from the LED sensors. The jury is out on which option is best for example colour night vision with bright lights could scare away a thief but could also give away the camera’s location and make them look for an alternative entry point that is not as guarded.
What the camera does have is two-way audio which was very clear and loud it was superb in audio quality. The lights on the camera also provided enough light to illuminate an otherwise dark alley down the side of my house. What I also found really useful was you can switch the lights on manually as well as automatically. This helps if you need to see someone as well as talk to them in the evening.
The camera also detects motion and if you have the Ring Protect you can either view the motion via the live feed or via the footage on the app at a later date. You will get 30 seconds of video footage if motion is detected and this is the default setting. It is possible to increase this up to 120 seconds but as a result, expect the battery to drain faster.
Motion Zone set up via the Ring App
Ring Protect App
Ring beats its opposition out of the park with the app Ring Protect I have never had an issue with this app the interface is very intuitive and easy to navigate.
If this is your using this for the first time make sure you download the Ring Protect app and then scan the QR code inside the battery department. This will then allow you to pick the model on the app, follow the instructions and you will be ready. The set-up via the app will only take a few minutes to complete. Once done the app provides a few options:
- Event History – Divided into live views and motion detection.
- Motion Schedule- You might want to select certain times of the day to record any motion.
- Geofencing- You can set the camera to turn off alerts when you are home and switch them back on when you leave the house.
- Light Schedule – You might wish to set certain times for the lights to be on.
- Battery Life Indicator.
What I also really like about the Ring Protect app is just how easy it is to integrate all other ring products such as your indoor camera and Ring Doorbell all in one easy-to-use app. This really ticks my boxes as it means fewer apps on your phone.
Smarthome Connectivity
Considering Ring is owned by Amazon it won’t come as a shock that you can integrate it with Alexa this allowing voice command. It also works with Google Assistant and this allows the user to control the spotlight cam via your voice. Such as disarm motion sensors or when leaving the house tell it to arm motion sensors.
If you have something like the Amazon Echo Show 5 you can ask Alexa to stream the footage from the camera by just your voice. You can also integrate the Spotlight cam into your smart home automation if you said “Alexa Good Night” it will communicate with the spotlight camera and arm the motion sensors when you go to bed.
Verdict
The spotlight camera from Ring is a great device for mounting to your property and keeping that part of your house safe. The camera may have been on the market now for a few years. The fact Ring is updating the security software constantly will provide you with everything you need for that home security setup. I very much like the fact the Ring App allows you to view not only your doorbell but also any of the additional cameras that you purchase from the Ring family.
What is a little annoying is that yes you can use this camera without the subscription if you wanted to store footage on the camera you will need to purchase either Ring Protect or Protect Plus. When you consider this is a small price to keep your house safe I don’t think it’s that bad as it’s only £2.50 per month or £24.99 for the year. It’s just a little inconvenient, especially in this current cost of living crisis we are all going through where every penny counts.
The Ring Spotlight is available for £139 and comes with the battery option or it can be wired in. The choice is yours you can also purchase an additional solar panel for the battery which comes in at an additional £49.
Overall this spotlight camera thanks to its powerful spotlight camera can put off unwanted intruders thanks to the powerful 110Db siren and powerful lights. The spotlight camera also reduces the number of products needed you do not need a separate camera and floodlight so you will be gaining space.
The app provides an impressive package in terms of allowing to monitor and set zones. I also liked the fact you can link it to your Amazon Alexa Smart home set up I found this very useful as being protected a night takes real stress off my mind. This device is well worth considering especially if you already have a Ring Doorbell it complements your set-up even more.
Product Rating:
Design: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Battery Life: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Features: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Ring App: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Value For Money: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Overall Rating: 4.8 out of 5.0 stars – 4.8 Star review
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Just received the 2 cameras. Tomorrow I will set it up
Hope it easy, like they claim
Arlo wasn’t any good
Set up is very easy to do and I found the app also very easy to do. It would be interesting to hear your thoughts once set up and used for a couple of weeks.
I was so impressed with the Ring 4 doorbell that I installed for my sister that I looked into what other security devices they did, I looked at as many reviews as possible to see what the quality was like and after thoroughly investigating all pros and cons I must say I was very impressed and now the owner of a complete alarm system, a doorbell 4, 2 wired floodlights and 1 wired spotlight all of which are fantastic and so easy to install and set up,
The versatility of the alarm system is so versatile you can include any of the sensors for the home setting allowing you to have all your outbuildings alarmed while the house is not allowing free movement indoors while whatever else you want alarmed,
The app is also fantastic and easy to use and if the alarm is triggered it sends a message to you’re mobile telling you the alarm has triggered and exactly which sensor that was disturbed.
I have since installed a complete alarm and floodlight camera for my sister which she is over the moon with
I give the ring systems 5 stars all across the board, what superb quality and such a professional system for a DIY installation
Well done Ring
Hi Alan,
Glad to hear you found all the Ring products very useful and thank you for sharing your experience always great to hear and I will pass this over to Ring who will be delighted to hear.
Ring is a household name in the world of doorbells, but did you know they also make a comprehensive line of security products? In this Ring security review, I’ll be covering the Ring Spotlight camera in addition to the Ring Video Doorbell 4, Ring outside Siren, Ring Alarm, and Ring Indoor Camera. You can keep an eye on your house even while you’re not there thanks to the combined efforts of the aforementioned security devices. Please keep us updated on your uplifting progress. You must also check out Thedealdepot.com.au it has some great insights too.