Digoo DG-K2 Review: The best Tuya Security Camera on a budget?

A number of times we discussed the Tuya network, the global network of smart home products that just requires a (free of charge) account and an internet connection to make your home smarter. More and more suppliers start to make Tuya compatible devices, and now Digoo released the Digoo DG-K2, a Tuya Security Camera. But is this security camera good product? And how well does it integrate into the Tuya network and your life?

Specifications

The specifications of the DG-K2 Tuya Security Camera as stated on Banggood and the official Digoo site:

General – Brand: DIGOO / Model: DG-K2 1080P PTZ Smart IP Camera / Color: White / Dimensions: 76.576.5117.5mm / Working Temperature: -10℃ – 40℃ / Working Humidity: ≤95%RH
Video – Image: 1080P, 1920*1080V / Lens 3.6mm 80° Wide-Angle Lens / Pixels 2.0 MP / Image Sensor: 1/2.7 inch Progressive CMOS Sensor / IR Light: Industrial Grade 2nd LED-Array / IR Distance: 5-10M / Day/Night: IR-CUT Auto Switch Filter / Frame Rate: 20 FPS / Dual Stream: YES / Storage Support: Tuya Cloud Storage Service, Micro TF Card Slot (Max to 64GB)

Network – Wireless: 2.4GHz WIFI, 802.11 b/g/n (Don’t support 5G WIFI) / Support System: IOS & Android / POE Power: NO / Onvif: NO / Alarm Trigger: Motion Detecting with Active Tracking / Alarm Action: Once Trigger Alarm, the APP will send the notification to you by Email and it will record video automatically / Network Protocols: IP, TCP, DHCP WPS
Other – Power Supply: DC 5V/1A / Power Consumption: 5W / APP Name: Digoo Life/ Smart Life APP

Expectations

We have tested a number of Digoo products in the past, like a BBQ thermometer and a smart video doorbell. All products we tested are affordable but decent. Not top of the line but more than sufficient to do the job. We expect no less from the DG-K2 doorbell.

Packaging

The Digoo DG-K2 is shipped well protected in a white retail box.

What’s in the box?

The package of the DG-K2 includes:

• DIGOO DG-K2 1080P PTZ Smart IP Camera
• Power Adapter
• USB Cable
• Base Bracket
• Screw Accessories Package
• English Manual

Features of the Digoo DG-K2

The following features are listed on Banggood:

• HD Image: 2 million pixel 1080P sensor for high clarity videos en images.
• 360 degree security: lens can be rotated 355 degrees horizontally and 110 degrees vertically for complete area coverage.
• Physical Shielding Function: By controlling the rotation through the APP, the camera can be completely covered and the image is blacked out, which can fully protect personal privacy.
• Motion Detection With Active Tracking: Identifies moving objects and follows them by automatically rotating the camera.
• IR Night Vision: Built-in two infrared lights, plus an infrared distance of 10 meters, can see clear images even in the dark.
• Local or online storage: Choose where to store your video, record on a MicroSD card or cloud storage service.
• Two Way Intercom: Watch your home and talk to your family at any time.

Build Quality & Design

The build quality is good. The smart camera can be placed on a horizontal surface or mounted on a wall or even the ceiling. The latter two options can be done by using the mounting plate and screws.

The camera itself looks a bit like a toy, but it will not catch a lot of attention when places on for example a bookshelf.

Installation of the Digoo DG-K2

The installation is not that hard. Like any Tuya device, you need to have either one of the Tuya apps or the Digoo app. Since the Digoo app is a Branded clone of Tuya app, we recommend using the original Tuya app because more devices are supported in this version. For more information about the Tuya app and the platform, please have a look at our guide ‘Getting Started with Tuya‘

You add the Digoo DG-K2 as a Smart Camera in the app. After providing the WiFi network SSID and password the app shows a QR code that you need the hold in front off the camera. After that, and some waiting, you are ready to go.

Using the Digoo DG-K2 Camera

As with all the Tuya compatible devices, this Tuya Security Camera only works with one of the Tuya apps (so either the Tuya Smart or Smart Life app or the branded clones of the app). Through the interface you can do the following things with DG-K2:

• Control the camera directly: change the direction of the camera, talk through the microphone.
• Record and manage your recordings: Take an snapshot, record a bit of the stream. .
• Change camera and image settings: change the settings regarding functioning and image quality. Enabling motion detection and face tracking (even set a schedule and set sensitivity), alarm, recording settings, image quality etc.

The interface is pretty straightforward: select the camera from your list of Tuya devices and you can control it right away. It covers almost everything you would like to, but the more advanced stuff cannot be done through the Tuya app interface. Examples are setting motion zones for movement detection and force enabled/disable Infrared mode. Some of these types of IP security cameras have a separate management interface over HTTP, but the DG-K2 only has the Tuya interface. Not a big deal, but your options for fine-tuning are limited.

The image quality is good. Both video and photo’s. When positioned properly, the wide-angle lens can cover a whole room. Even with limited light the lens performs very well. And if there is insufficient light, the IR vision kicks in automatically. This also does a decent job. The range is about 10 meters, but when the camera is placed in front of a window the IR beams will not always reach through it. The audio quality is less impressive: the default sound volume is rather loud and every time the camera restarts or looses it’s connection the startup or error sound plays at full volume. Since you cannot change this volume level or mute them, using this camera as a baby monitor is not recommended. Every warning sound can wakeup the baby. Talking over the speaker of the camera is acceptable, but definitely not crystal clear. it sounds a bit muffled, so it looks like you are mumbling.

The next function worth mentioning is motion detection in combination with automatic tracking. Motion detection can trigger an alarm in the Tuya or can make the camera start recording (instead of continuous recording). Motion detection works good and you can even set the sensitivity. The motion tracking is a nice gimmick, you can see the camera actually move to track the position. It works well. It’s use is limited because the camera does not return to it’s starting position after it tracks a motion. So it can end up in an angle that is less useful.

There are a number of options if you want to record the video stream of the DG-K2. To start, you can get a paid subscription with Tuya were the video is stored for 14 or 30 days. This is only for video on detection, so no continous loop. This option is available when you don’t go for the subscription and just in an SD card in the camera.

I choose for the last option, and inserted a 32GB MicroSD card in the Tuya security camera. It saved about 3 days of 1080p video when I put it on continous recording. After that, I overwrites the old material with the new video. You can also choose for recording on detection, this will save only the useful data and therefor keep the recordings for a longer time. Looking through the footage through the Tuya app is a bit slow. That’s probably because retrieve the data stored on the local camera through the Tuya cloud. You can also remove the SD card and access the material through another device.

Where to buy the product?

Review conclusions