The Tapo C310 camera from TP-Link is one of the best value for money cameras in our surveillance camera comparison, but it now has a descendant with the Tapo C320WS. A question then arises: is the latter really more interesting?
Recently launched at the recommended retail price of €69.99, while the previous model can now be found between €35 and €50 depending on the discounts, the Tapo C320WS from TP-Link obviously brings some new features. The first is none other than its 4 Mpx sensor which allows the new model to film in 2560 x 1440 pixels; when the Tapo C310 is limited to 2304 x 1296 pixels with its 3 Mpx sensor.
Projectors are also introduced to provide color images at night, but infrared vision remains more effective on our identification test: we were able to recognize a face up to 5 meters on black & white images, against 4 meters with color night vision. In comparison, the Tapo C310 certainly does a little less well with its infrared vision alone (3.40 meters), but it still delivers good quality images, day and night.
The other great novelty of the Tapo C320WS is the detection of people. When this option is activated from the application, the camera is able to differentiate a person entering its field of vision from simple movements, such as those of a tree branch exposed to the wind or wild animals if you live at the edge of the forest, for example. The user can thus choose to be alerted only in the first case to avoid a torrent of notifications.
However, the range of person detection is less: 6 meters, compared to around 8 meters for motion detection. The Tapo C310 can also detect movements up to 8 meters away, and still offers some solutions to limit notifications, such as programming and detection zones (also available on the Tapo C320WS).
For the rest, the two TP-Link cameras are very close. They adopt a very similar design with integrated wall support, and do not fear the rain. A microSD port is also offered on both models, which both leave the choice of a Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection for Internet access. None, on the other hand, is equipped with a battery making it possible to do without a nearby power supply.
Finally, both models have complete audio equipment (microphone and speaker that can act as a siren) and can be combined with the Tapo Care offer (€3.29 to €10.49/month or €32.99 at €105.99/year) to benefit from cloud storage space and some additional options like privacy masks.
An option that really makes the difference for the Tapo C320WS
The Tapo C320WS and the Tapo C310 are two very good outdoor surveillance cameras, but the first still seems more interesting to us with its particularly practical outdoor person detection technology. However, if you live alone and in a quiet environment, the Tapo C310 should not be too limited and allows you to enjoy performance that is ultimately very close while achieving a small saving.