Choosing an indoor camera: what to look for

Resolution: 1080p, 2K or 4K

1080p (Full HD, 1920 × 1080) is enough for an ordinary room. A 2K camera (also called QHD or 4 megapixel) gives more detail, for instance to recognise a face or text at a distance. The TP-Link Tapo C225 lists 2688 × 1520 pixels, while the TP-Link Tapo C200 is a 1080p model. There are 4K cameras too, such as the Eufy E30.

More pixels means larger files: your microSD card fills faster and live viewing needs more bandwidth. A high resolution helps little if the picture is grainy in the dark or over a weak Wi-Fi signal.

Field of view and pan-tilt

A fixed camera sees an angle of roughly 110 to 130 degrees depending on the lens; manufacturers usually give it on the product page. If the camera sits in a corner of the room, that is often enough.

A pan-tilt (PTZ) camera has a motor. According to TP-Link the Tapo C225 and C200 turn 360 degrees, and the C225 tilts 149 degrees. You steer the camera from the app, and many models can follow a person or pet automatically. Choose pan-tilt if you want one camera to cover an open living room or a room with a corner. If you only need a door or a baby crib in view, a fixed camera is enough and usually more compact.

Night vision

Almost every indoor camera has infrared night vision and then shows a black-and-white picture. TP-Link states a range of up to 12 metres for the C200 and up to 9 metres for the C225, which uses 940 nm infrared LEDs that are invisible to the eye. In an ordinary room that is plenty. Some models also offer colour night vision with a small light; the product page says how the camera does it.

Two-way audio

With two-way audio you hear what is happening in the room through the app and can talk back, for example to a child, the dog or a parcel courier. Both Tapo models have a microphone and speaker. Look for noise reduction, because a speaker right next to the microphone easily causes echo.

Storage: microSD or cloud

This is the choice that matters most for what you pay in the long run and who can reach your footage.

• Local on a microSD card. According to TP-Link the Tapo C225 and C200 take a card of up to 512 GB; the card is not in the box. TP-Link does not ask for a subscription for this local recording. Eufy says the same about recording to microSD on its indoor cameras, such as the Eufy E220. The downside: if the camera is stolen, the card goes with it.
• In the cloud. Recordings are kept on the manufacturer's server and you can still view them if the camera is gone. With Ring storage and playback run through the Ring Protect plan, with TP-Link through Tapo Care. Check on the product page which features (such as person detection) are part of the plan.
• On your own network. Cameras that support RTSP or ONVIF, such as the Tapos, can be connected to your own recorder or NAS.

Wi-Fi: 2.4 or 5 GHz

Many affordable indoor cameras support only 2.4 GHz. According to TP-Link the Tapo C225 and C200 do too. 2.4 GHz reaches further through walls but is more crowded. A camera with dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4 and 5 GHz) can pick a quieter channel and stream better. If the camera sits far from the router, check first whether you need a Wi-Fi extender. A camera with a network port is always more stable.

Privacy: cover and zones

You must be able to switch off a camera in your home. Look for a physical cover over the lens: the Tapo C225 has one that you operate with a button or in the app. Other models, such as the Ring Indoor Cam (2nd gen), have a manual cover. The Tapo C200 has privacy zones that block part of the picture. Do you switch the camera off when you are home? Then you want to do that quickly, preferably on a schedule or based on your phone being at home.

Person and pet detection

Simple cameras only report motion, which gives many alerts from a curtain, a fan or changing light. Cameras with person detection, such as the C200, or with person and pet detection, such as the Tapo C225, alert more precisely. With some brands this AI detection is part of a paid plan; read up on that. Activity zones let you choose which part of the picture counts.

Works with Home Assistant, Google, Alexa and HomeKit

What a camera does in a smart home is stated by the manufacturer. For the Tapo C225 TP-Link names Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit, for the C200 Alexa and Google Assistant. Both support RTSP and ONVIF. These are standards that software such as Home Assistant can use to fetch a camera stream. Check per camera what exactly works: sometimes only a stream, sometimes motion alerts too. A camera that uses HomeKit Secure Video stores recordings in iCloud and needs an iCloud plan.

Power: mains or battery

Most indoor cameras run on a power adapter (USB or 9 to 12 V), so the camera is always on and you never charge a battery. That needs a socket near where the camera goes and a cable in view or along the wall. Battery cameras can go anywhere, but the battery must be charged or replaced more often. Indoors, mains power is the usual choice.