Outdoor security cameras are an easy option to improve the security outside your home. Unfortunately, these cameras also tend to be more expensive than their indoor counterparts. For those looking to cut costs, this means purchasing fewer outdoor cameras than indoor cameras.
However, the TP-Link Tapo C510W bucks that trend by offering a feature-rich outdoor security camera for under $50. The C510W uses pan and tilt motors to monitor a wide, 360-degree view of your yard in sharp 2K video. It also supports local video storage, so you can skip the monthly fees typical of brands like Arlo, Google Nest, and Ring.
TP-Link Tapo C510W
The TP-Link Tapo C510W outperforms budget outdoor security cameras in delivering excellent 2K video performance. While some minor features require a cloud storage plan, the C510W thrives on local video storage on a microSD card.
- Excellent video quality on a limited budget.
- Store video locally effortlessly
- Powerful integrations with third-party smart home devices and cameras
- Requires a nearby power outlet.
- Low frame rate may cause blurring of fast moving objects.
- Some features require a cloud storage subscription.
Price, availability and specifications
The TP-Link Tapo C510W is available online from Amazon, B&H Photo Video, and Walmart. While it has a listed price of $50, the C510W typically sells for around $44 on Amazon.
Despite its low price, the Tapo C510W is actually a mid-range outdoor camera. The cheaper Tapo C500 has 1080p resolution and lacks a spotlight, but otherwise offers the same features for $35. The more expensive Tapo C520WS comes with sharper 1440p 2K QHD resolution, additional smart motion detection options, better weather resistance, and frame rates up to 30 frames per second (fps) compared to the C510W’s 15fps — all for about $60.
I love when brands like Tapo sell multiple types of cameras, each within a specific budget. You get the same basic features but can upgrade or downgrade based on your needs.
What are the good features of TP-Link Tapo C510W?
Economical outdoor security camera with strong video quality and powerful features.
Overall, the Tapo C510W has excellent video quality in daylight conditions, easily matching the Wyze Cam v4. The 2K video resolution captures colors and details accurately, though there is some distortion in fast-moving objects due to the camera’s low frame rate. Still, this video quality is better than what you’ll see from similar outdoor security cameras on the market.
At night, the infrared night vision and color recordings look great, with color video delivering solid results in well-lit areas like the patio outside my apartment. The camera has a small, fairly bright spotlight, but it won’t produce much light beyond about 20 feet.
One of the biggest strengths of the Tapo C510W is its pan/tilt function, which gives the camera a 360-degree field of view. This means you can point the camera almost anywhere in your yard with a good line of sight to the lens.
I love that the Tapo C510W includes motion tracking and patrol modes that automatically search around your yard using motion or a timer. Tracking any movement in your yard for a full recording makes it incredibly useful. This outdoor security camera comes with a durable IP65 weather resistance. The wired power supply also helps it withstand extreme temperatures better than battery-powered security cameras.
Tapo also doesn’t waste my time with overlapping menus. You can find most settings with a few taps, and everything follows a reasonable navigation flow. There were no performance issues or crashes, so it passed my test with ease in my opinion.
One of my favorite things about the Tapo app is that it now supports devices from Kasa, TP-Link’s other smart home brand (actually, there’s more than one). All of my Kasa smart plugs quickly showed up in Tapo after I granted permission to connect. Each TP-Link app uses your main TP-Link account to log in—the integration is seamless. This cross-compatibility also includes adding Kasa security cameras to your Tapo Care subscription.
Like most of Tapo’s newer cameras, the C510W supports up to 512GB of local video storage on a microSD card. That’s enough to save weeks of footage at the highest resolution. While the camera doesn’t come with a microSD card, you can easily find 512GB models for under $45 — and smaller capacities are more affordable.
Local video storage doesn’t require a subscription, making it a great option for keeping ongoing costs low. By contrast, the Tapo Care cloud storage plan is priced at $3.49 per month, which is very competitive with what you’ll see from Wyze, Ring, and Arlo. While it’s a bit disappointing that the most expensive Tapo Care plan only goes up to 10 cameras for $12 per month, that’s a high bar for many homes.
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The TP-Link Tapo offers great smart home compatibility with Alexa, Google, IFTTT, and SmartThings. It’s almost on par with Arlo’s smart home support, except that the Tapo doesn’t work with Apple HomeKit. (HomeKit isn’t usually a concern for Android users, so I suspect most readers of this site won’t notice.)
Although TP-Link is currently working on rolling out compatibility with Matter, the smart home platform doesn’t offer full integration with security cameras yet. However, connecting Tapo cameras to the smart home platform makes it easy to check camera status and view live feeds on smart displays with fewer apps. It also helps you control the camera mode with a voice command.
In addition to smart home platforms, Tapo supports two security camera tools: RTSP and ONVIF. These tools allow you to connect your Tapo security cameras to a private server or network video recorder (NVR). While these tools are more complicated to set up than a traditional Wi-Fi security camera, they are options for people with technical backgrounds.
What’s bad about TP-Link Tapo C510W?
The C510W’s flaws are no hindrance.
My biggest complaint is that the 10-foot power cord limits where you can install the outdoor security camera. Most homes don’t have outdoor power outlets, especially if you want to keep the power cord out of reach to prevent someone from accidentally (or intentionally) unplugging the camera.
While it’s possible to drill a hole in an exterior wall to install the power adapter inside, it’s more complicated than installing a battery-powered camera like the Arlo Essential XL.
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My other major criticism is the Tapo C510W’s 15fps frame rate, which results in motion blur on fast-moving objects. While this performance is typical of many security cameras, it’s hard to make out who is in the recording. However, it does well enough with people moving at normal walking speeds that most videos look great.
Aside from that, my final objections relate to specific areas that I thought I’d mention: live views in connected smart home apps and some Tapo features that require a paid plan.
While you can view live video from the Tapo cameras on Amazon Echo and Google Nest Hub smart displays, there’s no preview option in the Alexa and Google Home apps — though it was a pleasant surprise when the live view appeared in my SmartThings app.
This means you’ll have to switch between the Tapo app and the rest of your smart home system to view clips and access finer camera controls. Tapo isn’t alone. Very few third-party security camera brands offer deep integrations with Alexa and Google Home.
My final gripe is that some features require a cloud subscription to Tapo Care, which starts at $3.49 per month. It’s disappointing that you have to pay to use rich notifications that show a preview of recent events in the camera without opening the Tapo app. Tapo Care’s paid features, like cloud video storage and smart video sorting, work well together but are unnecessary if you’re using local storage.
Should you buy it?
The TP-Link Tapo C510W is perfect for almost every budget and every outdoor setting.
I’ll try to be short and concise: I highly recommend the Tapo C510W to anyone who needs a wired outdoor security camera.
Few competing outdoor cameras can top the TP-Link Tapo C510W’s features, video performance, and simple app for under $50. The closest competitor is the $40 Wyze Cam Pan v3, which maxes out at 1080p and locks more features behind a subscription than the Tapo. Even more expensive offerings from Eufy and Reolink struggle to offer much more utility than the Tapo C510W unless you need a battery-powered option.
TP-Link Tapo C510W
The TP-Link Tapo C510W outperforms budget outdoor security cameras in delivering excellent 2K video performance. While some minor features require a cloud storage plan, the C510W thrives on local video storage on a microSD card.
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