Ring Pan Tilt Mount turns a Ring Stick Up Cam into a pan/tilt camera.It can be used indoors or out, but its reliance on AC power eliminates the flexibility offered by ring stick cam batteries or solar power.
Every Ring camera has one thing in common: a fixed field of view.Some security camera manufacturers offer pan/tilt models that offer a wider field of view, thanks to motors that can move the camera lens from right to left and up and down, but Ring doesn’t.What it does offer is a weathered annular pan-tilt mount for an annular riser cam – it’s pretty awesome.
Using different brands of security cameras can be a headache.Who wants to use one app to see what’s going on in the house and another to see the backyard?Before the Pan-Tilt Mount, Ring’s only option for people who needed extensive coverage was to buy multiple cameras.This new product solves that dilemma.Pair it with an indoor/outdoor Stick Up Cam to expand the camera’s otherwise static 130-degree level and field of view to 340-degrees, and the ability to tilt the camera in a 60-degree arc.
This review is part of TechHive’s coverage of the best home security cameras, where you’ll find reviews of competitors’ products, as well as a buyer’s guide to the features you should consider when buying such a product.
However, powering the motor quickly drains the battery, so the Pan-Tilt Mount relies on AC power.If you have the Ring Stick Up Cam addon, you already have – you just plug the power cord into the new dock instead of the camera.If you have a Stick Up Cam Battery or Stick Up Cam Solar, you’ll need to purchase the stand that comes bundled with Ring’s Indoor Power Adapter ($49.99) or Indoor/Outdoor Power Adapter ($54.99).
The Pan-Tilt Mount itself sells for $44.99, or you can buy it bundled with the Ring Stick Up Cam Plug-In for $129.99 (a savings of about $15 compared to buying the two separately).The Pan-Tilt Mount can be used with the camera on a flat surface such as a countertop, or you can use the hardware in the box to mount the camera and camera to the wall.
The button for operating the Ring Pan Tilt Mount hides about a third of the camera live feed, but it’s only needed if you’re actively tilting or panning the camera.
Once the Stick Up Cam is docked to the Pan-Tilt Mount, the UI overlaid on the Ring app’s live view will change, adding a spin icon in the lower right corner.Clicking this icon will open a white square with arrow keys for controlling the gimbal motors.Click the up or down arrows to tilt the camera in those directions.As you might expect, tapping the right or left arrows pans the camera in those directions.
The gimbal motor is very fast and responsive, completing its 340-degree horizontal arc in less than 6 seconds after pressing the left or right arrow, and tilting from one extreme to less than 3 seconds after pressing the up or down arrow Another extreme arrow.The arrow keys occlude the lower third of the live vertical view, but you can instantly restore that view by hitting the X to dismiss the arrow keys.
The accordion-style socket protects the Ring Pan Tilt Mount’s mechanism without restricting its movement.
Once you turn or tilt the camera in the direction you want, it will remain in that direction until you change it.If the camera loses power, it cycles through its full range of motion when power is restored, but then returns to its last position before power was lost.This is a good thing.
The Ring Stick Up Cam can certainly detect motion, but it doesn’t have facial recognition.Unlike some dedicated gimbal cameras, the gimbal mount doesn’t allow Ring’s camera to automatically lock onto an object moving within its field of view, then track it until it leaves the field of view.Other drawbacks: You can’t define a “patrol” path that the camera will automatically follow to monitor an area, nor can you specify waypoints the camera will automatically turn to.Another missing level of elegance is the ability to click anywhere in the camera’s field of view and have the camera instantly pan or tilt to focus on that area.You’ll find most of these features in some purpose-built pan/tilt cameras, but there’s only so much Ring can do with this add-on.
The Ring Pan-Tilt Mount is the next best option for having a true pan-tilt camera in the Ring ecosystem.It doesn’t give the Ring Stick Up Cam all the functionality and sophistication of purpose-built pan/tilt security cameras.The biggest disadvantage of its outdoor deployment is its reliance on AC power.It will not work if there is no outdoor plug nearby.Taken together, it greatly increases the coverage you can get with a ring vertical camera and can eliminate the need to buy multiple cameras.
Note: We may earn a small commission when you purchase an item after clicking on a link in our article.Read our affiliate link policy for more details.
Michael is Editor-in-Chief of TechHive.He built his smart home in 2007 and uses it as a real-world test lab when reviewing new products.After relocating, he is transforming his new home (an 1890′s bungalow) into a modern smart home.
Post time: Apr-16-2022
