Many owners report that HomeBase 3 firmware updates broke their cameras, killing notifications and motion detection until Eufy pushed another fix, only for the problem to keep coming back. Batteries dying suddenly, units going offline and refusing to re-sync, and weak, slow solar charging are the other big complaints, with several people switching to external panels or USB power to keep cameras alive. The 4K picture and no-subscription local storage are genuinely well liked, but enough owners hit serious reliability failures that this is a real concern, not a minor one, and many regret the buy.
32% of 37 verified owners recommend the eufyCam 3 (S330), based on real owner verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.
294 comments reviewed · scored on the 37 clearest verdicts
32%
Recommend
12 owners
3%
Neutral
1 owners
65%
Don't recommend
24 owners
Source
Breakdown
Score
N
Counted in the score
Reddit
28%
32
Independent blogsiIndependent blogs with no affiliate links or paid relationship — we checked every one.no affiliate links
100%
3
Other forums
0%
2
Reviewed, but not counted — and why
YouTubeiOrdinary owner comments (not the reviewer), but here they sit too far from the owner consensus on Reddit and forums — channel comment sections can skew heavily positive or negative by trend — so they're shown for perspective and kept out of the score.owner comments
24%
17
Affiliate blogsiThese blogs earn a commission when you buy. Across our data they rate products ~35 points more positively than actual owners — shown for transparency, never counted in the score.paid commission
0%
1
No clear verdictiGood-to-know notes — setup, tips, and things to watch for. We use them for the pros, cons, and who it's for, but they don't reflect a definitive opinion on the product, so they're never counted in the score. See the 'Good to know' section below the quotes.Setup, tips & quirks
—
9
Affiliate blogs here say 0% recommend, while the owner-based score is 32%. They earn a commission on every sale — so we show them for transparency but never let them move the score.
The headline score reflects owners (Reddit, enthusiast forums), independent lab tests, blogs with no affiliate links, and YouTube owner-comments when they line up with owners. YouTube and Affiliate blogs are shown for perspective but kept out here — hover the i for why.
What owners like
Crisp 4K picture, some of the best image among wireless battery cameras · 5 · 14%
Built-in solar keeps cameras charged for years when mounted in good direct sunlight · 5 · 14%
Local storage with no monthly subscription, still works when the internet is down · 3 · 8%
Easy wireless setup with no electrical wiring to deal with · 3 · 8%
What owners flag
HomeBase 3 firmware updates repeatedly break notifications and motion detection even though live view still works; fixes are slow and the problem keeps returning · 10 · 27%
Poor, slow solar charging from the fixed-angle built-in panel, pushing many owners onto external panels or USB power · 7 · 19%
Batteries suddenly drop to 0% or the camera goes offline and won't re-sync, often needing a warranty replacement · 6 · 16%
Missed, late, or point-blank motion detection, capturing people walking away rather than approaching · 4 · 11%
Unhelpful Eufy support that blames the phone, sends scripted replies, and dodges responsibility for update failures · 3 · 8%
Who it's for
A great fit if
Buyers who want 4K with no subscription fees
Wireless installs avoiding any electrical work
Arlo or Blink owners looking to upgrade
Mounts with strong direct sun for solar charging
Look elsewhere if
Shaded spots relying on the built-in solar panel
People who need dependable, reliable notifications
HomeKit users or those wanting 24/7 recording
Synthesized from what eufyCam 3 (S330) owners say — not a spec sheet.
Retailers' own star averages, for comparison — separate from our vetted owner-verdict score above.
Top quotes, sourced
294 reviewed · 55 shown
Sentiment
Community
Sort
YouTube▲ recommend
“Local storage and no pesky fees. Eufy is on the right track!”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“I would stay away from these cameras if you can.”
Home Security Camera Guru (affiliate)— neutral
“Overall, the EufyCam S330 is a solid but imperfect option if you want a wireless outdoor camera that runs on solar, records in 4K, and doesn't hit you with subscription fees.”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“it's going back because it fails at the one job I need it to do”
Reddit▲ recommend
“Try Homebase3 Bro, Works fine in and around my House with one Home Base. Camera is EufyCam3/S330. Activate the Beta Mode (more power) in the options”
Reddit— neutral
“from my interaction with them I feel like I should just return my cameras now that I'm still in my 'trial period'. At the same time, I don't really know good alternatives. Things like the face recognition learning algorithm, 4k day and hd night vision and that it runs on battery and wifi are all features I like.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“strongly recommend the EufyCam 3 / S330 Solar powered group.
About €1k euro for 4 cameras and a Home Station but set up is easy, no electrics to worry about and for me at least have been extremely reliable.”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“That is big reason I went with eufycam3 since it had solar panels, battery, spotlight, and 4K for $200. When I thought it was fully local, it seemed like such a good deal.”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“I know that my solar panel already looks typically Florida-bleached”
YouTube▲ recommend
“Just bought the same system. Great cameras.”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“This was the second S330 that had failed, after 2.5 years this one.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“I have the eufycam3 4k wifi cameras, they have built in solar panels so as long as you mount them where they can sunlight they never need recharging. I'm happy with them so far.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“Installed 5 of them a tad over 2 years ago and have not needed to charge them even with highest sensitivity for motion detection, all thanks to the built in solar panels.”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“That was a dealbreaker for me so I returned my purchase.”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“I would absolutely not recommend this camera for the money unless you live in a townhouse.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“I plugged in the Eufycam 3 (S330) with USB using it as indoor camera where there is no direct sunlight. It is still 100% power after 5 days.”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“The recent HB3 firmware update is what caused the the issue for me. It’s incredibly frustrating having non functional cameras and no helpful support from Eufy.”
YouTube▲ recommend
“I have 5 of these cams and I find them excellent I have had them for well over a year no faults or issues”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“EufyCam 3 motion seems pretty terrible. I don't know if it is something they can improve with a future firmware update or not.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“Best wireless battery cameras I’ve seen on the market, in terms of picture quality and install/set up.”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“Good review, but the battery life it sucks. In the winter period... No suny days, the battery will die in on month.”
YouTube▲ recommend
“Ive had 4 of these for a few years in sunny positions and it's been great”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“Have 2 eufycam3. When first set up they were perfect, but I think since last update it's been missing events.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“I've been using the EufyCam3 and Solo S340 without HomeBase3 for a while now, and let me tell you, the AI performance at night is pretty decent. It does a solid job of distinguishing between people and pets. I've had instances where it's alerted me about someone lurking around at night, and it turned out to be accurate.”
Practical notes owners raise — setup, quirks, and issues to watch for. They don't say whether the person likes the product, so they're not counted in the score, but they inform the pros, cons, and who it's for.
Redditⓘ good to know
“Second, the EufyCam3 is a PIR sensor to limit battery usage. Per the instructions it can be 7-10 ft off the ground and aimed 5 degrees down. It will detect horizontal motion for about 25-30 feet out.”
Redditⓘ good to know
“I have a Eufycam 3 (S330) which also has an integrated panel). It is also shaded, and I was only getting a few mAh of charge every day. Going to an external power source was the solution”
Redditⓘ good to know
“I'm using aftermarket solar panels with my Eufycam 3 S330 just fine for about 2 years now.”
Redditⓘ good to know
“Our internet was out for a day and I can confirm, after messing with the system a bunch, that you CAN in fact access your local storage and live-stream your cameras and doorbell thru the app. Note: My setup is Homebase 3 with 3 EufyCam3's and 1 Eufy Doorbell 2K, all wireless.”
Redditⓘ good to know
“I have 4 of them plus doorbell dual and nothing is available for homekit. I tried going through home assistant and home bridge but nada. Best I can do is to get snapshots in apple home.”
Redditⓘ good to know
“FIXED My Homebase 3 updated to v3.1.9.1 overnight which seems to have fixed my problem. I’m Getting notifications again for my S330 cams.”
Redditⓘ good to know
“Customer support was good about it, and sent a replacement.”
Redditⓘ good to know
“Mine likes to save a bunch and then machine gun them. -_-”
Redditⓘ good to know
“Prior to the update, I had configured the home base to ignore notifications from AI recognized family members (it worked maybe 50% of the time). After the upgrade, it killed all notifications from AI capable devices. Pets, delivery people, landscapers… all were ignored. To fix, I had to go into the Eufy app -> Homebase -> gear icon -> Notification -> ignore”
