3rd Gen Ring Stick Up Cam Plug In with Pan-Tilt Mount: hands on review

Ring cameras are definitely top of market when it comes to options, ease of set up and user-friendliness. And it seems like each year Ring brings out new cameras and accessories that are genuinely useful. Case in point the Ring Stick Up Cam Plug In with Pan-Tilt mount. In this review I’ll take a look at what you’re getting with this kit, what this specific camera is designed to do, and how well the Pan-Tilt mount works to help it see into more places. I’ll wrap things up by going over the pros and the cons and let you know if I think I can recommend this set up for you.

Trying to find the right home security camera these days can be overwhelming. It’s no longer just about 1080p vs. 720p, wide vs. narrow field of view; it’s now also about wired or wireless, app compatibility, remote operation, how it integrates into your existing smart home, and a ton of other features. Then, there’s the installation. Some setups are so simple that they’re genuinely a breeze – a “plug-and-play” dream come true. Others, however, seem to require an entire afternoon to figure out.

What you get

3rd Gen Ring Stick Up Cam Plug In

Ring Stick Up Cam Plug In is one of Ring’s most popular cameras and it’s been around for several years. While Ring’s battery powered cameras tend to be the most popular, there’s often still a case for wanting a camera that has power 24/7. This version is the third generation model which uses a cord that connects to a standard wall plug and can be used both inside or out. It can also sit on a table or piece of furniture or be mounted to a wall, and a separate ceiling mountain kit is also available.

Ring does not appear to declare an IP rating for this camera, saying only it is “Weather Resistant”, and noting the maximum operating temperature are -5°F to 122°F (-20°C to 50°C). I’ve reviewed probably over a dozen ring devices over the years, and I can say that they’re outdoor cameras are extremely durable. My previous Ring outdoor cameras are still going strong out in my yard after many years of harsh climate.

Pan Tilt Mount

The indoor-outdoor Pan Tilt Mount is a separate device that will connect with your ring stick up cam. The mount consists of an electronic base with a swivelling L-shaped bracket that the slides onto. Once it’s connected to the camera it offers full 360° motion as well as 117° tilt. (*For video do this part on camera and control it).

I will add that the camera won’t spin in a complete circle; it will only go to the edge of its field of view before you will have to pan it back all the way around to get to the other side.

You can create your own default position to easily reorient your device.

It might be important to point out that this camera camera does not track motion automatically as some other similar devices, such as the Echo Show 10 can do. Instead you need to manually adjust your camera’s field of view by panning and tilting your camera using the Ring App.

I will say I am a bit surprised by that. Ring, through its partnership with Amazon is clearly using this technology in other places, so I’m a bit surprised to find Ring still has no dedicated motion tracking home security camera… That I’m aware of.

Ring Protect Plan

I don’t want us to get too much further into this review without touching on an important point. To get the most out of this camera and really the entire ring system expect to pay a monthly fee. Ring has monthly cloud recording and storage plans known as Ring protect plans. If you don’t opt for one of these plans you really only get the ability to take a live look at your cameras.

While the basic protect plan costs just about $5USD per month, it only allows you to operate one camera or doorbell. Any more than that and you will need to upgrade to a more robust plan (Plus gives you unlimited cameras for $10USD/month). I have had a Plus plan for years and I think it’s been worth it. Before you hit add to cart, I do recommend going to Ring’s website and checking out the options before you commit.

Set up & Installation

Setting up any Ring device is super easy whether it’s a first for you or you’ve got plenty of other devices across the ecosystem. In this case just plug in the camera and open up the ring app. The app will search for your camera and add it to your lineup. A few more steps will take you through a few configuration options where you can make adjustments but then that’s it and you’re ready to go. I opted to place my camera indoors in my house so I could keep an eye on my dogs when we are not home.

Video

1080 HD resolution cameras are table stakes when it comes to video quality, and that’s what you’re getting with this camera. It’s an excellent balance of clear image quality and efficient bandwidth usage, but identifying faces outdoors beyond about 5 feet away might be a little difficult because of the limited resolution.

Stick Up Cam (when used without the pan tilt mount) has a wide field of view for maximum coverage, with a 130°diagonal, 110° horizontal, 57° vertical field of view. Adding the mount you can reach to full 360° motion as well as 117° tilt, but of course that’s only if you’re operating the camera; when it’s locked into its home position you only get that base reach.

Ring cameras use Advanced Motion Detection with Customizable Motion Zones to alert you to any motion within range of the camera. You can set your camera to alert you to any motion or just at certain times of day or certain types of motion. Plus, the camera has Color Night Vision to help you see better in all types of spaces.

Like I said my primary use was indoors for watching the dogs, and it was more than enough for me to keep an eye on them. I also found it useful to do things like check if the front door was locked, or if I left the stove on. It’s quite handy having a moveable camera in the house since it can be the eyes you might not be able to have.

Control with joystick

I can definitely say the camera is easy to maneuver using the 4-way virtual joystick inside the Ring app. The movement actually responds quite quickly so it should be easy to catch anything that’s happening.

The motion of the camera is virtually silent too; it makes a very subtle humming sound as it is changing position, but it’s barely perceptible.

Outdoor use

I did also move the camera outdoors and place it in the yard for a while to test its weather worthiness and ability to give me a more all encompassing view.

Two-way talk

For an entry-level security camera, the two-way audio of the Stick Up Camera is a welcome feature. You can turn on the microphone or speaker and talk or listen.

The audio that beams out of the camera is surprisingly crisp. It’s not going to replace your phone anytime soon, but it’s entirely capable of handling quick exchanges with your delivery guy.

Adjustable motion zones

A cool feature of many of these ring cameras are the adjustable motion zones. With these let you do is essentially tell the camera that certain parts that are visible in the frame don’t need to trigger alerts. This is most handy if you live on a street with a busy sidewalk, and only want to get alerts if someone walks up to your door. Similarly inside a house, you could set your camera so that it doesn’t alert you if your pets are in the living room, but if they get up on the sofa you’ll get tagged.

You can even combine Ring Stick Up Cam with Alexa so that when anyone triggers Ring’s built-in motion zones, your Echo device will jingle and make an announcement, of your Echo Show will let you see, hear and speak to anyone captured on camera.

View camera for longer with Echo Hub

If you add in something like the new Amazon Echo Hub, you can keep the Stick Up Cam’s feed up on the device for longer stretches, meaning you can use it as a pet or baby monitor, for up to about 8-10 minutes.

Can I use Ring Pan-Tilt Mount with Stick Up Cam Battery?

Ring Pan-Tilt Mount can only be powered with the Indoor/Outdoor or Indoor Power Adapter Barrel Plug and cannot be powered with the Quick Release Battery Pack or Solar Panel.

Real time alerts

I will say the alerts from Ring cameras come to my phone fairly quickly. Well there are sometimes they are delayed a couple of seconds, it’s not usually a problem. And of course if you’re subscribed to one of the ring protect plans you’re going to get recorded video footage of that stuff anyway so you’ll have a chance to review it after the fact. Yet another good reason to subscribe to the plan.

Overall review

Overall this is a great camera package for those who don’t need something wireless. Like all the Ring devices I have reviewed this one is easy to set up and integrates perfectly into my ring and Alexa enabled home. The resolution is standard for home security cameras of this type and includes night vision. The addition of the pan tilt mount goes along way to increasing the available view. Using the joystick in the Ring app it’s easy to move the camera around, and even with all that motion, you’ve got a couple of options for mounting it. I also appreciate that the electronic motor that moves the camera operates silently. When it comes to the downsides, on its own merits I can’t really think of anything that’s problematic with this camera. Well I would love to see Ring introduce some motion tracking that could actually follow a person around a room with the camera, that might be me nitpicking and wishing for features that don’t exist yet within the Ring ecosystem. Even if they do exist with other devices. So for that reason if you’re looking for a consistently powered smart home security camera that doesn’t take up a lot of space I can recommend the ring stick up cam plug-in with pan tilt mount for you. It sells for about $145USD when packaged with the mount. The camera on its own can be had for about $99 and you can add the mount on later for about $45.

If you do want to check out what a motion tracking 360° moving camera is like, I reviewed one from Wyze and you can check that out right now.

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