Most people like to know what’s going on around their home when they aren’t there. It doesn’t pay to be blissfully ignorant if someone is stealing the packages off your front porch or using your pool without your knowledge. You want to be able to keep an eye on your belongings when you aren’t around. For that reason, buying outdoor cameras, video doorbells, and alarm systems makes sense.

Ring has been at the forefront of the home security market for years. The company’s latest camera offers something it hasn’t sold before. The Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam provides a greater field of view and coverage than any previous Ring camera.

As someone who owns many Ring products, the Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam easily integrated into my smart home security setup. I’ve been testing the Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam for a while and have loved what I’ve found.

Price, specs, and availability

The Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam retails for $80 and is available through Amazon, Best Buy, and other retailers. It is currently sold in black and white, with three more colors — blush, charcoal, and starlight — set to arrive in the future. The camera measures 2.37 x 2.37 x 5.78 inches, so it won’t take up a lot of space wherever you decide to put it. The Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam is powered by an included USB-A to USB-C cable, which you can plug into a power outlet adapter. The camera is not weatherproof.

Like many other Ring devices, the Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam captures video at 1080p HD. You can watch footage live in the Ring App. The camera connects via 2.4GHz Wi-Fi. There is two-way audio, which you can trigger via the Ring app, allowing you to communicate with someone at the other end of the camera. If you want to mount the Pan-Tilt, it comes with a mounting plate and wall bracket, allowing you to attach it to a wall. You can also use the same mount to hang it upside down from a ceiling to get a more comprehensive view of a room.

What I liked about the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam

The flexibility of angles is impressive

As you can see in the picture above, the Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam can maneuver more than other Ring cameras because of its tilting ability. Ring had previously made a Pan Tilt plug-in mount for its Stick Up Cam, which boosted the device’s coverage. Rather than forcing consumers to purchase two separate pieces of equipment, this product provides that functionality in one camera. As soon as you plug the Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam in, it pans 360 degrees and tilts forward and backward, showing off its capabilities.

Installing the new camera was a breeze, as I already had the Ring app installed. Scanning the QR code on the packaging opened the Ring app on my phone, and began the setup process. If you’re new to Ring, you will need to download the company’s software and tap the ‘+’ button in the menu to set up a new device. All I needed to do was plug the camera in near my router and have my Wi-Fi password ready.

After that, I decided where to put the camera. I tried it in my kitchen for a little while and then moved it to the mantle above our fireplace. That was my preferred spot; it gave the Pan-Tilt access to a room we didn’t already have a camera monitoring.

All of the Ring cameras I’ve used in the past didn’t allow me to adjust their field of view within the company’s app, meaning they could only capture what they were set up to see. By contrast, the Pan-Tilt allows you to control its field of view with a simple set of on-screen arrow controls. You can tilt it up to 169 degrees to see more above and below its default plane of view. This is impressive because the Pan Tilt mount I mentioned above only offered 117 degrees of tilt coverage. Placing the new camera on my mantle, I was able to see the ceiling lights to check if one was out or monitor the ground to see if something was moving around on the floor right below the camera.

I did plug the Pan-Tilt into the wall bracket. It slides in nicely and clicks to lock into place, allowing you to mount it on a wall wherever you want to. While I didn’t actually screw it into a wall or mount it upside down, I got the sense it would be easy to install the camera this way. The Pan-Tilt’s night vision capabilities are similar to other Ring cameras I’ve tested, which works quite well in my experience. For those worried about security, there is a privacy cover that you can swivel over the camera, allowing you to ‘shut it off’ without the need to unplug it first. You can also customize who can see your videos with end-to-end encryption and share access easily through the Ring app.

In terms of motion alerts, you can customize motion zones, allowing you to shoot a specific range away from the camera. This sends notifications to your phone or tablet if the camera detects motion within the range you set. Consequently, this minimizes unnecessary alerts that may be triggered by, for example, a ceiling fan. You’re able to link it to other Ring devices, so if the Pan-Tilt detects motion, a separate camera can start recording video, or a light can turn on.

What I didn’t like about the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam

Minimal zoom options

As with other Ring cameras, the zooming abilities offered by the company’s latest camera are, at best, okay. The more you zoom in on live footage or a recording, the hazier the picture gets. If you want a camera with impressive zooming abilities, the eufy Indoor Cam S350 might be the way to go.

Considering the Pan-Tilt costs just $80, this is understandable, but Ring should consider offering a 4K option in the future. You also need a Ring Protect Plan, which is sold separately, to store your videos for up to 180 days. That’s an added expense if you’re considering purchasing the camera, but not a surprise for anyone who has owned a Ring device before. There are also forthcoming features that Ring hasn’t released yet, like motion tracking that will allow the camera to follow a subject.

Should you buy the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam?

It’s excellent for indoor security

The Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam was a seamless addition to my already Ring-heavy home. Best of all, it provides functionality that is different from the other cameras I own, making it a welcome addition. The ability to pan and tilt to cover blind spots is excellent. The controls are simple to use, and the setup couldn’t have been more straightforward. Once the motion tracking feature is released, I will likely use it to keep an eye on my dog whenever I’m not at home. But for now, keeping it in a room that had previously been a blind spot gives me more peace of mind. It is only $80 and eliminates the need to buy a Ring Stick Up Cam and a separate mount. The Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam can be the eyes in my home when I’m not there.