Ring Spotlight Cam Pro vs Floodlight Cam Pro: Which Should You Pick?
Naila Syifa
Updated December 2024
The Spotlight Cam Pro and Floodlight Cam Pro are Ring's most advanced spotlight and floodlight cameras today, offering cutting-edge features and significant advantages over the standard Plus models on their respective product lines. How do both cameras compare and which one should you choose?
Key Takeaways
Ring Floodlight has an edge with its Advanced Pre-Roll Video, which records 6-second HD footage with audio even in low light, compared to Pre-Roll on the Ring Spotlight, which is limited to 4-second clips without audio and doesn't work in low light. However, Ring Spotlight offers various installation options while Ring Floodlight is limited to hardwired. Design-wise, the Floodlight suits large outdoor spaces needing broad illumination, while the Spotlight works better for smaller areas requiring focused lighting.
Ring Spotlight Cam Pro
Most Advanced Spotlight Camera
✓ 1080p HDR with Color Night Vision
✓ Bird’s Eye View
✓ Basic Pre-Roll
✓ Battery/Plug-In/Solar/Wired Power
Ring Floodlight Cam Pro
Most Advanced Floodlight Camera
✓ 1080p HDR with Color Night Vision
✓ Bird’s Eye View
✓ Advanced Pre-Roll
✓ Dual-Band Wi-Fi
Design & Purpose
Ring Floodlight Cam Pro
The Ring Floodlight Cam Pro features two large, oval-shaped floodlight panels mounted on either side of the centrally positioned camera. These adjustable floodlights are designed to provide powerful illumination, making the device ideal for large outdoor spaces like yards or driveways, where broad coverage is essential.
In contrast, the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro has a more compact and streamlined design, integrating two vertical light strips directly into the housing on either side of the camera. These narrower, less prominent spotlights provide focused illumination, making them perfect for smaller areas like porches, doorways, or patios.
The difference in light coverage between the two models highlights their distinct purposes. Spotlights cast a more concentrated beam, while floodlights provide broader illumination.
As a result, the Floodlight Pro is better suited for large open spaces such as driveways or backyards, whereas the Spotlight Pro excels at targeting specific zones like doorways or small patios. Choosing the right model depends on the area you need to light and monitor effectively.
Video Quality
Ring Spotlight Cam Pro
Ring Spotlight and Floodlight Cam Pro have the same specs when it comes to video quality and recording capabilities, so there's no difference between them in this aspect.
Both deliver 1080p video resolution with built-in HDR (High Dynamic Range), which helps to improve image clarity during the day when the bright sun makes it difficult to see details. During the night, color night vision lets you see footage in full color rather than the traditional black and white.
Both Ring cameras also have the same field of view at 140° horizontally and 80° vertically, providing decent coverage of the monitored area.
Smart Features
Ring Floodlight Cam Pro
The 'Pro' branding in the Spotlight Cam Pro and Floodlight Cam Pro models indicates their more advanced features compared to the standard Plus versions. One such feature is radar-based 3D Motion Detection, which allows for highly accurate motion detection and tracking to the point of being able to track a visitor's pathway to the monitored area.
This advanced radar technology enables another innovative feature called Bird's Eye View, which gives an aerial map-style view of the detected motion events. It shows exactly where someone has been and how they got there, giving a better understanding of the situation.
Both the Spotlight Cam Pro and Floodlight Cam Pro models also offer Color Pre-Roll Video Preview, which records a few seconds before the motion event is triggered, providing more context to the recorded footage.
However, this is where the key differences between the two models become apparent. Ring Spotlight Cam Pro offers just the standard Pre-Roll Video, which records a 4-second clip with no audio and doesn't function in low light conditions.
Meanwhile, the Floodlight Cam Pro offers Advanced Pre-Roll Video, which records a 6-second clip in HD with full audio and works even in low-light environments. This provides more detailed and contextual footage of motion events.
The rest of the smart features are largely the same between the two models, including live view, two-way talk, remotely activated siren, integration with Alexa, and more with subscription plans.
Installation
Ring Spotlight Cam Pro
Ring Floodlight Cam Pro is a wired camera that requires hardwired installation into your home's electrical system. The installation guide is available, so you don't need to be an electrician to set it up.
Ring Spotlight Cam Pro comes in several variants with different installation options — Battery, Plug-In, Solar, and Wired.
The Wired model is similar to the Floodlight Cam Pro in that it requires hardwired installation, while the rest can be installed without the need for electrical wiring.
The Battery model uses a rechargeable battery pack for power, the Plug-In model connects to a standard electrical outlet, while the Solar model uses a solar panel to keep the battery charged.
The various installation options for the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro make it more flexible and adaptable to different home setups compared to the hardwired-only Floodlight Cam Pro.
Ring Spotlight Cam Pro vs Floodlight Cam Pro
Final Thoughts
Ring Floodlight Cam Pro
The choice between the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro and Floodlight Cam Pro ultimately comes down to your specific needs and the layout of your outdoor space. If you have a large area that requires broad illumination, the Floodlight Cam Pro's powerful floodlights and advanced pre-roll video feature may be the better option.
However, if you're looking to target a smaller, more specific zone and need the flexibility of different installation methods, the Spotlight Cam Pro could be the more suitable choice.
Both cameras offer excellent video quality and advanced security features, so the decision should focus on the lighting coverage and installation requirements that best fit your home's needs.
If you like to read more about Floodlight Cameras, check out our other relevant guides here:
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eufy Floodlight E340 vs S330
Ring Floodlight Pro vs eufy Floodlight S330
Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight vs Ring Floodlight Pro
Ring Floodlight Pro vs Nest Floodlight
Ring Spotlight Pro vs Nest Floodlight
Author
Naila Syifa
Content Manager at Synced. She crafts insightful content on the latest trends in technology, consumer electronics, and smart home gadgets.
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