28 Apr
Blog

Reolink Argus 3 Pro Review: Flexible Indoor and Outdoor Use

Reolink Argus 3 Pro on the table

"Ultrasharp 2K footage ensures that you know exactly what you are watching."

  • Crisp looking 2K video footage

  • Excellent night vision performance

  • Solar panel add-on doesn't cost much

  • Can easily be converted into an indoor camera

  • Weak dynamic range

  • Antiquated looking app

Reolink has been in the surveillance camera business for a long time, back in 2009 when it launched its first camera. Since then, countless indoor and outdoor cameras have been manufactured serving a wide range of people. Despite its commitment to offering a wide range of equipment, none of Reolink's products has gained the recognition that some of its competitors' offerings have.

If you've seen great outdoor surveillance cameras like the Arlo Pro 4, the Reolink Argus 3 Pro is sure to make the decision a little more difficult. It's packed with 2K video footage, color night vision, local storage, and even power from a solar panel. It's full of goodies that can tempt you with their cost under $ 150.

Razor-sharp 2K video recording

If you're used to getting 1080p footage from security cameras, switching to something with higher resolution is quite a shock. That's exactly how I looked at the 2K video material of the Reolink Argus 3 Pro, which delivers razor-sharp results with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels that exceeded my expectations. I'm seldom moved by the specs of the security cameras, especially when it comes to resolution, but upon checking out the footage, the difference was immediately apparent.

Fine details are well represented throughout the scene and still retain good clarity when you use a digital zoom to get a closer look. I was genuinely surprised at how good the footage looks even with a digital zoom. The only complaint is that the colors are rather muted and the highlights seem a bit blown out. Otherwise, the quality is really good despite the slower frame rate of 15 frames per second (fps) – but this doesn't affect video performance when the lighting conditions are ideal.

Reolink Argus 3 Pro on the wallJohn Velasco / Digital Trends

The night vision performance of the 4 megapixel 1/3 inch CMOS sensor is just as outstanding. The black and white footage is extremely detailed and illuminates well over 25 feet from where it is. There is an option for color night vision, which highlights colors for even better clarity. However, ambient light is required to work. There's a bright spotlight in the Argus 3 Pro that can be activated when motion is detected, but I honestly don't mind the black and white footage because it's so sharp. The only complaint I have is that it has a tighter 122 degree field of view, which is less than some of its competitors.

Antiquated app interface

Launching the Reolink app for Android is a step back in time as it looks so old-fashioned, from the design of the user interface to the general-looking screen icons. At the very least, when you access the live stream, you get a good overview of what the camera is seeing – with the appropriate buttons for manually taking a photo or video. Most of the camera's settings can be accessed by tapping the settings icon in the top right corner of the app.

In the playback section of the user interface, the camera organizes all of the footage that was recorded due to the motion detection. It's organized in a timeline view so you can see all of the clips for a given day. However, it takes a long time to load many thumbnails in this timeline view. Therefore, it will take some time before they are filled out. Fortunately, you can filter the clips based on the items detected to include people, vehicles, and a general "Others" category.

While the UI is functional, I would like a cleaner, more modern application. This is just too big a retro return to the style of 1990s Windows PCs.

Flexibility indoors and outdoors

Although positioned as an outdoor camera, I really like how the Reolink Argus 3 Pro can be instantly converted to an indoor camera – an important point I want to highlight as other outdoor cameras don't offer this flexibility. This is because it comes with a stand mount that supports it on a shelf, table, or other flat surface for indoor use.

I was genuinely surprised at how good the footage looks even with a digital zoom.

At first glance it looks like an Arlo camera, but the Argus Pro 3 is a bit shorter. The IP65 weatherproof construction can withstand whatever the items have in store, while a hidden microSD slot on the bottom gives users the beauty of local storage. I'm really happy that footage is stored locally, but just know that there is a basic free plan you can subscribe to that covers seven days of cloud video history for one camera – with a cap of 1GB of cloud storage. For even more storage, upgrade to the standard $ 3.49 plan, which includes 30 days of video history and support for up to five cameras.

Reolink Argus 3 Pro on the tableJohn Velasco / Digital Trends

The last thing to mention is the battery life. After a full day, the battery level was 85%, which means it would be completely depleted before the seventh day. (In my experience, it was almost empty by the fifth day.) You can purchase the solar panel as an add-on for $ 25, which will extend the battery life for a longer period of time.

Our opinion

The Reolink Argus Pro 3, while not perfect in every way, offers a tempting package that rivals top-notch cameras like the one Arlo Pro 4. It offers excellent clarity and detail while delivering the convenience of any modern camera in a package that doesn't exceed $ 150. For that amount, it is very difficult to find a camera with 2K video resolution, color night vision and a solar panel that will make you charge less often.

How long it will take?

As I mentioned earlier, its IP65 rating makes it perfect for outdoor weather. Unlike its competitors, Reolink offers a generous two-year limited warranty that covers it against defects.

Is there a better alternative?

For the cost, it is difficult to find an outdoor camera with these specifications and the flexibility to be used both inside and outside the home. Despite the higher cost, the Arlo Pro 4 still has an advantage due to its superior dynamic range. It is better suited for high contrast scenes that are problematic with the Reolink camera.

Should you buy it?

You should definitely buy it as it will give you great video quality and save you money in the process.

Editor's recommendations




11 Sep
Blog

Reolink E1 Zoom Review: A Zoom Camera That Lacks Focus

Relink E1 enlarge table

"The Reolink E1 Zoom does not offer the image quality that its zoom function implies."

  • Zoom provides more details

  • Excellent night vision performance

  • Slow zooming and focusing

  • Can't auto track

  • Weak internal microphone

Over the past few months, we've seen a steady stream of smart security cameras that can be articulated to provide 360-degree coverage. They're certainly useful, as the Eufy Security Indoor Cam 2K Pan & Tilt showed us – and it's still the camera to beat right now.

The Reolink E1 Zoom wants to dethrone it. The Reolink has a similar articulation camera with a special feature that you don't see too often in an indoor camera: a zoom lens. It's a rare extra, but is it a useful addition to a smart home security camera?

Full coverage with a helpful zoom

The Reolink E1 Zoom has a 5 megapixel Super HD camera with night vision, two-way audio, dual-band WiFi and a 3x optical zoom. At its widest, it covers a horizontal field of view of 98 degrees, which is much narrower than its contemporaries. Ring's indoor camera, for example, has a wide field of view of 140 degrees. This is usually a problem for other cameras, but the E1 zoom can pan on its base to cover 355 degrees horizontally.

The main feature of the Reolink E1 zoom is the 3x optical zoom.

Moving the camera gives users a degree of flexibility to look around a room. However, this is a manual process. Unlike the Eufy Indoor Cam 2K Pan and Tilt, the E1 Zoom stays stationary so it doesn't automatically move to track movement, people or pets.

However, the 3x optical zoom has the added benefit of sharper details rather than just relying on a digital zoom. The difference is noticeable as some details can be better seen with the optical zoom. On the other hand, zooming is often slow and delayed, as is focusing.

Relink E1 enlarge tableJohn Velasco / Digital Trends

This is a problem compounded by the fact that everything has to be operated manually. It would have been far more useful if the E1 zoom could rotate, zoom, and focus on its own every time it detects motion.

Video performance

This camera records video at 2560 x 1920 resolution and the resulting quality is average at best. A clear video is produced with sufficient lighting. However, the highlights often suffer from overexposure and washout. Incorrect exposure can obscure details, which is never a good quality on a security camera.

However, night vision works well enough and can easily illuminate the full range of my living room of 25 feet (rated for a range of 40 feet). Even when it is completely dark, the black and white night vision material is crisp and clear.

The black and white night vision material is crisp and clear.

The internal speaker is powerful and at times a bit harsh and shrill tone. Unfortunately, the internal microphone does a terrible job of recording audio and makes talking to one another a chore. If you speak in a normal tone about 10 feet away, it will be difficult for the person using the camera to see the conversation.

Much management required

The Reolink E1 Zoom seems like a competent paper security camera, but it lacks the advanced security and tracking features of its peers, such as B. Person recognition or automatic tracking. You can create motion zones and adjust the sensitivity of motion detection, but there is still a lot of management involved.

Notifications are received through the app and triggered events are arranged in the app in a linear timeline view. After you've set the motion sensitivity to the medium setting, the Reolink E1 zoom picks up almost every movement in its view. And you know what? It becomes a little redundant every time your cat or dog casually strolls by in the background.

If you prefer continuous recording, you will need to use a microSD card to store the footage or one of Reolink's NVRs (Network Video Recorders). There is an option to subscribe to Reolink's cloud storage service, which is free for the basic plan and covers 7 days of video log (1 GB cloud storage) for one camera. If you need more, the standard plan starts at $ 3.49 per month and includes 30 days of video log (30 GB cloud storage) for up to five cameras.

You can create motion zones and adjust the sensitivity of motion detection, but a lot of management is required.

The Reolink E1 Zoom could be a fantastic security camera, but frequent triggers and its inability to tell potential threats from false ones make it less useful for protecting your home. And finally, there isn't that much privacy focus either, as there is no 2-factor authentication with the app login and there is no privacy mode at all to disable the camera.

Our opinion

There is potential in this camera, but it lacks the smart features and performance that other smart surveillance cameras offer. The $ 72 price tag is tempting, but we've seen better cameras for roughly the same price.

How long it will take?

Compared to other cameras, the Reolink E1 Zoom is bulky. The all-plastic construction makes it feel brittle and hollow, so we're not too sure it will hold up after a nasty fall. If you are concerned about defects, we have a 2 year limited warranty.

Is there a better alternative?

You bet. The Eufy Security Indoor 2K Pan and Tilt remains the better buy because of its automatic tracking, impressive video quality, people detection, and lower cost of $ 52.

Should you buy it?

No, there are better options at a lower price.

Editor's recommendations