Digital Journal was sent two home security cameras to evaluate. With these Reolink models, one designed for outdoor use and the other for either indoor scanning or for positioning inside to take a look at the outside environment.
Both devices are light-weight and have color or black and white modes, and both work equally well during daylight or at night.
The indoor device is the Reolink E1 Pro. The device is small, compact, and easy to set-up. It has a good motion detection sensor, which can be controlled via an app. The device can rotate 355° horizontally and 50° vertically, giving a relatively wide coverage.
The image below shows an example of an image taken at twilight:
This second image gives an idea of the app layout:
The device retails for around $50 and it provides an effective home security system.
The outdoor device is the Reolink Argus PT+Solar panel. One key feature is the ability to be connected to a solar panel. This helps to keep the device charged during the lighter months and reduces battery drain.
Another important feature is the ability to trigger the taking of images when movement is detected, including the movement of people, animals, and cars. This functionality is aided by a motion-activated spotlight. The images captured are in a clear 4-megapixel (2K) resolution. Alerts from movement can also be triggered by an alarm (a feature that can be turned on or off). The alarm is an ear-shattering 90 decibel siren – loud, but it is enough to alert you and to startle a would-be intruder.
Importantly for an outdoor device, the camera is waterproof with an IP 65 rating. This is sufficient to ensure that the camera is protected against a quantity of water similar to the level projected from a nozzle.
The device retails for around $160, and it makes for useful device to protect the permitter of your home.
Connectivity is easily and reliability, aided through the devices having dual band WiFi support. Both devices also come equipped with WDR (Wide Dynamic Range).Through this the camera compensates for images where there are dark and bright areas, in which there is a great decompensation and we cannot see sharp images if we use a normal camera. Both devices have a two-way audit capability.
