There are a plethora of options for home security cameras – from the ultralow end to the ultrahigh end. Almost all of them have some drawbacks – a hefty subscription price, low quality, a need to run wires, or an unreasonable upfront cost. But Reolink just launched a new line of 4K solar-powered battery cameras that include 4K recording, dual-band Wi-Fi, and perhaps most valuable – no subscription required!
Argus 3 Ultra and Argus Eco Ultra: [4G Solar+] Spotlight and 2.4G/5GHz WiFi
Reolink has two different options for more straightforward security cameras – the Argus Eco Ultra and the Argus 3 Ultra. The only real difference between the two is the shape and size, with the actual capabilities being the same between them. The Eco sports a bullet shape like more traditional security cameras, while the Argus 3’s slimmer shape could be easier to hide.
They both shoot at 4K 15fps, which is great for security cameras – you’ll have plenty of resolution to zoom in and get a close look at what’s going on, but you don’t need to waste storage or power on a high frame rate. They also have a 125-degree diagonal field of view to offer a really wide area of coverage.
A lot of security cameras require you to have wires run to each and every location you want a camera, which is a lot of extra work, so instead, Reolink’s cameras are all solar-powered and Wi-Fi connected. You can just charge the internal battery off the USB-C Port and then let them run, or you can pick up the Reolink Solar Panel 2 to keep the battery charged off the power of the sun. They’re waterproof for use outdoors, with rubber port covers keeping the ports and switches protected.
Argus PT Ultra: [4G Solar+] Pan and Tilt
While the Argus Eco Ultra and Argus 3 Ultra are great cameras, they might not fit every need, and for some of those other cases, you can get the Argus PT Ultra. As you might expect, “PT” stands for Pan-Tilt, so you can mount your camera and remotely control where you have it aiming. You have 360 degrees of control within their app, so giving this camera a bit of an elevated perspective will let you cover a really large area. Like Reolink’s other cameras, it includes spotlights and passive infrared to detect motion, a microSD card slot for local recording, and of course, the high resolution 4K image – whether it’s getting footage at night or in the day. The lights on the front of the camera, which turn on when motion is detected in the dark, ensure that it can get a clear picture.
Mounting the cameras
What you need for mounting is included right in the box, whether you’re mounting the cameras on an overhand or up against a wall. There are templates for drilling, and then you attach the mounts to the wall. Finally, you attach the cameras to the mounts themselves.
Adding the cameras to the app is as simple as scanning the QR code. Because they’re solar-powered cameras, you won’t have these recording at all times, so you can set up a custom schedule so they’ll record when a person, vehicle, or pet is detected, at specific places, depending on the time and day. You can choose to have the cameras alert you by push notification, email, or even siren. There are a ton more options in the app, including more creative features like time-lapses.
GO PT Ultra: [4G Solar+] 4G Network
I got the Argus Eco Ultra, Argus 3 Ultra, and Argus PT Ultra set up to cover the front and sides of the house, but I didn’t put them at the back of the house.
While the cameras I’ve gone hands-on with offer great connection over Wi-Fi, if you want to have somewhere covered that’s just outside of range (or you want an extra backup in case you lose internet), you should look at Reolink’s Go PT Ultra. Like their Argus PT Ultra, it has a 4K camera on a pan-tilt mount, but it adds a 4G LTE connection on top of the dual-band Wi-Fi, so you can keep an eye on your cameras wherever you place them – even if you have a power or internet outage. The rear of our house has a pretty spotty Wi-Fi connection, so that would be the ideal place for one of these even more capable cameras.
Reolink’s 4K solar-powered cameras
You can pick up Reolink’s whole line of new cameras, from the Argus 3 Ultra and Argus Eco Ultra to the Argus PT Ultra and Go PT Ultra, with an 8% extra discount (stackable discounts) for up to 20% using the code “9to5Mac8%OFF“, on Reolink’s website.
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