INTRODUCTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   I may have mentioned this like 100 times already but the one thing all people must love about the electronics industry in general is the fact that it never stays still and that in turn results in a very high level of competition between manufacturers, small and large. Take the surveillance/security segment of the electronics industry for example which although not the most popular one among consumers (although due to crime stats spiking in some areas of the planet it's a lot more popular than it was a decade ago) it's actually one of the most competitive ones with numerous new manufacturers debuting their product lines every year. Among those manufacturers there are some which are dedicated in the design and manufacturer of innovative and easy to use security cameras even for people who may not be into all things electronic. Reolink is one such manufacturer and after reading countless positive things about them by consumers we decided to take a look at their latest Argus 2 Wire-Free 1080p Security Camera.

   Reolink started up in 2009, and ever since then, we’ve been devoted to creating the finest security products for consumers and business owners. Our first product was launched in July, 2009, which received rave reviews from customers who are sensitive to both quality and service. Until now, Reolink has helped hundreds of thousands of people from all around the world. We have spent years looking for the perfect way to make your home and office more secure and comfortable. And with great efforts we currently offer a total of 5 product lines with mature technology. What’s more, Reolink’s “Plug and Play” technology brings great convenience for DIY users, without any reconfigurations or adjustments. And the Network Video Recorder (NVR) and IP camera integrated with latest 4K technology provide you with excellent view experience on a smartphone or tablet. We strive to develop innovative and progressive technology so that we can provide our customers with intelligent and straightforward solutions. What you think matters is what we care about. We hope a small step we take will lead to a big change in your life.

   Just as the name suggests the Argus 2 security camera by Reolink is the successor to their successful and award winning Argus and Argus Pro security cameras released a couple of years ago. Now although all three models feature 1080p Full HD recording (2 Megapixel/15fps/130 degrees diagonal angle), built-in microphone and speaker (two way audio), PIR motion sensor, IP-65 weather proof enclosures, wireless 2.4GHz connectivity (IEEE 802.11b/g/n), IR LEDs (range of up to 10 meters / 33 feet) and a micro SD card slot (PIR motion triggering recording files) they have some very basic differences. So although the original Argus came with 4 Lithium CR123A batteries (also supported rechargeable ones) the Argus Pro and Argus 2 come ready with rechargeable lithium ion battery packs (5200mAh) and a micro USB charging port at the rear which can be used with either a 5V 2A phone adapter or with Reolink's solar panel kit. This allows both the Argus Pro and Argus 2 to go on non-stop for many years (at least until the lithium battery pack needs to be replaced). There's also however a very significant change between the Argus Pro and the Argus 2 model and that's the new Starlight CMOS sensor used in the latter which not only offers better clarity and range but it also allows for color night vision instead of the typical black and white we see with the majority of security cameras in the market. This may not sound as a big deal and to some people it may not be but as you will see later on the difference this sensor makes is quite impressive and is really not something we weren't expecting from an affordable model like the Argus 2.

 

 

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Argus 2 arrived inside a black box that has a large product picture at the front.

 

 

The Reolink Android / iOS app is briefly mentioned on the right side of the box.

 

 

Reolink lists all of the product features on the left side.

 

 

At the rear of the box Reolink has placed a quick list of their product lines and their URL with their support email.

 

 

All the documentation is placed in an envelope located ontop of the Argus 2 camera which in turn is placed inside a formed piece of plastic.

 

 

Inside the box you will find the Argus 2 security camera with its magnetic mount, removable lithium battery pack, rubber cover, wall mount, mounting hole template, lanyard, USB to micro USB charging cable, security sticker (in some countries you need to have this placed on your property to inform people of the presence of a security camera), quick start guide (in 5 languages), warnings and safety paper, declaration of conformity paper and two plastic bags with wall mounting screws.

 

 

THE ARGUS 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once you remove the Argus 2 from the box you will notice that the rechargeable battery pack is not mounted on it.

 

 

The front of the camera is painted black and here we can see the PIR motion sensor, 6 IR LEDs (33ft range), 1080p lens and the built-in speaker and microphone (two-way audio).

 

 

The micro SD card slot (supports micro SD cards up to 64GB in capacity) is located on the left side of the camera and is protected by a small rubber cover.

 

 

Turning the Argus 2 around we see the lithium ion battery slot and a sticker with the device user name and password.

 

 

The 5200mAh lithium ion battery pack is among the largest capacity ones we've seen used in this type of security cameras.

 

 

Once you mount the battery pack onto the camera you will have what looks a lot like a 260g heavy egg.

 

 

You can always remove the battery pack by pressing the button at the top and pulling upwards (the microSD rechargeable port is located further down and is protected by a rubber cover).

 

 

In order to install the rubber "skin" you will need to remove the camera from the magnetic mount as seen above.

 

 

I am not entirely convinced about the amount of protection this rubber cover can give the Argus 2 when used outdoors but i am sure Reolink has done extensive tests with it.

 

 

The wall mount is not magnetic so you will need to screw it onto the camera as seen above.

 

 

ACCESSORIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you want the complete Argus 2 security package by Reolink you can also get the Solar Kit and extra skins as seen above.

 

 

Also do remember that in order to use the micro SD charging port with skins you will need to force open a small piece at the rear (pay extra attention when doing it because it's very easy to tear a much larger area).

 

 

REOLINK ANDROID / IOS APP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first thing you will be asked by the Android / iOS app is to either setup the camera (connect it to your WiFi for remote access) or access it directly from your smartphone / tablet.

 

 

The entire setup procedure is very easy so you just need to follow the steps above by first scanning the 2D barcode located at the rear of the camera.

 

 

After the camera has been successfully intergrated into your local network you will need to name it (and enable DST if applicable).

 

 

From the main app screen you will now be able to see the available camera (or cameras) with the state of its battery and enable/disable the PIR motion sensor feature.

 

 

From the settings menu you can enable push notifications, access the beta version or Reolink’s Cloud Storage (recording on the cloud), adjust the image quality, enable/disable sound, adjust the recording settings (length), enable/disable PIR motion recording, change the password, enable/disable all the LEDs, perform automatic and/or manual firmware updates and finally you can change the time/date and restore the unit to its factory state.

 

 

The app has two different quality settings clear (1080p/720p at 15fps with up to 2048Kbps bitrate) and fluent (360p at 15fps with up to 512kbps bitrate).

 

 

The beta plan for Reolink’s Cloud Service ends on September the 30th and offers up to 10GB of cloud recording space for up to a total of 5 Argus cameras (however do keep in mind that as the disclaimer states cloud recordings are not 100% secure).

 

 

From the device info you can see the name and model of the camera, its installed firmware version, hardware version and much more.

 

 

You can use the two way audio feature from within the app (press on the talk to talk and on the speaker over the screen to listen) and you can switch between fluent and clear quality modes (and black and white and color night modes) as seen above.

 

 

IMAGE QUALITY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DAY FLUENT (360P)

DAY CLEAR (1080P)

With a maximum recording resolution of 1920x1080p at 15fps and with a bitrate of up to 2048Kbps the results may not be perfect but certainly better than what we’ve seen by far more expensive (although quite older) security cameras like the Canary security system.

NIGHT FLUENT (360P)

NIGHT CLEAR (1080P)

Here you can all see the Starlight CMOS sensor in both black and white and color Night Vision (in order for color mode to work there needs to be some ambient light present and since my backyard features three small LED light sources it’s ideal for that – usually the Starlight sensor makes use of the light provided by the stars thus the name).

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Reolink may already count almost 10 years in the market but compared to some of the larger names out there they are still far from popular so when we stumbled onto their security solutions we were as expected somewhat skeptical. Still after spending 14 days testing the Argus 2 1080p Wire-Free Security Camera we think it’s among the fastest and easiest to use models in the market currently. Ontop of that image and audio quality are both extremely good (especially when you take into account the small size and lens of the Argus 2) and although when using the digital zoom feature things are far from ideal the same applies for most similar models (yes including the Canary and others). The solar kit Reolink offers is also extremely useful and combined with the 5200mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack of the Argus 2 it ensures that the camera will keep going indefinitely or at least for as long as it will take until you will need to replace the battery (for example we never had to charge the unit during these 14 days – arrived in our lab with a 64% battery charge and for the most part we used it plugged into the solar kit). Our sole problem with the Argus 2 was its signal strength at times and although we didn’t mind (happened on rare occasions) we didn’t like the fact that it changed to fluent mode from clear automatically because of that.

   We pointed out quite a few times in this review that the Argus 2 1080p Wire-Free Security Camera is quite affordable and with a current price tag set at USD129.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 134Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) we think that many of you will agree with us on that. Of course if you want the complete bundle you will also have to spend USD29.99/30Euros for the Solar Kit and USD9.99 for each Silicon Skin which ups the total cost to roughly USD180/180Euros (thus not as affordable). Bottom line the Argus 2 is not only extremely easy to setup and use but it’s also very compact, has great battery life and features a very good image quality both during the day and at night. Granted it’s a bit rough around the edges (just like several other similar security cameras like for example Canary and Piper) but it delivers where it counts and for that it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Size
- Full HD 1080p Starlight CMOS Sensor With Color Night Vision (Image Quality)
- Two Way Audio
- Easy Setup And Use (Reolink Android / iOS App)
- PIR Motion Sensor
- Battery Life
- Micro SD Card Slot (Local Recording)
- Cloud Recording (Still In Beta)

CONS

- Light Source Required For Color NV Mode
- Wireless Signal Strength (Rare But Happens)
- Average Bitrate
- Wireless Use Only