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Reolink Argus 3 pro security camera review: Compact wire-free recording locally or to the cloud
Reolink Argus 3 Pro security camera
pros and cons
- No hard wiring installation
- Solar powered
- Unobtrusive
- Quiet siren and voice volume
- Solar panel not included
I have been impressed with Reolink's range of security cameras each time one crosses my desk. And the Reolink Argus 3 Pro security camera is a very nice, upgraded addition to the line-up.
The camera is small and compact at 121 x 90 x 56mm and it weighs 330g (11.6 oz). The upgrade has added a few extras to this affordable sub-$110 camera.
The Argus 3 Pro has an upgraded 4MP lens with 2560 x 1440px resolutions. This gives greater detail to images, allowing you to zoom in for closer inspection.
This lens upgrade means that night vision from its 6 LEDs is also improved.
With the integrated 230 lumens spotlight you can see images in colour at night, and there is 16x digital zoom to get close-ups of the critters that prowl around at night.
There is also two-way audio -- serviced by a 2W speaker.
The camera uses PIR to detect humans or vehicles up to 33 feet away and reduce the risk of false positives caused by the wind blowing -- which can be really annoying in other security cameras.
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The Argus 3 Pro triggered fewer alerts than the Argus PT security camera I looked at last summer.
You can customise audio alerts and record your voice, and you can also configure the app to send you email alerts or push notifications when a camera is triggered by motion. The camera will then begin recording.
You can add an SD card up to 128GB -- or subscribe to the Reolink cloud to store your recordings. This is free for storing up to 1Gb of data for up to 7 days.
Alternatively you can pay $3.49 per month for up to five cameras and 30GB of cloud storage, or $10.49 per month for up to 20 cameras and 150GB of cloud storage
There is a 6500mAh battery on board which is charged by Reolink's solar panel -- sold separately. I like the ease of cameras configured with solar.
There is no drilling through walls to chase wires through, no searching for a power socket that will service the camera, and no power over Ethernet (PoE) trailing back to the nearest router.
Solar panels are also more eco friendly as they do not need electricity to power them.
The solar panel -- which is easy to install and connect -- means that the camera can be situated practically anywhere that is in range of your Wi-Fi router/repeater. The Wi-Fi works over 2.4 or 5GHz too.
I particularly like the fact that you can mask areas of the camera view and the camera will not record movement in this segment.
I live near a busy road, and can blank this part of the screen off so I do not capture all the traffic driving past. Other areas that could be blanked off could be your hot tub, pool, or parts of next door's garden.
The siren is not very loud at all where I live. The EZviz C3x is louder, and the SimCam 1S is super loud in comparison.
However, if you live in a quiet rural area the siren is probably adequate enough to deter intruders.
The Reolink app is superb. It's easy to install, configure, and connect the camera to the app, and there is no messing around with connectivity. The app configuration is simple, and intuitive and the camera is easy to control via the app.
For under $110, the Argus 3 Pro is an affordable compact addition to your security camera setup. There are no wires to confound you, and no subscription (if you choose the SD card option) to tie you into long-term contracts.