Where before only the most expensive homes had security cameras, the age of technology has made them accessible and affordable for almost anyone. It's a convenient way to monitor your home while you're away or watch deliveries come to your door to make sure no one takes off with the packages.
SummaryReolink Argus 2 Security CameraThe GoodThe BadSetting Up Reolink Argus 2Using the Reolink Argus 2Pros and ConsConclusionThe Reolink Argus 2 is one such security camera. It's inexpensive, can work indoors or outdoors, sets up in minutes and has a super long battery life, although it can also run on solar power which can be purchased separately. /P>
When you open the Reolink Argus 2 box, you will find:
The installation was very simple. As soon as I inserted the battery into the camera, it started talking to me with a prompt. I downloaded the app on my iPhone (also available for Android) and started the setup.
It was all about following the app's prompts, although I misunderstood an instruction that stopped me for a few minutes when I couldn't connect to Wi-Fi.
The app camera is used to read the QR code on the camera so that it recognizes it. This is then represented in the app, and you have to hold the Reolink Argus 2 camera on your phone to have it recognized the other way around. This is the only step I was missing.
After that, the app and the camera were successfully connected to each other and Wi-Fi. Looking at the app, I got this view of myself from the camera that was sitting on the breakfast bar in my kitchen.
You can see it wasn't fully charged and my husband wasn't going to hang it outside until the next day so I moved it to the lower counter and plugged it in to fully charge it while I was waiting. He took a few photos of himself reflected in my black granite counter when he detected movement around the counter.
Due to the multiple fixtures provided for hanging options, this made for a very easy five to ten minute installation. All you had to do was find the right angle and position, then screw it in. That's all it took, because the Reolink Argus 2 is wireless. You can see in the featured image at the top how it is affixed to the siding of our home.
I've since installed the app on my iPad as well, as I'm more likely to be on that device. It also contains instructions for installing it on a computer.
Opening the app, I can see a live feed of my camera view, seen above. This is what I have tonight as I write this review. I can turn my iPad around and get a wider view of the landscape. By clicking on the buttons at the bottom, I can take a video of what I'm watching or take a video as well.
Photos and videos can be shared immediately on Facebook or Twitter, or you can find the uploads on your device and share them as you wish. It also includes a microphone so you can speak with whoever is at your door.
Apart from displaying the app, it will also take photos on its own when it detects motion nearby. It emails me photos and also sends me a push notification.
That's my only complaint about the system, that Google doesn't think the app is safe. So when I tried to connect the app to my Gmail, Google did not allow the connection. I could change my Gmail to a less secure option, but that's definitely not something I want to do. So I created a separate Gmail account just for the camera and left it less secure. It still makes me a little uncomfortable.
I caught delivery people on my doorstep and a salesman, but mostly I caught my family. It's my daughter attacking the camera.
There's also an option to rewind and play the video up to a certain point, which is useful if you think someone tried to break into your house or want to see who came to your house. door while you are away. Reolink provides a convenient cloud service where you can upload all your videos and images, or you can insert a micro SD card into the camera.
I don't like the idea of people at my doorstep being in the cloud, so I decided to go with the micro SD card option. However, I haven't had a chance to insert the card to use it yet, because I waited to bring the camera inside to charge it, and it's still at 75% afterwards 1 and a half weeks! It's a remarkable battery!
But if you don't want to have to bring the camera every now and then to recharge the battery, there is also a solar panel available separately that will recharge the battery.
Another incident I want to highlight. We had a terrible snowstorm this weekend. I decided to turn on the camera to see how much snow was ahead and I couldn't see out of the camera. There was snow or ice on the lens blocking the view. I was worried that snow or ice would freeze on it, even though the unit is covered with some sort of raincoat which is provided to protect it from the weather.
However, a few hours later, once I got up and it was light again, everything on the camera lens was gone. The view was no longer erased. The snow outside wasn't melting yet, so I don't know how it got cleared.
Advantages
The disadvantages
Overall, the Reolink Argus 2 is a great and inexpensive camera considering its ease of use, long battery life, and optional solar power module. All things considered, I'll give it 4.5 stars out of 5 and suggest it to anyone who doesn't want too much noise but wants to keep their home safe.
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