Reolink 4K PTZ PoE Home Security Camera Outdoor with Spotlights, Person/Vehicle/Pet Detection, 5X Optical Zoom, 360° Pan 90° Tilt Color Night Vision, Auto Tracking, Two-Way Audio, RLC-823A

Product Information

So first off, out of the box we have the warranty and waterproof lid installation guides, after lifting out the first section of styrofoam, we find several accessories and parts for installation inside the open hole (facing up looking into the box).

That being said, if you need a high-zoom lens, then you will struggle to find a better option than the Reolink RLC-823A 16X. It will work well in commercial settings or on properties with a lot of open land. The niche appeal of this camera is also reflected in the pricing, as it is the most expensive camera Reolink sells. The RLC-823A 16X also has a narrower field of view with just 54.2° vs 105° with the camera fully zoomed out.I will have to take some license plate pictures night vs day, but just the bit of testing done the night time quality “should” catch a license plate relatively well because of its reflective values. You can somewhat read the mailbox in both the clipped image and clear image zooming in. The 823A is IP66 certified weatherproof and can operate in any location with a temperature between 14° and 131° Fahrenheit and 20% to 80% humidity. Features Fail proof fall design. With the wire clip, this can help prevent damage incase the camera came apart from the actual mount. To set up the camera, you need to connect the camera to a PoE switch/injector for network connection. After that, you may finish the initial setup via both Reolink App and Client. Unlike most of the recent Reolink cameras, this doesn’t switch to colour night vision when. I assume this is because the illumination wouldn’t be adequate enough for colour footage with such a high zoom.

As impressive as it is, I’d say the 16x zoom makes this quite a niche camera compared to many of the other Reolink cameras. The narrow FoV limits appeal the appeal somewhat, and you need enough space to take advantage of that 16x zoom.

This camera boasts a waterproof feature, ensuring its durability and functionality in diverse weather conditions. It has been certified with an International Protection (IP) code of IP66, signifying its ability to withstand dust and powerful water jets from any angle. Do not place the camera in a shaded area and point it towards a well-lit area. Or, it may result in poor image performance. For better image quality, please make sure that the lighting condition for both the camera and the captured object is the same. The camera may work in extremely cold conditions as low as -25°C as it will produce heat when powering on. You may power on the camera indoors for a few minutes before installing it outdoors.

I am an Android guy so I only have experience with the Android version of its mobile app. I found the app to be easy to use and can’t recall any notable issues in the couple of years I have been using it. All settings are done through the app and easy to figure out. Remote access just works. I didn’t have to do anything special like open ports to make it work.The blue poker tool is to pop open the Micro SD card cover, and to push the Micro SD card in. (Screws do not fall out like original RLC-823a) Once the camera is set up, you can control it via the companion app, which we’ll dig into more in a second. You can also integrate the app controls with Google Assistant, and use voice controls to operate your camera. Alexa support is “coming soon,” but Reolink has yet to confirm an exact date. With the zoomed-out view, there is nothing particularly special about it. The image quality is good, as you’d expect for an 8MP 4K camera. Zooming in shows you just how good this is; I zoomed in on some of the street signs around my property. It is the zoom that’s the most impressive feature of this camera. My property is not best suited to this specific camera, but I placed it outside my first-floor office window facing towards the road.