Reolink Argus PT security camera review: Impressive pan and tilt with solar power
The Reolink Argus PT security camera is nice and compact, and just the thing you need for your small office security. It can pan up to 355 degrees to give you almost complete coverage and tilt 140 degrees vertically to give the optimum view of your space.
The camera is solid and well built and heavy in the hand. It looks rugged and is rated at IP65 is weather-proof for all the rain or dust storms that the weather can throw at it.
The camera can be mounted upside down or on a wall and delivers good 1080p images even in dim light with its Starlight image CMOS sensor.
I found the plastic mounting bracket to be really flimsy and the plastic would bend if I flexed it.
I am sure that a blow with something solid would easily remove the camera from its plastic mount.
I did not trust the mount, so I fashioned a flat piece of aluminum bar and used a standard tripod mount thread to fix it securely to the wall.
The solar panel for the Argus PT camera comes in a different box.
At just over 7 inches in length and 4.5 inches wide, it is reminiscent of an iPad mini. It has a long cable with a micro USB plug to connect to the camera and a mount.
The solar panel mount is metal and very well constructed — a far higher standard than the Argus PT mount itself. It mounts on any surface using the reasonably sized screws provided in the box.
Undo the locking collar, adjust the solar panel in any direction to catch the maximum sun rays, and tighten up the collar on the mount to secure the panel. If it needs to use its onboard 6500mAh battery, it will still record images after several dull days with little solar charge.
It was really simple to connect the camera to the app. Like the Netvue cameras, install the Reolink app, scan the QR code on the bottom of the camera, and connect to Wi-Fi.
Place the QR code generated on the app near the camera and connect the camera to the app. If you prefer, you can download the desktop software directly from Reolink for your desktop device.
The camera uses motion detection to preserve its battery. It is not switched on permanently.
Depending on the sensitivity settings, it will view movement up to 33ft with low sensitivity, 40ft on medium, and 52ft on high.
You can reduce false alarms by turning the camera away from bright lights, moving cars, air conditioner outlets, and foliage that will flutter in strong winds.
Unlike the Netvue Vigil camera, you can not set zones that the camera will ignore. Instead, you need to pan and tilt the camera to make sure that these areas are not captured by the camera.
When the camera detects movement, it saves an image and alerts you that there is movement in the area. You can define a schedule so you will not be alerted when you are out and about during the day.
The app lets you talk through the camera, pan, tilt and zoom, and playback the video. You can view 8,15, and 30 seconds of video notification.
All in all, the Reolink Argus PT security camera is a neat, well put together camera with a range of cool features. It is well worth the sub $160 price tag for peace of mind.
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