5MP PoE Camera Outdoor, Human/Vehicle/Animal Detection RLC-520A

Got a relatively large home CCTV system of 9 cameras, mixed brands, recording 24/7 on a HikVision NVR. Mostly bullet cameras as felt easier to site and point where wanted as typically minidomes can be adjusted pan and tilt only (no twist like a bullet camera, typically…) Due to where the camera was going I opted for a minidome as more discrete. Ordered an alternative cheaper brand initially, but first one unstable (returned no issue), second one glitchy and also unstable so returned too. I’d skipped the Reolink minidome initially as wasn’t the cheapest, but as I already have a Reolink bullet which works like a treat and has rock solid firmware it seemed the obvious choice. Not sure if I had missed it in the description, but opened the box to check and inspect and had a pleasant surprise… Other cheaper minidomes typically have limited flexibility when installing as can pan and tilt (I.e. Left/Right and Up/Down) but that doesn’t always get you exactly where you want. However with this Reolink, it also has a twist ability. That might not sound like a big thing, but it basically means you get the flexibility of where you want to point the camera just like a bullet but in the neat and discrete package of a minidome. 🙂 Win Win! Second very significant point I noticed was that on many other cheaper minidomes, you remove the dome/cover with an allen/torx key, install/fix the camera then re-install the cover. This typically results in allowing moisture/humidity into the camera during install, and also means you don’t have a watertight seal to the elements. I’m turn this increases the chances of having condensation inside the camera which not only obscures the image but can also shorten the lifespan of the camera over time, even if packed with silica gel. The Reolink camera however doesn’t have either of those issues. Reason being is that to install the camera, you have a separate mounting plate which the camera clips onto, and the camera is sealed and doesn’t need to be opened or tampered with reducing or eliminating any issues from moisture/humidity. So, in short, really very impressed with the design and overall package of this minidome. Given that it gives the same benefits of a bullet but less intrusively due to being a minidome I will be looking to use these in the future. On the firmware side, I already have 1 Reolink bullet so was confident on that side but compared to the cheaper alternatives, the Reolink (Not generic IP camera firmware) firmware is responsive, simple and solid. As a mention, whilst there isn’t an option to change the codec from the standard h265 if you check the Reolink website there is a h264 rtsp feed which you can use for older equipment that doesn’t support h265 so this camera should be able to work on almost any NVR or viewer. 🙂 And lastly the one I purchased was a 5MP (All my other cameras are 8mp/4K) but this provides a very clear image for a 5MP in my opinions and there is very little difference in overall image quality vs my 4K cameras. So overall 10/10 and very good value for money, will definitely be buying more in the future. 👍🏻

Everything a CCTV Camera should be, great quality picture and works with DVR Recorder on a fixed Local IP Address, and most importantly you have full control over the configuration of the camera, would defo highly recommend Reolink.

Right, the good bits. Image quality great day or night, setup of reolink cameras are probably one of the best. The android app and pc app work fantastic and easy to use. I use blue iris and can confirm rtsp and onvif work fine. Customer services is probably the best I've had in the past 10 yrs. Now the bad bit: The mounting system isnt good at all, after following the instructions to the T. The camera would rotate super easy my kids 80gram air filled plastic ball moved it without any effort. I did contact reolink customer service who sent me out another before I sent the faulty one back at my request (there was a reason). Unfortunately the replacement was the same. To save messing about with returns etc I asked reolink if I could put a small screw in the replacement through the bracket and just kissing the body of the camera to hold it in place and asked if I did this would it affect my warranty to which I was told it wouldn't. It's pretty obvious this is a design flaw in this particular model (i do have other reolink models and they are all fantastic). Great camera all in all bit cant give 5 stars it loses one for the design and one for me having to use a screw to rectify it, which I shouldn't have to do! **UPDATE After seeing this review Reolink customer services has been in touch apologising. As an apology they have sent me a £5 refund. It's great to see a company actively looking at reviews of there products, once again really impressed with Reolinks customer service. I have given an extra star to reflect the customer service aspect. I know this is a product review but customer services is such an important part of a product too.

It works much better then expected. It's my first proper cctv but it has everything I needed: - not depending on some stupid cloud account (although their mobile app is quite usefull) - can hook it to nas/home assistant thanks to standard protocols it supports - picture quality is great (for me) even in night - motion detection works quite well, even it could be slightly better motion detection: Not sure if it ever missed any motion but few times (like 3x per year) I've got false-positive detection without any real movement - in heavy rain or wind causing tree movement. Sometimes it has difficulty to differentiate between person and animal, but that could be caused by angle it's installed(basically from top to bottom). Not sure about car detection, don't have a road in the view.

Have two professionally installed by my son at my house, one front one back. He has the same at his house. Amazed at the clarity and all the different ways you can choose to set it up. Easy to find what you want on playback due to choice of dates and time, symbols for people ,vehicles and animals. Good infrared images at night. Also records and plays back sounds if you want that. Waterproof, survived some terrible weather in the two months since they were set up. You can also black out parts of the picture like your neighbours garden so as not to invade their privacy. I’ve got very good neighbours and I thought it was right to tell them they were there. There were no objections and one is pleased it covers his drive and cars too. Not easy to see from ground level either. Very unobtrusive under the gutter. Amazing for rhe money Patrick

Easy set up with app but also use directly with Raspberry Pi. Can even view on tv using vlc. Clear picture day and night. Motion alerts very quick. Will be buying more.

Great camera but stopped working 8 months after purchase :( oh and these are not compatible with hikvision nvr’s they do use ONVIF but hik nvr don’t recognise the username and password for the camera

So i already have two RLC410-5mp and two E1 Pro Reolink cameras. This new camera i expected to be a step up but inreality it's poor. It has an increased Framerate on my others but there is too much ghosting at night. It works OK on the android app and Client but i can't get it recording to my NAS as keeps leading to nonsense pixel distorted images (see pic) and drops frames for several seconds. Lowering bandwidth doesn't help. The work around is to change the transport protocol which then effects events and also it then won't record audio. This is a common fault (do a google search) for all of reolinks smart cameras e.g. RLC-820a. Non-smart cameras don't appear to be effected. Overall, i'm not impressed, despite a lengthy but slow customer support, I sent it back for a refund. I upgraded (3x the price) to a DS-2CD2347G2-LU and the quality difference is incredible. Colour vision at night, in pitch black, is a game changer. The Motion/smart/detection alerts are in a different league. I was going to upgrade my RLC-410s to new 4k Reolinks but i'm not after experiencing this camera. This camera may be more acceptable if £30 like I paid for each of my RLC410s

Fonctionne très bien mais attention elle est réglable manuellement mais fixe.

Si hubiera que definir a la Reolink RLC-520A con una sola palabra, sería exactamente esa, **"cumple"**. Es una cámara de seguridad que va directa al grano, ofreciendo características de gama media-alta sin florituras innecesarias ni cuotas mensuales abusivas. Aquí tenéis un desglose de por qué esta cámara es una opción tan sólida y dónde tiene sus límites. ## Lo que más destaca (Sus puntos fuertes) * **Detección inteligente sin suscripciones:** Este es quizás su mayor acierto. La cámara es capaz de distinguir entre personas, vehículos y animales gracias a su procesamiento interno. Esto reduce drásticamente las falsas alarmas provocadas por sombras, ramas o insectos, y lo mejor de todo es que no te obliga a pagar una nube mensual para usar esta función. * **Instalación PoE (Power over Ethernet):** Con un solo cable de red solucionas la alimentación eléctrica y la transmisión de datos. Para quienes buscan estabilidad y no quieren depender de enchufes cercanos o de la inestabilidad del Wi-Fi, esto es una ventaja enorme. * **Calidad de imagen excelente:** Su sensor de 5 megapíxeles (2560x1920) ofrece una resolución Super HD. Esto significa que, a diferencia de las cámaras 1080p tradicionales, puedes hacer zoom digital en la grabación y seguir reconociendo rostros o matrículas con claridad. * **Visión nocturna fiable:** Gracias a sus 18 LEDs infrarrojos, proporciona una imagen nítida en total oscuridad hasta a 30 metros de distancia. * **Construcción robusta:** Su cuerpo de aleación de metal con certificación IP66/IP67 la hace resistente al polvo, lluvias torrenciales y temperaturas extremas. Al ser formato domo (circular), es también más discreta y menos propensa a ser vandalizada o movida por el viento que las de formato bala. ## Especificaciones Clave | Característica | Detalle | |---|---| | **Resolución** | 5 Megapíxeles (2560 x 1920 a 30 fps) | | **Lente / Ángulo** | 4.0mm fijo / 80° horizontal | | **Visión Nocturna** | Infrarroja (Blanco y negro), hasta 30 metros | | **Almacenamiento** | Ranura MicroSD (hasta 256GB/512GB), NVR Reolink, FTP | | **Audio** | Micrófono integrado (solo graba audio, no tiene altavoz) | | **Integración** | Google Assistant | ## Lo que podría mejorar (Sus puntos débiles) * **Ángulo de visión algo cerrado:** Con 80 grados horizontales, su campo de visión es un poco más estrecho que el de otras cámaras de la competencia (que suelen rondar los 90-120 grados). Es perfecta para apuntar a puntos concretos (una puerta, un pasillo, una entrada), pero si quieres cubrir un jardín muy ancho con una sola cámara, puede quedarse corta. * **Sin audio bidireccional:** Tiene un micrófono excelente para escuchar lo que ocurre alrededor, pero al no tener altavoz, no puedes usarla para hablar con el repartidor o espantar a un intruso. * **Rotación manual:** Una vez la atornillas a la pared o techo, tienes que ajustar el ángulo de la lente a mano. No cuenta con motores (Pan/Tilt) para moverla desde la aplicación. ## Veredicto La Reolink RLC-520A es el equivalente a un coche utilitario fiable: no tiene las funciones más extravagantes del mercado, pero lo que hace, lo hace de manera sobresaliente. Si tienes forma de pasar un cable de red y buscas una cámara de videovigilancia que grabes en alta calidad, detecte humanos con precisión y no te cobre mensualidades, es una inversión que aprueba con nota. Definitivamente, cumple con creces.

Die Kamera überzeugt durch ihre kinderleichte Handhabung, robusten Aufbau und guter Bildqualität bei Tag und Nacht. Die Montageplatte kann mit Hilfe der beiliegenden Schablone leicht an einer geeigneten Stelle angeschraubt werden. Darauf wird die Kamera mit einem Dreh befestigt und der Videokopf nach Bedarf ausgerichtet. Dieser ist sehr leicht beweglich, nach meinem Empfinden fast schon zu leichtgängig. Vorher sollte man noch eine Mikro-SD-Karte einsetzen, zB. 128GB (auf die kleinen Schrauben aufpassen, die lassen sich gerne suchen). Die Videos (mp4-Format) werden dort gespeichert, zusätzlich können sie parallel noch auf einem FTP-Server abgelegt (als mp4 und / oder jpg) oder so auch per Mail versendet werden. Aus der Kamera ist ein ca. 30cm langes Kabel (12V, Resettaster, LAN-Kabel) herausgeführt und mit halbwegs wasserdichten Steckern ausgestattet. Die Kamera unterstützt Power over Ethernet (PoE). Ein erforderliches Netzteil (12V 2A 5.5mm Anschluss) oder PoE-Netzteil mit Hub sind leider nicht im Lieferumfang enthalten. Dafür sind 5 Stück Hinweisaufkleber in verschiedenen Sprachen auf eine 24h Kameraüberwachung und ein 1m Ethernet-Kabel beiliegend. Für die schnelle Einrichtung mit Smartphone (Reolink-App) wird ein QR-Code gescannt, der zusammen mit dem Login-Passwort auf der Kamera aufgedruckt ist. Die IP-Adresse im LAN kann auch durch den Router ggf. auch durch dessen Push-Service angezeigt werden oder man ermittelt die Cam-IP mit einem LAN-Scanner. Anschließend noch das Kennwort ändern und der Kamerazugriff ist mit der App auch außerhalb des Heimnetzwerk ohne VPN über mobile Daten möglich. Die Software ist nicht gut beschrieben aber dennoch durch etwas probieren schnell verständlich. Ob man die Einstellungen lieber per App, Browser oder der (PC) Reolink-Client-Software machen möchte, muss jeder für sich selbst herausfinden. Die Software steht auf der Herstellerseite für Android, Windows7 oder höher und Mac OS 10.9 oder höher als Download zur Verfügung, leider nicht direkt für Linux ( Wine Bottle Linux mit *.exe verwenden!) Die Performance und Live-Ansicht mit der Reolink-Client-Software ist deutlich besser gegenüber der eines Browser, wo teilweise Verzögerungen um bis zu 1/2 Minute auftreten. (Der Paketbote klingelt schon an der Tür während man ihn in der Liveansicht erst aus dem Auto klettern sieht). Mir gefällt die Datenschutzmaske, mit der sich vier verschiedene Bereiche individuell ausblenden lassen. (Wichtig, falls sich der Nachbar überwacht fühlt und die Polente auf den Plan ruft) Für die Bewegungserkennung lassen sich Bereiche frei definieren. In diesen kann die Kamerasoftware zwischen allgemeinen-, Mensch- und Auto-Bewegungen relativ gut unterscheiden, deren Größe und Empfindlichkeit getrennt eingestellt werden kann. Mit Build-Version 23xx werden auch noch Tiere erkannt. Diese Kamera hat noch Build-Version 22xx. Man muss etwas länger herumprobieren, bis man das gewünschte Ergebnis hat und nicht jede Bewegung unnötig erfasst wird. Nur in der App wird dazu hilfsweise ein blauer Erkennungsrahmen angezeigt, wenn diese Option (Beta) und der Anzeigemodus "klar" ausgewählt ist. Die Videoqualität bei Tag und Nacht ist sehr gut, auch wegen der integrierten IR-Beleuchtung. Die Umschaltung erfolgt je nach eingestelltem Dämmerungswert automatisch. Nummernschilder sind auch in 10m Entfernung noch gut erkennbar. Konfigurierbare Zeitraffer-Aufnahmen sind ebenfalls ein interessantes Feature. Für diesen Preis bekommt man hier eine ziemlich gute Überwachungskamera, da stört auch der "Fischaugeneffekt" an den Bildrändern nicht sonderlich.

Högupplöst trådbunden kamera som har viss inbyggd logik, t.ex. kan differentiera mellan människor och fordon. Lätt att installera. Inspelning på micro-SD kort i kameran. Mycket bra för pengarna den kostar.

Easy to connect to your phone using the downloaded app and a network cable. Takes in a wide view of reasonable quality.