mat200
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Reolink: Deconstruction of a dangerous misleading youtube review "Finding the BEST 4K Security Camera NVR Package (Reolink vs Amcrest vs Swann)"
- Thread starter mat200
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user8963
Known around here
love the review below...
"Bought this on recommendation from a Youtuber in the smart home niche by the name of "The Hook Up" and wasn't disappointed."
junction box ? not available
light near camera? must be good
wide angle? yeah can identify all from 1-100ft
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I've also fallen for the YouTube Reolink recommendations (though I did also do some wider research). Here's a couple of recordings of a thief on my street last night using Reolink RLC-810A IP Camera. First clip he's around 16ft from the camera, second clip he's across the road is 40ft away. Cameras set to 4k and max bitrate. The street lighting is very bright LEDs.
The thief has visited 3 out of the last 4 Sunday evenings, so was almost expecting him. Motion detection did work, but I have got it set to high so have been receiving very high number of false alarms. I called the police as I watched him across the street and was asked for a description - "just let me check the recording" - I couldn't even give them a skin colour! Cameras are being returned!
The thief has visited 3 out of the last 4 Sunday evenings, so was almost expecting him. Motion detection did work, but I have got it set to high so have been receiving very high number of false alarms. I called the police as I watched him across the street and was asked for a description - "just let me check the recording" - I couldn't even give them a skin colour! Cameras are being returned!
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user8963
Known around here
sebastiantombs
Known around here
No thanks. Post it on Rumble or YouTube and provide a link.
user8963
Known around here
I love viruses on my harddrive 
so here is the re-encoded version in 1080p (4k too big here)
View attachment encode2.mp4
View attachment encode1.mp4
so here is the re-encoded version in 1080p (4k too big here)
View attachment encode2.mp4
View attachment encode1.mp4
user8963
Known around here
I think you need 6mm or more in such an environment to get a close picture of the person. Your camera looks like 2.8mm, and regardless of camera brand, you will not be able to capture details well enough.
user8963
Known around here
Not sure about this model, but reolink use 4mm on all models as i remember. but yeah.. on 8MP 1/2.7..............
Good point - to be more precise we actually need to use the angle of view instead, as focal length and sensor size both play a role.
BTW, what camera model is it?
user8963
Known around here
not so wide angle..
but who trust reolink ?Thanks for reuploading the clips. I wasn't expecting amazing results for what I paid, but I did expect better results than this at a distance of 16ft. And I didn't expect people to magically disappear at a distance of 40ft! The angle is pretty tight, around 90 degrees iirc. Spec of the camera is as follows:
RLC-810A
Video & Audio
Image Sensor
1/2.49" CMOS Sensor
Video Resolution
3840x2160 (8.0 Megapixels) at 25 frames/sec
Lens
f=4.0mm fixed; F=2.0, with IR-cut filter
Video Format
H.265
Field of View
• Horizontal: 87°
• Vertical: 44°
Day & Night
Auto-switching IR-cut filter
Night Vision
30 meters (100ft) (LED: 18pcs/14mil/850nm)
Audio
Audio recording
RLC-810A
Video & Audio
Image Sensor
1/2.49" CMOS Sensor
Video Resolution
3840x2160 (8.0 Megapixels) at 25 frames/sec
Lens
f=4.0mm fixed; F=2.0, with IR-cut filter
Video Format
H.265
Field of View
• Horizontal: 87°
• Vertical: 44°
Day & Night
Auto-switching IR-cut filter
Night Vision
30 meters (100ft) (LED: 18pcs/14mil/850nm)
Audio
Audio recording
sebastiantombs
Known around here
Yep that is typical for a camera that plays with key parameters to make the still image look great, which the still image looks great, but then motion is complete crap.
I suspect if he checked your car, you would have seen the same blur/ghosting.
A 4mm, 8MP on a 1/2.49" sensor would be lucky under ideal situation (perp stops and looks at the camera) to get anything useful much beyond 10 feet. But then throw in a camera that plays with all the settings to produce a nice static image and this is what you get.
Thanks for sharing and glad you can return them!
Post this video to that YouTube comments section and thank them for the wonderful suggestion LOL.
For your next camera purchase, you need to decide what you want covered. Most of us here would have at least 3 cameras here - one on either side of your car facing in a criss-cross pattern and then one optically zoomed out to a point of interest or "pinch point" where someone would walk if they didn't come to your house.
My neighbor was bragging to me how he only needed his four 2.8mm fixed lens 4k cams to see his entire property and the street and his whole backyard. His car was sitting in the driveway practically touching the garage door and his video quality was useless to ID the perp not even 10 feet away. Meanwhile my 2MP varifocal optically zoomed in to the public sidewalk provided the money shot to the police to get my neighbors all their stuff back. Nobody else had video that could provide anything useful, other than what time this motion blur ghost was at their car. That neighbor with the 4k started to replace with 2MP models based on what he saw my do compared to his.
Here are my general distance recommendations, but switch out the Dahua 5442 series camera to the equivalent 2MP on the 1/2.8" sensor or equivalent Hikvision works as well.
One camera cannot be the be all, see all. Each one is selected for covering a specific area. Most of us here have different brands and types, from fixed cams, to varifocals, to PTZs, each one selected for it's primary purpose and to utilize the strength of that particular camera.
I suspect if he checked your car, you would have seen the same blur/ghosting.
A 4mm, 8MP on a 1/2.49" sensor would be lucky under ideal situation (perp stops and looks at the camera) to get anything useful much beyond 10 feet. But then throw in a camera that plays with all the settings to produce a nice static image and this is what you get.
Thanks for sharing and glad you can return them!
Post this video to that YouTube comments section and thank them for the wonderful suggestion LOL.
For your next camera purchase, you need to decide what you want covered. Most of us here would have at least 3 cameras here - one on either side of your car facing in a criss-cross pattern and then one optically zoomed out to a point of interest or "pinch point" where someone would walk if they didn't come to your house.
My neighbor was bragging to me how he only needed his four 2.8mm fixed lens 4k cams to see his entire property and the street and his whole backyard. His car was sitting in the driveway practically touching the garage door and his video quality was useless to ID the perp not even 10 feet away. Meanwhile my 2MP varifocal optically zoomed in to the public sidewalk provided the money shot to the police to get my neighbors all their stuff back. Nobody else had video that could provide anything useful, other than what time this motion blur ghost was at their car. That neighbor with the 4k started to replace with 2MP models based on what he saw my do compared to his.
Here are my general distance recommendations, but switch out the Dahua 5442 series camera to the equivalent 2MP on the 1/2.8" sensor or equivalent Hikvision works as well.
- 5442 fixed lens 2.8mm - anything within 10 feet of camera OR as an overview camera
- 5442 ZE - varifocal - distances up to 40-50 feet (personally I wouldn't go past the 30 foot range but I like things closer)
- 5442 Z4E - anything up to 80-100 feet (personally I wouldn't go past 60 feet but I like things closer)
- 5241-Z12E - anything from 80 feet to almost 200 feet (personally I wouldn't go past 150 feet because I like things closer)
- 5241-Z12E - for a license plate cam that you would angle up the street to get plates up to about 175 feet away, or up to 220 with additional IR.
- 49225 PTZ - great PTZ and in conjunction with an NVR or Blue Iris and the cameras above that you can use as spotter cams to point the PTZ to the correct location to compliment the fixed cams.
One camera cannot be the be all, see all. Each one is selected for covering a specific area. Most of us here have different brands and types, from fixed cams, to varifocals, to PTZs, each one selected for it's primary purpose and to utilize the strength of that particular camera.
I'm using Synology Surveillance Station via my NAS and the key frame settings aren't available so I guess that these cameras are not compatible. This thread on Reddit seems to suggest the issue is what wittaj mentions above:
Having many issues with Reolink 810A and 1220A cameras
Basically great pictures achieved by overriding the user defined settings, with the minor drawback that the cameras are useless with anything that moves and requires that the criminal poses completely still for a few seconds very close to the camera. It's almost like the engine emissions scandal or when graphics card manufacturers used to configure the cards to perform well in benchmarks - Reolink cameras are designed for the Youtube, 'stand at the end of the drive with a sign, completely still for a few seconds' test.
Having many issues with Reolink 810A and 1220A cameras
Basically great pictures achieved by overriding the user defined settings, with the minor drawback that the cameras are useless with anything that moves and requires that the criminal poses completely still for a few seconds very close to the camera. It's almost like the engine emissions scandal or when graphics card manufacturers used to configure the cards to perform well in benchmarks - Reolink cameras are designed for the Youtube, 'stand at the end of the drive with a sign, completely still for a few seconds' test.
Yep, any changing to settings to slow the shutter down and brighten the image to make the still picture look great, but it comes at a cost of motion blur and ghosting. I can make a cheap camera look like noon when it is midnight out, but then motion is complete crap.
These consumer grade companies have convinced the average consumer that videos like this are acceptable. Consumers are conditioned to believe that you cannot get good quality night images from surveillance cameras.
Look at all the countless Nextdoor and FB posts where people are posting crap video and pics and not one person ever says "hey there are cameras that can give you better images". It is just accepted that this is the best that can be done.
The police are shocked when something happens and I can actually provide them video and pictures that are useful. Even they are conditioned to believe that good night video isn't possible.
These consumer grade companies have convinced the average consumer that videos like this are acceptable. Consumers are conditioned to believe that you cannot get good quality night images from surveillance cameras.
Look at all the countless Nextdoor and FB posts where people are posting crap video and pics and not one person ever says "hey there are cameras that can give you better images". It is just accepted that this is the best that can be done.
The police are shocked when something happens and I can actually provide them video and pictures that are useful. Even they are conditioned to believe that good night video isn't possible.
looney2ns
IPCT Contributor
A 5442 series cam, we all like around here, would simply blow these Crap-o-links out of the water. You have enough light to get a great shot from a 5442.