Over the years I have had a lot of security cameras rotate into my space, just off the top of my heads I can name six brands. But one name is replacing every other one at my place, one camera at a time – Reolink. The latest launch from them is the Reolink Solar Floodlight Cam.
The timing of the launch coincides with Earth Day on 22 April, a timely reminder of the growing demand for sustainable, renewable energy for our little home in space.
You may have seen a sponsored post about solar security camera on the DRN site in the past few weeks. I (Kevin) have a strong stance on ads and sponsorship on DRN, and hand on my heart, Reolink are doing great things with their products. Another reason that I back Reolink is how the company responds to feedback.
Despite my penchant for the brand, this review is my unbiased opinion of the Solar Floodlight Cam. I have editorial integrity to uphold.
Technical Specifications: 2K Resolution and WiFi 6
Just like the rest of the Reolink products, you are free from monthly subscription costs. What you pay upfront gives you everything but a microSD card. All features, nothing locked behind paywall. Yes, even the AI features.
With the Solar Floodlight Cam, there are some features of note.
SolarEase: Reolink claims a 26% photoelectric conversion efficiency which is higher than the industry average. This helps to keep your 7800 mAh battery charging even on slightly overcasts, although some direct sun occasionally will go a long way to keeping things at 100%.
Adjustable Colour Temperature: Reolink has brought this feature across from TrackFlex and the Elite Floodlight. You can adjust the temperature of the light from warm (3000K) to cool (6000K). Why? Because aesthetics matter.
WiFi 6 Support: Dual bank WiFi 6 connectivity means fast connection times and more stable video. After all, we are all tired of IoT devices being stuck on 2.4GHz and causing issues on routers that does not separate the broadcast.
Brightness intensity: Naturally you can adjust this. Also, the floodlights are in the “wings” configuration on either side of the camera, and can be adjusted up and down as well as back and front.
The all important image capture is onto a 1/3″ sensor, and is a good pairing with the 2K (2560 x 1440) resolution. If you are looking at marketing numbers and is disappointed at nothing seeing 4K here, it is actually a good thing – the 2K gives the better quality in this pairing.
The slight trade off here is that due to the sensor size, it does need the 1000 lumen floodlights to produce good quality colour images at night.
Installation and Positioning: True Wireless Freedom
Solar. All the benefits and none of the pain.
That said, this particular unit has the solar panel integrated directly on top of the camera module. Unlike the other units from Reolink with separate solar panels, the position of where you place the this particular unit does matter.
As has been the case, adding a Reolink camera to your ecosystem is a breeze. I have done this so many times now and it just works. One change that I do appreciate a lot, is that the camera no longer blasts out “Welcome to Reolink” in multi languages at high volume until the pairing is successful. It just does a loud chirp to let you know it is ready for you to proceed.
I would highly recommend getting the basics configured before you try to mount it up somewhere. It just saves you from standing around on a ladder. OH&S and all that good stuff.
Getting the camera secured in location is simple. You just need to drill two holes to mount the bracket base, then screw in the arm to lock the swivel in place, the screw the camera unit onto that. Job done.
For me, I replaced a different brand camera that I had up on a tree. 99.9% of the time it is going to look at absolutely nothing happening, but that 0.1% chance of catching a drop bear in the act? I got it covered.
I will note up front that yes, putting a camera in a tree with a fixed solar panel is not ideal. However for this particular unit I am putting it in a very low traffic area. And with the immense flexibility of a solar powered camera, I only need some sunlight hitting the panel semi regularly to keep things ticking along. It is of course, wise to charge it up to 100% first using a USB charger.
Whilst I am talking about positioning, for us in the southern hemisphere, north facing for the solar panel is the optimal positioning.
The app has a built in battery power analysis, but you need to run it for four weeks to get calculations out of it. I haven’t run the full four weeks yet, but it will be useful for me to figure out what mode I should run the unit in eventually.
Visual Performance: 2K Clarity and Night Vision
If you have the camera set to Fluent on the app, the quality is kind of horrendous (especially on my very *ahem* lush grass). Fluent resolution is locked at 640 x 368 so yes, it’s low res.
But if you flip it over to Clear, then you get the 2K goodness. Part of the benefits of the WiFi 6 connectivity is that when I am on the local network, I can always run the live view on Clear mode. The Fluent mode is reserved for when I need to check the footage from a throttled bandwidth situation.
Something that is important to note, is that the Solar Floodlight Camera max out at 15 frames per second (fps). This means it is suitable for general security use, but if you are needing it for mission critical locations – driveway covering delivery, preventing porch pirates, etc, this will not deliver the clarity and smooth footage you may require.
As a more budget conscious camera, the feature set is also more limited. For example there are none of the threshold detection that is available in the Elite Floodlight, and there is no pan or tilt function such as the TrackFlex.
You do have privacy masks, non-detection zones and the Time Lapse feature.
Is it a deal breaker? I would not say so. Security is always about layering, much like dressing for Melbourne weather. You want to mix and match cameras to put emphasis on certain capabilities at different points.
Verdict: The Ideal Budget-Friendly Perimeter Scout
So, where does the Reolink Solar Floodlight Cam sit in your security schema?
If security is about layering, this camera is the perimeter scout. It requires no wiring – either from unit power OR from a separately mounted solar panel. With a wide 150° field of view, it is ideal to be deployed at the very edges of your property – fencelines, back gates, or that dark corner of the yard where power cables fear to tread.
And since there is no exposed wire anywhere, you can rest easy that no rodents is going to chew through a cable.
Price at RRP A$179.99, it makes for a budget conscious first line of defence. Its job is to detect movement early, blast the area with 1,000 lumens of light and alert you that something is afoot before an intruder even reaches your home. This is where convenience and light are more important than forensic-level detail.
For closer to the home is where you place the better 4K cameras such as the driveway, front porch, and back door – locations where you need to capture clear faces and license plates at high frame rates.
At this price, and at time of publishing is discounted to A$161.99, it is a self-sustaining sentry that bridges the gap between “it’s too dark to see” and “I don’t want to pay an electrician.” It is not the hero of your security layer, but it will be a key member of the team.
it will also be coming to The Good Guys and Bunnings over the coming weeks.
DRN would like to thank Reolink for providing the review unit ahead of formal launch.
