Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

The Reolink Argus is a versatile, affordable WiFi indoor/outdoor security camera for the home or small business. I found the product to be well-made, reliable, and effective, as well as aesthetically pleasing. I pay attention to the details of construction, and everything about this camera is solid. The fact that it is a weatherproof webcam narrows the competition considerably: Yes, there are many wireless web cams, but not many weatherproof ones at or near this price point (the Nest Cam Outdoor is twice as expensive, and has comparable specs). Here are my experiences and observations... Setup: There were no technical issues in setting up the camera -- everything worked as documented and setup was simple. The IOS app was easy to use, intuitively designed, and feature rich. My only technical issue with the app was that it hung a few times when it had too many motion activated alarms, requiring me to restart my iPhone. Support: Customer Support was very responsive: I had a question for Reolink customer support and received a reply the next day (considering the time zone difference, that is really a same-day response). The documentation was easy to understand. However, Argus has limitations, which is not surprising for a sub-$100 camera: -Some considerations: Security of Your Recording: To keep your recordings secure, requires the camera itself is placed in a secure location: Maybe this is obvious to many -- but it bears mention if you haven't thought through the implications of only MicroSD recording. Because the Argus can only record motion-triggered video or pics onto the internal MicroSD card (which you have to supply), this camera is not a suitable application for an insecure or publicly accessible area, unless it is well-hidden or protected, because a malicious intruder can defeat the purpose of video evidence by taking the camera or removing the MicroSD card. - WiFi needed for monitoring live or playing back video remotely: The Argus only offers a WiFi network connection, so you need a WiFi signal for live monitoring and remote playback (on a smartphone). But it’s strength is it’s a completely wireless webcam, so this is expected. - No off-camera *motion-triggered* recording available: The Argus only records on the MicroSD card when activated by motion detection, so you're limited to the space on your memory card (for manual recording, the Reolik smartphone apps can record a pic or video of what you’re viewing in real-time to your smartphone). - No Mac or PC interface available: The Argus app only supports IOS and Android clients currently, so if you wanted to operate it from your desktop that's not an option. My conclusion: I highly recommend this camera if you are seeking a well-made, affordable, truly indoor/outdoor security camera mounted in a secure or publicly inaccessible location, especially if you need to go completely wireless. For example, monitoring your yard with the camera mounted on an upper floor of the house or inside a window should work well. Because it's battery operated, it would be a perfect fit for monitoring an area that does not have power, such as a tree house or camp. I can't imagine a camera in this price range to be better made and offer more features (such as night vision, two way audio, and weatherproof). The Argus app can add up to four cameras, so if you think you'll expand beyond that then it is a consideration. The batteries are rated at roughly 6 mos. camera usage, so not having a hard-wired power option shouldn't be a problem for most applications. In terms of storage, Argus supports up to a 64Gb card, which is over 10,000 30 second videos at the resolution I use. UPDATE 10/14/2017 – Flexibility and Convenience: After using a few months with this camera, I am appreciating much more the advantages of moving this camera around while reliably connected to WiFi, with two-way audio, and have upgraded my rating to 5 stars. It is a compelling option for anyone who needs to monitor kids, an elderly person, or pets, and the location changes occasionally. For example, you have your kids in the living room, so you can watch and hear them when you’re in the office. They move to the backyard, and you relocate the camera. The long battery life makes this painless. We are having fun with this camera: Our dog occasionally does funny things, and we can snap a pic or video anytime onto our phone when we see it live. I also am appreciating the seamless integration of my two Reolink cameras in the iPhone app. I have a Reolink RLC-411WS mounted permanently on my roof deck, and can view both the Argus and 411WS images simultaneously in real-time on my phone, and adjust settings as necessary (the 411WS sends motion-triggered images and video via FTP to my server, which the Argus can’t do). For $215 for two cameras, I feel I have a robust and flexible security camera system that I can monitor anywhere from my iPhone.