This Reolink RLC-820A versus Reolink RLC-822A review is designed to enlighten you about these two cameras.
Are you searching for a Reolink security camera to keep your property safe? If so, you are in the right place. You might also be wondering what the difference is between the Reolink RLC-820A and Reolink RLC-822A.
This article provides you with the information you need to compare these Reolink cameras appropriately. In the end, you will be able to choose which one of them meets your needs.
Reolink is a security camera company that offers a range of wired and wireless security cameras for home and small business use. The company prides itself on making high-quality, easy-to-use security cameras that are affordable for everyone.
With Reolink, you can get cutting-edge home security systems that give you peace of mind with monitoring your home or office from anywhere in the world.
With these systems, you can see and control what’s happening in your home from your smartphone or computer and also receive real-time alerts if something happens. These Reolink security cameras are also easy to set up and use, so you’ll be up and running in no time.
Let’s get started.
The Reolink RLC-820A and Reolink RLC-822A cameras are very similar in appearance. While they share a lot of similarities, there are a few key differences between the two.
Reolink RLC-820A Review
We shall in this section cover in detail the features of the Reolink RLC-820A camera.
(1) Camera Image Features
The Reolink RLC-820A camera is built with a 1/2.49-inch CMOS sensor which gives you very good light sensitivity. The lens is an f-4.0 mm and F-2.0 with a horizontal field of view of 87 degrees, and a vertical field of view of 44 degrees.
One of the most remarkable features of the Reolink RLC-820A is the 4k ultra high-definition image and video quality. With 8MP resolution (3840 x 2160, 25 frames per second), You get to see the finest details of events from the camera while streaming from it or playing back recorded footage.
Also, the Reolink RLC-820A performs beautifully at night as it is built with 18 infrared LEDs that give you a bright view up to 100 feet/30 meters. To make this even better, the Reolink RLC-820A is designed with an advanced 3D-DNR, that produces a well-toned image.
As expected of a security camera, the Reolink RLC-820A is also able to perform automatic switching from daytime to nighttime. Lastly on the image features, the Reolink RLC-820A has the ability to display time-lapse.
(2) Network Connectivity
The Reolink RLC-820A is a PoE camera. You may wonder what PoE means if you are not familiar with networking. PoE simply means Power over Ethernet, it enables power, and network connectivity to be transmitted via an Ethernet cable. This means for the Reolink RLC-820A, you just need to connect one end of the network cable provided for you, to the camera and the other end to your router.
Also, note that your router must be a PoE Enabled Router for this to work. If you have an existing router that is not PoE enabled, this also can be taken care of. The Reolink RLC-820A is built with a power cable attached to it, with this you can power the camera with a 12 Volts, 1 Amp power supply unit (purchased separately). You can also choose to use a PoE Injector, as this works fine as well. If you are not conversant with PoE connections, you can take a look at our review of the Reolink RLC-1212A as this is extensively explained.
(3) Recording and Motion Detection
The Reolink RLC-820A supports three types of recording and three types of storage mediums. It records by motion detection, scheduled recording, and continuous recording.
The camera enables storing of recorded footage on an SD card, an NVR, or FTP Server. The maximum SD card it supports is 256GB. Reolink NVRs or other supported NVRs are recommended for use if you need to store videos for longer.
The Reolink RLC-820A also supports audio recording as it is built with a microphone. However, it is not a two-way audio camera.
The camera supports motion zones, with this you can gray out sections of your field of view that you do not want notifications for.
The best motion detection feature of the Reolink RLC-820A is its human/vehicle motion detection. It can also detect pets but limited to only dogs and cats. This remarkable feature ensures you receive accurate alerts only.
Also, when you receive the notifications, you are notified if it is a person, vehicle, or pet. These notifications are triggered by the Reolink app on your mobile phone or desktop application, and you receive email notifications with a screenshot of the event as well.
(4) Remote Monitoring
With the Reolink RLC-820A, you can view live feeds and recorded videos from your camera via the mobile app and desktop application. On these two applications, you can rewind your videos and also view them frame-by-frame as well.
(5) Outdoor and Indoor Capability
The Reolink RLC-820A is designed as an outdoor camera but can function indoors as well. With respect to its outdoor capabilities, it is weatherproof and IP66 Certified. This means it can withstand the adverse effects of any harsh weather.
(6) Smart Controls
The Reolink RLC-820A supports Google Assistant, with Alexa in view. With regards to Google Assistant, there are some points to take note of which are:
(i) Google Home is not supported in every country.
(ii) You should have a Chromecast device.
(iii) To use Google Home, you need to install the Google Home app and Google Assistant app.
The uniqueness of the Reolink RLC-820A
The uniqueness of the Reolink RLC-820A camera is in its picture and video quality, as well as its motion detection functions. Reolink cameras have always been known for their exceptional picture and video quality, and on this camera, there’s no exception. You have ultra high-definition video quality when viewing this camera live and on recorded videos. It is able to capture the smallest details beautifully both during the day and at night.
Its motion detection with respect to humans and vehicles proves very accurate, and for dogs and cats as well. With this, you receive few, and accurate alerts as against basic motion detection that floods you with several inaccurate alerts.
The Reolink RLC-820A Full Specifications
The specifications of the Reolink RLC-82A are shown below.
Let’s now move over to the Reolink RLC-822A.
Reolink RLC-822A Review:
As mentioned in the introductory part of this review, the Reolink RLC-822A and 820A are very similar and identical in appearance. Let’s see the features of the Reolink RLC-822A.
(1) Camera Features
The Reolink RLC-822A is built with a 1/2.8 inch CMOS sensor which gives you a more improved light sensitivity. The lens is an (f-2.8 to 8mm and F-1.6) with a horizontal field of view (94° – 50°), and a vertical field of view of (53° – 30°).
The image and video specifications of the Reolink RLC-822A are the same as the Reolink RLC-820A. It features 8 Megapixels ultra high definition (3840 x 2160 by default, 25 frames per second).
Also, the Reolink RLC-822A is designed with 18 infrared LEDs that give you a bright view up to 100 feet/30 meters at night. Advanced 3D-DNR technology is also built into it, thereby producing well-toned images and video. The Reolink RLC-822A is also able to perform automatic switching from day to night and has the ability to display time-lapse as well.
The remarkable feature here is that the Reolink RLC-822A is designed with a motorized lens and can perform 3 times optical zooming. With this feature, you are able to draw closer, details that are far away like a vehicle’s number plate. Also, the Reolink RLC-822A performs well with this zooming capability as it doesn’t distort the image quality.
(2) Network Connectivity
The Reolink RLC-822A is also a PoE camera and as explained earlier, you just need to connect the Ethernet cable provided for you to the camera and to your router, thereby powering your camera and supplying network connectivity if PoE Enabled.
Also, the Reolink RLC-822A also has a power cable built with it, you can power up the camera with a 12 Volts, 1 Amp power supply unit (purchased separately) if you do not have a PoE Enabled router. Along with this, a PoE Injector works as well.
(3) Recording and Motion Detection
The Reolink RLC-822A supports the same types of recording as the Reolink RLC-820A which are motion detection, scheduled recording, and continuous recording. Recordings are also stored on an SD card (purchased separately), an NVR, and FTP Server. The maximum SD card capacity here is also 256GB with support for Reolink NVRs or other supported NVRs.
The Reolink RLC-822A is embedded with a microphone but it is not a two-way audio camera. You also have motion zones with this camera to gray out what you do not want to see or get notifications for.
Just like the Reolink RLC-820A, the Reolink RLC-822A has the same human and vehicle motion detection features. It can also detect pets but is limited to dogs and cats. It is worthy of note that the pet detection feature is been improved to detect other types of pets.
Your notifications are triggered by the Reolink app, desktop application, and email notifications with a screenshot.
(4) Remote Monitoring
Remote live view and recordings on the Reolink RLC-822A are accessed with the Reolink mobile app and desktop application with playback frame-by-frame.
(5) Outdoor and Indoor Capability
The Reolink RLC-822A is an outdoor camera and functions indoors adequately. It is IP66 rated and operates optimally in harsh weather conditions.
(6) Voice Controls
The Reolink RLC-822A also supports the Google Assistant feature with Alexa in view. The same points to take note of as like the Reolink RLC-820A are explained below:
(i) Google Home is not supported in every country.
(ii) You should have a Chromecast device.
(iii) To use Google Home, you need to install the Google Home app and Google Assistant app.
The uniqueness of the Reolink RLC-822A
What makes the Reolink RLC-822A unique is its motorized lens, 3 times optical zooming, and wide viewing angle. The stunning 4k ultra high definition picture and video quality, with humans, vehicle, and pet detection also give it a plus.
The Reolink RLC-822A Full Specifications
The specifications of the Reolink RLC-822A are shown below.
Final Thoughts – The Reolink RLC-820A or the Reolink RLC-822A?
We found the Reolink RLC-820A and Reolink RLC-822A to be both high-end PoE cameras with ideal features and specifications. Both are recommended as they both deliver the essential requirements of a PoE camera.
We hope this review has brought you the information needed about these products. You may go through our Security Category to learn more about surveillance systems.
Very informative! I particularly like the fact that PoE connection and the alternative to a non-PoE router was explained.