Surveillance cameras (Focus Topic) can only detect threats if they are in the field of view (FOV) of the lens. Most models such as the Ezviz BC2 (test report) or Arlo Go 2 (test report) use rigid lenses and thus monitor a range of 85 – 130 degrees. For greater coverage, there are so-called PTZ cameras (Pan, Tilt & Zoom) , which, like the Eufy Floodlight Cam 2 Pro (test report) , use a lens that can be swiveled and tilted and thus up to 360 degreescover. But this all-round view has its pitfalls in terms of security: After all, PTZ cameras can only monitor a partial section of 85 to 130 degrees because the lenses used do not offer a larger field of view. So if you want to continuously monitor as large an area as possible, you need a different solution.
Of course you can also install two cameras and then get a 170 to 260 degree field of view. But there are now also variants that are equipped with two lenses and combine the two images into one image. With the Duo 2 Wifi , Reolink has just introduced its second version of its dual-lens camera. Compared to the first variant with a 150 degree wide field of view, the Reolink Duo 2 WiFi offers 170 degrees . In addition, the resolution increases from 4 to 8 megapixels. And the eight integrated LEDs now shine a little brighter at 560 lumens than in the previous model with 440 lumens. Integrated LED spotlights offer several advantages. On the one hand, thanks to the additional lighting, they provide colored night vision , on the other hand, the lighting triggered by movement serves to deter uninvited guests. The image is also clearer thanks to the LED headlights , making it easier to identify uninvited guests . Surveillance cameras with integrated lighting (guide) thus offer a higher level of security than models without lights.
Scope of delivery and other features
The Reolink Duo 2 WiFi weighs 633 grams with the holder, measures 195 × 103 × 56 mm, is weatherproof according to the IP66 standard and, according to the manufacturer, can be used in a temperature range between -10 and 55 degrees Celsius. The power supply is realized via a 12V/2A power pack with a 1.5 m long cable. A 4.5 meter extension cable included in the scope of delivery provides additional flexibility with regard to the power connection. Although the Reolink is one of the few WiFi cameras that supports 2.4 and 5 GHz wireless networks , it can also be used via a network cablebe connected to the router. The connection cable running out of the camera not only offers a power connection, but also an Ethernet port. However, it does not master Power-over-Ethernet (PoE). If you want that, you have to use the corresponding PoE model of the Duo 2. In addition, there will soon be a 4G variant based on the Duo 2.
The scope of delivery also includes a bracket for mounting on a wall or ceiling, including a mounting plate and template, as well as screws and dowels for attachment. A sticker with a note on 24-hour surveillance and a quick start guide that provides detailed and relevant information on operating the camera, as well as a screwdriver and a waterproof cover for network cables complete the scope of delivery.
The CMOS sensor integrated in the camera records videos with a resolution of up to 4608 × 1728 pixels at a maximum of 20 frames per second and a preset data rate of 5120 kbps . Alternatively, users can set the data rate in increments of 1024 from 3072 to 10,240 kbps. However, the data rate cannot be adjusted if a time-lapse recording is active at the same time (more on that later). Full resolution, denoted as “Clear” or “High” in the app, records videos in HEVC codec (H.265) and with the option “Fluid” and a resolution of 1536 × 576 at 10 fps and a data rate of 1024 kbps with H.264 .
The colored night vision takes place automatically or by manually switching on the LED spotlights, which is conveniently possible within the live view. The infrared night vision has a range of 30 meters. Users can enlarge motifs with the integrated 16x digital zoom .
With the integration of microphone and speaker , Reolink realizes a two-way audio function , allowing users to converse with people in front of the camera. If necessary, an alarm siren sounds when motion is detected, which can be activated via the app and is intended to deter uninvited guests. The camera can transmit alarm messages to the user by e-mail or push messages.
The Reolink Duo 2 WiFi supports microSD cards with a size of up to 256 GB as storage media . In the test, however, it also worked without any problems with a 400 GB version of Sandisk. If the storage space on the microSD card is full, the oldest recording will be deleted so that current recordings are always saved.
In addition to the microSD, users can also use storage in the Reolink cloud . The basic subscription with 1 GB of storage space and 7 days of recording is free, but is only valid for one camera. The standard subscription offers 30 days of cloud storage with a capacity of 30 GB for a maximum of five cameras for a regular monthly fee of 5.99 euros. The Premier subscription for EUR 11.89 per month offers 80 GB capacity for a maximum of ten cameras. Both variants are currently available at a reduced price of EUR 3.59 and EUR 7.19 respectively.
Videos can also be stored on a NAS or FTP server and integrated with Reolink NVR systems.
Commissioning the Reolink Duo 2 WiFi
The commissioning of the Reolink Duo 2 WiFi is basically simple. You have to insert a microSD card, create a user account in the Reolink app, read a QR code on the camera and assign the device password, done. The camera is then ready for use and can be controlled via a smartphone app.
In addition to the mobile app, users can control the camera with the Reolink desktop application available for macOS and Windows . All you have to do is enter the UID of the camera (available in the app under device information) and the device password. If problems arise, the excellent and German-language manual will help .
Mobile app and desktop application offer the same setting options. Both tools can also be used in a similar way, which guarantees a consistent user experience . That is not a matter of course. Camera manufacturers often do not provide a desktop application for controlling their devices or, as in the case of Eufy (main topic) , only a web application with reduced functionality is available, which also differs from the mobile application in terms of operation.
Using the gear icon, users can use the app or the desktop application to extensively adjust the Reolink Duo 2 WiFi. In the Display section , the position of the camera name as well as the date and time in the live image can be changed. You can also completely hide the information like the watermark .
In order to operate the surveillance camera in compliance with data protection when it is aimed at someone else’s property or a public area, users can define three zones under privacy mask in which no recording is made.
The camera not only records videos when there is movement. Alternatively, users can also configure a time-lapse recording to document the progress of building a house or other events. For the configuration, the app recommends intervals of different lengths depending on use.
Alarm Settings
In the Alarm Settings section , users can set the sensitivity of motion detection. Basically, the camera distinguishes between people, vehicles and other moving objects when detecting motion. In addition, users can limit alarms by defining areas for people, vehicles and other objects in which no alarm should be triggered under Motion zones.
A minimum and maximum size range for an object can also be defined under Dimension of the object , outside of which no alarm is triggered. To fine-tune alarms, users can limit them to specific days of the week and hours. Annual planning is not possible.
notifications
Alarm notifications are sent via push in the app and optionally via e-mail . For the latter transmission path, users can configure up to three e-mail addresses, whereby the first must be configured with the specification of the SMTP server and port. In the test, this did not work with a Gmail account with activated two-factor verification. Without two-factor authentication, the email notification runs smoothly. In addition, a siren can optionally sound in the event of a warning. However, it’s not that loud.
Recording quality and WiFi
Thanks to the 8 megapixel resolution , the Reolink Duo 2 WiFi delivers detailed and sharp images . At night, the 560 lumen LEDs illuminate the image in the center well, but it is relatively dark at the edges due to the very large field of view of 170 degrees. During the day, with a high dynamic range, the camera tends to overexpose bright areas a bit. An HDR feature would certainly make sense here in order to achieve a slightly better image quality. Overall, however, the image quality is good and, thanks to the huge field of view, extremely impressive.
Thanks to the high data rate when recording, the camera still delivers good display quality even when zooming . However , the 16x zoom is hardly useful from a magnification of about five times, since too many details are lost.
The Reolink Duo 2 WiFi transmits in both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands and thus differs positively from many competitors who often only transmit in the 2.4 GHz band. In the test, the WLAN connection was stable in both radio bands, also thanks to the two installed MIMO antennas . In contrast to many WLAN cameras, the live stream appears almost without delay thanks to the good wireless connection, similar to the connection via the Ethernet cable. Another advantage can be seen when using the 5 GHz band when downloading larger videos, such as extensive time-lapse recordings, from the camera. This is much faster than with a 2.4 GHz connection.
