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We liked
The compact weatherproof design of this capsule camera has immediate appeal, and the fact that it has batteries instead of a power cable means you really can locate it anywhere, inside or out. The well-designed magnetic bracket makes this especially easy to do.
At 1080p, video quality is good, so long as you have the bandwidth to stream it, and the app is configurable enough to ensure that you receive useful alerts with a snapshot of the action when you’re not in a position to stream video.
The setup procedure is also mercifully easy thanks to the clever use of QR codes and voice prompts.
We disliked
The downside of a battery-powered camera is of course the limitation imposed by battery life. Reolink claims 180 days of longevity in standby mode, but in real life, that drops to just 800 hours of active use (i.e. continuous live streaming).
The camera takes the more unusual CR123-size (and more expensive) cells, four of which are included, so you will probably want to replace them with rechargeable ones.
Another issue is the fact that there’s nothing to stop a determined thief from just snatching the whole camera from its bracket.
The app needs to be improved to make it easier to identify when events occurred, and we had real problems getting video to play smoothly, whether that was live streaming, or watching recorded clips. The other bugbear we encountered was syncing with an Apple Mail account, which simply didn’t work.
Unsurprisingly, the tiny built-in speaker and microphone achieve little volume and even less quality, and the camera lacks a zoom or lens shift capability.
Final verdict
With no wires to consider and IP65 weatherproofing, this is a particularly versatile IP camera. Voice prompts and QR codes make it exceptionally easy to set up, and with two mounting brackets in the box, you can get your indoor/outdoor security system up and running in minutes.
Battery life is a limiting factor, and the companion app leaves room for improvement, especially when it comes to locating events and recorded clips. But thanks to the 1080p quality option and configurable alerts that can be set to email a snapshot of the action to your phone, we have no hesitation in recommending the Argus as a simple but effective security solution for any property.
