Camera Plan Check product guide
Reolink Argus PT Solar Pan and Tilt Security Camera
A sheltered outdoor spot where one camera should cover several directions
A wire-free pan-and-tilt camera on a 6000mAh battery, charged by a Reolink solar panel, with dual-band 2.4/5GHz Wi-Fi and PIR-based person and vehicle detection. Reolink's own documents cap the microSD card at 128GB and rate the body IP64, and its panel stops charging below freezing.
Listing checked . Confirm the model, included parts and availability before ordering.
Published specifications
- Maker spec sheet: 1/3in CMOS, 2560x1440 at 15 fps, H.265; product page says 5MP
- Maker: fixed lens 122 degrees diagonal; listing says the head turns 355 deg by 140 deg
- Maker: microSD slot max 128GB, no card included; Home Hub and FTP also supported
- Maker: 6000mAh battery; solar panel charges only between 0C and 45C
- Maker: IP64 weatherproof; camera operating temperature -10C to 55C (14F to 131F)
- Maker: dual-band 2.4/5GHz, WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK; 2-year limited warranty
Fit and limits
Strengths
- Person and vehicle detection and alerts work without a subscription per Reolink's own page
- Dual-band Wi-Fi including 5GHz, which many battery cameras do not offer
- Pan and tilt plus a 6000mAh battery and solar charging, with a 2-year limited warranty
Caveats
- Reolink's documents cap the card at 128GB while the listing advertises 512GB
- IP64 in Reolink's own spec, not the IP65 in the listing's table, so keep it sheltered
- The solar panel will not charge the camera below 0C, per its own instruction sheet
A battery camera that turns, with a panel to keep it fed
The Argus PT is a wire-free pan-and-tilt camera running on a 6000mAh rechargeable battery, with a Reolink Solar Panel listed as its charging source and a 5V/2A USB power adaptor as the alternative. Reolink's specification sheet gives the camera as 98 mm across and 112 mm tall, weighing 470 g with the battery in.
The listing says the head turns 355 degrees horizontally and 140 degrees vertically; those figures do not appear in Reolink's specification sheet, which lists a fixed lens with a 122-degree diagonal field of view. The 360-degree coverage in the title comes from moving that lens around, not from a wide-angle sensor.
Whether a solar panel is in the box with this particular offer is worth confirming. The listing attaches a Reolink Solar Panel instruction sheet and its power table gives panel figures, while Reolink's own store sells camera-only and camera-plus-panel options. Ask the seller before ordering if you are counting on the panel.
Resolution: two different figures from the same maker
Reolink's specification sheet for the Argus PT gives a 1/3-inch CMOS sensor recording 2560 x 1440 at 15 frames per second, and labels that 4.0 megapixels, with H.265 encoding. Reolink's current product page and the Amazon listing both describe the camera as 5MP.
We found no document reconciling those, and the attached sheet is the older of the two sources. If megapixels are the reason you are choosing this camera, ask Reolink which sensor ships now.
Night vision is infrared to up to 10 metres (33 ft) from six 850 nm LEDs. Reolink's page also claims colour night vision, and the Amazon table lists dual spotlights with a toggle, so the colour view depends on the spotlight being on. Digital zoom is given as 16X on the specification sheet and 6x in Amazon's table.
Detection and alerts, with no subscription named
Detection starts with a PIR sensor: Reolink's sheet lists PIR detection plus human detection and vehicle detection, a PIR detecting distance adjustable up to 10 m and a PIR detecting angle of 100 degrees horizontal. Recording is motion-triggered, and alerts arrive as instant email and push notifications. There is a customizable siren and two-way audio.
Reolink's product page describes person, vehicle and animal detection as on-device and says alerts are free with no subscription required; the Amazon listing says human and vehicle detection and notes in brackets that auto tracking is not included, while Amazon's detail table lists animal detection as supported. So the camera detects and alerts on its own, but do not expect it to follow a moving subject.
Other features Reolink lists without a plan condition are customizable detection zones, smart playback filtered by event type and timeline, live view in the free Reolink app or desktop client, and time-lapse. Voice control is offered through Alexa and Google Assistant for viewing live streams on their displays.
Storage: a 128GB cap in Reolink's own documents
This is the sharpest conflict on the page. Reolink's specification sheet says microSD card slot, max 128GB, and Reolink's product page repeats microSD card storage up to 128GB. The Amazon listing's bullet says a microSD card up to 512GB, and Amazon's table gives a maximum SD card capacity of 512GB, while the same table also lists memory storage capacity as 128 GB.
Two of the three Reolink-sourced figures say 128GB. Buy a card at that size, or ask Reolink support in writing before spending on a larger one. No card is included; Amazon's table states that and puts the slot on the side of the camera base.
The listing offers two alternatives to a card: the Reolink Home Hub and an FTP server, both described as subscription-free. Reolink's specification sheet also lists support for Reolink Cloud, noting it is available in several countries, and Amazon's table mentions a 7-day free cloud trial. So a cloud service exists alongside the local options; the local options are what the no-subscription claim rests on.
Weather rating, temperature, and when the panel stops charging
Reolink's specification sheet rates the camera IP64 weatherproof with an operating temperature of -10C to 55C (14F to 131F), and Reolink's product page also says IP64. Amazon's detail table says IP65. Use the maker's IP64 figure: it means protection against splashing water rather than water jets, so a sheltered position is the safer choice.
The solar panel has its own limits, published in its instruction sheet: IP65, an operating temperature of -10C to 55C, and a charging temperature of 0C to 45C (32F to 113F). The sheet says plainly that the panel will not charge the camera at temperatures below 0C, and repeats it as a troubleshooting step. In a cold winter, expect to bring the camera in and charge it by USB.
The panel's other instructions are practical: choose a spot with the most sunlight through the year, mount it at an angle rather than flat so dust does not settle, keep it unshaded because efficiency drops sharply even when a small part is covered, wipe it regularly, and aim it at an angle equal to your local latitude plus 5 degrees. The panel is 185.4 by 120.4 by 6.5 mm with a 4 metre cable and weighs 280 g, and its connector is protected by a weatherproof cable cover.
Network, encryption and the two-year warranty
Wi-Fi is dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz on IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n, which is unusual for a battery camera; Reolink's page suggests 2.4GHz for distance and 5GHz for bandwidth. Wireless security on the specification sheet is WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK, with no WPA3 listed. Setup is by scanning a QR code with the free Reolink app.
Amazon's table lists SmartThings as a controller type; Reolink's page describes Alexa and Google Assistant integrations for live viewing. Reolink also sells a Home Hub as the way to manage several of its cameras as one system.
Reolink's specification sheet states a 2-year limited warranty and points to its support site; the footer of Reolink's product page shows the same 2-year limited warranty alongside a 30-day money-back guarantee and free shipping, which are its own store's terms. The solar panel sheet repeats that the product comes with a 2-year limited warranty and directs you to Reolink's warranty and return page for the detail. Check the seller and condition of the offer you select.
Check the current listing
Confirm the model, included parts and availability before ordering.
Primary sources
- Reolink Argus PT camera specification sheet supplied with the listing
- Reolink product page for the Argus PT
- Reolink Solar Panel Operational Instruction supplied with the listing
Primary sources checked .
Compare with
- TP-Link Tapo C500 Outdoor Pan/Tilt Security Camera
A powered outdoor spot where one camera should sweep several directions
- eufy Security SoloCam S220 Solar Outdoor Camera (T8134)
A sunlit spot on Wi-Fi where you want no hub and no monthly fee
- Ring Outdoor Cam (Stick Up Cam) Battery Security Camera
A movable 1080p camera you can stand on a surface or fix to a wall
- Wyze Cam v4 Indoor/Outdoor Security Camera
A wired 2.5K camera near a socket where local recording is the point
- Blink Outdoor 4 with Sync Module Core, 1-Camera System
A cheap battery camera if you accept cloud storage or plan to upgrade the hub
Side-by-side pages, this model next to: TP-Link Tapo C500 Outdoor Pan/Tilt Security Camera, eufy Security SoloCam S220 Solar Outdoor Camera (T8134), Ring Outdoor Cam (Stick Up Cam) Battery Security Camera, Wyze Cam v4 Indoor/Outdoor Security Camera, Blink Outdoor 4 with Sync Module Core, 1-Camera System.