REOLINK 4K PTZ Security Camera System, 360 Degree View PoE Camera with 16X Optical Zoom for Outdoor Surveillance, Auto Tracks Human/Vehicle/Pet, Two-Way Talk, 260ft IR Night Vision, RLC-823A 16X

About 1 1/2 years ago I purchased this Reolink PTZ camera. I found it to be a great camera but earlier this year it started to have auto focus issues. I reached out to Riolink customer support and they were responsive and very helpful. When it was determined that the camera itself had a hardware issue I was surprised when they said they were shipping a new camera to me under the 2 year warranty. The only cost to me was to ship the defective camera back to Riolink. The replacement camera fixed my problem. After 18 months utilizing my Riolink video system, I’m very happy with the product as well as excellent support from Riolink.

UPDATE 05/13/2023:After submitting a support ticket with Reolink, they promptly sent me a new firmware the next day that has fixed the lag problem completely and the camera responds to my presets a lot faster(acts like it normally should). The auto focus still has some issues where I have to manually zoom in/out for it to auto focus, but I dont have to do this as much as before. I'm getting the full 25fps/1keyframe constantly at 8mp, 60hz antiflicker, 8192 bitrate, constant frame rate with zero video lag. Super happy now with the camera and the picture quality is great.For those interested in what firmware was sent to me it was this version: IPC_523SD10.2109_23050424.RLC-823A-16X.IMX415.8MP.PTZ.REOLINK.pakI've had two different PTZ's(Huisun and Sunba 405-D20X) and by far the Reolink has the best quality and support. After looking at all the same style of cameras(they all seem to be very similar looking) I chose Reolink over the others as I wanted:25fps(most others have 20fps)better tech support, forums and community supportFrequent firmware updates2yr warranty instead of 1yr(the 2yr was upgraded to 2.5 once you register your camera with them)The Reolink costs a bit more but so far its been worth it.I do wish that Reolink would put out a more detailed manual especially if you want to customize your presets calls. The other thing to note is the FOV is only 54.2 zoomed out. This is fine for me as it still allows me to cover a two car driveway and I have other cameras that overlap my property.I'll update this review if I come across further issues. Hoping this camera lasts a few years.Original review:I really want to like this camera but it has an issue with Blue Iris security software. First issue is after about an hour, it lags behind the video of my other camera's by about 3 seconds and continually gets worse. After a full day, the lag can be 10 or more seconds. I read on other websites that Reolink provided some owners a special firmware that addresses the issue.The second issue is that after panning in any direction the auto focus doesnt want to work all the time. In order to get to work you have to zoom in or out before it finally auto focuses. When it does auto focus, it takes about 3 seconds before the picture becomes focused.I submitted a support ticket asking for a fix. Hopefully they get back to me soon. I'll update my review if I get it working.

The media could not be loaded. This Reolink camera was easy to setup. I mounted this under my deck for a commanding view of my entire backyard and more. The 16X optical zoom works fine and it is fast. The main problem is sometimes it will not focus when the zoom is changed. I have found that pressing the zoom "+" or "-" buttons brings it back into focus. My camera has been on for 6 months plus and has never shut down on it's own. I know that lesser quality Reolink security camera will "lock up" and the only way to get it back is to recycle power. The video is works fine for my needs. The included video was taken 70 feet from camera to bird feeder. The photos that it produces are good, but do need cleaned up and sharpened with image software. The main concern that I have is the way the camera "hangs" on the bracket. I do not like this at all. Also, 3 screws are included to secure the camera to the bracket and if you lose one, well, they are metric. You do not get a spare. I will most likely purchase one more of these since they are much better quality than the lower priced units.

The media could not be loaded. The Most Expensive Reolink Out of my 13!It worked for a few months just fine like the rest, then one day it was blurry and completely out of focus. Auto focus no longer works no matter what I do. I have to manually focus it to have a temporary picture. However as soon as the IR kicks on in the evening, the feed goes blurry. If I refocus it for the night, then again the same thing happens in the morning simultaneously as the IR function kicks off. If I zoom in or out, it can't auto focus and remains blurry. Not even Presets help to resolve this issue. So basically instead of a nice PTZ cam, I have a brick that I must manually refocus twice per day if I want a viewable image of just one stationary spot. For the amount of money I've spent with Reolink I am beyond frustrated, beyond upset. Of course its too late to return. So I've paid thousands of dollars for my Reolink setup & cams, yet the one I was most excited about and the most expensive, is a useless DUD... Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do about it besides eat the personal financial loss and stare at the horrifically blurry view everytime I turn on my monitor!!!!EDIT (12/29/24):Full disclosure. I bought two of these RLC-823a 16x zoom cams, three Floodlight Duo's, and eight Bullet cams. Disgustingly, I have awakened to find out that the 2nd of my 2 zoom cams is blurry and has failed for no apparent reason. I believe I paid over 700 dollars for just these two pieces of electronic trash alone. I can't help but feel like I should be compensated in some sort of way, just in good faith alone. I never do reviews, much less write paragraphs, that should tell you something.High Quality security cameras... WHAT SECURITY????😡🤬😡Reolink send me different models that work please?