Lenses That Take Landscape to a New Level

With a look that screams “I mean business,” the Reolink Duo 3 WiFi has an ultra-wide field of view and fantastic video quality. Aside from its annoying Ethernet setup, this is one of the best security cameras I’ve ever tested.

Reolink Duo 3 WiFi

$150 $180 Save
$30

Featuring two 4K image sensors, this outdoor security camera brings 16MP ultra-clear visuals. With 8 spotlights and an F1.6 large aperture, it captures details in vivid colors, even at night.

Pros & Cons

• Immense wide-angle coverage
• Excellent video quality
• Motion detection is spot on
• Supports up to 512GB (microSD sold separately)
• Works with Reolink DVR equipment

• Setup requires an Ethernet connection
• Antennas feel flimsy
• Limited top-down coverage

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Price and Availability

The Reolink Duo 3 WiFi sells for $180 and can be purchased through Amazon or Reolink. At the time of writing, the camera was on sale through both sites for $150.

Angular Cosmetics and Ethernet-Only Setup

There’s nothing wrong with an out-of-sight-out-of-mind style security cam, but I find these inconspicuous units are best for indoor use. When it comes to monitoring an outdoor environment, wannabe perps can probably enter your property from more than one area.

So, a visibly placed outdoor cam with a tough-looking design has a better chance of deterring intruders from messing up your day or night. I actually think Reolink did a great job splitting the difference aesthetically with the Duo 3 WiFi; it looks tough and even feels tough, but the look isn’t overly industrial, either.

Speaking of tough, the Duo 3 WiFi is IP67-rated for dust and water resistance, so as long as you’re mounting it below an awning, even ones with limited coverage, you shouldn’t have to worry about rain and dirt killing off your camera. What you will have to worry about is making sure the Duo 3’s DC power connection is protected.

The connection points for neither the main power/Ethernet nor the long extension are weather-protected, so you may have to purchase moisture guards separately. Alternatively, you can mount a junction box near the Duo 3 WiFi to protect any excess cabling from exposure.

Installing and setting up the camera was a relatively straightforward process. However, there is one glaring nuisance to be mindful of: the Duo 3 needs to be connected to your router via Ethernet when running the setup wizard. Once the camera is activated, you’ll be able to disconnect and switch over to a 2.4GHz or 5GHz Wi-Fi band in the Reolink app (available for iPhone and Android devices).

I can see this slight holdup being a big annoyance to someone who already mounted the camera before setup. And if you’re planning on recording to a microSD card (the Duo 3 supports up to 512GB of local storage), you’ll also want to insert the card when the camera isn’t mounted, as the slot is protected by a screw-secured plastic cover.

You’ll also need to attach the Wi-Fi antennas yourself. I found them to be somewhat flimsy, but once screwed into the cam’s side threads, they didn’t droop down or anything. Still, I’d avoid exposing them to harsh winds if you can avoid doing so.

I had my Duo 3 WiFi test unit up, running, and positioned in less than 10 minutes. Besides the camera itself, box contents should include a power adapter, a power extension cable, a 3-foot Ethernet cable, two antennas, and a user manual.

I Never Thought Wide-Angle Coverage Could Look So Good

The Reolink Duo 3 WiFi has two 8MP lenses that, through some clever, algorithmic stitching, deliver a massive 180-degree horizontal FOV and a decent 55-degree vertical view. Pushing up to 7680 x 2160 resolution at up to 20fps, when all is said and done, you’ll also be able to switch between infrared and full-color video for both day and night, thanks to the Duo 3 WiFi’s built-in infrared sensor (rated for up to 100 feet) and LED spotlights.

The Duo 3 WiFi delivered terrific wide-angle coverage that has entirely raised the bar for future camera reviews. As you can see in the following day and night shots, the video stitching is solid, with just a little beam of seam present in the final image. You can also use the Reolink app to manually raise or lower the image captured by the right-facing lens. But man, would you look at how much horizontal FOV this thing has to work with!

Those daytime snapshots are crystal-clear, bright, and colorful, with just a touch of over-saturation at certain times of the day. With a bit of digital zooming, you can easily make out the parking space numbers toward the front of the image.

Shape and color details are still locked in around 50 feet (the snow in the below image is about 50 feet from my building), albeit with some minor pixelation. If capturing details like license plates and facial features is important to you, though, you may feel limited by the Duo 3 WiFi’s lack of pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) controls.

I thought the Duo 3 delivered exceptional nighttime footage. By default, the camera is set to Auto Mode for IR and spotlight-assisted full color, but you can manually select Black & White (IR only) or Color in the Reolink app. You can also manually turn the spotlights on and off. I did notice a decent amount of banding in the live feed and snapshots at night, which isn’t out of the ordinary for a security cam.

Fortunately, the Reolink app lets you choose between three streaming presets, High, Balanced, and Fluent, to help remove some of these artifacts in exchange for reduced resolution. While results will differ based on your property layout, I had the best results when set to Balanced.

No Human, Skunk, or Pick-Up Truck Is Going to Crash Your Party

As far as motion detection goes, the Duo 3 WiFi does a great job at alerting me about the motion events you care about. With its smart detection capabilities, the camera is able to distinguish between people, animals, and vehicles. When a subject is detected, the cam automatically starts recording to microSD (make sure one is inserted!). If it’s nighttime or the camera doesn’t detect sufficient lighting, the spotlights will trigger, too.

Notification endpoints include push notifications for smartphones and tablets, email, and/or a remote server (FTP). I kept motion sensitivity settings at defaults and was pleased with how quickly the Duo 3 picked up on activity. Reolink’s Motion Track feature even throws time stamps over the subject as the individual, critter, or thing with tires moves across your territory, giving you a play-by-play of where the subject has been and what direction the subject was heading toward.

The Reolink app allows you to create motion detection zones and privacy zones, too, though I wish the latter were easier to find (you have to tap Display and then Privacy Mask to access the feature). The app’s playback dashboard had all the basic play-pause-skip commands I expected, along with more advanced speed controls and siren triggers. Download and share options are available as well.

Two-Way Audio and Other Features

The Duo 3 WiFi uses a two-way audio system to allow you to communicate with folks on your property. My voice sounded loud and clear through the camera speaker, and the onboard mic did a solid job at capturing my voice through the Reolink app, with just some minor compression and tinniness to contend with.

The Duo 3 is also compatible with Google Assistant, so you’ll be able to get notifications and view the live feed with devices like the Google Nest Hub and Google TV Streamer. You’ll also be able to pull up the cam’s live feed whenever you please with a simple voice command.

Unfortunately, my smart home has Amazon Alexa running the show, so I wasn’t able to test Google Assistant’s compatibility with the Duo 3.

A Little More About the Reolink App

The Reolink app gives you a plethora of settings and customizations to work with and can be used to control one or several Reolink devices. You’ll even be able to do things like duplicate one Reolink device’s detection settings to all other compatible Reolink cams registered to your account (a feature billed as Shortcuts). I mentioned earlier that some settings can be a little tricky to locate at first, but I didn’t have much trouble with the learning curve.

A few other noteworthy app features include Time Lapse video and the ability to share device access with up to 19 additional users. Just tap Advanced and Share Device to start adding authorized users.

Should You Buy the Reolink Duo 3 WiFi?

I’ve reviewed a ton of indoor and outdoor cameras over the last few years, and I must say that when it comes to wide-angle coverage and level of detail, it’s hard to beat the performance and visuals you’ll get with the Reolink Duo 3 WiFi. Those looking for telephoto and pan-tilt capabilities may want to look elsewhere, and the same goes for anyone looking for a security cam with a built-in or swappable battery.

I suggest taking a look at our roundups of the best outdoor cameras and best security cameras for additional recommendations. You can also read my review of the Reolink TrackMix WiFi.

Reolink Duo 3 WiFi

$150 $180 Save
$30

Featuring two 4K image sensors, this outdoor security camera brings 16MP ultra-clear visuals. With 8 spotlights and an F1.6 large aperture, it captures details in vivid colors, even at night.