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A few years ago we reviewed the Reolink C1 Pro, a 4 Megapixel wireless pan-tilt indoor security camera. We loved it so much that it became our main nursery baby monitor. Now Reolink has launched another 4MP Pan-Tilt, the E1 Pro which is an even more affordable option than the C1 Pro. What’s more, it supports person and pet detection and even auto-tracking!

So how does the E1 Pro perform, what features if any have been sacrificed and ultimately should you buy it? To find out, we put a review sample that Reolink provided through its paces in this hands-on review.

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A quick note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post contains affiliate link(s). An affiliate link means I may earn advertising or referral fees if you make a purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.

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Specifications

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Unboxing

What’s in the box

• Reolink E1 Pro PT Indoor Wireless Security Camera
• DC 5V wall adaptor
• Power cable
• Wall mounting bracket
• Quick Start guide
• What’s next booklet
• Drilling templates
• Reolink surveillance notification sticker
• Screws and rawl plugs

Design & Features

The E1 Pro is different from any other Reolink camera I have seen. It is very compact and weighs just 200 grams.

The camera can be divided into 3 parts – the black lens housing, the white tennis ball shaped body, and the white base. The tennis ball design of the body which surrounds the black lens housing is a neat design. Overall, the high-quality fit and finish of the camera exudes a premium aura that belies its budget price.

So how does this Pan-Tilt camera work? When panning, the entire upper body revolves around the base. When tilting, only the black lens housing rotates up or down.

The black lens housing has a matte design and is super smooth to the touch. The daylight sensor is integrated into the ring-type 8 Infrared LEDs concealed smartly around the lens. If you look carefully you can see the red tinge of the Infrared LEDs under the darkened glass surrounding the lens.

The built-in microphone is placed just under the lens. The SD card slot and the reset button are also placed here, which is actually a genius idea. When the camera is in its default position of looking straight ahead, the SD card slot and the reset button are totally concealed! Tilt the lens up all the way using the Reolink mobile app or PC Client software and you can access the slot and the reset button.

The left and right sides of the body are bare but you will find the built-in speaker on the back of the lens housing.

The base of the E1 Pro has just the AC power input. Unusually this is not a microUSB design.

Update: Reolink has recently added an Ethernet port to the E1 camera lineup, and so the E1 Pro can also be used as a wired camera.

Flip the camera over and you will find the slot for fitting the wall bracket and a sticker with the QR code for setting up the camera in the Reolink mobile app.

The dual-band Wi-Fi antennae are prominent by their absence. Yes, the antennae are built-in but in my testing this doesn’t seem to affect range noticeably. Just like the C2 Pro, the 5 Ghz Wi-Fi is a great feature to have as most of the competitors are still sporting just 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. The higher bandwidth capacity of the 5 Ghz band comes with a significant range disadvantage though.

All in all, the camera feels light yet solid in construction. The contrasting colours and the matte finish of the black lens housing really makes the E1 Pro look and feel far more expensive than it really is.

Installation & Setup

The Reolink E1 Pro comes with a very good quick start guide which is a double-sided glossy booklet, just like the other Reolink cameras I have reviewed. The general introduction section illustrates and labels the different parts of the camera such as the daylight sensor, the built-in mic, the speaker, the indicator LEDs and the various connections.

There is also a helpful camera connection guide for those who are new to security cameras. The setup is voice guided (just like the Reolink Argus) and can be done fully wireless. I would expect most people to use the camera’s Wi-Fi option rather than the Ethernet port, so that’s what I have also done in this review.

So you have two options for setting up the camera:

1. Setup using a smartphone or tablet using the Reolink app, or
2. Setup using a laptop and the Reolink Client software for PC

Reolink recommends the smartphone app method, so that’s what I did.

1. Install the Reolink mobile app. I had it already installed since I use the Reolink C2 Pro, C1 Pro and the Argus all of which I have reviewed in the past.
2. Power on the E1 Pro. You will hear a voice message ‘Please run the Reolink app and add the camera to set it up’.
3. In the Reolink app, click the plus button at the top right to add the camera, and choose the ‘Connect to Wi-Fi option’.
   
4. I was not happy to see the app asking for location access, feel free to deny it – the setup will continue successfully anyway.
5. Enter your Wi-Fi info into the app. The app will then transfer it to the camera in the next step.
6. Scan the QR code on the bottom of the camera base.
7. The camera will then attempt to connect to your Wi-Fi network.
8. After the camera has initialized, create a login password to complete the setup process.

Configuring the E1 Pro

The only way of configuring the camera is using the Reolink mobile app. Unlike the C1 Pro, the E1 Pro does not have a built-in web server where you can access the advanced settings. In that respect it is more like the Reolink Argus. In the next section, I will cover the camera configuration also.

Using the Reolink mobile app

The Reolink mobile app has always been a reliable and well-designed app. I have never experienced the app crashing on my Samsung Galaxy S9.

As Reolink started introducing cameras such as the Argus without a built-in web server, it became essential for the app to be able to fully configure the camera. The E1 Pro leverages the app very well and the app allows you almost full control over the camera.

When you open the app after setting up the camera, you are greeted with the familiar camera selection list with a static preview image. What’s new in the app is the ability to group cameras together and apply Scenes or quick modes to them quickly – this is a great feature if you have multiple Reolink cameras but dont have an NVR. You can create custom scenes, say, ‘Arm alarm’ to instantly enable motion detection recording, push/email alerts, and audio buzzer alarms when you leave the home. Then when you return you can just activate a ‘Disarm alarm’ scene to deactivate all alarms/alerts.

Touching the camera preview image takes you to the Live-view screen of the E1 Pro. Here you can adjust the Pan-Tilt camera position, use the 2-way audio talk feature, record a clip or take a snapshot. There’s also a nifty audio buzzer button that will briefly sound the camera alarm buzzer. Its not very loud but should be enough to scare away an intruder!

The playback button at the bottom right is for accessing the built-in NVR feature of the E1 Pro. More on that later. Back in the app home page, you can touch the gear icon of the E1 Pro to access the camera settings.

You can either activate/deactivate individual alert settings or use the Scenes feature mentioned earlier to control the camera behaviour. This is my favourite way of managing the alert settings of the E1 Pro.

Under Display, you can adjust the video stream settings – you can choose between 4MP, 3MP, 1080p and 720p for the main stream. 4MP is the default.

You can also perform user management here, such as setting up additional users for your family members’ smartphones.

The E1 Pro has the usual P2P and UID features but the app doesn’t give access to these settings. If you want to change these and other advanced settings such as port numbers, you can do it through the Reolink Client PC app.

Built-in NVR Feature

The built-in NVR feature of the E1 Pro allows you to record video clips without having to buy a separate NVR. What is this built-in NVR feature? Basically, pop in a microSD card and the camera can record motion detection triggered video clips or snapshots to the SD card.

This means that if you need only a single camera or two in your home , you don’t need to buy a separate NVR just to record video footage (although I strongly recommend it ). The camera can also push notifications to the Reolink app on your mobile phone, send email alerts with attached snapshots or video clips.

Adding a microSD card for motion detection recording

I inserted a microSD card into the SD card slot. I had to push the card all the way into the slot before it click-locked. I then formatted the card through the Reolink mobile app. The camera then automatically rebooted and the microSD card was ready for use.

You have several options to control the motion detection recording behaviour. First up is sensitivity, you can go for the default single setting or set up multiple settings for different times of the day.

You can also define the area that the camera should monitor for motion.

The two features above will go a long way in reducing false motion detection alerts.

Reviewing recorded footage

There are three ways to view the recorded footage – the Reolink mobile app, the Reolink Client PC software, and manually accessing the clips on the microSD card with a laptop.

Using the mobile app, you can login any time from anywhere to review the footage through a timeline view. The mobile app also identifies each motion detection event so that you can just play those without having to scrub through the timeline.

At first I thought were only the sub-stream clips could be downloaded to the phone and not the main stream. But Reolink guided me to the picture quality icon – tap it and change it to 4MP and you can download the 4MP clips!

You can also do all of the above through the Reolink Client app or remove the SD card and take the video clips off it with a laptop.

Mobile Push Notifications

Use the Scenes feature to control when and how push notifications are delivered to your smartphone.

Remember that push notifications will not work outside your local network if you switch off P2P though.

Adding the Reolink to QNAP Surveillance Station

The E1 Pro supports both ONVIF and RTSP, so I was easily able to add it to my QNAP TS-253A’s Surveillance Station app. I first created an additional user for the NAS using the admin section of the camera app.

The ONVIF port is port 8000, the media port is 9000, RTSP is available at port 554 and RTMP at port 1935.

Performance

The E1 Pro has a 4MP sensor which can record at up to 2560 x 1440 resolution. The maximum bitrate of 4Mbps is lower than the usual 8Mbps of other Reolink cameras.

Let’s look at the default settings the Reolink E1 Pro comes with from the factory:

Main stream: 4MP @ 15fps and 3Mbps

Since these are the defaults, I ran my day and night tests at these settings.

Video quality

Video captured was sharp and detailed both during the day time and in total darkness, in line with my expectations for a 4 Megapixel IP camera.

Here are the motion detection triggered videos recorded at the default settings:

There was no blurring of the video and there were no dropped frames.

Motion detection

The E1 Pro is able to do both pre-recording and post-recording. This means the camera is able to record not just what happens after motion was triggered but 5 seconds before the trigger as well. This is a great feature and something that I always look for in a security camera.

The post-record feature lets you decide how many seconds the camera should record after the last motion trigger. The default is 15 seconds.

Night vision

The 8 InfraRed LEDs placed around the lens in a ring pattern are reasonably powerful and can light up a decent sized room with no trouble.

There are no settings to control the brightness of the LEDs and there are no advanced features to dynamically control the infrared light output.

Audio quality

Just like the other Reolink indoor security cameras, the E1 Pro supports 2-way audio. Usually the implementation in most manufacturers’ native apps mutes the audio when you activate the microphone. In other words they have half-duplex audio, not full-duplex. Ideally to use the camera as an intercom, you need 2-way full duplex audio.

Interestingly Reolink has not claimed full duplex audio, but the Reolink app doesn’t mute the incoming audio when you press the microphone button. You can continue to hear what the person at the other end is saying when you are speaking. So the E1 Pro actually supports full duplex audio.

So how well does it work in practice? The audio quality is great and the dual speakers do a great job in reproducing audio. But there is a noticeable lag, however slight, in audio playback and this makes the full duplex capability less useful. We found ourselves using the Reolink E1 Pro more like a walkie-talkie just like the Amcrest ProHD cameras.

PT performance

If you are planning to use the E1 Pro as a baby monitor with 2-way audio, you will be interested in how much noise it makes while panning and zooming.

I was pleased to find that the E1 Pro just like the C1 Pro hardly makes a sound while starting up, panning or tilting. So it makes for a great baby monitor.

A long-standing issue I have seen in Reolink cameras is that the motion detection stays active even when you use the Pan-Tilt controls. This means the camera records a motion detection clip each time you use the PTZ controls. The E1 Pro is no different here and exhibits the same behaviour.

Wireless performance

The E1 Pro (just like the C2 Pro) boasts 2T2R MIMO antennae for improved wireless performance. So I moved the camera to the farthest point in my house to see how the Wi-Fi performed. Over both 2.4GHz and 5 GHz, the E1 Pro was stable and performed just as if it was connected over Ethernet.

Mobile app push notifications

So what should you be looking for when it comes to push notifications? The speed and reliability of the push notifications reaching you. You want the camera to send you push notifications immediately after it detects motion.

Especially if you have configured email alerts, SD card recording at 4 Megapixel recording and push notifications, inferior cameras may struggle with the workload.

The E1 Pro performed like a champ. Inside my local network I got push notifications on my phone instantaneously and on remote networks there was a delay of just 1 second which is very impressive. The success rate of receiving the push notifications over multiple motion triggers was a solid 100%.

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Verdict

The E1 Pro is a stylish yet budget-friendly DIY security camera that simply gets the job done. With its easy voice-guided setup, smart person detection, on-board microSD storage, built-in NVR feature, full duplex 2-way audio, push alerts and dual-band WiFi, the E1 Pro offers fantastic bang for the buck.

DIY enthusiasts will appreciate the availability of RTSP streams & ONVIF compliance which allows the E1 Pro to work with a DIY NAS NVR. Kudos to Reolink for supporting this feature even in this entry-level camera. But they may not be too happy about no web browser access and the max 4Mbps bitrate. Still that’s a small price to pay for this much value.

[review]

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Where to buy

(* = affiliate link / image source: Amazon Associates Program)

Having just recently compared Reolink and Lorex, let’s now throw in another popular DIY IP camera brand into the mix and compare them – Amcrest vs Lorex.

Reolink and Amcrest are similar in the type of products they market – good quality standalone IP cameras and NVRs that are ONVIF compliant and very affordable.

Lorex on the other hand has focused on selling NVR kits rather than IP cameras capable of standalone operation.

A quick note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post contains affiliate link(s). An affiliate link means I may earn advertising or referral fees if you make a purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.

Amcrest vs. Lorex – the Stories behind the Brands

Amcrest

Foscam US re-branded themselves as Amcrest Technologies in early 2016. Foscam US (Foscam Digital Technologies) used to be an independent distributor for the Chinese manufacturer/supplie Foscam Shenzhen. However in 2016, the Chinese supplier allegedly started undercutting Foscam US. Foscam US says they had no choice but to cut all ties with Foscam Shenzhen and go it alone as Amcrest Technologies.

Foscam security cameras never had a great reputation and once Amcrest launched their own products, they have quickly overtaken Foscam both in quality, reliability, support service levels, and reputation. They are still around though.

Amcrest mostly re-brands Dahua cameras.

Lorex

Lorex was founded in 1993 and has head offices in Markham, Ontario, Canada and in Linthicum, Maryland, USA. They have product warehouses in Markham, Indiana and California.

But first let’s start with the company FLIR, better known as the high-end camera manufacturer who revolutionized thermal imaging for the military and industrial markets. They acquired Lorex in 2012 for around $60 million seeking to lower the cost of thermal imaging and open it up to the retail market.

So for the next 6 years they tried to penetrate the DIY and SMB markets. During this period, their main OEM supplier was Dahua. In February 2018, however, FLIR exited the DIY security camera space by selling Lorex to Dahua. They currently operate as a subsidiary of Dahua. So think of Lorex as a Dahua brand.

8MP 4K IP Camera Duel – Amcrest (IP8M-2496EB) and Lorex LNB8111BW

So Amcrest rebrands Dahua and Lorex is Dahua. So this is looking more like Dahua vs. Dahua isn’t it? Well Amcrest and Lorex used to target different DIY consumers, but that gap is narrowing as we shall see.

I have opted to compare the most popular 8MP models from Amcrest (IP8M-2496EB) and Lorex (LNB8111BW). These are 4K cameras.

The Biggest Difference between Amcrest and Lorex IP Cameras

If you thought the answer is ONVIF support, you would have been right…. last year.

But all Lorex cameras now support ONVIF, so you can use them with any ONVIF-compatible NVR. So you can add them to a non-Lorex NVR or to a DIY NAS NVR system.

Amcrest has always supported ONVIF.

So what is the biggest difference between Amcrest and Lorex? Amcrest IP cameras are capable of standalone independent operation without an NVR, wheras Lorex IP cameras cannot.

Amcrest has always made cameras that are capable of standalone operation. This means you do not need an NVR to make the camera work. That’s right they have the built-in NVR functionality just like Hikvision, Dahua and Reolink do. They can also detect motion, record video clips to a microSD card, send email and push notifications, even upload to an FTP server.

Lorex cameras cannot do any of this. Without an NVR or another device (like a NAS) to store the video, there’s no point in buying one. Now if you are going to use an NVR anyway, this is not an issue for you. Also since they have ONVIF support, they should theoretically work with any ONVIF-compliant NVR. Not just Lorex ones.

Hardware features

Both the Amcrest and Lorex cameras have a nice large 1/2.5″ progressive scan CMOS sensor. This is even better than Reolink’s which has a slightly smaller 1/2.7″ sensor. The Lorex uses a Sony Exmor R CMOS sensor whereas the Amcrest uses a Sony Starvis CMOS sensor.

The size of the sensor has a huge bearing on the low light ability of a camera. The larger the sensor, the greater its ability to gather light and so do well in low light conditions. But as you cram in more and more pixels into the same size sensor, they get smaller and smaller, which adds noise. Noise is the bane of low light video and reduces the detail that you can get out of your video. So while security camera manufacturers have pushed pixel count from 2MP to 5MP and beyond, most have not really increased the sensor size.

The Amcrest has a substantially wider viewing angle of 112° vs. the Lorex’s 88° angle of view.

On to low light performance. While most IP cameras are good in daylight, night-time performance is what separates the men from the boys. The Lorex sports colour night vision – this is a very interesting feature and does set the Lorex brand apart. However be aware that the camera will switch back to black & white IR night vision below 1 lux to ‘ensure optimal low-light image quality’ as Lorex puts it.

The Amcrest camera has only standard black and white infrared night vision. But the minimum illumination required is impressive, 0.06Lux without IR and 0Lux with IR on. The IR range is also 40 feet more than that of the Lorex.

Neither camera has special features such as PIR motion sensors, audio, or alarm connections. But the Amcrest does have a microSD card slot and the built-in NVR feature.

Software features

When it comes to video encoding, both cameras support the highly desirable H.265 option for lowering bandwidth usage and generating smaller video file sizes.

Next up is WDR or Wide Dynamic Range. This is a feature that enhances the level of detail an IP camera can pick out in shadows. Amcrest supports 120dB WDR. Lorex doesn’t have WDR, but instead claims High Dynamic Range (HDR) support. While I doubt they are comparable, it is better than nothing.

The three software features that make a great IP camera are ONVIF/RTSP support, built-in NVR feature, and the advanced motion detection features that help reduce false alerts.

Here, the main differences between the Amcrest and the Lorex are that:

• Amcrest has the built-in NVR feature, as it is capable of standalone operation, but Lorex doesn’t.
• Both Amcrest and Lorex have only basic motion detection but the Lorex can work only when it’s connected to an NVR.

Motion Detection ability

Neither camera has advanced motion detection methods which go a long way in reducing reducing false motion alerts.

Warranty

Lorex has a 2 year warranty as standard, but can be extended to 3 years or 5 years for an extra fee.

Amcrest has only a 1 year warranty as standard, but promises lifetime support.

Here’s a summary of all the differences in a nice and easy table:

Verdict

Lorex cameras are basically Dahuas that are locked down. You can still add them to any NVR that supports ONVIF. It has all the basic hardware features that you would expect and has colour night vision and HDR also. But they still are not as capable as Amcrest cameras. Lorex cameras are not an option if you want a standalone IP camera that can operate without an NVR.

So I would recommend Amcrest instead. Now if the Amcrest doesn’t meet your specific requirements, just opt for a Dahua IP camera. Simples.

For IP cameras that are capable of standalone operation and designed for DIY security camera fans, check out the other recommendations on our best outdoor IP cameras list and best indoor IP cameras list.

Where to buy

• Amcrest IP8M-2496EB at [easyazon_link identifier=”B07C7W91YR” locale=”US” tag=”vueville.com-eaz-20″]Amazon[/easyazon_link]
• Lorex LNB8111BW at [easyazon_link identifier=”B077PC2R3C” locale=”US” tag=”vueville.com-eaz-20″]Amazon[/easyazon_link]

(* = affiliate link / image source: Amazon Associates Program)