Hi! Today, I’ve got an exciting comparison for you as I pit two powerful security cameras against each other – the Reolink Duo 3 PoE and the Reolink Duo Floodlight. If you’re in the market for a reliable surveillance solution, you’re in the right place. Stick around as I dive into the features, performance, and overall value of these two contenders. And of course, I will show how they integrate in Home Assistant! Now, let’s get into it!

---

⭐⭐⭐ NOTE: ⭐⭐⭐

This article accompanies a YouTube video. I wrote it for people who would rather read than watch a video. To keep doing this, I want to ask you to check out the video, leave a comment under the video, give the video a thumbs up, and subscribe to my YouTube channel. This means that the video is offered more often to new visitors so that they also stay informed of the latest Home Assistant tutorials.

Thank you for your support!

Ed

Click here to watch the video

Introduction

Reolink sent me these two cameras and asked me to compare them and provide my honest opinion. Despite receiving compensation from Reolink for this video, I will be truthful about these two cameras, so you can make an informed decision about which camera might be best for you.

Design and Build

First up, let’s talk about the design and build of these cameras. The Reolink Duo 3 PoE features a sleek and compact design with a weatherproof casing, making it suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. This camera has a built-in spotlight, allowing you to view images clearly even in the dark.

On the other hand, the Reolink Duo Floodlight comes equipped with, you guessed it, a built-in floodlight, enhancing its visibility and acting as a deterrent. This camera is huge. I mean, look at the size of this thing! This is mainly due to the floodlights hanging underneath. The camera housing itself is the same size as that of the Reolink Duo 3 PoE. The design choice here might depend on your specific needs – discreet monitoring or a more visible security presence.

Both cameras have two lenses, providing a very wide field of view. The Reolink Duo 3 PoE is a 16 MP UHD dual-lens camera with a 180-degree panoramic field of view. It features motion detection and color night vision. The Reolink Duo Floodlight WiFi is a 4K dual-lens camera with a 180-degree panoramic field of view as well. This camera includes person and vehicle detection, allowing you to identify if a person is approaching your home.

Specifications

Let’s compare the specifications:

The image sensor for both cameras is the same. However, the video resolution differs. The Reolink Duo Floodlight has a resolution of 8 megapixels at 20 frames per second, while the Reolink Duo 3 PoE has double the resolution at 16 megapixels at 20 frames per second. The lens of the Reolink Duo Floodlight has slightly less range than the lens of the Reolink Duo 3 PoE.

On the flip side, the field of view of the Reolink Duo Floodlight is slightly larger vertically, at 60 degrees compared to 55 degrees on the Reolink Duo 3 PoE. Both cameras offer up to 30 meters of infrared night vision. The Reolink Duo Floodlight has the best night illumination, thanks to its two large lamps. The Reolink Duo 3 PoE also features a spotlight, but it is positioned only around the lens. Both cameras have two-way audio, allowing you to communicate with potential visitors.

The Reolink Duo 3 PoE is powered using the network cable, and the Reolink Duo Floodlight is powered using an AC adapter. However, technically, you can also power the Reolink Duo 3 PoE using an AC adapter. The Reolink Duo Floodlight is not only a WiFi camera but also has the option to connect a UTP cable to it. It’s important to note that it is not powered using the UTP cable.

Video Quality

I could talk for hours about the specifications of both cameras, but you can simply read them on the Reolink website. I’ve pointed both cameras at my backyard and run them simultaneously so you can see the difference in quality for yourself. You can set the cameras to different resolutions, and for both, I chose the highest resolution. However, the quality was a bit underwhelming. I expected the image to be much sharper. Now, I’m not sure if it’s due to my connections, but the footage you’re seeing now is taken directly from the SD cards inside the camera. In principle, the network bandwidth should not have affected these images.

This is the normal camera view as you are accustomed to with a standard camera. However, the Reolink Duo Floodlight can zoom out even further, and it can go a bit beyond that. The Reolink Duo 3 PoE can do this as well and is even sharper. Here, I’ll demonstrate the difference between these two cameras. You can clearly see that the Reolink Duo 3 PoE has a significantly sharper image.

In this demonstration, I run both camera feeds simultaneously. It provides a good overview of what both cameras are capable of. As you can see, the image from the Reolink Duo 3 PoE is much sharper than the image from the Reolink Duo Floodlight. I have done the same in the evening so that you can see the difference in night vision. These recordings were made with the floodlight and spotlight on. As you can see, the Reolink Duo Floodlight provides the clearest image thanks to its two floodlight lamps.

App and Browser

Both cameras can be controlled through the Reolink app or a web browser. Adding the camera to the app is pretty simple. You can just scan the QR code which is printed on the back of the camera and you are good to go.

Through the app or the client, you can extensively configure these cameras, as we are accustomed to with Reolink. The great thing about these cameras is that they can operate entirely locally via RTSP and ONVIF. I found that the Reolink Duo 3 PoE could not be accessed via HTTP, which I am used to with other Reolink cameras. It turned out that port 80 is standardly disabled on this camera. You can only enable it again through the client, so if you want to view this camera via the browser, you’ll need to install the client first to open port 80. Through the client, you can also enable RTSP and optionally ONVIF so that you can view the camera through Home Assistant.

Because these cameras have two lenses, you need to adjust the lenses to the distance at which the target is from the camera. I found it a bit tricky, but with a little practice, you can get the image quite well aligned.

Home Assistant

Once you have activated RTSP, these cameras are immediately recognized in Home Assistant. It’s just a matter of clicking on Configure, entering the username and password, and the camera can be monitored right away in Home Assistant. If you find that the camera is a bit slow, you can follow this video where I explain how to speed up your camera feed in Home Assistant.

Price

Last but not least, the price and overall value. The Reolink Duo 3 PoE costs 168.99 dollars or 197.99 euro. The Reolink Duo Floodlight WiFi costs 149,99 dollars or 186,99 euro. You’ll find some affiliate links in the description of this video including a coupon code that will give you an extra discount of 5% on these cameras.

Conclusion

Well, and now we have arrived at the conclusion of the comparison between the Reolink Duo Floodlight and the Reolink Duo 3 PoE. Both cameras have more or less the same capabilities. The resolution of the Duo 3 PoE is twice as large as that of the Duo Floodlight, while the price difference is not very significant. However, the light of the Duo Floodlight is better. So, if you value good illumination more, then I would choose the Reolink Duo Floodlight. If you consider image sharpness to be the most important, then I would opt for the Reolink Duo 3 PoE. Whichever you choose, both cameras offer reliable performance backed by the trusted Reolink brand. Let me know in the comments which one you prefer.

Thank you for watching, and if you enjoy my work, consider supporting me, just like these wonderful people do. Without your monthly support, I can’t continue doing this work. You can find links to Patreon, Ko-Fi, and how to become a channel supporter in the video description. And, don’t forget to give this video a thumbs up and subscribe to my channel. I’ll see you soon in my next video. Bye bye!

#Reolink #FloodlightCamera #ReolinkDuo3 #POEcamera #SecurityCamera #SmartHome #Surveillance #Comparison #TechReview #HomeSecurity #OutdoorCamera #NightVision #MotionDetection #SecuritySystem #SmartTechnology #Floodlight #Duo3POE #HomeAutomation #VideoSurveillance #TechComparison