REOLINK RLC-810A Review
The REOLINK RLC-810A is an $84.99 4K PoE bullet camera with a published 4mm lens. Worked through the standard DORI (EN 62676-4) formula, that lens and its 3840 pixel sensor width identify a person to an evidential standard out to about 12 meters (39 feet), and merely detect a person out to about 120 meters (394 feet).
Most camera listings state a resolution and stop there. The RLC-810A listing goes further and publishes a focal length, 4mm, which is what makes it possible to compute an honest DORI (detect, observe, recognise, identify) distance for this camera rather than repeating a marketing phrase like "clear detail up to 100 feet" with no way to check it.
This review is built entirely from that published focal length, the published 8MP resolution, and the standard optical geometry formulas documented on this site. Nothing here is a claim about how the camera actually performed on a mounted test, because no such test was run.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 8MP (3840x2160) |
| Lens focal length | 4mm (published) |
| Computed horizontal field of view | About 65.2 degrees |
| Computed identify distance (250 ppm) | About 12 m (39 ft) |
| Computed detect distance (25 ppm) | About 120 m (394 ft) |
| Storage | None built in; needs an NVR or NAS |
| Price | $84.99 |
The DORI math on the published 4mm lens
Horizontal field of view is computed as hfov = 2 x atan(sensor width / (2 x focal length)). Using the nominal 1/2.8 inch sensor width of 5.12mm and the published 4mm focal length, tan(hfov/2) works out to exactly 5.12 / 8, or 0.64, which gives a horizontal field of view of about 65.2 degrees.
DORI distance is then hPixels / (requiredPpm x 2 x tan(hfov/2)). With the sensor 3840 horizontal pixels and tan(hfov/2) at 0.64, the four EN 62676-4 thresholds work out as follows: identify (250 ppm) at about 12 meters (39 feet), recognise (125 ppm) at about 24 meters (79 feet), observe (62.5 ppm) at about 48 meters (157 feet), and detect (25 ppm) at about 120 meters (394 feet).
For comparison, a wider 2.8mm lens on the same 8MP sensor, the published lens on the Amcrest 4K bullet camera in this catalog, computes to a wider 84.9 degree field of view but pulls the identify distance in to about 8.4 meters (28 feet) and the detect distance out to about 84 meters (276 feet). A wider lens covers more of a scene and identifies a face at a shorter distance; a narrower lens does the opposite. Neither figure is stated by either manufacturer, both come from the same published-lens, published-sensor math.
What this camera does not include
The RLC-810A specification lists its storage type as PoE, needing an NVR or NAS. There is no drive in this camera and no way to record without pairing it with a recorder such as the REOLINK RLN8-410, reviewed separately, a NAS, or a microSD card slot if the specific model variant includes one.
The listing does not publish an IR range in feet or a lux rating for this camera. Where some REOLINK bundled kits state a 100 foot infrared figure in their own feature text, this specific standalone camera listing does not carry that claim, so it is treated here as not published rather than assumed to match.
Buying one camera versus buying a kit
At $84.99 for the camera alone, adding a single RLC-810A to an existing recorder is cheaper per camera than most bundled kits, but only once a recorder with a free channel already exists. Buying a recorder and one camera separately from scratch, rather than a bundled kit that already matches a recorder to its cameras, usually costs more in total for the first camera and only becomes cheaper as more standalone cameras are added to fill the spare channels.
This is the calculation worth doing before buying a single camera to start a system from zero: price the equivalent bundled kit, such as the RLK8-410B4-5MP or RLK8-800B6, against a bare recorder plus the number of standalone cameras actually needed, since the bundled kits in this catalog are generally priced below the sum of their separate parts.
Is this a hands-on review
No. This is not a hands-on review. This camera has not been mounted, wired to a recorder, or observed at night by anyone on this team. Every distance above is a geometric computation from the published lens and sensor specifications, not a measured result.
Who should not buy this
Anyone who wants a single all-in-one purchase, cameras and a recorder and a drive together, should look at a bundled kit like the RLK8-800B6 instead. This is a standalone camera and needs a recorder to do anything.
Anyone covering a wide driveway from one mount, where seeing the whole width matters more than identifying a face at the far end, is better served by the wider 2.8mm Amcrest camera or a 129 degree lens, since this camera 65.2 degree field of view is comparatively narrow.
Anyone who needs a stated IR distance in feet before buying will not find one on this specific listing.
The gear that matches this answer
REOLINK RLC-810A PoE Security Camera, 4K Wired Outdoor
$84.99The default 4K PoE bullet in this catalog: person and vehicle detection on the camera itself, so alerts are not triggered by every passing shadow.
- Resolution
- 8 MP
- Lens
- 4 mm
- Storage
- PoE, needs an NVR or NAS
Prices change often.
Amcrest UltraHD 4K 8MP Outdoor Bullet Security IP PoE Camera, 98ft NightVision
$94.95Amcrest publishes its IR range and its lens focal length in the listing, which is rarer than it should be and is what makes a coverage calculation possible before you buy.
- Resolution
- 8 MP
- Stated IR range
- 98 ft
- Lens
- 2.8 mm
Prices change often.
REOLINK RLC-820A 4K PoE Security Camera, Wired Outdoor Dome
$99.99The dome counterpart to the RLC-810A, same sensor and same detection, in a body that does not advertise which way it is looking.
- Resolution
- 8 MP
Prices change often.
REOLINK RLC-1212A 12MP Bullet Outdoor PoE Camera
$129.99Twelve megapixels on a single camera, which buys real DORI identify distance on the one approach where you actually need a face rather than a shape.
- Resolution
- 12 MP
Prices change often.
REOLINK PoE Security Camera RLC-810A 2 Pack, 4K, 100ft IR Night Vision
$194.99Two of the same camera, which is what most expansions actually need, at a lower price per unit than two singles.
- Resolution
- 8 MP
- Stated IR range
- 100 ft
Prices change often.
Common questions
How far can the RLC-810A actually identify a face?
Worked through the standard DORI formula using the published 4mm lens and 8MP sensor, the computed identify distance, the point at which a stranger could be identified to an evidential standard, is about 12 meters (39 feet). Detecting that a person is present, a much lower bar, extends to about 120 meters (394 feet).
Does this camera record on its own?
No. The specification lists its storage type as PoE, needing an NVR or NAS. It has no built-in drive, so it must be paired with a network video recorder, a NAS, or another storage path to keep any footage at all.
What is the infrared night vision range?
This specific listing does not publish an IR range in feet or a lux figure for this camera, so no distance can be honestly stated here. Manufacturer IR distances, where published, are typically measured under ideal conditions against a reflective target rather than in real working conditions.
How is this different from a wider-angle camera at the same resolution?
A wider lens spreads the same pixel count across more of the scene, which covers a wider area but reduces the distance at which the same camera can identify a face. The published 2.8mm Amcrest 4K bullet camera in this catalog computes to a wider 84.9 degree view but a shorter identify distance of about 8.4 meters, against this camera 65.2 degrees and 12 meters.
Can this camera be added to an existing REOLINK recorder?
Yes, provided the recorder has a spare PoE channel and is compatible with REOLINK PoE cameras. The RLN8-410 and RLN16-410 NVRs, and the recorders built into REOLINK bundled kits, are the natural pairing for a standalone camera like this one.
Get the system planning sheet
The camera count, storage and PoE budget worksheet, plus the wiring checklist, as one printable page.
Keep going
Before you point a camera at anything. Aim cameras at your own property and your own boundary, never into a neighbour's windows or across their garden. Cameras in bedrooms, bathrooms, or anywhere else a person reasonably expects privacy are a serious legal problem, and that includes guests, lodgers and anyone who works in your home. Audio is legally different from video, many US states require the consent of every party to a recorded conversation, and several recorders capture audio by default, so check your own state before you enable it. Some places require visible notice that recording is taking place, and landlords and homeowner associations often impose their own rules on top. This is researched general information and not legal advice, and the law varies by state and by country.
And once it is installed. Change every default password, keep the firmware updated, and be clear with yourself about where the footage goes: a cloud camera means a third party holds recordings of your home, while a local recorder keeps them in your house. That is a genuine buying consideration, not a technicality.