Reolink CX820 ColorX 8MP POE Turret Security Camera Review

Today, we are taking a closer look at the Reolink CX820 ColorX 8MP POE turret security camera. Is it something worth buying? Let’s find out!

Buy Reolink CX820 on Amazon!

So what’s unique with this camera is that it can record in full color at night, even without using the built-in spotlights, thanks to its f/1 aperture. For best performance without using the spotlights, you want to place this camera where there’s at least some ambient light, like street lights or even moonlight. In really dark areas, you do need to use the built-in spotlights. And this camera doesn’t have infrared lights for normal black and white night vision like the Reolink CX410C I reviewed recently.

The image quality at daytime is really good, and you can read a license plate at 20 meters and maybe identify a person at around 10 meters. Night time, I would say, is good as well, even without the spotlights if there’s enough ambient light around. It can get a bit blurry, though, when there’s movement. You can still easily tell what you’re looking at, though, whether it’s a person walking by or what color a car has. With the spotlights on, it gets a bit clearer, and you can see a little more detail.

Overall, I think this is a great security camera, especially for areas where there is already some ambient light around. The build quality seems to be very good with a metal housing and an IP67 rating, which means the camera is weatherproof and can be placed anywhere outdoors.
I bought this camera on Amazon and I paid 120 dollars for it. If you are interested in buying this camera, you will find my affiliate links in the article description below with the most updated prices.

Technical Specs

The camera uses an 8MP sensor that records in 4 K, 3840 by 2160, at a maximum of 25 fps. It uses a 4mm lens with a 93.2-degree horizontal field of view and a 48.2-degree vertical field of view. The camera supports Human, vehicle, and animal detection, which I think worked fine. It also has some other smart event detections, like line cross detection and zone detection.

The camera can be used as a standalone or connected to an NVR, and I tested the camera using ONVIF device manager without any problems. Keep in mind you have to turn on ONVIF first in the camera settings before you can use it, same with accessing the web interface.

And it works with the Reolink app, so you can get instant push notifications on your phone when the camera detects motion. You can then view it directly on your phone from the playbacks saved on the microSD card. And the camera supports up to 256 GB micro SD card.

It has a built-in speaker and microphone so you can talk and listen through the camera.

Since this is a POE camera, you only need one network cable for both power and data, but you need a POE switch or if your NVR has POE ports. You can, of course, also power it using a 12V DC adapter, which is not included.

Setup and Usage

So to connect to the camera is very easy. Download the Reolink app and open it up and press the plus icon and then scan the qr code on the camera and follow the instructions. That’s it.

We can also access the camera from a web browser by typing the camera’s IP address in the address bar, but first, we have to turn it on in the app in the advanced settings.

So I will show you all the camera settings from the app instead, since I believe most people will be using the app.
So here we have the main screen, and up here we can turn on the alarm siren, turn on the spotlight, and this is the camera settings and picture in picture.

Down here we can pause the live view, turn on and off the audio, take a snapshot, record video, change image quality, and full screen.
And here we got talk through the camera, clip, and playback. Let’s go to settings and have a look at all the different options available.

Real World Testing

Alright, let’s have a look at some real-world performance. During daytime recording with the highest image quality in 4 K at 25fps with audio turned on, I was able to clearly read license plates at around 20m from the camera with no problem at all.

Testing different camera angles during the day showed consistent quality across various viewing positions.

At night, without the spotlights turned on, the camera still performed well in areas with ambient lighting, though you’ll notice some motion blur in low-light conditions.

And at night, with the spotlights turned on, the image quality improves significantly with much better clarity and detail visibility.

Final Thoughts

So, is this camera worth buying? I’d say yes, especially if you’re looking for a security camera that can capture color footage at night without always needing to use artificial lighting. The build quality is solid, the app is easy to use, and the image quality is really good for the price point. Just remember that for the best nighttime performance without spotlights, you’ll want to install it where there’s at least some ambient light available.

At 120 dollars, I think it offers good value for what you get – 4k recording, color night vision, weatherproof construction, and all the smart detection features you’d expect from a modern security camera. If you’re interested in picking one up, check out those affiliate links below for the most current pricing.

Check Reolink CX820 on Amazon!