surveillance cameras

April 7, 2026

Nowhere to hide! A review of Reolink’s latest surveillance camera the Altas PT Ultra with Solar Panel 2

By Jeff Daum, Ph.D., PPA

Technology & Product Analyst

While there was a plethora of surveillance systems at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2026), Reolink’s product line stood out. I was particularly impressed with the specifications and capabilities of their new Altas PT Ultra with Solar Panel 2 unit.  Here’s why:

One of the potential drawbacks for many surveillance cameras on the market today is the need for direct access to a power outlet.  Some manufacturers have attempted to get around this by combining their camera with a solar panel.  But numerous of these solar powered units did not generate sufficient power to continue working throughout the night or on days with little to no sun.

This brings me to why I wanted to test the Altas PT Ultra unit.  It was designed from the ground up to be supported by solar power, with a massive 20,000 mAp battery along with proprietary technology that reduces power draw.  Aaron Downes, the Go To Market Manager NA for Reolink arranged for me to receive an Altas PT Ultra with Solar Panel 2 for testing and review.

Here are the Altas PT Ultra unit’s specifications with the optional Solar Panel 2 from Reolink’s web site: [1]

  • 4K 360° Pan & Tilt Long Lasting Battery Camera with Pre-recording
  • 500-Day Long Lasting Battery
  • Up to 10s of Pre-recording
  • Solar Panel Support
  • 4K ColorX Night Vision
  • 360° Automatic Tracking
  • No Monthly Fees For Local Storage
  • With a 20,000mAh battery, it delivers an impressive 500 days of operation in PIR mode, ensuring reliable performance even during cold winters or extended periods without sunlight, all on a single charge.
  • 6 watt solar panel
  • 256 GB microSD card capability

It lists with the Solar Sanel 2 at US$219.99 in white or US$239.99 in black, though they do run sales on their website and it can be ordered with or without the solar panel and with a 256GB microSD card.

Installation and Setup

The Altas PT Ultra with Solar Panel 2 comes with just about everything you need to install the camera and solar panel.  The mounting instructions included in the Operational Instructions booklet are easy to follow.

The first step after unboxing is to download the free Reolink app and the use the QR code on the camera to add it to the app.  The process is easy and quick.

Prior to mounting the camera, the instructions recommend you fully charge the battery using the included USB A to C cable and your own 5v USB power adapter.  I did this while deciding on the best location to mount both the Altas PT Ultra camera and the Solar Panel 2.

There are three mounting options for the camera: on a wall or to the ceiling, or it can be mounted to a pole or tree.  The necessary brackets, screws, anchors and straps are provided.

Before finalizing the mounting location, I held the camera temporarily in place and checked the image on the app.  In my case I mounted the camera on the wall and the solar panel nearby on the roof.  Reolink provided templates for both units to ensure you drill the holes correctly. 

Note: I decided on securing the connection wire from the solar panel to the camera along the surface using heavy duty outdoor hot glue and a glue gun.  Out of an abundance of caution, I also modified the rubber plug that sits over the USB port and camera power button.  The plug is designed to weather seal that area but does not fit once you attach the solar power cord to the camera.  So, I cut the plug into pieces to cover the area to the left of the solar cord and to the right of the solar cord where the power button is located.

Once everything was mounted, I used the app to fine tune the setting.  There are easy to follow comprehensive options including: the type of recording, resolution, frame rate, bitrate, time/schedule, auto tracking with a settable central return position, PIR or passive infrared sensor or not, sensitivity of the PIR, time lapse, night time spot light, use of its built in alarm and its duration, two way speaker, audio recording, saving recordings to an optional built in microSD card or optional Reolink hub or local driver, type and manner of notification, and auto update of software.

Since this system is solar powered, once you have paired the camera with the Reolink App and set up the parameters to your liking, you can mount the camera up in a location that has neither power nor WiFi. Everything will function perfectly, except of course, you could not view the images live or playback recorded videos remotely. However, you could go to the remote camera location and remove the microSD card and then view the recording on your computer or similar device.

Preliminary Results

As I found when I reviewed another Reolink Serveillance camera, The Reolink Elite 4K Floodlight WiFi surveillance camera[2], they do not disappoint!  Reolink continues to raise the bar with this Altas PT Ultra with Solar Panel 2 system.

The crystal-clear images were available on my phone and my computer as soon as the system was up and running.  The camera records simultaneously in both low and high definition called Fluent and Clear, respectfully at  640P and 4KMP.  You can view and download in either, though I recommend using the Clear 4KMP.

The auto tracking worked flawlessly both in the daytime and at nighttime.  Even with auto tracking set, while in ‘Live’ viewing you can reposition the camera using the pan and tilt control in the app to anywhere in its 360 degree range to look at a specific area, and then return it to the preset central position.  A fairly unique capability of this solar powered camera is its ability to pre-record the interval prior to someone entering the field of view.  You can set this for two to ten seconds.  This feature ensures you don’t miss capturing anything of relevance.

Using the app, I could playback video recordings by a specific date and time.  Because of the location I chose, I used the recording parameters of only capturing ‘people’ and ‘animals.’   When you playback videos, you can look at all of them or select to only see ones with people or animals or cars.  The excellent AI software quickly sorts through the recording and shows only those meeting your selected parameters.  This is a tremendous time saver when you are trying to find a specific incident.

These two live downloaded images show the same general area captured at night and in the day. Note, I did not have the built-in spot light set to turn on automatically in the night shot.

This set of four images downloaded from a playback video demonstrates the Altas PT Ultra excellent auto tracking triggered as the subject crosses the covered area, from right to left and then top.

This image live downloaded shows the camera returned to its central point when no activity is sensed.

As noted, you have the option of capturing audio simultaneously with the video.  Normally I found the audio clear and easy to understand.  However, when it is windy, the built-in microphone seems overly sensitive.  As far as I can tell the Altas PT Ultra does not offer any noise reduction option as they do, for example, on the Elite 4k Floodlight WiFi unit.  Perhaps this will be offered in future software updates.

The two-way built-in speaker works well and without distortion.  It also features an alarm that you can set the parameters for when or if it is activated.  It certainly would startle someone when triggered but isn’t as loud as a typical freestanding alarm.

Since I have put the Altas PT Ultra in service for only a few weeks, I can’t yet attest to Reolink’s stated potential “in PIR Trigger mode the battery can last up to 500 days (16 months) based on 300s of recording per day ” [Reolink web site].  However, so far the battery has shown 100% power remaining every day. This has been the case even when I check it in the morning.  Based on this, I think the system could easily fully operate multiple days with no power generated by the sun through the Solar 2 panel.  Stay tuned for long term updates.

Conclusion

The image quality day or night matches the best wired (120/240 volt powered) surveillance cameras I have tested.   The cameras auto tracking and AI software are excellent.  The Solar Panel 2 truly raises the bar by providing greater options for camera placement along with no detriment to image quality, recording and camera capabilities. 

The Altas PT Ultra with its Solar 2 panel is an excellent choice for any surveillance needs.  It is ideal for use in locations where you don’t have easy access to a power outlet but do have a viable WiFi signal.  Even without WiFi signal it would be an excellent option but would require the manual removal of the microSD card to view saved recordings.

Thanks for visiting! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to enter them below.

[1] https://reolink.com/us/product/altas-pt-ultra/

[2] https://insight.daumphotography.com/2025/08/23/youve-been-captured-reolink-elite-4k-floodlight-wifi-surveillance-camera-review/

August 23, 2025

You’ve been captured! Reolink Elite 4K Floodlight WiFi surveillance camera review

By Jeff Daum, Ph.D., PPA

Technology & Product Analyst

In a word, this Reolink Elite Floodlight WiFi surveillance camera is truly impressive.  Reolink raises the bar for surveillance systems on multiple levels including image quality, ease and flexibility of use and AI-assisted search of recorded videos.  This unit was provided to me by CommunicateMore for testing and review.

Here are the Reolink Elite Floodlight WiFi specifications listed on their website*:

  • Image Sensor 1/2.7″ CMOS  Sensors
  • Resolution 5120×1552(8 Megapixels) @20fps
  • Lens f=2.8mm fixed, F=1.6
  • Field of View Horizontal: 180° Vertical: 59°
  • Infrared Night Vision Up to 30 meters (100ft); LED: 9pcs/850nm
  • (Auto-switching with IR-cut filter)
  • Color Night Vision With Floodlights: 19W 3000 Lumens/3000K~6000K
  • Frame Rate Main stream: 2fps – 20fps(Default: 20fps)
  • Sub stream: 4fps – 20fps(Default: 20fps)
  • Code Rate Main stream: 3072Kbps -8192Kbps(Default: 5120Kbps)
  • Sub stream: 256Kbps – 2048Kbps(Default: 1024Kbps)
  • Audio Two-way audio
  • Tailorable real-time mobile notification options of email, text or both.
  • Unit cost: US$219.99 list

The unit ships with just about everything you need to mount the surveillance camera and get it up and operational.  Included is the camera unit with dual cameras and two LED floodlights, hardware to mount it on the wall or overhang, and a brief manual.  Additionally, each package of the different screws needed are clearly labeled and match the labeling in the brief manual.

Initializing and Mounting

Before you mount the unit you need to use your smart phone to download their free app which then guides you through the initialization of the camera and linking it to your WiFi.  At this stage you temporarily power the camera with the supplied USB A to C cord.  However, you will need to provide your own 5-volt 2-amp USB power adaptor (standard with most phones in the past).  Access the USB port on the camera body by removing two Phillips head screws in the port cover (the screws are ‘captured’ so you don’t have to be concerned about losing them).

This initialization process will go smoothly if you make sure you do a couple of necessary things:

  • Ensure you set up the permissions for the Reolink app to access your camera, its Bluetooth, precise location, etc.
  • Notice the little check box on your phone as it is stepping you through the process that says ‘you heard the voice prompt’ from the unit.

Once you get the initialization set up, you disconnect the USB cord.  If you are going to use the unit’s internal storage, you will need to install a micro-SD card at this point.  It supports up to a 512GB microSD card with FAT32 format and Class 10 read and write speed. You will find the microSD slot near the same area that you inserted the USB cord.

You don’t have to use internal storage, but I recommend it even if only as a backup.  Reolink offers the option of storing recorded videos to the microSD card, your own NAS or their NVR unit.

Next you screw the port cover back on and are ready to mount the unit.  Since it is powered by AC 100V~240V, 50~60Hz you will need to have a junction box available where you plan on placing it or run power and a new box to the location.  Wiring is straight forward, just the hot, neutral and ground connections.  The mounting bracket Reolink supplies has a level built into it that makes it easy to correctly align the three screw holes as you mount it to the wall.

The camera and floodlights unit then screws on the mounting bracket.  Note: There is a small loop incorporated into the back of the camera unit that allows you to temporarily support/hang it while you connect the three wires with the supplied wire nuts.

Once you have the unit mounted and have placed the supplied hole plugs over the screws, you are ready to turn on the power to the camera.

In my case the unit came online in the app on my phone almost immediately.  Next, using the live stream in their app, you position the camera head to deliver the best coverage.  They provide a plastic wrench to tighten the camera support once you have it positioned.

Keep your ladder handy if you mount your unit high on a wall, since you will need to wait until it is dark to position the two floodlights best for your situation.

Preliminary results

Reolink’s smart phone app is very easy to use and well designed.  It opens to a live stream of the camera’s 180 view.  The app is intuitive with icons to trigger the 105dB siren, floodlights, two-way audio, snap a picture or start a recording, talk over its built-in speaker, playback recorded events and access your settings.

They also have free versions of the app available for use on a PC or Mac that are equally easy to use.

The key function that sets Reolink’s app and this Elite 4K Floodlight WiFi surveillance camera apart from competition is the ease you can review recorded videos.  Instead of having to wade through potentially hours of video to find what you are looking for Reolink uses AI to do it for you!

When you click on Playback on the phone, it loads the videos by date and then there is an icon that allows you to sort/search by event type.  For example, you can choose to see all videos where a person entered the field of view, or a vehicle, or animal or combination of these.  When you select one or more of these filters, it then quickly sorts through the videos and brings up only those matching your selection.  If you used the settings function to define a specific line or zone in the viewing area, you could also select to see videos where someone has crossed the line or entered the zone.  It can even identify and sort when someone is loitering in the viewing area.

When you are looking at saved videos, the app allows you to play the video at normal speed or as slow as ¼ speed or in increments up to 16xs speed.  As mentioned, you can at any point snap a picture of what you are viewing, and/or download the current video.

The Reolink apps on PC or Mac are very similar to the smart phone app in functionality and ease of use.

I found this AI assisted search to be excellent and correct most of the time.  It really saves so much time and effort searching through recordings to find an event.

This brings me to the quality of the image.  Whether you are looking at the live feed or the recorded image, it is outstanding in both day and night versions.  The image is sharp, the color excellent during the day and very good at night even with the floodlights set to lower lumen output (I did set the color temperature to 6000K and reduced the lumens to about half power).

Here are some samples of daytime images and nighttime images directly from the live stream.  The detail holds up even if you considerably enlarge (crop) an image. Note, these are uncorrected images directly from the Reolink unit. Because of the native quality, they could if necessary be easily enhanced using post production editing.

These are day and night images:

These sets show enlargements of the red circled area in the first image:

Similarly, the videos are smooth and images crisp. For a short day clip see https://youtu.be/L3aVJGOvWz0

and for a short night clip see https://youtu.be/Z7__wVtNgxs

You can see in these samples that the Reolink software automatically stitches the simultaneous images from the two cameras in the unit together to provide a panoramic picture.

In my set up because I have the unit both mounted high and pointed downward so I can see both ends of the side yard as well as wall of my house, you do end up getting normal curvature distortion from the center of the image to both sides.  This is mild and does not impact the sharpness of the image.  If you end up mounting the unit lower or don’t need to point it downward as much, you will have little to no curvature distortion.

The type of recording you want to save is set in options, along with where you want to store them.  For this review I went with a 512GB MicroSD card and allowed it to save recordings of all forms of activity.  It appears that it will store approximately a month’s worth of recordings on my setting before recording over the oldest files.

Summary

The Reolink Elite 4K Floodlight WiFi surveillance camera and its free apps do not disappoint.  The high quality180 degree view along with the AI search set this system apart from competition.  It is easy to tailor it for your specific needs and is value-priced considering everything it delivers.

It receives five out of five thumbs up!

*Reolink website https://reolink.com/us/

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