Review - Reolink TrackMix Wi-Fi

aaron · 14 Jul 2022, 17:28

Reolink sent me their TrackMix Wi-Fi as a part of the #ReolinkTrial program. I received the camera in exchange for writing this review but was not otherwise compensated. Some parts of the images below have been blurred for privacy.
Setting it up

I mounted the TrackMix Wi-Fi on a sign overlooking the parking lot for a busy mechanic's shop:

I normally prefer PoE cameras over Wi-Fi cameras due to better reliability. However, I was very impressed with both the range and reliability of this camera. It had no trouble connecting to a Wi-Fi network that was inside a cinder block building, with the router inside a piece of furniture. The camera felt pretty durable. During the course of the test it endured direct sunlight and intense summer heat, as well as a couple of very severe rain storms. It had no problems handling any of that. One tip I have is to make sure that you put the camera's connectors inside a waterproof enclosure and/or use dielectric grease inside the connectors for best weatherproofing results. Image quality, PTZ, and zoom

The TrackMix Wi-Fi had the same great image quality I have come to expect from Reolink cameras. The PTZ functions were very responsive and easy to use. The camera never lost its calibration; however it does have a calibration function if it is needed. I liked that I was able to set both a home location and other presets for the PTZ. You can also adjust the PTZ speed, which makes it easier to do fine adjustments. The camera had a patrol feature when I first received it, but that was removed in a later version of the firmware. The camera has a "hybrid zoom", meaning there are two fixed focal length cameras, and the TrackMix uses a combination of switching between these two cameras and digital zoom to accomplish a smooth zoom effect. This was very well done, and it honestly took me a while to realize that the camera does not have a motorized zoom lens. Below is an example of how the TrackMix allows you to capture both a wide-angle and a zoomed-in image at the same time. The first image is from the wide lens and the second image is from the telephoto lens with the zoom set to maximum:

So the TrackMix does deliver on its promise to capture both details and the whole scene at the same time. Night vision

The camera has both color (with visible spotlight) and black and white (with infrared lights) night vision modes. Below is a sample of what each mode looks like in a lit parking lot:

As you can see, it captures a nice amount of detail in low light. For samples of how the night vision performs in complete darkness, I recommend checking out other reviews. AI detection and auto-tracking

The TrackMix has multiple tracking modes, including digital-only, digital-first, and PTZ-first. I chose the PTZ-first mode as it seemed to offer the smoothest tracking when the camera had to physically pan or tilt to continue tracking. Here is a sample of how the AI person auto-tracking performed:

Unfortunately, in a parking lot full of stationary cars, the AI tracking had a lot of false positives and would often zoom in on a car that was not moving, a tree blowing in the wind, or nothing in particular:

There are sensitivity settings, but they did not seem to help much. I'm sure this is something that Reolink could improve in a future firmware upgrade. Overall impressions

Overall, this is a good camera with great image quality, good night vision performance, and a very easy to use PTZ system. I think the auto-tracking needs some improvement, but that could be fixed in the future. I think this camera would perform best closer to the ground than I had it mounted, and in a less busy environment.

user_638337673601072 · 20 Jan 2023, 06:07

With an intuitive app, plenty of customization options, reasonable prices, and reliable equipment – all very crucial factors – we think that overall, Reolink is a great option to consider for home security.

user_623715019411529 · 22 Jan 2023, 16:00

Send it to me let me give you my wifi refi review!!! Reo puts out decent video so I'm not impressed by that but wifi inconsistence is just another boat anchor..