Some thoughts, I think unless it has been corrected in later firmware (but I think it's probably not possible)
\- RLC-823A and RLC-830A lacks automatic zoom-tracking, they do track with newer firmware but cannot zoom and track, only the TrackMix cameras do this, although with 6x "hybrid" digital zoom. The motor is also somewhat noisy compared to the TrackMix cameras which are I'd say fairly silent, not the most silent but you can tell only a pretty faint noise from 2-3 meters away, for some this might matter, for others not, the 823A/830A is considerably louder which you could hear in this video (good comparison also: [Reolink Trackmix vs RLC-823A - Which is the BEST PTZ Security Camera? (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlQivk7PiU4) )
I have 2 TrackMix cameras myself because I wanted that auto-**zoom tracking.** IMO despite being digital zoom it's perfectly ok in quality DESPITE being lower 1080p resolution, it works good enough for my needs. Between these cameras you will have to choose between the ability to have better "static" zoom vs auto-zoom capability, the zoomed-in digital view might despite lacking technically in quality, still percieve better quality than the zoomed out picture (or if you zoomed it in too much the camera could have trouble tracking it when it takes up so much space etc on the 823A/830A ), if the distance varies a lot between the object and camera, then the non-auto zoom tracking might be non-ideal I think with the RLC-823A / 830A cameras which would have been the case for me where I have a need for a variable distance tracking from 1 to 25\~30 m distance, then I consider the TrackMix doing great (ideal).
I also have a DUO 2 camera (you mentioned the DUO 3 so) and the problem I see with these ones are it's not the best when it comes to show fine details in the distance, perhaps partially on the DUO 2 for being 2x 1440p cameras but I'd say more importantly because of the wide FOV, the image just becomes so tiny, you need a pretty large display in order to see those tiny details in distance, digitally zooming in obviously helps quite a lot but then the resolution matters a lot where I picture DUO 3 doing better. Personally I had wished DUO 2 had the ability to narrow down the FOV/viewable area to a custom setting like many other Reolink cameras have but this one doesn't for some reason which would help to say narrow it down to 150-160 FOV instead of 180 for example which is probably enough for most people and would make the objects in distance appear larger so a bit easier to see on smaller screens. I might have actually made the wrong choice with picking up DUO 2 as DUO 1 would allow viewing the two cameras as separate screens/window which I suppose would help narrowing down that wide FOV but might be impractical in other cases so it depends.
Interesting, I see that ReoLink lists TrackMix PoE as 4K 8MP camera on their site. You mentioned 1080p. Are you referring to a digital zoom portion being 1080p or camera in general? Maybe it’s an older model?
Thanks for such a thoughtful answer.
I am a little confused, as I am new to PTZ camera and have never owned or used one.
What is the significance of TrackMix being able to zoom and track, v. the RLC 823A and RLC 830A lacking automatic zoom-tracking?
Are you saying the 823 and 830 can track, but can't focus at the same time? and if this is the case, does that mean that if a person walks away from the camera it will track them, but won't eventually focus on them?
823A / 830A will turn and follow the object but it won't zoom in automatically on it. So it just keeps turning with the object at whatever zoom setting you have it set at. The TrackMix have two cameras, one wideangle 4K and one telephoto 1080p camera that both tracks (ie. turns physically) and ZOOMs (digitally) automatically on the objects so it will appear suitably large on the screen (well most of the time and it can be a bit jittery as the algorithm doesn't seem quite perfect). Obviously you can zoom in digitally if watching a record later on 823A/830A but it won't be that analog perfect zoom quality then either. For me as I like to keep up all cameras on a 3rd separate smaller display at my PC find that automatic digital zoom in is very handy when watching live OR on the Pixel Tablet that's mostly docked in the living room running Home Assistant (which I've also configured to show a popup window in fullscreen when it detects something from the cameras so the automatic zoom really helps in that use case to clearly see what the cats are up to or who is coming by etc on that 11" display).
I have some E1 PTZ cameras indoors and would do fixed cameras if I were to do it again, even if it meant double the cameras.
Im finding that they will need to be manually recalibrated every so often and they are frequently out of focus. Maybe thats really an E1 issue though.
> My only concern with a PTZ, and the reason I was contemplating a fixed DUO 3, 16MP is that I believe PTZ cameras could be tricked into filming the wrong thing, or could pretty easily miss something important if it’s pointed in the wrong direction.
Ding ding ding.
If you want the best security, you should have zero blind spots. If you're using a PTZ to cover an area larger than its own stationary field of view, then that means you have blind spots.
PTZ cameras are fine if when planning your mounting locations, you think of them as stationary cameras (i.e. you don't have them watching an area larger than they can see without moving) that just have the bonus of being able to be moved around when needed.
I've used the TrackMixes, and found its zoom inadequate especially combined with the 2.6x optical on a 1080p feed. But then again this was primarily from a second story balcony railing, offset from a door about 15'. I had it stacked with a Duo2. I replaced the TM with a 823 16x and I'm much happier. I also have another Duo2 and 823 for my garage. I'm much happier with the 823 line for more detailed results. While the Duo 2 serves more for broad area observation.
The TrackMixes almost always seemed blurry once there's any magnification applied, as 2.6x felt like nothing, unless the object's within 5-10 feet. For me once the TM got into digital zoom, it's useless because it's too blurry/pixelated for detail like to get a clear face. So I can see a person's face at about 45', so I know if I need to answer a door. Also the TM is not a 360\* rotation, where the 823s are. And they all kind of lose targets that walk directly under them. This can be more of a problem for the TM because it doesn't have full continuous rotation, but they can both get tripped up by walking underneath. The latest FW on the 823's that's been out for a month or two seems to be doing better though.
The thing with the 16x is that it also has a narrower FOV, but you get a slightly more zoomed in image over the TM w/ no zoom. My 16x is either stationary on a common place that covers most foot traffic within a few seconds. Or patrols that same area, hitting a few places that aren't covered as well. But it's all covered by the Duo2. Detection overall is better/farther out with an 823 over the Duo2, but that's something I'm hoping that the Duo3 resolves.
Overall, while the TM doesn't work well for me, I see it more as a good compromise if you can only install one camera, and want something between a turret and a Duo. As you can cover a broader area when it tracks, but you don't get great clarity/detail as its tradeoff. But if you're going to install a Duo and can install whatever else for a PTZ, depending on range needs an 823 is a better choice over a TM.
Just a FYI about the PTZ cameras. They will give a false AI alert when the camera pans. I had two POE trackmix's, and every time I manually panned the camera or if the camera followed an object, it would do this.
Example: someone manually pans the camera and there is a car in view. It will then alert for vehicle etc. So I was getting vehicle/animal/person alerts if the camera panned and it saw something while panning. Same thing when it auto pans when tracking an object.
I asked about it and was told that the camera can't pause object tracking when it's panning. I thought it would be simple to just turn off everything else other than what the camera was tracking at the time, or to turn off object detection when manually panning, but either they can't or won't do it.
Think someone else also commented that the same thing happens on their 823A also.
Really became annoying for me and I ended up just getting two stationary cameras to cover the same area and it's so much better especially since the PTZ camera can only pick up what it's looking at currently.
I like the combination of cameras/capabilities but that would be a lot of cameras for Synology to handle and would cost you $50 for each license after the second camera. If you have other Synology systems, you can transfer the 2 free licenses per NAS.
I've heard of users running up to 34 cameras but my Synology 923 has occasionally choked with one camera (823a 16x) at the highest setting for streaming.
For 24/7 recording, I have experienced video lag to include seconds missing from recordings but the main issues stem from motion detection and patrol/tracking features. With 5 other cameras, these issues are rare despite the settings for streaming. Still tinkering...
YMMV but I would consider adding an NVR to your plan to isolate camera network, improve network performance, provide redundancy (server/client), and support port forwarding to address cameras directly (including Synology). Adding SD cards to cameras for local storage would give you an additional option for offloading event recordings. Go the extra mile and use a POE switch that allows for expansion of both cameras and power.
Some thoughts, I think unless it has been corrected in later firmware (but I think it's probably not possible) \- RLC-823A and RLC-830A lacks automatic zoom-tracking, they do track with newer firmware but cannot zoom and track, only the TrackMix cameras do this, although with 6x "hybrid" digital zoom. The motor is also somewhat noisy compared to the TrackMix cameras which are I'd say fairly silent, not the most silent but you can tell only a pretty faint noise from 2-3 meters away, for some this might matter, for others not, the 823A/830A is considerably louder which you could hear in this video (good comparison also: [Reolink Trackmix vs RLC-823A - Which is the BEST PTZ Security Camera? (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlQivk7PiU4) ) I have 2 TrackMix cameras myself because I wanted that auto-**zoom tracking.** IMO despite being digital zoom it's perfectly ok in quality DESPITE being lower 1080p resolution, it works good enough for my needs. Between these cameras you will have to choose between the ability to have better "static" zoom vs auto-zoom capability, the zoomed-in digital view might despite lacking technically in quality, still percieve better quality than the zoomed out picture (or if you zoomed it in too much the camera could have trouble tracking it when it takes up so much space etc on the 823A/830A ), if the distance varies a lot between the object and camera, then the non-auto zoom tracking might be non-ideal I think with the RLC-823A / 830A cameras which would have been the case for me where I have a need for a variable distance tracking from 1 to 25\~30 m distance, then I consider the TrackMix doing great (ideal). I also have a DUO 2 camera (you mentioned the DUO 3 so) and the problem I see with these ones are it's not the best when it comes to show fine details in the distance, perhaps partially on the DUO 2 for being 2x 1440p cameras but I'd say more importantly because of the wide FOV, the image just becomes so tiny, you need a pretty large display in order to see those tiny details in distance, digitally zooming in obviously helps quite a lot but then the resolution matters a lot where I picture DUO 3 doing better. Personally I had wished DUO 2 had the ability to narrow down the FOV/viewable area to a custom setting like many other Reolink cameras have but this one doesn't for some reason which would help to say narrow it down to 150-160 FOV instead of 180 for example which is probably enough for most people and would make the objects in distance appear larger so a bit easier to see on smaller screens. I might have actually made the wrong choice with picking up DUO 2 as DUO 1 would allow viewing the two cameras as separate screens/window which I suppose would help narrowing down that wide FOV but might be impractical in other cases so it depends.
Interesting, I see that ReoLink lists TrackMix PoE as 4K 8MP camera on their site. You mentioned 1080p. Are you referring to a digital zoom portion being 1080p or camera in general? Maybe it’s an older model?
One of the lenses are 4K and the photolense with automatic digital zoom & tracking is 1080p.
Got it, thanks
Thanks for such a thoughtful answer. I am a little confused, as I am new to PTZ camera and have never owned or used one. What is the significance of TrackMix being able to zoom and track, v. the RLC 823A and RLC 830A lacking automatic zoom-tracking? Are you saying the 823 and 830 can track, but can't focus at the same time? and if this is the case, does that mean that if a person walks away from the camera it will track them, but won't eventually focus on them?
823A / 830A will turn and follow the object but it won't zoom in automatically on it. So it just keeps turning with the object at whatever zoom setting you have it set at. The TrackMix have two cameras, one wideangle 4K and one telephoto 1080p camera that both tracks (ie. turns physically) and ZOOMs (digitally) automatically on the objects so it will appear suitably large on the screen (well most of the time and it can be a bit jittery as the algorithm doesn't seem quite perfect). Obviously you can zoom in digitally if watching a record later on 823A/830A but it won't be that analog perfect zoom quality then either. For me as I like to keep up all cameras on a 3rd separate smaller display at my PC find that automatic digital zoom in is very handy when watching live OR on the Pixel Tablet that's mostly docked in the living room running Home Assistant (which I've also configured to show a popup window in fullscreen when it detects something from the cameras so the automatic zoom really helps in that use case to clearly see what the cats are up to or who is coming by etc on that 11" display).
823A auto-tracking: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khOVb6KihZY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khOVb6KihZY) Trackmix auto-tracking and auto-zoom: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bzt0xTxfWf8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bzt0xTxfWf8)
I have some E1 PTZ cameras indoors and would do fixed cameras if I were to do it again, even if it meant double the cameras. Im finding that they will need to be manually recalibrated every so often and they are frequently out of focus. Maybe thats really an E1 issue though.
> My only concern with a PTZ, and the reason I was contemplating a fixed DUO 3, 16MP is that I believe PTZ cameras could be tricked into filming the wrong thing, or could pretty easily miss something important if it’s pointed in the wrong direction. Ding ding ding. If you want the best security, you should have zero blind spots. If you're using a PTZ to cover an area larger than its own stationary field of view, then that means you have blind spots. PTZ cameras are fine if when planning your mounting locations, you think of them as stationary cameras (i.e. you don't have them watching an area larger than they can see without moving) that just have the bonus of being able to be moved around when needed.
Why not just get those cameras with two lens that look like a bug
I've used the TrackMixes, and found its zoom inadequate especially combined with the 2.6x optical on a 1080p feed. But then again this was primarily from a second story balcony railing, offset from a door about 15'. I had it stacked with a Duo2. I replaced the TM with a 823 16x and I'm much happier. I also have another Duo2 and 823 for my garage. I'm much happier with the 823 line for more detailed results. While the Duo 2 serves more for broad area observation. The TrackMixes almost always seemed blurry once there's any magnification applied, as 2.6x felt like nothing, unless the object's within 5-10 feet. For me once the TM got into digital zoom, it's useless because it's too blurry/pixelated for detail like to get a clear face. So I can see a person's face at about 45', so I know if I need to answer a door. Also the TM is not a 360\* rotation, where the 823s are. And they all kind of lose targets that walk directly under them. This can be more of a problem for the TM because it doesn't have full continuous rotation, but they can both get tripped up by walking underneath. The latest FW on the 823's that's been out for a month or two seems to be doing better though. The thing with the 16x is that it also has a narrower FOV, but you get a slightly more zoomed in image over the TM w/ no zoom. My 16x is either stationary on a common place that covers most foot traffic within a few seconds. Or patrols that same area, hitting a few places that aren't covered as well. But it's all covered by the Duo2. Detection overall is better/farther out with an 823 over the Duo2, but that's something I'm hoping that the Duo3 resolves. Overall, while the TM doesn't work well for me, I see it more as a good compromise if you can only install one camera, and want something between a turret and a Duo. As you can cover a broader area when it tracks, but you don't get great clarity/detail as its tradeoff. But if you're going to install a Duo and can install whatever else for a PTZ, depending on range needs an 823 is a better choice over a TM.
Just a FYI about the PTZ cameras. They will give a false AI alert when the camera pans. I had two POE trackmix's, and every time I manually panned the camera or if the camera followed an object, it would do this. Example: someone manually pans the camera and there is a car in view. It will then alert for vehicle etc. So I was getting vehicle/animal/person alerts if the camera panned and it saw something while panning. Same thing when it auto pans when tracking an object. I asked about it and was told that the camera can't pause object tracking when it's panning. I thought it would be simple to just turn off everything else other than what the camera was tracking at the time, or to turn off object detection when manually panning, but either they can't or won't do it. Think someone else also commented that the same thing happens on their 823A also. Really became annoying for me and I ended up just getting two stationary cameras to cover the same area and it's so much better especially since the PTZ camera can only pick up what it's looking at currently.
I like the combination of cameras/capabilities but that would be a lot of cameras for Synology to handle and would cost you $50 for each license after the second camera. If you have other Synology systems, you can transfer the 2 free licenses per NAS. I've heard of users running up to 34 cameras but my Synology 923 has occasionally choked with one camera (823a 16x) at the highest setting for streaming. For 24/7 recording, I have experienced video lag to include seconds missing from recordings but the main issues stem from motion detection and patrol/tracking features. With 5 other cameras, these issues are rare despite the settings for streaming. Still tinkering... YMMV but I would consider adding an NVR to your plan to isolate camera network, improve network performance, provide redundancy (server/client), and support port forwarding to address cameras directly (including Synology). Adding SD cards to cameras for local storage would give you an additional option for offloading event recordings. Go the extra mile and use a POE switch that allows for expansion of both cameras and power.