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Reolink Reolink RLC-542WA
Bullet Camera with 4.9MP (2560×1920) resolution, 27° field of view, and 30m IR night vision range.
SPECIFICATIONS · REOLINK RLC-542WA
Specifications
About the Reolink Reolink RLC-542WA
The Reolink Reolink RLC-542WA is a weather-sealed bullet housing optimized for perimeter, parking, and exterior building installations. At 5-to-6MP the sensor sits between 1080p economy and 4K forensic detail: enough pixels-per-metre for evidence-grade faces at typical entrance and driveway distances, while keeping recording bitrate materially lighter than an 8MP camera. Medium IR range (20–40 m) is appropriate for typical residential driveways, small commercial perimeters, and back-of-house loading bays where reach beyond ~30 m is rarely needed at night. A narrow field of view trades coverage area for pixel density at distance — the right choice when you need to read faces or plates far from the camera, e.g., long corridors, gate approaches, ANPR installations.
Best use cases for this camera
Long corridor & aisle monitoring
The 27° narrow angle is intentionally tuned for corridor work — it concentrates pixel density along the length of the hallway rather than wasting resolution on the side walls. Mount at the far end facing along the corridor.
License plate / ANPR
The combination of 27° narrow angle and 4.9MP (2560×1920) resolution provides the pixel density required for ANPR at typical lane widths, especially when paired with proper lane lighting and perpendicular mounting.
Strengths
- •4.9MP sensor preserves detail under digital zoom on recorded footage
- •49m effective range supports outdoor perimeter and parking-lot deployments
Considerations
- •Narrow angle requires more cameras to cover wide areas — plan camera count accordingly
Coverage at Different Distances
| Distance | Coverage Width | Coverage Area | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5m | 2.4m | 12 m² | Entrance, corridor |
| 10m | 4.8m | 48 m² | Room, retail aisle |
| 15m | 7.2m | 108 m² | Warehouse, parking row |
| 20m | 9.6m | 192 m² | Parking row, courtyard |
| 30m | 14.4m | 432 m² | Parking lot, yard |
| 50m | 24.0m | 1200 m² | Perimeter, large area |
Field of View Visualization
Night Vision Performance
Daytime
Full 4.9MP (2560×1920) resolution at 27° field of view. Effective identification range up to 30m in good lighting conditions.
Nighttime (IR)
Built-in IR LEDs illuminate up to 30m in complete darkness. Switches to B/W mode for clear night footage.
Installation tips for the Reolink RLC-542WA
Mount at 4–6 m height angled 10–20° downward — high enough to deter tampering, low enough to preserve face detail at 34m.
Plan cabling for multiple cameras to cover wide areas — at 27° you cover roughly 5 m of width per camera at 10 m distance.
Plan storage at roughly 20 GB per camera per day for continuous H.265 recording at 15fps — verify NVR has sufficient HDD bay capacity.
Coverage geometry & DORI distances
At a 5-metre standoff the Reolink Reolink RLC-542WA covers about 2.4 m of scene width; at 10 m that grows to 4.8 m, and at 20 m to 9.6 m. Translating those numbers through EN 62676-4 pixel-density thresholds, the camera can detect a person up to 246 m, observe up to 98 m, recognise up to 49 m, and produce identification-grade detail (the ≥250 px/m bar used by Polish and EU courts as evidentiary) up to 25 m. Effective range above the identify threshold relies on supplementary lighting or a longer-focal-length optic — the geometry above assumes the 2.7-13.5mm lens declared by the manufacturer.
Power & cabling
The Reolink Reolink RLC-542WA draws an estimated 7.5 W under typical load (with the IR illuminator engaged where applicable), placing it in the 802.3af (Class 3, ≤15.4 W) budget. A single switch port supplies enough power without an injector. Cabling: stick to Cat6 STP for runs up to 100 m end-to-end — beyond that, add an inline PoE extender or move to fibre with a media converter at the camera end. On outdoor runs, route through ø25 PVC or PE conduit to keep the cable shielded from UV and rodents.
Privacy & legal (GDPR / RODO)
Any camera operating in a publicly accessible area falls under GDPR (RODO in Poland) — Art. 13 obliges the data controller to post an information sign at every entry point with controller name, DPO contact, lawful basis (typically Art. 6(1)(f) legitimate interest for property protection), purpose, and retention period. Even a narrowly-aimed bullet camera can incidentally record passers-by, so the Art. 13 sign at the entry point applies regardless of how tightly the lens is framed.
Installer time & cost (rough estimate)
A typical EU installer quotes 3–4 h of labour per bullet camera of this class (approximately €135–€185 excluding hardware), broken down as bracket mounting, cable termination at both ends, on-site commissioning, and a brief operator handover. Allow extra time for high mounts (>4 m), exterior installations requiring scaffolding, or sites where cable routing demands wall penetrations or conduit work.
Indicative EU 2024-2025 pricing — actual quotes vary by region, mounting height, and site conditions. Excludes hardware, transport, permits, and VAT.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Reolink Reolink RLC-542WA suitable for outdoor installation?
Yes for the IP66/IP67-rated variant of this model. Bullet and dome bodies in the Reolink range survive direct rain, snow and UV; check the IP / IK rating against your environment (IP66 for rain/dust, IK10 for vandal-prone locations).
What PoE class powers the Reolink Reolink RLC-542WA?
The camera draws roughly 7.5 W in steady-state operation, requiring a 802.3af (Class 3, ≤15.4 W) switch port. A single Cat6 STP cable carries both data and power up to 100 m — beyond that, add an inline extender or convert to fibre near the camera.
How much storage does the Reolink Reolink RLC-542WA consume per day?
At 4.9MP (2560×1920) resolution, 15 fps H.265 continuous recording, the Reolink RLC-542WA produces approximately 20 GB per day — about 600 GB per month. Motion-only or event-triggered recording typically cuts that by 40–70 % depending on scene activity. Plan NVR HDD capacity for the longest retention period required by your privacy policy or insurance contract.
Up to what distance can the Reolink Reolink RLC-542WA identify a person?
Per EN 62676-4:2025 pixel-density thresholds, this camera identifies (≥ 250 px/m on the target) up to about 25 m, recognises a person up to 49 m, observes general activity up to 98 m, and detects motion up to 246 m. Identification distance assumes daylight or full IR illumination on the target — at the limits of the IR cone the effective identify distance shrinks roughly 30 %.
What network bandwidth does Reolink Reolink RLC-542WA use?
Typical ingest is 7 Mbps for the main stream (H.265, medium scene complexity, 15 fps) plus ~0.5 Mbps for a low-resolution sub-stream used by mobile clients. For a 16-camera installation of this class, plan a 50–100 Mbps NVR uplink and a dedicated VLAN for camera traffic.
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