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Reolink RLC-81PA
Bullet Camera with 8.3MP (3840×2160) resolution, 87° field of view, and 30m IR night vision range.
SPECIFICATIONS · RLC-81PA
Specifications
About the Reolink RLC-81PA
The Reolink RLC-81PA is a long-distance bullet body that mounts cleanly under eaves, on poles, or along fencelines. At 8MP the camera covers more area per device while preserving enough pixels-per-meter for legal evidence quality at typical installation distances. 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 wide 80–120° angle covers a large room or open area from a single mounting position, making it ideal for retail floors, conference rooms, and small parking lots.
Best use cases for this camera
Entrance, lobby & vestibule
The 87° field of view captures the entire entrance and surrounding waiting area from a single ceiling mount. Useful for capturing visitors as they enter and leave.
Strengths
- •8.3MP sensor preserves detail under digital zoom on recorded footage
- •30m effective range supports outdoor perimeter and parking-lot deployments
Considerations
- •Higher resolution increases storage and bandwidth requirements proportionally — verify NVR capacity
Coverage at Different Distances
| Distance | Coverage Width | Coverage Area | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5m | 9.5m | 47 m² | Entrance, corridor |
| 10m | 19.0m | 190 m² | Room, retail aisle |
| 15m | 28.5m | 427 m² | Warehouse, parking row |
| 20m | 38.0m | 759 m² | Parking row, courtyard |
| 30m | 56.9m | 1708 m² | Parking lot, yard |
| 50m | 94.9m | 4745 m² | Perimeter, large area |
Field of View Visualization
Night Vision Performance
Daytime
Full 8.3MP (3840×2160) resolution at 87° 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 RLC-81PA
Mount at 4–6 m height angled 10–20° downward — high enough to deter tampering, low enough to preserve face detail at 21m.
Position so the most important subject (entrance, cash register, gate) is in the center third of the frame — peripheral pixel density drops with wide angles.
Plan storage at roughly 33 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 RLC-81PA covers about 9.5 m of scene width; at 10 m that grows to 19.0 m, and at 20 m to 38.0 m. Translating those numbers through EN 62676-4 pixel-density thresholds, the camera can detect a person up to 81 m, observe up to 32 m, recognise up to 16 m, and produce identification-grade detail (the ≥250 px/m bar used by Polish and EU courts as evidentiary) up to 8 m. Effective range above the identify threshold relies on supplementary lighting or a longer-focal-length optic — the geometry above assumes the 4mm lens declared by the manufacturer.
Power & cabling
The Reolink RLC-81PA 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 RLC-81PA 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 RLC-81PA?
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 RLC-81PA consume per day?
At 8.3MP (3840×2160) resolution, 15 fps H.265 continuous recording, the RLC-81PA produces approximately 33 GB per day — about 990 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 RLC-81PA identify a person?
Per EN 62676-4:2025 pixel-density thresholds, this camera identifies (≥ 250 px/m on the target) up to about 8 m, recognises a person up to 16 m, observes general activity up to 32 m, and detects motion up to 81 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 RLC-81PA use?
Typical ingest is 12 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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Helpful Tools & Resources
FOV Calculator
Calculate field of view for any focal length
Storage Calculator
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Camera Quantity Calculator
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Field of View Explained
Understand HFOV, VFOV, and lens selection
Camera Placement Guide
Best practices for positioning cameras
All Features
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