Reolink Argus MagiCam review: The tiny security camera I didn't know I needed

Smart home tech that's easy to use, install and monitor is always a big win in my book, so when the Reolink Argus MagiCam arrived, it couldn't have been more up my street.

Unlike most of the best security cameras, the Argus MagiCam has been designed with portability and flexibility in mind rather than permanent installation. It's an excellent option for renters, but it's equally suited to anyone who wants hassle-free home security without getting the drill out.

You'll find my full thoughts below, but if you couldn't tell already, I was seriously impressed by this small-but-mighty camera.

Price and availability

The Argus MagiCam is available in a 1-pack (£49.99), 2-pack (£94.99) or 4-pack (£169.99), all of which can be purchased directly from Reolink's website. The 1-pack and 2-pack are also available on Amazon.

I actually think it's very competitively priced, especially if you're planning to cover multiple areas of your home. Opting for the four-pack brings the cost down to just over £42 per camera, making it excellent value if you're building out a wider security setup.

Unboxing and setup

As with any Reolink camera, getting the Argus MagiCam set up is incredibly easy, with the whole process guided through the app. You simply connect the camera to your Wi-Fi, follow the prompts to pair it with your account and, within a few minutes, you're ready to start using it.

The camera itself comes with multiple mounting options, but as I've been using mine to keep an eye on my puppy, I mainly relied on the magnetic back to attach it to his crate. The magnetic connection is strong, although because it's positioned on the bottom half of the camera, it can sometimes swing around rather than staying perfectly in place. I ended up using a cable tie as a bit of extra security, just in case my puppy decided to knock it off.

If you're installing it somewhere more permanently, I'd recommend using the included magnetic mounting pad. It gives you a little more flexibility over where you position the camera and keeps it securely in place, whilst still allowing you to remove the camera whenever you need to. For me, the built-in magnet has been ideal because I regularly move the camera around.

Design and features

Measuring just 68 x 68 x 28.9mm and weighing only 108g (without batteries), the Argus MagiCam is one of the smallest cameras Reolink has ever produced. It has a neat rounded-square design with softly curved edges, whilst the front houses the 2MP Full HD camera, infrared LED, PIR motion sensor, ambient light sensor and microphone.

As mentioned, the Argus MagiCam also comes with a magnetic mounting pad that lets you attach it to almost any flat surface in minutes. If you've already got a metal surface available, you can snap the camera straight onto it.

Reolink also includes a rotary mounting bracket with 360° horizontal rotation and 180° vertical adjustment, and its IP67 weatherproof rating means it's equally at home indoors or outside.

It records in 1080p Full HD with a 132° diagonal field of view, whilst a 120° PIR sensor detects motion up to 10 metres away. Smart detection can distinguish between people, vehicles and animals to help reduce false alerts, and you also get infrared night vision, two-way audio and time-lapse recording.

Connectivity comes via dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi, with footage stored either locally on a microSD card (up to 256GB) or through Reolink Cloud.

Rather than relying on a built-in rechargeable battery, the Argus MagiCam uses replaceable AA lithium batteries, which Reolink claims can last for up to nine months, depending on usage. However, if you'd rather leave it in one place permanently, you can also power it continuously via USB-C.

Performance

The biggest thing I noticed during testing is just how easy the Argus MagiCam is to live with. For a relatively affordable camera, I was also impressed with the overall image quality. The 1080p footage is clear enough for keeping a close eye on what's happening, and features such as colour night vision and AI detection are a particularly welcome bonus at this price point. As I already use other Reolink devices, I also opted for Reolink Cloud storage, as it works best for my existing setup and means I can easily access footage alongside my other cameras.

The one area where I did come up against a slight issue was battery life. Reolink claims the Argus MagiCam can last for up to nine months, but in reality, how long it lasts will depend heavily on how much movement the camera is picking up.

During my first week of testing, I positioned the camera within my puppy's crate, which is a fairly high-traffic spot with plenty of movement. With the motion sensor constantly being triggered and regular notifications coming through, the batteries lasted around six days.

For the second week, I decided to turn off motion detection and notifications, and the battery life almost doubled, lasting around 13 days. Based on my experience, I can't quite see the camera lasting for nine months in a busy area with regular activity, although I can imagine this being much more achievable if it's positioned somewhere with very little movement.

Thankfully, the Argus MagiCam can be powered via USB-C, making the battery life much less of a concern. I wouldn't personally do this with my puppy, as having cables around him isn't exactly ideal, but if I ever change how I use the camera in the future, this is the option I'd choose.

Verdict

Overall, the Argus MagiCam has been a really pleasant little camera to use. It's incredibly simple to set up, easy to move around and offers strong image quality in a tiny package. The battery life could be better for high-traffic areas, but the ability to switch to USB-C power gives you plenty of flexibility. For such a small and affordable camera, that combination of portability, simplicity and useful features is what ultimately pushes it into five-star territory for me.

Alternatives to consider

The TP-Link Tapo C425 is probably the Argus MagiCam's closest rival. It also offers a wire-free magnetic installation, although it steps things up with a 2K QHD resolution. Instead of replaceable batteries, it uses a built-in 10,000mAh rechargeable battery, which TP-Link says can last for up to 300 days on a single charge.

Another alternative is the EufyCam C35, which also features a magnetic mounting system. However, our reviewer found it only really comes into its own when paired with the HomeBase Mini.