How Many SD Cameras Can A 5MP One Replace?

JH
John Honovich
Jan 06, 2013
IPVM
What do you think? Based on pure pixel count, a 5MP camera is equivalent to ~15 analog cameras (i.e., SD = ~330,000 pixels x 15 = 5 million pixels). Btw, if you have no idea, just ask a question and we'll answer. Either way, make sure to participate.
GH
Glenn Hunter
Jan 07, 2013
We have a 5MP camera in our warehouse. It is a very open area with good lighting. I would say that I would probably need about 4 SD cameras mounted in different areas to ensure that I could recognize a face anywhere in that area. However, in very dark areas outside, I've had better or similar results with SD cameras, so I wouldn't say that the 5MP camera could replace any SD cameras in those conditions.
JH
John Honovich
Jan 07, 2013
IPVM
Glenn, good comments and distinction between night and day performance!
DK
Daniel Karen
Jan 07, 2013
It depends on the area covered, the intended use of the recorded footage, site-specific conditions, etc. My answer is there isn't a single value you can rely on when comparing cameras - each one needs to be selected for a specific use.
JH
John Honovich
Jan 07, 2013
IPVM
Ok, cite a specific use case when you feel you could have replaced the most or least.
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peter dempsey
Jan 07, 2013
In theory the calcualtion you used is correct however in reality its very different there is a number of key points you need to take into consideration i.e what kind of detail is required forensic,general observation etc also you need to look at lighting conditions .
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Undisclosed
Jan 07, 2013
I don't feel you can blindly say camera x can replace any number of other cameras just based on pixel count. This is determined by the view of the area you need and what the requirements of the customer (i.e. detection, recognition or identification). You have to take a number of other factors into account for the area to be viewed. Indoor, outdoor, day/night, lighting levels, flat open area? That is just the start.
RG
Reed Galli
Jan 07, 2013
IPVMU Certified
Using the digital zoom of a 5MP camera is a very nice feature when reviewing video, I would think the 5MP cameras captures a greater field of view than a SD Camera, so my guess is 5 SD cameras to 1 5MP.
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Kevin Livingston
Jan 07, 2013
I don’t believe there is any one correct answer. A 5Mp camera is capable of replacing many sd cameras. It would depend on what detail are you trying to capture.
JH
John Honovich
Jan 07, 2013
IPVM
Btw, I am not defending the 15x replacement logic, e.g., see: Arecont's Magical Marketing Exposed However, understanding the right solution to using more pixels is a key element in designing modern surveillance systems.
BP
BJ Painter
Jan 07, 2013
I believe it would all boil down to "real world application". The calculation is good theoretically but there are too many unknown factors out there.
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Gustav Danielsson
Jan 07, 2013
My wildest guesses is 5 cameras but 4 is probably closer to it
JH
John Honovich
Jan 07, 2013
IPVM
Then talk about specific applications. Here's a few: Indoor parking structure Office lobby Warehouse Utility substation
JH
John Honovich
Jan 07, 2013
IPVM
BJ, how much light is adequate?
BP
BJ Painter
Jan 08, 2013
Would even lighting be a better term to use? Is there other things we should know about the 5MP camera that could affect our determination such as does it have WDR and what kind of lens is being used?
JH
John Honovich
Jan 08, 2013
IPVM
BJ, i don't think there are any 'true' 5MP WDR cameras so bright sunlight / uneven lighting conditions are a negative factor compared to high end HD ones.
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Alex Nunez
Jan 08, 2013
Because there is more to a camera shot than just resolution, it is difficult to determine how many cameras a 5MPx camera could possibly replace. If the 5MPx camera was located next to the cameras it were to replace then it would be as simple as determining the combined FOV of the replaced cameras and equate that to the total FOV of the 5MPx camera. Next you would have to determine what you wanted to view, overview, recognition, or identification. Next you would have to determine if there were any areas that required WDR as most cameras within the industry do not have a 5MPx camera that has WDR as a feature. Lastly, many 5MPx cameras do not provide a full 30 fps and in some cases no more than 5fps. Although this may be acceptable for indoor applications viewing static low activity areas, outdoor shots especially fast moving objects like those found in parking lots, appear choppy and detail like license plates may be lost. Again, this explanation does not all situations but does explain why the industry standard remains at 1.2 MPx.
JH
John Honovich
Jan 08, 2013
IPVM
The industry standard is 1.2 MPx? According to whom? What is 1.2MPx? Are you alluding to 720p, 1080p, something else?
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Kazi Mazzad Ahmed
Jan 08, 2013
I think there are many factors to take into account to find the answer. Initially have to know the purpose of surveillance like if the camera for detection, identification or recognition. Also have to consider the environment i.e outdoor or indoor environment, Field of view, lens format.
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Randy Stoddard
Jan 08, 2013
IPVMU Certified
We have a number of 5 MP cameras deployed to cover facial shots at entry points. I would look to install 5 - 1 MP cameras to cover the area that these 5 MP do. But as you know it really depends on what the 5 MP is being used for, it may be that 1 MP serves your need.
JH
John Honovich
Jan 08, 2013
IPVM
"I would look to install 5 - 1 MP cameras to cover the area that these 5 MP do" Really? I am pretty positive that (5) 1MP / 720p cameras would absolutely blow away the performance of a single 5MP camera. It's obviously more expensive but I can't imagine it would be any contest, strictly in terms of performance. Here's what you get with (5) 1MP cameras: - almost certainly way better low light performance - much better angles and flexibility in positioning - better WDR (by virtue of having 5 cameras with 5 smaller FoVs - certainly faster frames rates (lucky to get 12fps with 5MP)
RT
Ryan Twitchell
Jan 08, 2013
The first limiting factor I would consider is that *any* camera, SD or 5MP, can be in only one place at a time. How often do you have 15 cameras that need to look out from the same vantage point? In some very specific cases it might be possible to replace several cameras covering one area with a single higher resolution camera but this is very situation dependent. High megapixel 180 or 360 or even PTZ cameras might replace a few others looking out from a specific location, but this still only applies to specific cases. It is also worth noting that any camera can fail, and relying on a single camera to cover a wide area might mean losing all coverage of that area at once due to hardware failure (or software related problems, of course). Assuming that there was a situation where there is a choice between several lower-resolution cameras and one 5MP camera, then we can consider the usual coverage factors such as cost, quality, bandwidth and storage. One 5MP may have lower total cost than a handfull of SDs, with both camera cost and install time considered, and it may have lower overall bandwith and storage consumption. But quality and coverage are the downsides. A single camera is only looking out from one location. Higher resolution cameras also have poorer images in low light (I would guess due to smaller surface areas of sensor elements that don't capture as much light individually), and individual models may have trade-offs such as a lower maximum frame rate.
DS
Dinesh Sawhney
Jan 09, 2013
I quite agree with Ryan's views,it all depends on the FOV and customers requirments and how best can you exploit the feature set of the camera manufacturer. If all things remain same like you are replacing a fixed SD camera with a similar spec 5MP fixed camera just increasing the pixels will at best give a better resolution image so it can be a one to one replacement. But if the new 5MP camera has better lens, better WDR better, better low light performance and it is a PTZ then it can give you better flexibility. In certain conditions by using the analytics, rules and better specification in a controlled environment you can replace a few Sd camera with not just 5MP camera but higher spec 5MP camera.
JH
John Honovich
Jan 09, 2013
IPVM
Dinesh, there are literally no 5MP surveillance cameras that have better WDR, better low light than an equivalent HD one. Also, there are no 5MP speeddomes.
TB
Tony Barbaro
Jan 08, 2013
15
JH
John Honovich
Jan 08, 2013
IPVM
Tony, are you serious or are you trying to give me a hard time? :) How did you come to 15?
CV
Charles Volschenk
Jan 09, 2013
Based on pure pixel count, 1 x 5MP camera is the equivalent of 15 x SD cameras. But there are several reasons why this does not translate in the real world in my view. Firstly the single 5 MP camera can simply not cover the same area as 15 x SD cameras will be able to. In other words, you will have wider coverage from different angles with multiple cameras which a single camera can't give you. Secondly a single 5 MP camera will offer a single "quality of view" during day and night (and in my experience not that good at night without proper lighting). Whereas multiple cameras can be configured differently according to the various areas and lighting situations faced in each. Finally I would make a rough guesstimate and say that I believe a single 5 MP camera can only replace about 2 or max 3 x SD cameras (all positioned to the same viewing area) and still provide the same value.
SS
Stefan Solvason
Jan 09, 2013
I have to say that ther is not enough information to give any good answer.
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Brian Rhodes
Jan 09, 2013
IPVMU Certified
For those responding with 'not enough information to answer', take a step back to reflect that some manufacturers have no problem providing an answer - confidently, no details given, with no hesitation.
SS
Steve Schultz
Jan 09, 2013
I multiplied the x,y values(2592x1944 and 640x480) and divided total area of the SD camera into the total area of the 5MP area and the math shows a 5MP camera can replace 16.4 SD cameras. This may be true if you have a wide open space you're trying to capture. However, if you're inside a building with multiple hallways and corners the angles will require you to add more and more cameras to achieve the field of view that you want to capture.
JH
John Honovich
Jan 09, 2013
IPVM
Steve, That's voodoo pixel math. Remember - low light and WDR issues will make the actual image quality improvements far less than what the pixel 'math' implies.
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Richard Lavin
Jan 10, 2013
Salas O'Brien • IPVMU Certified
There is no definitive answer to the question as stated. So instead, I'll focus on situations where a 5MP camera may be beneficial in lieu of multiple SD cameras. You mention some options such as indoor parking structure, office lobby, warehouse, utility substation. 1.) Indoor parking structure - In the interior of the structure, I would say this is not a good application for a 5MP camera. In a typical parking structure, the ceilings are very low, often in the range of 8 to 9 feet, and there are a lot of support columns. With the low ceiling, you won't be able to get the camera high enough to get a clear view of a large area. A lot of your 1944 vertical pixels will be wasted looking at the ceiling. Also, the many support columns and any cars/trucks parked in close proximity to the camera will block much of the view. The 1 area where a 5MP camera may be beneficial would be at the entrance/exit gates. Say, for example that there are 2 entry gates and 1 exit gate. That would represent an area about 30 - 35 feet wide. A single 5MP camera ceiling mounted inside the garage looking out at the 3 lanes could capture the cars entering and exiting and give you about 75 - 85 PPF. That could replace 3 SD cameras, 1 on each lane, which would give you about 64 PPF. It would be important though to have good lighting just inside the gates to illuminate the front end of the cars, license plates, driver's face, etc., especially since you will often be competing with bright sunlight in the camera view behind the cars. A 5MP camera should outperform a standard, non-WDR, SD camera in this situation since it should not be as sensitive to bright sunlight outside the parking structure. I would probably still choose two 720p or 1.3MP WDR cameras to cover that area. 2.) Office Lobby - Depending on the architecture, this might be a good application for a 5MP camera. If it is a large lobby that is open, free of obstructions and with a fairly high ceiling, you could probably get a good view of the majority of the lobby with a single 5MP camera and maintain a high level of detail. For example, if you had a 30' x 30' lobby with 3 sets of double entry doors spaced evenly across the exterior wall, you could put a single 5MP camera centered on the wall opposite the entry doors, at a height of 12' - 14', and get a good view of all 3 sets of entry doors at about 86 PPF. Lighting in a lobby should be fairly bright and uniform, so low-light performance of the 5MP should not be an issue and you should be able to get enough detail for positive identification of people coming through the doors. If the exterior wall is a glass storefront, you might still have to deal with the issue of bright sunlight outside the lobby. If the architecture provides adequate shade for the storefront, this might not be an issue if the camera is aimed down at a sufficient angle so that outside areas in bright sunlight are outside of the field of view of the camera. The down side of the single-camera approach is that you would not get a straight-on view of the people coming through the side doors. Your view would be about 20 degrees off to the side. That still should be good for facial recognition though. That one 5MP would also provide good overall view of the lobby. To get similar results with SD cameras, you would need a minimum of 4 cameras - 1 for each set of doors and 1 for an overall view of the lobby. 3.) Warehouse - If it's a warehouse that is full of storage shelves filled with merchandise, I would say that this is not a good application. You would waste your 5 million pixels looking at the tops of all the storage shelves, not being able to see much of anything in between them. A different kind of warehouse might be applicable though. For example, I recently did a project for a company that manufactures large diesel pumps for hydraulic fracturing (large meaning only 2 or 3 fit on a 40' flatbed trailer). They store the finished pumps on pallets in a large warehouse. The warehouse is large, has a fairly high ceiling, has no large windows, is relatively free of support columns, and operates 24/7/365 so it is always well lit. The warehouse was not part of our design scope because they already had several cameras installed in there that they used to help keep track of inventory and to monitor to pumps as they come and go from the warehouse. In that situation, a single 5MP camera might be able to replace 4 or 6 SD cameras. A single 5MP camera could view a 100ft wide area giving about 26 PPF, which is sufficient to be able to see how many pumps are present and how many come and go from the warehouse during operation. 4.) Utility Substation - I'm not familiar enough with the equipment or operations of a utility substation to be able to comment. 5.) Another application where a single 5MP camera might be preferable to multiple SD cameras would be the public entry gates at a sports facility. This situation would be very similar to the lobby application mentioned above. A typical entry gate area would be about 35 - 40ft wide and the architecture would allow a fairly high camera mounting height, which would afford a good overall view of the entire area as well as providing a good view of the patrons as they come through the gates. Viewing a 40 ft wide area would give you about 65 PPF. When the gates are open and in use, it would either be daylight hours or the area would be well lit, so poor low-light performance should not be an issue. In this application, a single 5MP camera could replace 4 or 5 SD cameras. However, like the parking structure example above, I would probably still choose two 720p or 1.3MP WDR cameras to cover that area, rather than one 5MP.
JH
John Honovich
Jan 10, 2013
IPVM
Rick, thanks for the very thoughtful and detailed response! My main feedback is the use of 5MP for entrance, e.g., "A single 5MP camera ceiling mounted inside the garage looking out at the 3 lanes could capture the cars entering and exiting and give you about 75 - 85 PPF." and "a single 5MP camera might be preferable to multiple SD cameras would be the public entry gates at a sports facility." Overall, as you note at the end, I think a 1080p/3MP with WDR probably would do better if this was looking out towards sunlight. You'd still get lots of pixels but with better handling of glare/bright sunlight.
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Richard Lavin
Jan 10, 2013
Salas O'Brien • IPVMU Certified
I would tend to agree. In both of those instance, my first inclination would be to use a pair of 720p or 1.3MP WDR cameras. I just list those as instances where, if someone were to use a single 5MP camera, I wouldn't think they were crazy. Of all of the examples I discuss, the only one where I might actually prefer to use the 5MP camera would be the warehouse full of fracking pumps. In general, my belief is that there are very limited situations in which multi-MP cameras (5MP, 8MP or larger) are really useful. I've only been doing security system design for about 3 or 4 years now, so I don't have a whole lot of projects under my belt, but I have yet to come across a situation where I was genuinely tempted to spec one.
JH
John Honovich
Jan 10, 2013
IPVM
Rick, makes sense. I am actually a fan of multi-imager panoramics because they get to higher resolution by combining multiple imagers together, which reduces the risk of smaller pixels / image processing limitations. We are going to discuss the pros and cons of this next Thursday in the panoramic vs fixed vs PTZ class!
SB
Stephen Beausoleil
Jan 13, 2013
If we are just talking about pixel count then you would need 16 SD cameras (307200 Pixels)to replace one 5MP Camera (5038848 pixels). But I would require more information to be able to answer the question, for example: what is the application indoors, outdoors, lighting situation, low light? are there any obstacles obstructing the objects that need to captured? what is the distance and detail that is required? These are all questions that need to be answered in order to answer the question.
JH
John Honovich
Jan 13, 2013
IPVM

Stephen, pick an application you are familiar with and tell us how many SD cameras could be replaced with a 5MP one.

JL
James Laslo
Jan 14, 2013
This is a good example of a federal building we have setup previously. It mainly uses low res IP cameras, so for large waiting areas and warehouses we had to install multiple cameras to get proper face IDs and better angles. The waiting areas could have benifitted from higher Res cameras covering the larger area. The Warehouse needed specific shots on each truck port door and there is so much clutter that even with the great lighting you can't replace all those cameras with a singular one. Outside the Warehouse there are 5MP cameras that capture great images even when the lighting is low. We only needed two cameras to cover the area where as if we continued with the lower res cameras outside, we would have had to probably put one per bay door
JH
John Honovich
Jan 14, 2013
IPVM

James, good example. How low was the light? Did you measure with a lux meter? How many cameras did you wind up replacing? i.e., 2 5MP cameras instead of how many total analog ones?

JZ
Jerry Zadroga
Jan 16, 2013
I don't think there is any definitive answer except "One or more". There are too many variables to each situation.
CJ
Chris Johnson
Jan 16, 2013
IPVMU Certified
It is not as simple as suggesting 15 cameras can be replaced due to the pixel count. This is specific to the application due to light issues and angle of view and what the client is specifically looking to do with the camera in question.
MD
Mark Douglas
Jan 17, 2013

I am leaning more toward one 5 MP camera can replace one SD camera. Sure maybe in some applications I think maybe it could replace two or three SD cameras. A lot of people just say that it could replace about four in most applications. Sure it really depends on many variables so I would probably just stick with it replaces one and adjust the pixel count to the amount of detail required per camera taking into account where it can be mounted and distance to the object or area of interest and lighting etc.

GR
Gary Rioux
Jan 28, 2013
IPVMU Certified

There is no real answer to question. There are way too many variables to consider. The only answer is to consider the site that you are looking to put the cameras in and figure out what you need then to cover the area or fill the regulations. I have had a site that had to remove the control cables from PTZs and use them becasue that is what the regluators required.

AB
Anthony Brown
Jan 29, 2013

It's really tough to flat out say 15 SD cameras can be replaced by one 5MP camera. Yes, based solely on pixel count, it makes sense. However, there are too many factors to account for, and it all depends on the scene in which you are installing the cameras. For example, take the inside of a gas station, where you can easily spot tens of cameras. They are pointing at the door, in the corners, hallways to the office and bathrooms, and all over the counter area. No matter where you decide to place a 5MP camera, you won't even come close to being able to get the same amount of coverage. There would be too many blind spots from everything in the scene. It would be tough to significantly reduce the number of cameras in this scenario. In a smaller area that had many cameras, and was very open, such as a court in a gym, or an open warehouse, I think it would be possible to reduce the camera count more significantly, because there are considerably less obstructions.

Lighting also plays a large factor in this decision as well. With the gas station, you have to account for day and night, where there could be a dropoff in quality with a MP camera. Whereas with the warehouse scenario, assuming the lighting is constant, you wouldn't have to factor in day/night problems.

DC
Dale Coulthard
Mar 28, 2013
IPVMU Certified

The variation in the answers proves there is no one correct answer. There are far too many variables to give a blanket statement. While its a useful exercise the only way to know what will work best is to test it. When time permits we have started bringing different test cameras to unique installs to get an idea of what is possible with not only different resolutions, but different manufacturers. While the theoretical knowledge is a good starting point the more practical experience we gain the more effective we can be for our clients at providing the best possible solution.

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