IQinVision IQeye 3 Series Cameras Examined

Published Dec 14, 2011 00:00 AM
PUBLIC - This article does not require an IPVM subscription. Feel free to share.

IQinVision [link no longer available] has announced the addition of the IQeye 3 series cameras to their line. This new line replaces the IQeye 4 series, bringing new features and higher framerates. In this update, we'll look at how these cameras compare to the previous IQeye series, as well as Axis.

Overview

The 3 Series consists of three models of indoor box color only cameras in 480p, 720p, and 1080p resolutions, which ship with a 3.5-9mm megapixel-rated varifocal lens. These new models include a handful of improvements over the 4 Series, which they replace:

  • H.264 Main Profile and MJPEG streaming: Previous models were MJPEG-only.
  • Increased framerates: The 480p and 720p 3 Series models are capable of 60 FPS streaming, while the 1080p model is capable of a full 30 frames per second. 4 Series models were capable 30 FPS only at VGA resolution.
  • ONVIF and PSIA compliant: Previous models were neither ONVIF nor PSIA compliant.
  • Built-in microphone: All 3 Series camera feature a built-in microphone for one-way audio, though no speaker output is included for return audio. 

Competitive Comparison

Much like their improvements to the Sentinel line earlier this year, some of this release is catch-up for IQinVision, as other manufacturers have supported H.264 and ONVIF for some time. That being said, few other manufacturers specifiy 60 FPS framerates on HD cameras, though this is required in very few applications. Of course, frame rate specifications should be tested in production to verify actual field performance.

The most likely competitor for this series is the Axis M11 series of box cameras, also color-only indoor models. The M11 series is available only in SVGA and 720p resolutions, however. The 720p models of these two series compare as follows (both of these models include varifocal lens):

  • IQeye IQ031SI-V11 720p Camera: $499 USD MSRP. Based on other IQinVision products found online, we would estimate an online price of approximately $450.
  • Axis M1114 720p Camera: ~$515 online

This places the IQeye 3 Series modestly lower than the Axis equivalent model. IQeye also has the potential advantages of H.264 Main Profile encoding, which may provide moderate bandwidth savings, as well as higher framerate and audio streaming, which Axis does not include.