Axis Z-Wave IP Camera Tested Poorly

By John Scanlan, Published Mar 20, 2018, 11:55am EDT

Z-Wave is drawing notable interest for video surveillance use. In IPVM's initial coverage, 84% expressed interest in it, with nearly half being very interested. As integrator John Bazyk [link no longer available] astutely noted:

Integrating inputs/outputs with cameras has always been a little annoying especially in smaller applications where the customer doesn't want to pay too much. Z-wave will make all of that easier and less expensive.

We bought and tested Axis' recently announced M5065 PTZ camera along with their sensors to see whether this new model with built-in Z-Wave is just a novel idea or effective in real-world scenes.

Inside we look at these questions:

  • How well do Z-Wave device integrate with the M5065?
  • Do third party sensors work?
  • Is there latency in Z-Wave activation?
  • How good/bad is image quality in full light, low light, and WDR scenes?

In particular, we detail multiple areas where the camera worked poorly.

*******

***** **** ******* ****** with *** ***** ** our *****:

  • *** ****** *****:** *** *****, ***** was * ~*.*-* ****** delay ******* * *-**** device ********** *** *** M5065 ****** ** * PTZ ******, *** ****** ** missed ******** ** **** move ******* *** ***** at **** * ****** walking *****.
  • *-**** ****** ********: ****** PIRs ******* * * minute ***** ****** ****** they **** **-*******, ******* subjects ** **** **** during **** ******. **** sleep ********* *** ** configured *** *** *-**** protocol, *** *** ***** does *** ***** **** function.
  • ***** ***** *-**** ****** integration:** *** *****, * third ***** **** ****** did *** ******** **** the *****. *** ****** was ************ *** ********* added ******* *****, *** never *********. *** ****** is ********* ******* **** another *-**** ***. ** the ******** ****, * 3rd ***** ****** ****** did ***** ********* **** Axis.
  • **** *******:**** *****, *** *****, and *** ****** **** poor, **** ******* ******* details *** **** **** in **** *** ******. The ****** ** ***** only, ** ********** *** filter, **** *** **** integrated ** *** **** * **** 1/4.85" ******.

******* ** ***** ***********, users *** **** *** M5065's *********** ************* ** anything ***** **** ****** lit ***** **** ******* controlled ***** ******* ** PTZ *******.

*******

******* ********** ***~$*** *** ******. *-**** ********* ******* ranges **** ~$**-**:

Physical ********

*** ***** ***** ******** a ******** ******** ** the ****** *** *-**** ***********.

**** **** *** ****** includes * *' ***-********* cable **** ***** ********** may **** ********* ** manage, ** ** **** be ****** ** *** ceiling **** ********.

Z-Wave *****

*** ***** ******** * new ****, ******* "******** I/O", ***** ***** *** turn *-**** ** *** off ** **** ** add *** ****** *******.

****** * ****** ***** less **** * ******. Z-Wave ** ******* **** as ***** ******** ** Axis ******* ***** ** enter * *-***** *** to *** *** ****** to *** ******, ***** can ** ******* ** each ******. **** **** is *** ******** *** non-S2 *******, ***** ****** add ** *** ****** once *** ** ********* mode. **** *****, ******* appear ** *** ***** list *** ****** *** may ** **** ** trigger *******, ******, *************, etc. **** ******* ** shown ** **** *****:

**** **** ** ***** to ***** ****** * Z-Wave ****** **** *** M5065 (** *** **********), users **** ** ******* a ******* ******* ***** forces *** ****** ** unlearn *** ********** *** vice *****. *** ****** ****** be ***** ** ******* controller without ********** **** ****.

Z-Wave ***** ******* ** ****** ******

** *** *******, ***** was * ~*.* - 2-second ***** ******* * Z-Wave ****** ********** *** the ***** ********* ** move. **** ***** **** in ***** "******* ***** *** sensor *** * ******* of ****** *.* – 1.5 ******* ********* ***** the ******’* ***** ******." This ***** ******* ** subjects ***** ****** ** they **** ******* *** scene *** *******, ** shown *****. 

***** *** ** **** to ***** ******* ******** by ********* ******* ** wider **** ** ****** them ** *** ********* where ******** *** ****** to ****. *** *******, in *** ***** *****, the ****** ** ****** to ***** ******* ***** two **** *** * door *******. *** ******* is ******** ** *** three ****** *** ** the ***** *** ****, and *** ****** ***** angled **** ** *** direction ** ** ****** to ****.

Z-Wave ****** "*****" ******** **********

**** **** *** **** T8341 *** *** * sleep ****** ** ***** minutes ******* ***********, ******** to ****** ******* *********** due ** ***** **********. However, **** ***** *** not ******* ****, ******* thinking *** ****** ** simply ******* ** ********. *** Z-Wave **** ******** ******* to ****** **** ***** period, *** *** ***** does *** ******* **** ability.

Third ***** ****** *************

** ****** *** ***** with ******** *****-***** ******* with ***** ***********. ******** *********** ******* ******* ***** *** worked ******** ** *** tests.

*******, ***** ******** ****** door/window ******* ****** ******* problem *** *** ***** in *** **** ** Z-Wave ******, **** *** not ******* ****** ** the ******. *** ** ***** sensors **** ****** **** the **** *******.

Poor ***** *******

*** ***** **** * small */*.**" ******, ********* in ***** ******* ****** at *** ***** ******. In **** *****, ******* details *** ******* ** ~60 *** *** ******* by ***** *** *********. In *** ***** *** dark ******, ** ******* are ********, **** **** detection ********** ** *** dark (~*.****) *****.

Full ***** ****

*** ** ***** ******* issues, *** ***** ********* blur **** ** ****-*** ****** (~200-300lx) ** */*** *******, shown *****. ***** *** ********** of *** ***** ******* clear, *** *******'* **** is moderately ******* ** ** passes ******* *** *****, ********* facial *******.

*** ********** ***** ***** the ***** ****** ******-*** ** **, * ****** **** 1080p *****. *** *****-*** does *** ******* *** blur **** ** *** M5065, ******* **** ***** set ** */** ****** max *******, ***** ******* exposure ******** (******** ******* "low *****" *** "*** motion ****" *****). **** that *** ***** *** a *** **** ** 39dB ******** ** **** in *** *****.

Wide ******* ***********

******** ******* ********* ** ** ********** 'WDR'. *******, ** *** tests ***** * ***** with ***** *****, *** outdoor ***** ** ******** overexposed, **** ** ********** objects *******. 

******* *** ***** ***** (~700lx) *** ****** *** vestibule (~****), ******* ******* are ************** ******* *** strong ******** ****** (~**,*****).

Scream *********

*** ***** ******** ****** analytics, ** ******** ** simpler ***** ***** ******. In *** *****, ****** analytics ******** **** **** levels ***** ****** ** increased ***** ** *** ******'* audio ******. ************, ********* gain *** ****** ** false ********** *** ** other **** ******, **** as ********. 

********

*** **** ******* ******** ********* was **** ** *** time ** *******:

  • **** *****: *.**.*.*

Comments (6)

Undisclosed End User #1

03/20/18 05:12pm

What level of VMS support is there? Namely alarm events generated by the panic.

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Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed End User #1 | 03/20/18 06:34pm

We just checked Avigilon, Exacq, Genetec, and Milestone and Z-Wave inputs are not directly integrated to any of them. You can use TCP/HTTP strings to send notifications to VMSes which support them (Exacq and Network Optix/DW/Wave), which we show above in our Z-Wave example video.

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Undisclosed Integrator #2

03/20/18 09:17pm

I'm surprised with the tests results. I work with Axis about 10 years and I never saw poor performance Axis products like this, so, I think I will do a thing that I never did before... criticize the Axis.
Axis, as other traditional manufactures like Bosch and Sony, always are associated wit quality and hight-performance, and this is one of the few argumentations that justify their prices againt chinese manufacturers, so, its decrease in quality is a concerning alert and a clear mistake.

When I saw this Z-wave compliant camera I imediatly realize its potential to almos any instalation, but, certainly this issues would spoil the project. This is a kind of thing that we canot see at data sheets.

Tks IPVM for avoid some frustrated customers and a lot of &%@# to me.

Sorry Axis... I'm really a fan, but, this time, you failed.

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George Redpath

03/21/18 08:09am

I cannot claim to be an expert on the camera, but I would question the choice of using Z-Wave. The delay is due to managing battery life, plus the fact that it is a (limited) mesh, and the signal may have been transmitted multiple times before reaching the hub device, it was intended for home automation not transmitting of alarms.

Also, the protocol requires different frequencies for different global areas.

If we look at the recent release of the Yale lock to work with Nest, it uses Thread which is a 2.45GHz mesh protocol, whilst offering shorter range, integrates better.

Another choice will be Bluetooth 5, as these products are released.

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Walter Holm

IPVMU Certified | In reply to George Redpath | 03/21/18 02:03pm

The other mesh protocol you refer to is ZigBee.  Problem with ZigBee is the not so standard of it.  Problem with ZWave is the latency but I am not so sure ZigBee doesn't have latency issues either.  If it is mission critical, I am not sure wireless will ever cut it for too many reasons.

One example of use of ZigBee (although customized to their own version of it) is Control4.  It can be made pretty reliable, but ZigBee needs strict control and if you are going to build to ZigBee its hard to feel confident it will work with future versions, same versions or older versions.  Some have done well but most have not.  ZigBee has standards issues and has gone through a couple of integrations claiming they have solved it.  I am still waiting for that to show.

ZWave integration with other vendors has been amazing and when it doesn't recognize a device its because the device acting as the controller set rules to limit them for some reason.

You will find controllers now support both ZWave and let latest ZigBee and there is a way to support it commercially but design and equipment is critical to success.

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Undisclosed Integrator #3

03/21/18 07:29pm

Looks almost identical to the FLIR N233ZD except this one has a 5x optical zoom which is impressive. However since this is ostensibly meant to be an indoor camera it's questionable who will really need that much zoom, and Axis might have done better to offer strictly digital zoom and a larger sensor.

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