5MP Super Low Light Tested (Bosch)

Author: Ethan Ace, Published on May 27, 2014

Low light performance remains the biggest showstopper for multi-megapixel cameras. Test after test, 5 MP and even 1080p cameras are consistently outperformed by 720p models. Bosch is aiming to change this, however, with their new NBN-80052, a 5 MP model using a larger 1/1.8" imager and the starlight technology built into their NBN-733V, consistently one of the top performers in our tests.

To find out how much this model narrows the performance gap, we put it up against a 5 MP competitor from Arecont Vision, and 1080p and 720p models from Axis, Bosch, and Samsung in four different scenes, ranging from a narrow 20' field of view indoors:

To a 100' field of view outdoors:

As well as a WDR warehouse scene:

*** ***** ****************** *** ******* *********** *** *****-********* *******. **** ***** ****, 5 ** *** **** ***** ******* *** ************ ************ ** 720p ******. ***** ** ****** ** ****** ****, *******, **** their ******-*****, * * ** ***** ***** * ****** */*.*" ****** and *** ********* ********** ***** **** ********-****, ************ *** ** *** *** ********** ** *** *****.

** **** *** *** **** **** ***** ******* *** *********** gap, ** *** ** ** ******* * * ** ********** from ******* ******, *** ***** *** **** ****** **** ****, Bosch, *** ******* ** **** ********* ******, ******* **** * narrow **' ***** ** **** *******:

** * ***' ***** ** **** ********:

** **** ** * *** ********* *****:

[***************]

Key ********

**** *** *** *** ******** **** *** ****:

  • *** ***** *********** ******* ** ***** *** ***** ****** (***** NBN-932V *** ******* ***-****) *** ************* ****** **** *** * MP ******* ************.
  • *** ***** *********** ********* ***** **** ****** (**** *****, ***** NBN-733V, *** ******* **-****), *** ****** ********** ** *** **** chart ** ****** ****.
  • **** ******* ***** *********** ******* ** *** ********** ****/***** *** models.
  • *********** ************ ***** ******* ********, ******** **** ***** ******* ****.
  • ***-******** **:* *** ********** ********* ****** ****** *** **** ** 400 ******** ** ******* * ** ******* (********* **. *********).
  • ** ****** **** ***** **** *********** ** **** ****** **** * **** ** *** ********, compared ** **-** *** *** *** *********** * *********.
  • ********* *********** ******* ** *********** ***** ******* *** **** ***** other * ** ******.

******* *** ************

*** **** ** *** ***-***** ** $*,*** ***, *** ********* lens. ***** ** ******* ****** ******* *** **** ** ***** Bosch *******, ** ******** ****** ***** ** ** ~$*,***. **** is ****** **** ***** * ** ****** *********, **** ** the**** *****(~$*** ****** ********* ****),******* ****** ************(~$*** ******, *** ********* ****), **************-*******-*(~$*** ******, *** ********* ****).

***************

*** ***-***** ** * *********** *********** ** *** ***** *********** over **** * ** ******, ********** ********** ** ***** ****** of **** **** **** ***** ********* (******* *****). *******, ** ** ****** ** * *******, ** nearly ***** *** ***** ** ***** * ** *******, *** $300-400 **** **** ******* *** ***** ****/***** ******.

Physical ********

** **** ***** ** ****** *** ******** ************ ** *** Starlight **** ******. **** ****** ** *** **** ** ***** Bosch *** *******, ****** ** ** ********** *******. *** ****, a * ** *.*-*** ** ********* ********* *****, ** **** much ****** **** ******* ** ***** ******, ** ***** ** accommodate *** ******'* */*.*" ******.

*************

**** ** ******* ****** ************* ** *** ***-*****. ***** ******** with ***** ***** ******* **** **** ******* ********* ****, ***** from *** ****** ** ****** "****" **** * ** **:* to * ** *:* ** *****.

Narrow ***

** ***** ** ******* ******* ** * ****** ***** ** view, ~**', **** *****.

** **** *****, *** ***-***** ** ******* ***********, ****** ********* monochrome ******** ** ***** *******. **** ***** ** *** **** chart *** ******* (**** ** **** *) **** ** *** other ****** *** ** *** ****** ***.

** *** *****, ~* ***, *** ***-***** ******** * **** quality ***** ** ****, **** ****** ********** **** **** ***** models ******, *** ***** ***-**** *** ******* ***-****. *** ***** 5 ** ****** ** **** ****, *** ******* ********** ******** no ****** ***** ****.

*******, **** *** ****** ***, ***** * ***, *** ***** NBN-80052 ***** ******* ******** *** ***** ****** ******* ** *** subject *** ****. *** ***** ** ******** **** *** ***-**** and **** ***** **** *** ***** ******* ***-****. *** *********** of *** ***** *********** *** ****** ********** ******* ** **** visibility ** *** ***** **** **** **** *** **** **** Q1604 *** ***** ***-****, ****** *** ******* ***-**** ** ******** more *******.

Wide ***

**** ** ****** ** ***** ****** ** **** ** *** if ************* * ** ********** **** ** ** ******** *** *********, starting ** **' ****.

**' ****

** **** *****, *** ***-***** ******* ******** **** ******* **** any ***** ****** ** *** ****. ******* **** ****, *** **** ****** ****** ** *** ******* enough ****** *** **** ** ******* **** ******* ** *** subject ** *****.

** *** ***** (~* ***) ** * **' ***** ** view, ******* ***** ********* ** *** ***-*****, ********* ***** *** same ***** ** ****** ** *** ***** ******* ***-****.

***' ****

** ***** *** ******* ****, ********* ** * ***' **** FOV ** *** ******, **** ** **** *****:

*****, ****** *** ***, *** ***** ***-***** ******** **** ******* of **** *** ******* *** ***** **** ***** ******* ** the ****.

*******, ** *** ***** (~****** ******), ***** *** ***** *** ****** ** ** ******* details ** ****** ******* ** *****, ****** *** ******* ** still **** ******* **** ** *** ***** ***-****, ***** *** Arecont **** ** ****** **** ** ****** **** *** ****** test *****.

WDR ***********

** ****** *** *********** ** * ********* ***** ******* ** open ******** ****, **** *****:

**** *** ******* ******* *** ****** ******* ****, *** ***-***** performs ****, ** *** **** *** *** ******* **** ** the ***-**** *** ******* ***-****, *** ****** **** *** *** Arecont ****. *** ******* *** *************** *******, ** ** *** ******* *** ******* ****** *** subject. ** *** ****** **** **** ** *** ****, *********** is ******* ** ***** ******, *** **** ******** ****** **** models **** ** *** **** ***** *** ******* ***-****.

******* ** ********* ************ (******** ** *********** **) ******* ** a ****** ******** ** ********** **** *** ******* ** ** the ****** **** **** *** ****, *** *********** ******* ****** backgrounds ** *********** *********.

Bandwidth **********

** **** *****, *** ***-*****'* ******* *** ****** **** *** cameras ****** *** *** * ** ******* ******. *******, ******** light ** ~* ***, *** ********* *********** ** ***** **** the ***** ***-****, *** **** ****** ** *** ***-**** (*.* vs. *.** **/*). *******, **** *** ****** *** ***** * lux, ********* ** ***** **** **** ***** ******* *** *********** two ** *** **** *******, *** **** ***** *** ******* SNB-5004.

Test ***********

*** ******* **** ******* ***** ******* ********, **** ******** ************ to */***. *.***************** ****, **** ************ ** *** ************ ** ~** *******.

***** *** *** ******** ******** **** *** **** ******:

  • ***** ***-*****-**: *.**
  • ******* ************: *****
  • **** *****: *.**.*
  • ***** ***-****: *.**
  • ***** ***-****: *.**
  • ******* ***-****: *.**
  • ******* ***-****: *.**

***** *.*.**.***** *** **** *** *********.

Comments (9)

David Hansel

IPVMU Certified | 05/27/14 11:14pm

** ***** ** *** ****** ******* ***** ** ***** ** illuminate *** *******, *** **** **** **** ****** (***-*****) ****** IR ************?

Thumbnail profile pic

Ethan Ace

IPVM Admin | In reply to David Hansel | 05/28/14 09:01pm

*****, ** *** *** **** ** **** ** ************. *******, in **** *****, **'** ******* **** ***** *** ***** ******* do **** **** **** ****** *****, ** ********, ******** *** camera ** ** ********** ****. *** **** ** ** *******, though, ******* **** ********* *** **** **** **** ******, *** washing *** ******** ** * ********* ***********.

David Hansel

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Ethan Ace | 05/29/14 02:10pm

** ****** **** ****, *****, **** **** ***-***** *******, ********* the ***** ***-*****, *** *** *********** **** ** ***** *******. IR ******* ** ***** ***** ** * *******, *'** *******, with **** *******, ** ****** ** **** *** **,**,**, ***/*****, or ********, **** ** *********** ** **** ****** * ******* depth ** *****. ***, * ***** ***** *** * *** cameras *** ***** **** *** **** *** ****** ** ** light ** *** ******* *** ***** ***********. ***, * ***'* remember *** **** ***.

*** ***** ***** * **** ** ***/***** ******* **** *** as *********** **** ** ** ****** ** **** *** **** a ******** ******. ***** **** **** *** ******* **** **** and * ***'* **** ***** **. ** **, ****** ***** me ****** **.

* ***** **** ** **** * ************ ** ***** ** specs **** ***** ********. ** **** ********, ** ***?

*****

John Honovich

IPVM Admin | In reply to David Hansel | 05/29/14 03:19pm

"***, * ***** ***** *** * *** ******* *** ***** that *** **** *** ****** ** ** ***** ** *** subject *** ***** ***********. ***, * ***'* ******** *** **** are."

*****, *** ********** ***** ** ******* **** ******** / ***-** IR ** ***** **** ********** **.

** *** ** ** ******** / ***** **, **** ** will *** ******.

** *** ** ** ******** / **********, *** ** *** software ** *******, ** **** ******. ************* **** ********* ********* names *** **, ********* *******, ***********, ***. *** ******* ** this ******** ** *********** ********** ** ****** ** ******.

David Hansel

IPVMU Certified | In reply to John Honovich | 05/29/14 03:46pm

****, * ***** * ******* ********* *** **** *******. ** seems **** **** *** *** ****** ** **** *** ******* that *** *********** **** *** ** ****** *** **** *** cameras **** ** ************ **** *** **** ** *** ******'* package. ***, **** ******* *** ******** ** *******, ** *********** the ************, *** *** ** *********** *** ****.

* ****'* **** ****. * *** ****** ******* **** *** IR-smart ******* **** *********** *** ******** ** ********* *** ****. Is ****, ***** ***-***** ** **********, ** *** ******* ** the **** **** ********* ** ****** **** *********** *** ********** of *** ************?

*** **** ********* ********* *** ** ******* *********** ******** ****** the ********. ** *** ******* **** ** ******* ******* ** being **** ** *** **** ** *** ********?

***** *** ********* ** ** ****?

John Honovich

IPVM Admin | In reply to David Hansel | 05/29/14 03:49pm

**** ******** / ********.

"**** ******* *** ******** ** *******, ** *********** *** ************, and *** ** *********** *** ****."

**** ** ** ************* / ********** ** *** '*******' ** done.

* ***'* **** *** ** **** ***** ****** ** **** adjusted *** **** ** **** ************. *************, ** ****** ****** in * ******* ******, **** ***** ******* ******* ** *** imager.

Jason Vidéo

| 05/29/14 12:53pm

***********?

Richard Brady

| 05/29/14 05:53pm

******* * ****** *** ****. **** ******** ** *** ****** from *** ******* **** ********* *** ******* **** *** **** study, ******?

****** ** *******.

Jaiden Bark

| 05/30/14 02:15am
*****, ********* *********** *** **** ** ****** ****** - ********* how *** ********* ** *** ***** *********** ** ******* ********** IP ******* ***** ********** ***********... ***** **** ** ** *** years **** ***? ** **** *********, ** **** ***** ******** on ***** *******. * ******* **** *** *** ****** ****** dynamic, ****-*********, '*****', ** ******** *** **** ** **** **, IR. ** ***** *****, ** **** *** ***** *******, ******** resembling *** ***** ********** **** ** *** ********** *****. ********* being ****** ************ *** **** ******* ******* **** *** *********** donut ** ******... ** ******, ******* *** ***** *********** **** above **** ****, ** ******* ******* **** *************.
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