48MP 180 Camera (Digital Watchdog) Test

Author: Ethan Ace, Published on May 10, 2017

Camera resolution continues to advance, with Digital Watchdog offering the MegaPIX PANO 48MP 180° camera, the highest resolution mainstream camera available, outside of $10,000+ specialty cameras (such as Dallmeier's Panomera).

But, with this high resolution historically come tradeoffs in bandwidth and low light performance, and coming from less well-known manufacturer Digital Watchdog, the question is how it compares to more mainstream multi imager options.

We bought and tested the 48MP to see how it performed against the Axis Q3709-PVE, Pelco Optera, and Vivotek MS8391 in full light and low light, how bandwidth compares, installation issues, and more.

****** ********** ********* ** *******, **** ******* ******** ******** ********** **** *******° ******, *** ******* ********** ********** ****** *********, ******* ** $10,000+ ********* ******* (**** ***********'* ********).

***, **** **** **** ********** ************ **** ********* ** ********* and *** ***** ***********, *** ****** **** **** ****-***** ************ Digital ********, *** ******** ** *** ** ******** ** **** mainstream ***** ****** *******.

** ****** *** ****** *** **** ** *** *** ** performed ******* ******* *****-***,***** ******, ********** ******** **** ***** *** *** *****, *** ********* ********, ************ issues, *** ****.

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

*******

** *** *****, *** ******* ******** **** ***° ****** ******* slight ********* ** ******* **** ****' **** *****-*** ** **** light ******. *******, *********** ** *** ***** (>***) *** ******* in *** ***-** ******* ******, ********* ******* **** ** ***** range (~**', *** ~***-*** ********* ** *****), **** **** ********* impossible ** **** **** ****** (~*.**** ** *** *****).

*******, *** ** **** ** ********** ********** **** **** ** Spectrum/Network ***** ***, **** ** ***** ***********, ****** *** ****** also ********** ******** ** ******** ****** ** *** ***** ***** a ******** "*******" **** (****** ** *** ********** ********* ** Genetec).

*******, *** ****** *** ***** *** ********* ****** *** **** in ***** ***** ****** ****** ******.

*******

*** ***-******** ***** *** ~$*,*** ******, ******* ** *** **** Q3709-PVE. **** ******* ** ************* ****** **** **** ****** **** as *** ***** ** ******* ****** ****, **** ~$*,***.

Physical ********

*** ******** *** ** ******** ********* **** **** ******, *** really **** **** ***** *******, **** *** **** ******* **** aiming ******* ** ********** ****** (******* ** *** ******* ******). We ****** *** ******'* ******** ** **** *****:

Limited ****

******** ** *** **** ****** ** *******, **** *-**° ******** to **°+ ** **** ***** *****-****** ******. **** ** ******** using * ******* *****/******, ***** *****, *** ****** ** ******** more **** * *** ******* ** *** **** ****** (**** four ********** "*******") ***** ***** *** *******' ***.

**** **** **** ** *** ******'* ******* ****** ***** *** additional ********, **** ** *** *.**" ******* ***** ****:

Sensor ********/******** *********

** *** ***** ** ***** **** *** ** ****'* ******* required ****** ********* ** ******** "******" *** ********. **** **** adjusted ** **** ** ********, ******* ******* ******* *** ***** present, ***** *****.

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

Autofocus ******

****** ******* ** **** *********** ******** ********* ******. **** ********** to *** *********, *** ****** ***** ********** *********, ********* ********* to ** ***** ** ******** *******. ** **** ***** ****** in **** *****:

Camera *************

** ****** *** *** ********* ** *** ** **** ** the ***** *****. *******, *** ****** ******** ** */*** **** shutter *** ****** ** ******** ** */*** ** ***** ** avoid ********.

DW ******** **** ******** *** *******

*** **** ****** ** **** ********** ********* ** ** ********/******* Optix. *** ****** ** ********* ** * ****** **** ** DW ********, ****** **** ***** ***** ******* (**** ** ****, shown *****), ***** **** * ******** **** *** **** ******.

Genetec ****

****** *** ********** *********/******, *** ** **** ****** **** *** a ******* "****", ********** ** *** *** *********. **** **** allows *** ****** ** ** ***** ** ******* *** *** "Genetec ********", ***** ** * ****** ****** **** **** ******* (one *** **** ******), ***** *****.

Not ***** **********

******* ***** ****** ** ******* * ********** ** *** ******* features, *** ******** ** *** ****** ** ***** ** ********** (******* ******** ** *** ****** ** ** ***** ******). *** ***** "****" ***** ** *** *** ********* ******* DW ******** *** ******* ** ****** *** *** *** *** be ********. ******* ******** **** ***** *********** ** ******* *** a ****** ******.

DW **** **. **** ****

** *** ***** *****, ** ****** *********/*********** *********** ******* *** two ******* ********** ****** ** **** ****, *** ** **** and **** ****, **** ***** **** *******. *******:

  • **** ******* ******** ***:****' ******** ***** ** **** ** *******, *** **** ** this ********* ** ****** ***** *** *******.
  • ** **** ******:******* ** *** ** **** ****** *** **** ***** **** the ****' ******'* ***** *******, ***** *** ************* ******.
  • ** *******:*** ** ******'* ******* ******* *** ******* (********* ** **** detail *****). ****' ** ***.

*** **** ******* ** ***** ****** ** *** **** ******, see*** **** ** *** **** ****.

Full ***** ***** *******

** ***** *****, *** ** **** ****** ******** **** **** details **** *** ***** ******* ******, ********* ****' ****, **** legible **** ** **** ** ** *** **** *****. ******** and ****** ******* **** **** **** ** ** ** ****. Note **** ******* ** **** ***** *** ****** ** *** cameras ** *** ** **** **** (~***-***).

*******, ** ******* *********, *********** ** *** ** ****** *** Axis ** *******, ******* ************* ****** *** ** *** ** panoramic (** **. ** ** ****). **** **** ****** (***** and *******) ******* ***** ******* *** ******* ******* **** ** this *****.

*******, ** ***' ********, ******* ******* *** ******* ** *** DW *** **** *******, *** *** ***** ******** **** ******* characters ** **** * ** *** **** *****. ** ********** are ******* ** ****** ***** ** *******, **** ********* ** the ******* ****.

Low ***** ***********

** **** ****** **** ******** ****** **, ~*** ** ***** range, ******** ** ~*.* *** ******* **** ** *** *****.

** **** ***** *****, *** ** **** ******** *** **** images ** *** *******, *** *** **** ***** ** ******** washed *** ******** ** *** **** *****. **** **** *** Vivotek ****** ******** ********** **.

****** ** ~**' **** *** *******, ******* *** ******* ** all *******, **** ********* ****, ** *********** *******. ******* ********** 2x *** *** ** ***** *** *******, ******* ***** *** artifacting ******* ******* ******* ** **** *****.

*** **** ** **** ** ~***' ********, **** *** ******* very ********* ** ******* ******* *****/********* ** *** *******. *** Vivotek ****** ***** *** **** ********* ** *** ******* ** this *****, *** *** ** **** ***, ****** ********* ***** difficult.

*******, ******* ******* ************ ******* ********, *** ****** ********** *** scene *** ~*.**. ** **** ***** *****, **** ** ***** range, **** ** *** ***-** ******* **** **** ** ******* a ****** ***** ** ******* ** **** *****, **** *** integrated ** ******* ******.

Bandwidth **********

*** ** **** ******'* ******** **** **** **** *** *** night ** *** *****, ***** **% ****** **** ****, * logical ******** ** ** **** * ******* ******* ** *. Bandwidth *** **** **** ***-***% ****** ** *** ** **** Pelco *** *******, ** ****, **** ******* ***** **********.

*******, **** ****** ** ******** *** *********, *** ******* ******** 48MP's ******** *** ******** ***** **** ***** ******* **** *** and *****, ******** ***** **** ****, *** ************* ***** **** the ***** ********** ***** *** *******.

**** **** **** *** ******* ****** **** ***** ****** ** this ****. *** ***** ****** ******** ***** ****** ** *** firmwares, *** ** **** *** *** ****** ***** ********.

Test **********

******* **** ************ ** */*** *******, * ***, ~**-** ************.

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

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

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

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

Comments (9)

Nicolas Heyman

05/10/17 06:01pm

*** ***** **** * *****-****** ***** *** **** *** ****, Vivotek, *****, *** ********? ******* *** *** ***** ****** ** the ** ******** *** ** ***** ****** ****** (***** ***** in **** ** ******* *******). ***** *** **** ***** ** from ******* ***** *** **** **** ** ***** ******* ***** like * ***-*******. *** ** ***** ** *** **** **** an **** ** ***** ****** **** *** **** ** *** your ****** ***.

Avatar

Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Nicolas Heyman | 05/10/17 07:17pm

** **** ***** ** *** ******** ** *********** ****, ******* ****, *******, *** ***** (******* *** *** *** released).

******** *** ** ***** ****** ****** (***** ***** ** **** of ******* *******)

*** *** ***** **** *** ****** ** ** *** ***** the ******** **** ** **** ***** ** ** ****** ***° option. *** **** ** *** *** * ****** *** *** manually *** **** ** *** ********. * ***** ***** ******* would ****** *** ****** ** **** **** ** * *** camera ********** *** ***** **** *** *******, **?

Nicolas Heyman

In reply to Ethan Ace | 05/10/17 10:59pm

****** *** *** ****! * ****** **** *** ********, *** or *** **** *** ***** ** *** *********... **** *** both ******* **** ** *** *****.

Jordi Ibero

In reply to Ethan Ace | 05/11/17 07:17am

* ***** *** ******** ******** ** ******* *********. * ***'* think **** **** * ***º ****** (** *** **** ***** was * *** *** *** ********** ******** ******). **'* *** about ***********, *** **** *** ** ***. *** ******* ** point *** ****** ***** *** ****. ** **** **** **** 3 ** * ******* ** * *******.

*** ** ** * ****** ******** **** * ********** ****. But, **, ********* **********.

Avatar

Kevin Bennett

In reply to Ethan Ace | 05/15/17 02:20pm

* ***** ********'* **** *** ** **** * **** "********" camera. *******, **** *** **** ****** ***** ** ***** ******, it ** ***** **** ** ********** ** *** **** *** much **** ******* * *********. *** ***** **** ** ** smaller ** **** *** **** ** ******* ***/** *****/***** **** other ** ***** ** ** ***** *********.

Jordi Ibero

In reply to Kevin Bennett | 05/15/17 02:34pm

******* ***** **** *** **** ** ******* *****. *** ** I ****, * ****** *** ******** *********, *** **** **** to ******* *** **** *****.

Avatar

John Bazyk

IPVMU Certified | 05/10/17 08:25pm

* **** ** ********** **** *** ** *****. *** ***** is *** ******** ***** ** ****, *** ****** ** *** slow *** ********** *** ** **, *** ****** ***** ** take ******* ** **** **. ** **** ******** * ****** of *** ***** **** * **** **** ******* ***** ******. We **** **** ******* ** **** *** **** *** ** our ******** *** *** *** **** **** **** **** ***** with ****.

***** ***** ******* **** ** *** **** ******* ** ****'* sell ***** ****** *** * *****, **'* **** ** *** companies ********* ****** ********.

Undisclosed Integrator #1

05/10/17 08:50pm

* *** ****** ******* ******* ** ****** **** ******, *** of ** ********* *** ****** ** ** **** ***** *** West. ***** **** **** ** ****, ** ***** *** ****** for ** ** ******* **** **** *** **** *****? *** price ****** *** ******* *** ** ** ******* *** ***** quality ** **** *******. *** ***** * *********** ****** ** a **** **** **** (***) ******* ******? *** ***** ********* doesn't **** ***** **.

Avatar

Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #1 | 05/10/17 09:04pm

** ***'** ***** ** ******** ** * ***, * ***** actually ****** *** **** ******. *** ********* ** *** **** imagers **** * ****** **** *** *** ******* **** ** the ***** ******* *** ********** ** ****, ** ** ******. And ***** ******* ** * *** ****** **** **** ** some ******. *** *******, **'* *****, *** ** ***'** *** using ** ********, *** **** ** ****** **** ***** *** immediately.

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