Megapixel Camera Comparison 2010

JH
John Honovich
•Published Feb 23, 2010 00:00 AM

********* ******* *** ******* '***' - the ******* ******* ******* ** *** industry *** ******** ***** ***. ***** should *** ***? **** ***** *** megapixel ****** ****** **** *******? ** this ************** ********** ******, ** ******* novel ******** **** ***** ******. ** leverage **** *** ***** ** ******** testing ** **** ** ******* ********* cameras (*** *** ********* ** ********* ****** ***** *** *******).

Key ********* ** ********

** ** ********* *** ******** *** test *******, * ****** ** *** questions *****:

  •  ** **** ****** ****** ******* **** Value?
  •  *** ****** ********* *** ***** ***********?
  •  *** **** ******* **** *.*** ****** Offer?
  •  **** ****** **** ******** ********* ****?
  •  *** ********* ** ****** ******** ********?
  •  **** *** * ****** ** **** On-Board *******?

***** ****, *** ******* *** ***** rate ****** *** ** *******, ** found ***** ********* ***** ** ** the *** *************** ***** *** ********* cameras ******.

Areas ********

****** *** ********** *** ****** *** almost * **** ** ***** **********, we ******** *** ********* *** **** to *********** *** ****** *** *************** amongst *******:

  •   ***** ***** / **********
  •   *** **** ***** *******
  •   ******* ***** *******
  •   *** ***** *******
  •   ********* ***********
  •   ****** ****** / ********
  •   *** ***** *** *******
  •   ** **** *******
  •   *******
More ** *********
**** ****** ** *** ******** ***** who *** ******** **** ** *** megapixel *******. ** ******** ** ************* of *** ****** *** ********* *** using ***** *******. *** ***** ******* for **********, ****** *** **** ********* ****** ************ ** *** ***** **** ********* Cameras ******.
More ********** *******
********** ******* *** *** ** *** most ******* ******* ********. ** ******** released * ***** ************ ** * ******* ********** ******** *** '***' ******** ***** ** managed/hosted *****. ************, ** *****, ** shall ******* * ********** ****** *** Video ********** ********.

Key ***************

**** *** *******, ** ******* *** 5 ****** ***** *** *** **** important, *****-********** ******** ** ********* *** comparing ********* *******.

  •  Beware ** ********* ****** ***********: We see clear visual advantages moving from SD to 720p or 1.3MP resolution. However, moving from 1.3MP to 2MP or higher has questionable benefits. Two key reasons: (1) optics shipped 'standard' with megapixel cameras are often insufficient for higher resolution megapixel cameras; (2) low light scenes will eliminate the benefits of megapixel cameras as visible resolution degrades substantially
  •  Carefully ********* ******** ******** *** *** *****: The biggest differences we found in megapixel low light performance came from variances in the default exposure setting, rather than intrinsic superiority of cameras. Once exposure settings were normalized, performance was quite similar. The one feature that did provide enhanced low light performance was the use of a mechanical cut filter - common in most megapixel cameras.
  •  Check *** *** *****: Performance in wide dynamic range scenes (where bright light and shadows exist in the same image) showed the broadest range of performance amongst the cameras tested. If you are using megapixel cameras in these scenes (common in surveillance of indoors with windows or outdoor areas), be careful about your choice of megapixel cameras. Cameras with WDR modes did perform better but exhibited poorer performance in low light scenes (when the WDR mode was enabled).
  •  H.264 ** ******* *** *** **** **** *******: Many megapixel cameras provide H.264 encoding which is clearly more bit-rate efficient than MJPEG. However, the efficiency is not as great as marketing material claims. Furthermore, depending on the streaming mode (constant or variable bit rate), the overall bandwidth consumption and quality can vary substantially.
  •  Determine ***** *** ********/****** ********: There are 4 major options provided by megapixel camera providers for focusing/tuning cameras. These options can impact the time to setup cameras and the risk that cameras go out of focus over time. However, more sophisticated tuning/focusing features result in significantly higher cost. This tradeoff needs to be considered.
** ******* *** *********** *** ****** of ***** ****** ** *** *********** herein.

Megapixel ********** ************

**** ******* ******** *** **** ******** from *** ********.

** *** ********** *****, ** *******:

  • *** **** *** ***** *** ******
  • *** **** ***** *******
  • ******* ***** *******
  • **** ******* ***** ***** *******

** *** ****** **** ** *** presentation, ** *******:

  • ********* ***********
  • *** ***** *** *******
  • ** **** *******
  • ******* ***** ***************

Lux ***** ********

** **** *** *******, ***** * lux ***** ** ********* ** ****** comparisons *** ************* *** **** ******* will ****. **** ** ********** ********* in *** ** *** **** ****** and *********** ********** *** ************ *******: (1) *** ***** *** (*) **** dynamic ***** ******. ** *** ********** below, ** ******* * ***** ******** of ***** * *** *****.

Resolution **********

*** ** *** *** ****** ** selecting ** ********** ********* ******* ** how **** ********** ****** ********** ** details **** ********* ******* *******. *** test ******* **** **** **** ****** does *** ************* **** ****** ***** quality. ** **** **********, ** **** how ** ******** **** *** **** we *****.

Focusing / ****** ******* ********

*** ** *** ***** *************** ******** ** **/********* cameras ** ******** **** ** ***** and ****** *** ***** ** ****. In **** **********, ** ******* *** 4 *** ********** *******.

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

*** ******** ***** ******* ********** ** the *** ******** **** ********** (********) or ********** (***** ***) ************* *******.

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

********: *.*** *** ******* (*** ********* **** little ****** *** **** **** **********), Low ***** ($***, ******* ****), ***** 3rd ***** *******

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

********: *********** ($*** ******* ****), ****** out

***** ***: ************* ********* *** ************, *** light *********** **** (** ********** *** filter) 

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********: ********** *********** ($*** ********* ****), broad *** ***** *******

***** ***: ***** ****, ** ***** *** whistles, no ****** *** *** **** ****-*****, *** light *********** **** (** ********** *** filter)

********* **-*****

********: **** ****-*****, ***** ******* **** improves *** ***********

***** ***: **** ***** ******* **** ** on, *** ***** *********** ** ********** worse **** **** ** ** ********

***** *****

********: **** ****-*****, ***** *********** *** bandwidth ******** **** ********** **** *****'* own ***

***** ***: ********* ($**** ******* ****), ******* 3rd ***** *******

***** **-*******

********: ***** ** *** ******* ****, daytime ******* **** '****-****'

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

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***** ***: ** ****** *** *** **** ****-*****