Nest Cam IQ Tested

By IPVM Team, Published on Jul 10, 2017

Nest has released their latest entry in their camera line, the Nest Cam IQ, touting 4K "Supersight", facial recognition, "HD audio", invisible IR, and more bells and whistles not found in the original Nest.

We bought and tested this new model to see how well each of the following perfomed:

  • 'Familiar face' recognition performance
  • Supersight auto tracking
  • Enhanced 4K zoom
  • Bidirectional "HD" audio
  • Invisible 940nm IR
  • Video latency
  • Day/night image quality

See our full results inside.

For more on Nests's other models, see our original Nest Cam test, as well as the Nest Cam Outdoor test.

Strengths **

** *** *******, **** Cam ** *** *** following ********* ******** ** previous **** *******:

  • **** ******* *****:*** **'* ***** *** among *** **** ***** in **********/******** ** **** used, **** **** ***** microphone ***** ** **** longer *********, **** **** audible ***** ** **** as ****** ******* ******.
  • ***** *******:****** *** *****, *** IQ ******* ******* *** noticeably ***** **** *** standard **** ***, ********* ~1-2 ******* **. *-*.
  • ********** ******** *** *** night **** *******: ***** *** *********** was ********, ***** ******* was ******.

Weaknesses **

*******, ** *** *******, Nest *** ** *** a ****** ** ********* weaknesses *******:

  • ******** ***** **** ********** / ****** ** ****: ***** ** ** way ** ***** **** on ******** *****, ** way ** ****** ******* face ******, ****** *** cumbersome ** ****** ***** they **** **** *** reference **** *** *** face ********, ***, *********** many ***** *** ****** missed. **** ** ***** things *** *** ****** be ******** ** ****** upgrades.
  • ** ***** ******** *** minor: ********** ****** **** potential ****** ************ ** image ******* **** ************, but ** *** ***** this ******* ********** ****** to ******** ***** ****** subjects, ******** ** ** background ***** ***** ** motion *** ****** ***** seemingly ** ******.
  • ****'* "*******" ********/**** ******* increased ******* *** ** the ******* ** ******** the ***** ** ****, which **** ****/*** ***** may **** ********* ** objectionable.
  • ************ ********** **** ********** stand: *** ******'* ***** is ********** (****** **** Nest *******), ***** *** make ******** **** *********** / *******.

Nest *** ** ******

***** *** **** ** real ********** ********** **** the ******** **** ***, the ** ** ****** a ***** **** *** Nest, ********** ****** ~**% above ******** ******. *******, if **** *** ***** integrate ******** **** ********* into *** ** *** address ********** ****** ** make ***** ******** ***** useful, **** ***** ** novel *************** *** **** against *** **** ** low **** ***** ******** which **** ****** ********* in *** **** *-* years.

*******

*** **** *** ** sells *** $*** ******, direct **** **** ** from ***** ****** *********. This ** ******* **** expensive **** **** ********/*** cloud *******, **** ******'* ****** ***, ********* $*** *** under, **** **** **** as*****'* ****** *** ** $**-**.

**** ********** *** ****** ** follows:

  • ** *** *******:$**/** ** $***/** *** first ******, $*/** ** $50/yr *** **********
  • ** *** *******:$**/** ** $***/** ***** camera, $**/** ** $***/** additional

***** ****** *** ******* to **** ***** ******* plans. *******, *********'* ***** cloud ******* ** ******* less *********, $*.** *** camera *** ***** **** or $*.** *** ** days.

**** **** *** * free **** ***** ******** only ***** ***** ** snapshot *******, *** **** not ******* **** *****, person ******, ** **** generation.

Physical ********

*** **** *** ** has **** ********* **** factor **** **** **** cameras, **** ******* ** the **** ******* ***. We **** * **** at *** ****** ******** to **** **** ****** in **** *****:

****** **** **** *******, the **'* ***** ** integrated, **** *** ******* port ** *** **** of **, ******* ** cannot ** *******. **** may **** ******** ** other ************ *******, ** the ******'* */*-** ***** thread ** ** *** bottom ** *** ********:

Familiar **** *********** ***********

***** *** ******* **/*** limitations ***** **** ****'* "familiar **** *********" **** being ***** ******, ******* in **** ****** *****:

  • ** ******** ***********/************* ****
  • ** **** *******
  • ** ********** **** ******
  • ******* ********/********

No ******** ***********

**** *********** ****** *** shown **** ** *************, both ***/******* **** *** via *****. ***** ** no ********** ** * facial *********** ***** ** the ******** ********, **** motion. ***** ****** ***** over ** ***** *** see ***** **** *** recognized, *** *******.

*** **** ************ ** familiar **** ****** ** on ****** *******, ***** below. **** ******* **** the **** ***** **** to *** ******** **** event ***** ** *** taken **** *** ******* event. *******, ** ** the **** ***** **** for **** ****** ** the ***** ********* (*** below).

** ***** ** *** even ***** ** ****** events, ***** **** ***** the ************ *** **** it, ***** ***** * few ****** ** *****. Tapping ** *** ***** further ***** *** **** app ** ******** ***** at **** ****.

*

Only ***** **** *******

************, ***** ****** ****** see * ****** ** all ***** **** **** been ********** **** ** time/date ****** *** *****. The **** ****** ** faces ** **** *** administration, ******** ***** ** name/rename/delete ********** ****** *** delete ******** ****** ****** if *********.

**** ********* ** ***** here:

No ******** ******

***** ** ** *** to ****** ***** ***** do ** ** *** trigger *************. **** *** to **** ****, *** faces, ***** *** ******* trigger *************, ***** ** home ****, **** ******* faces ******* *************. **** may **** *** ****** unusable *** ** *** increased ************ ****** **** users **** **** ** know ** *** ** two ******** ****** *** seen.

Limited ********/********

*******, ***** ** ** way ** ***** *** camera **** ** *********** identified "*******" ****** ** actually * ***** ****. The ****** *** ** added **** **** **** using *** **** ****, but **** **** *** combine ****** ****** **** a ****** ******. **** may ***** ********* *** users **** ******* ** known *******, ** **** may ****** (** ** did) **** *** ****** would ******* ***** ***** into * ****** ******.

High ******* *****

*** **** *** **'* built ** ********** *** speaker ******** **** ** the **** ***** ** have ***** ** ** cameras. ********** ***** *** loud *** ***** ******** to *** ******** **** Cam, **** ** **** up ******** ** **** longer ******, ***** ** loud ** ~**' ***** as *** ******** **** was ** ~*'. *** IQ's ***** ** ******* was **** ****** *** clearer **** *** **** as ****.

*** ******* ***** **** the ********** ** ********** audio ****** ******* *** two ******* ** ~*' and ~**'.

Supersight ************

*** **** *** ** includes **** **** **** "Supersight" ********, ***** ********* zooms ** ** ****** objects ** *** ******'* field ** ****. *******, in *** *****, **** feature *** **********, **** the ****** ****** ***** of ******** ** **** move ** "********" ** track ** ***** ***** no ****** *** *********. This ** ***** ****:

**** ********, ******* ** slightly ******** ******** ** manual ******* ****. *** example, *** ***** ***** shows * ******** ******** while ************* ******** ** the ****, ******** ** manually ******* ** *** same ***** ** *** right.

*** ********** ******** ***** shows **** ****** ***********, with ******* ******** ****** to **** *** *** slightly ****** **** **********, but ** ******* **********.

Nest *** ** "********" ****

**** ***** **** *******, the **** *** ** includes *** ******* ** crop *** ***** ** view *** "*******" *** image, **** **** ******* effect ** *** ** due ** *** ** sensor.

*** *******, *** ***** below ***** *** **** Cam ** ****** ******* to *** **** ***** and ******** ** *** left, **** **** ******* to **** *-**. ***** standard ******* ****, **** lines */* *** *******. Note **** ****** **** is * ******* ***********, this ** ** ******* example, ** ** *********** cuts *** ***° *** down ** ~**-**°, **** narrower **** ** ********* in **** ******, ********** in ***/******** ************.

Image ******* ******** ** **** ***

*** **** *** ** produces ********** ****** ******* than *** ******** **** Cam ******, **** ******** better ******* ******* *** 1-2 ********** ***** ** the **** *****, ** well ** **** **** exposure.

** *****, ******* ****** produces *********** ******* ** the *******, **** **** very *****. *******, **** rough ******* *** ******* in *** **** **, such ** ********, *** the *** *-* ***** of *** **** ***** are *******, *** ******* in *** **** ***.

Invisible ***** **

*** **** *** ** uses ********* ***** ** illuminators, ****** **** ****** which **** ***** **** a ******* *** ****. The ***** ***** ***** the ** *** ****** when ****** **, *** no ***** ** ******* from *** ****** ** the ***** ***.

Latency **. **** ***

** *** *****, **** Cam ** ******* *** noticeably ***** **** *** original **** ***, ********* 1-2 ******* **. *-*. This ****** ************, **** the ******** **** ********* on *** **** *** IQ, *** ****** ** average. ** ****** **** in **** ****:

Quality ********

**** ******** ******* *** bandwidth ******** ** *** cameras ***** *** ********* via ***** ********** ** stay ***** ******** **** usage ******* *** *****, ranging **** *** **/**. to ***.

**** ******* *** ***** about **** ******* ***** settings **********, ****** ****** bandwidth *** ************* *******.

** ****** ******* ***** each ** ***** ******** to *** *** ******* and *********** ******, ***** below. ******* ****** **** 204 **/* ** *** lowest ** ******* * to ****** *** **/* on *. ************ ****** from ~** ***** ******* 4 (******* *** ** cameras) ** ****** ** using *.

Comments (6)

Undisclosed #1

IPVMU Certified | 07/10/17 06:51pm

Nest's "enhance" cropping/zoom feature increased details but at the expense of cropping the field of view, which many home/DIY users may find confusing or objectionable.

Though its no different than the way a mechanical zoom behaves; greater detail at the expense of FOV.

If this type of "digital zoom", i.e. one achieved by incorporating a sensor of far greater resolution size than the stream it delivers, becomes more popular, "digital zoom" may rival physical zooms, without the moving parts and all the extra glass.

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 07/10/17 06:59pm

without the moving parts and all the extra glass.

Though using a higher resolution imager tends to reduce low light and WDR performance, so there is that tradeoff. Also, there is only so much higher resolution one can for using digital zoom, i.e., you cannot use a 100MP imager and then digital zoom for an HD output stream.

To reiterate, that 'enhance' feature is not new, check our Dropcam Pro Camera Test where we cover that 4 years ago.

Undisclosed #1

IPVMU Certified | In reply to John Honovich | 07/11/17 12:29am

To reiterate, that 'enhance' feature is not new, check our Dropcam Pro Camera Test where we cover that 4 years ago.

True, and more recently here.

I think the reason it has more possibilities now is that sensor size is getting ahead of streaming bandwidth to the degree that it makes sense to put a 4k sensor in a camera that only streams HD.  

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 07/11/17 12:32am

Yes, but for $100 more end user price, the larger / higher resolution sensor does not add much value for most users.

Undisclosed #1

IPVMU Certified | In reply to John Honovich | 07/11/17 12:34am

Though using a higher resolution imager tends to reduce low light and WDR performance, so there is that tradeoff...

Though using a longer focal length increases f-stop/decreases light as well.

Avatar

Ethan Ace

IPVM | 02/22/18 10:09pm

Nest has added Google Assistant functionality to the Nest Cam IQ, using its built in mic, speaker, and light ring. Video demo here:

Read this IPVM report for free.

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