Sony 20MP / 4K Camera Tested

By: Ethan Ace, Published on Oct 26, 2015

For 18 month, Sony has been hyping 4K cameras, a year before they even announced a 4K network camera. Now, amidst intense competition and price pressure, Sony has released their long awaited 20MP / 4K camera, the SNC-VM772R.

We tested the Sony 20MP / 4K camera against the 4K Axis P1428-E, the 12MP Bosch NBN-80122-F6A, the 4K Dahua, and the 12MP Panasonic WV-SFV781L as well as Sony's 1080p SNC-VB630

Below are previews of side by side image comparisons between the 6 cameras:

*** ** *****, **** has ********** ** *******, * **** ****** they **** ********* * 4K ******* ******. ***, amidst ******* *********** *** ***** pressure, **** *** ******** their **** ******* **** / ** ******, *** ***-******.

** ****** *** **** 20MP / ** ****** against ***** **** *****-*, ******* ***** ***-*****-***, *** ** *****, and ******* ********* **-******* ** **** ******'* ***** ***-*****

***** *** ******** ** side ** **** ***** comparisons ******* *** * cameras:

**** **** ****** ***** Sony's ******* ********* ** represent * **** *** the *******?

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

*******

****'* ***-****** ***** ******* ** overall ** *** **** end ** ** ******* tested, *** ******* **** multi-exposure ***, *** *********** lagged *** ********** ** had ************ ****** ** close *****.

*** ****** ******* *** the SNC-VM772R ** *** **** limitations (** ************** ** 4K/30fps, ** ** + 20MP **************, *** **** frame **** ** ****, VBR ** *** **** VBR, ***.)

*** ***** *** *** Sony **** *** *** willing ** *** *** $2,000+ ***** ***, ** expect **** **** ** happy. *******, ***** *** limitations, *** **** *** the *********** *********, ** believe **** **** **** difficulty ******* * ***** percentage ** ***** ****** users.

Key ********

*** ***-****** *** ******* ********* limitations ******** ** ***** 4K *******:

  • **** ********* ******* ** a ****** ****** ****, no **********.
  • *****-********* *.*** ******* ** framerate ** ***** ***.
  • **** ****** ***** ****, with *** ********** ******** H.264 *********
  • *** ******* *** ********* to **** * *** when *****-********* (***** ** single ******).

** **** *** *********, using * ****** ******* instead ** ****** *********** and ******* ***.

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

**** ** **** *** competitively ****** ** **** light, *** *** ********** better ***** ** **** mode. *******, **** ** WDR **** ****** ***********.

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

********** ****** *** ***** performance (~*.** ***) ** wide **** (**'+) ******** to ***** ********** ** 4K ****** (***** *** Panasonic).

*******, ** ********, ~**' FOVs, **** ***** ******* overexposed *** ********** ** read **** **** * in **** **, *** present ** ***** ** models.

**** ****** *** ***** performance **** *** ***-** models ******, **** ** which ******** ****** ****** of *** ******* ** ~0.05 ***.

***********

*.*** ******* ********** ******** in ********, *****, *** Milestone. ***** ****** *** supported **** ** *********. Genetec ******** ****** *.* R1 *** ****** ** connect ** *** ****** but ******* ******** ** that ** *** ****** can.

*******

*** ***-****** ***** *** ~$2,200 *** ******.

**** **** **** ****** the ***** ** *** Axis *****-* (~$*** ******)*** **** **** ** the ***** ** *** Dahua ***-******** (~$***), **** outdoor ****** ******.

**** ** ******* ** the ******* ** ************ **/**** **-*******, **** ******* ****** ***** **** ********** IR, *** ***** **% **** than *** ****** *** Bosch ***-***** **/**** ****** (~$*,*** ******).

Physical ********

** ****** *** ******** features ** *** ****** in **** *****. *** camera ** ******* ** size ** ****'* ***** outdoor **** ******, *** slightly ****** **** ******* for **** ****-**** ***** (though **** ******* **** Panasonic's ** ****, *** SFV781L).


Streaming ***********

*** ***-****** *** *** *** ********* limitations *** ******* ** other ** ******:

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

*** ****** ****** *** 4K ********* ****, ****** and *****-******:

  • ****** **** ******:** **** ****, *** camera ******* *** ** stream, ** ** ** FPS, **** ** ***-*******. **** makes *****-********* **********, ********* VMSes ** ******* *** full ********** ****** ********** of ****** ****, ***** increases ********* *** *** needs.
  • ******** *******:** **** ****, ** to ***** ******* *** be **********, **** *** first ** ** ** resolution, *** ******* ** 10 ***. ****** *** third ******* *** ** 1080p *** ***, ************. No ** *** ********* is ******** ** **** mode.

*** **** ********* 

**** ******* *** **, framerate ** ******* ** 50%, ** * *** of ** *** ** single ****** **** *** only * **** *****-*********. Note **** *** **** not ******** ** **** mode (****** *** ******* is ***** ***** ** the *** **).

** ****** *** ****** above ** **** *****:


20MP ****

** ******** ** ** H.264 *****, *** ****** is ******* ** * 20MP ***** ****, ** well. ***** *** **** limitations **** ***** **** mode:

  • **** *** *********:********* ** ******* ** 2.5 *** ***.
  • **** ********* *****:******* ** *** ***** stream ****** **** ***** 30-50 **/* ** *** tests, ******** ** ~*-** Mb/s *** **** **** bitrate ** *.*** *******.
  • ** ** *********:**** **** **** ** turned **, ** ** stream ** *********, **** a ******** *.*** ******.

**** ****** **** * resolution ** ********* (*:* aspect *****), ***** **% more ********** ****** **** 4K (*********). ***** ** the ********** ** ***'* between **** *** ** modes:

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

** **** *****, *** added *** ** *** 20MP ***** ******* ******** details ** *** ******* and **** *****.

** *** *****, *** 20MP ***** ** *******, obscuring *******, **** ** real ********* **** *** 4K *****.

Image ******* 

** **** *** ** cameras *** ** *** FOV ******, ~**' *** ~45' ** **** *********** in **** ****** ******* the ** *******. ***** is *** *** **** for *******:

***

***** * ~**' ***, 

** *** ******** **' HFOV, *** ***-****** ******** ******* similar ** ********* *** Axis, *** ********** ****** ******* than ***** *** *****.

*****

** *** ~**' ****, the ***-****** ******** **** of *** ******* ******, with * ********** ******** (though *******) ***** *** better ******* ** *** subject *** *****. *** background ** **** ******* than ** ***** ** cameras, ** ****, ***** it ** ****** ********** dark.

*******, ****** ** *** camera, **** * ~**' HFOV, *** **** ** dome ****** *** *** chart **** **** *, with **** ****** ** our *******'* ****** *******, though ** ******* ************. Neither ***** *** ********* display ***** ******. **** that **** ** **** closer *****, *** ******* is *** **** ** any ** *** ***-** models.

** *** *****, *** VM772R met *** ***' ** range *************. ** *** video *****, *** ******* walks **** ~***' ** just ** ***** ** the *******, ******** ******* at ~***' *****. **** that *** ****** ******* exposure ** ********** *** moving ********, **** ****, but ** ***** ** not *******.

***

** ****** *** *********** against ** **** ******** door ** *** ********* scene, ***** ****:

****** **** *** ** were **** ******** ****** exposed **** ***** **** WDR ***, **** *****. With *** ***, ******* are **** *********, ****** the *******'* **** **** difficult ** *******. ** the **** **** ****** the ****, ******* *** much **** **********.

*** ******'* *********** *** below ******* ******* ****** backlight, ***** **** *********, Bosch, *** ***** ** this *****, ** **** as *** *** *** 1080p ***-*****. ************, ** the **** **** ****** the ****, ******* ******* were ****.

CODEC ********

**** **** *** ******* true *** ********* ** the ***-******, ****** ***** 4K ******* ** **** test. *******, ***** "***" implementation ******** * "******" bitrate *** ***.

*******, ** *** *****, target ******* *** **** limited ****** ** *********, with ****** ******** ********* lower **** ******, ****** often ***** ****** **** only ******** ****** ** the *****. ********, *** camera ******* ** ******** compression ******* ******** ********* significantly ***** **** *** *** set ** *** *** UI.

****, ** ****** **** both *** *.* ******** and *** *.** ********. In *.*, *** *** simply ****** *** *** not **** ** ***. In *.**, ** ******** to **** ** *** describing ****. **** *********** further *** ************ ** future ******** ********.

** **** *** ******'* "VBR" ************** ** ****** in **** *****:


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

**** *** ******** **** they **** "*********** ******" in *** ******, ***** allows the ****** ** ****** compression *** ********* ***** on ****** ****** ******* or ****** *******. ******* regions ******* *** ***** to ** *** ** the ****** (** ** 4).

** *** *****, ******* regions reduced ******* ** **-**% in ***** ******. *******, with ******** ****** ** the *****, ******** **** similar ** ***** **** intelligent ****** *** ****** off. **** *********** **** behind ****' ********* **********, which ******* ******** ** still ****** ** ** 80%, *** **-**% ** higher ******.

**** ***** ****** *****, the ******* ** *** *** outside *** ****** ** more ****** **********, ********* in ******* ***** ***** quality, ***** ******** *** reduced **** ********, ***** 10-20% ** ***** ******, and ~*-*% **** ****** amounts ** ******.

** ****** *********** ****** configuration ** **** *****:


Bandwidth ***********

*** ***** ***** ***** the ****'* ** ********* compared ** ******. *** these *****, **** *** set ** ** * Mb/s ****** ******* (*********** by ****), ***** ****** were *** ** ***, ~28 ************.  

*** ***** ***** ***** ******* actual ******* (******, **** light, ~*** **) *** target ******** **** *-** Mb/s. ****'* ******* *** of ** **/* *** used ** *** *****.

 

Test ********** 

******* **** ****** ***** default ******** ****** ********* noted. ******* ***** *** set ** */*** *** in *** ******. ************ was ************ ** ~** with ** *-***** ******** of ** (* *** second) ****** ** *** Sony ***-****** ***** **** *** use *** *********** ** its VBR ************** (*** *****).

*** ********* ********/******** ******** were **** ** **** test:

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

Comments (9)

Undisclosed Manufacturer #1

10/26/15 11:18pm

What did you observe was the bit-rate in the 20MP JPEG mode when it was delivering those images to the the Web UI or Milestone?

Did it stay under the 32Mb/s system cap via nerfed frame-rate?

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed Manufacturer #1 | 10/26/15 11:22pm

The 32Mb/s is for H.264.

There's different controls for MJPEG, screencapped below:

The bandwidth consumption for MJPEG 20MP / 2.5fps ranged from 30 - 50fps depending on the JPEG level selected.

Undisclosed Integrator #2

10/27/15 10:32pm

Would be great to see these tests with headlights.. how do you think it would go getting number plates?

Undisclosed Integrator #3

02/19/16 05:22pm

John, how did you get the camera to integrate into Exacq, since it's still currently not on their supported camera list?

Thumbnail profile pic

Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #3 | 02/19/16 05:42pm

The H.264 streams worked fine in Exacq when we tested it, using the Sony driver. The MJPEG stream didn't work at all.

Matt Alvey

02/23/16 09:19am

What were your settings when calculating the bandwidth? FPS?

Also, comparing your WDR shot in the garage, my picture for the panasonic comes up as completely black. Is that really what came from the shot?

Thumbnail profile pic

Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Matt Alvey | 02/23/16 02:12pm

Bandwidth measurements were at 10 FPS, 10 GOP. All the cameras except Sony were set to ~30 quantization except for Sony, which had no fixed compression levels (which we talk about above).

And yes, the Panasonic was completely black in the area beside the door. We saw that in our original test of it, as well. It's excellent against backlight, poor in darker areas.

Undisclosed End User #4

01/04/17 02:11pm

Does anyone have a POC for Sony to get a demo camera. I tried the main office they needed to speak to my manager and or attorney. I'm on east coast. Thanks in advance for assistance

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed End User #4 | 01/04/17 02:15pm

#4, I will put you in touch with Sony offline.

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