WDR Shootout 2017: Low vs High Cost Cameras

By: Ethan Ace, Published on Jan 24, 2017

Multi-exposure WDR was once only available in expensive cameras but in the past few years, this capability has become available even in sub $200 cameras.

But is the multi-exposure WDR in low cost cameras just as good as more expensive ones or is there any deficiencies?

To see low-cost models stack up against expensive models 2 - 4x the price, we tested high and low end WDR cameras of 3 manufacturers: Axis, Hikvision, and Samsung/Hanwha:

We shot out these cameras in two common WDR scenarios to see how performance differs and whether low cost models can truly compare with their more expensive counterparts. First, a door with the subject exiting from a much brighter exterior with the door closing behind him, to see how cameras adjust to large changes in dynamic range. And second, a warehouse scene with open overhead door to show how cameras perform in more constant, though still wide dynamic scenes (typical of warehouses, garages, and lobbies)

See our results and recommendations inside.

Readers should also see our WDR Tutorial for more information on the basics of WDR, as well as WDR Camera Shootout 2015, which tests 10 of the latest WDR cameras head to head to see whose WDR model is best.

*****-******** *** *** **** only ********* ** ********* cameras *** ** *** past *** *****, **** capability *** ****** ********* even ** *** $*** cameras.

*** ** *** *****-******** WDR ** *** **** cameras **** ** **** as **** ********* **** or ** ***** *** deficiencies?

** *** ***-**** ****** ***** up ******* ********* ****** * - ** *** *****, we ****** **** *** low *** *** ******* of * *************: ****, *********, and *******/******:

** **** *** ***** cameras ** *** ****** WDR ********* ** *** how *********** ******* *** whether *** **** ****** can ***** ******* **** their **** ********* ************. *****, a **** **** *** subject ******* **** * much ******** ******** **** *** door ******* ****** ***, to *** *** ******* adjust ** ***** ******* ** dynamic *****. *** ******, a ********* ***** **** open ******** **** ** show *** ******* ******* in **** ********, ****** still **** ******* ****** (typical ** **********, *******, and *******)

*** *** ******* *** recommendations ******.

******* ****** **** *** our *** ******** *** **** *********** ** the ****** ** ***, as **** ** *** ****** ******** ****, ***** ***** ** of *** ****** *** cameras **** ** **** to *** ***** *** model ** ****.

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

Recommendation: ******** ***** **********, **** ********* ******

** *** *******, **** difficult *****/**** **** ****, both **** *** *******'* expensive models ************* ************ ***** end ************, ** **** took **** **** ** react ** *** *******/******* of *** **** *** simply ****** **** **********, **** better ******** ****** ***** and **** ***** ******.

****, *********'* **** *** low *** ****** ********* much **** ********* ** this *****, **** **** the (****) ********* **** ********* **** time ** ****** ** light ******* **** **** and *******. ******* ** this, *** ***** **** ********* ***** will ******* ****** ** this *****.

Recommendation: ******** *** ******, *********** *** *******

** *** "******" ********* WDR *****, *** **** cameras ********* **** ********* to ***** **** ********* ************, especially ******* ****** *********. In ****** ***** ***** levels **** *************, *** are ****** **** ** the *** (******* ***** opening/closing), ***** **** ******* are ****** ** ******* better *** ********* ****** **** difficult ** ***** *******.

** ****** **** ** lobbies, ***** ***** ******, warehouses, *******, ***., **** more ******** *** ****** (as ******* ** *******/******* doors), ** ********* ******* low *** ******, ** they *** **** *********** cost ******** ** ********* *** cameras.

Individual ************ *** **. *********

** *** *****, *********** between *************' *** **** and ********* *** ****** ****** significantly:

  • *** **** ***** *********** outperformed *** *** **** M3045 ** **** ****** scenes, **** **** ****** of *** ******* *** background *** **** **** to ****** ** *** strong ********* ********** ** opening *** **** ****, while *** ***** ********* poorly **** ****** ****** of *** *******. 
  • ******'* *********** *** **** similar. *** ***-**** ******** better ******* **** *** QND-6010R ** *** *****/**** door *****, *** **** slight advantages ** ******* ** *** overhead **** ********* *****.
  • *******, *** *** **** Hikvision **** ********* ********* to ***** *** *** WDR *****, *** ****, in *** *****/**** **** scene. *******, *** **** produced ****** ******* ******* both ****** ********* *** darker ***** ** *** scene ** *** ********* test.

Price ***********

********* *** **** *** expensive ****** **** **** manufacturer, *** ********* ****** ******* 2-4x *** ***** ** the *** ***. 

******* ***** ******* ** the **** ********** ****:

Test ******

** ****** ******* ** two ****** *** *** cases ** **** *** differences:

*****, * *****-****** **** door, **** *** ******* entering, ** **** *** cameras ******** ** ******** sunlight ** * ********** much ****** ******** *** whether ****/*********** *** ******* on *** ****** *******.

******, * ******** *********/****** with **** ******** **** with * ********** *******, seen ****:

Entry/Exit **** **********

*****, ** ****** ** an *****/**** **** *****, with *** ******* ******* the ****, ********, *** the **** ******* ****** him, ********* *** ******* to ****** ** *** sudden ******** ** *********, and ******** **** ******.

*** **********, *** ***** below **** *** **** end ****** ** *** upper ***, *** ***** cost ** *** ******:

***** *** **** **** image

*** *** ******* *** two ****** / ******* Techwin ****** *** **** significant, **** **** ********* providing ***** ******* ** the ******* ** ** opens *** ****. *******, the ******* * ***** longer ** ****** ** the ********* **** ******* and ********** **** ** the *******, ********* **** detail.

*** *********** *** ******* the **** ***** *** M3045-V *** ********, *** the *****-* ************* ******** the ******* *********** ***** entering *** ****, ********* details.

 

*******, *** *** ********* models ********* **** *********, with **** ******** ** about *** **** **** and ******* ******* ******* of *** *******.

Warehouse ******** **** **********

****, ******* ** *** warehouse *****, *********** ******* Axis *** **** ********** again, **** *** *****-* showing **** ****** ** the ******* ** *** darker **** ** *** scene. *** ********* ****** performs ***** **** *** 4025 ** *** **** area ** *** *****, as ****, ****** **** subject ******* *** ***** clear. *** ****** ******* perform **** ********* ****, with ******* ******* ******** by ****.

Test **********

******* **** ********* ***** to *******, **** *** following ******** *******:

  • **** ***** *** *****-*: WDR "**"
  • ********* **-**********-*: *** "**"
  • ********* **-**********-**: *** "**", Level **
  • ******* ***-**** *** ***-*****: Backlight *** ** "***", level "****"; **** *** to ***** **

*** ********* ******** ******** were ****: 

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

Comments (9)

Avatar

Rich Moore

01/24/17 05:13pm

Personally, I think this would have been better with more manufacturers involved.

Avatar

Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Rich Moore | 01/24/17 05:53pm

Rich, who were you hoping to see? We were specifically aiming to show the differences (or lack thereof) between top performers and low cost cameras here, and kept it limited to three common examples.

We have a WDR shootout between 10 manufacturers' top performers, as well, if that's more your speed. That will be updated later this year, most likely, or early 2018, as many models haven't changed since it was done.

Avatar

Rich Moore

In reply to Ethan Ace | 01/24/17 06:17pm

You just answered my response Ethan.  I look forward to the WDR shootout between manufacturers...updated.  For this shootout, I was hoping to see Dahua and Bosch to show another lower cost and another higher cost for more contrast. 

Itamar Kerbel

01/25/17 07:49am

Its nice you to see that the more you pay the better are the results :)

Avatar

Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Itamar Kerbel | 01/25/17 04:35pm

I think that that's true, but it's a question of how much better for the increase in price. For many, I expect that a $200 true WDR camera will suit their scene just fine. For the harshest scenes, though, the higher end models do perform better.

Igor Averchenko

01/25/17 04:33pm

It could be also noticed in this test: total absence of overexposure in Q1615 compare to others for both scenes.

Jason Brown

06/21/17 03:05pm

First of all, thanks for the test. However, at the risk of sounding ungrateful, the SNB-6004 is old. Would have been nice to see the XNB-6000 and its supposed 150dB WDR.

Avatar

Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Jason Brown | 06/21/17 03:13pm

Wisenet X wasn't released when we did this test. This was published on 1/24 which means it was probably done in the beginning of January.

Wisenet X wasn't announced til the 20th, and didn't start shipping until February. At the time the SNB-6004 was still the top performing WDR camera. 

We have tests of the Wisenet X series, though:

Jason Brown

In reply to Ethan Ace | 06/21/17 04:51pm

Sorry, I missed the date. Thanks for the reply.

Login to read this IPVM report.
Why do I need to log in?
IPVM conducts unique testing and research funded by member's payments enabling us to offer the most independent, accurate and in-depth information.

Related Reports

Bosch Budget 3000i Cameras Tested on Dec 05, 2019
Bosch has long had a hole in its lineup for, as it describes, "competitively-priced cameras". Now, Bosch has released its 3000i series cameras...
Ireland National Children's Hospital Chooses Hikvision End-to-End With Facial Recognition on Dec 05, 2019
The world's most expensive hospital project ever, the New Children's Hospital in Ireland, has chosen an all-Hikvision surveillance system including...
AVTech ~$70 IP Cameras Tested Vs Dahua and Hikvision on Dec 04, 2019
Taiwanese manufacturer Avtech is taking direct aim at low cost leaders Dahua and Hikvision with ~$70 starlight and white light illuminator...
Budget Covert Cameras Tested on Nov 26, 2019
Covert cameras under $100 are widely available online but are they any good? To see how these models really work in the real world, we bought...
Wyze AI Analytics Tested - Beats Axis and Hikvision, Now Improved, Now Being Terminated on Nov 25, 2019
When we originally tested Wyze's free person detection deep learning analytics in July 2019, they performed well, with few false alarms, but a long...
Axis "Best Of The Best" 4K Camera Tested (Q1798-LE) on Nov 21, 2019
Axis has released their "best of the best" Q1798-LE bullet camera, touting "4K without compromise" with a large Micro 4/3" image sensor, custom...
ISC East 2019 Show Report on Nov 21, 2019
IPVM has finished in New York City covering both days of the ISC East 2019 show. Here is a 6+ minute general walkthrough: Inside this report,...
Avigilon H4 Intercom Tested on Nov 20, 2019
Avigilon is well-known for video surveillance and access, but how well does the company's intercom work? We purchased and tested Avigilon's H4...
Hikvision Dual Lens Face Recognition Camera Tested on Nov 19, 2019
Hikvision's Dual Lens Facial Recognition camera, claims that it "adopts advanced deep learning algorithm and powerful GPU to realize instant face...
Color Low Light Mega Camera Shootout - Avigilon, Axis, Bosch, Dahua, Hanwha, Hikvision, Panasonic, Speco, Sony, Vivotek on Nov 12, 2019
This is the biggest color low light shootout ever, testing 20+ super low light models from 10 manufacturers: Increasingly, each manufacturer...

Most Recent Industry Reports

IP Camera Installability Shootout 2019 - Avigilon, Axis, Bosch, Dahua, Hanwha, Hikvision, Uniview, Vivotek on Dec 09, 2019
What are the best and worst cameras to install? Which manufacturers make it the hardest or easiest to install their cameras? We tested 35 total...
Viisights Raises $10 Million, Behavior Analytics Company Profile on Dec 09, 2019
Viisights, an Israeli AI analytics startup marketing "Behavioral Understanding Systems", announced $10 million Series A funding. We spoke to...
Disruptor Wyze Releases Undisruptive Smartlock on Dec 06, 2019
While Wyze has disrupted the consumer IP camera market with ~$20 cameras, its entrance into smart locks is entirely undisruptive. We have...
Bosch Budget 3000i Cameras Tested on Dec 05, 2019
Bosch has long had a hole in its lineup for, as it describes, "competitively-priced cameras". Now, Bosch has released its 3000i series cameras...
Anixter Resisting Takeover From Competitor on Dec 05, 2019
Mega distributor Anixter is going to be acquired but by whom? Initially, Anixter planned to go private, being bought by a private equity firm....
Security Sales Course 2020 - Last Chance Save $50 on Dec 05, 2019
This sales course is customized for the current needs and challenges specific to professionals selling video surveillance and access control...
Ireland National Children's Hospital Chooses Hikvision End-to-End With Facial Recognition on Dec 05, 2019
The world's most expensive hospital project ever, the New Children's Hospital in Ireland, has chosen an all-Hikvision surveillance system including...
AVTech ~$70 IP Cameras Tested Vs Dahua and Hikvision on Dec 04, 2019
Taiwanese manufacturer Avtech is taking direct aim at low cost leaders Dahua and Hikvision with ~$70 starlight and white light illuminator...
Ultinous European Analytics Startup Company Profile on Dec 04, 2019
European analytics-startup Ultinous pitches customers to "Have your own video analysis service!" We spoke to Ultinous to better understand their...
Access Startup Multi-Mount Aims To Streamline Reader Installs on Dec 03, 2019
Startup Multi-Mount claims it makes installing access readers 'Fast', 'Secure,' and fit 'any size frame.' The company states its bracket 'fits most...

What IPVM Is

The world's leading authority on video surveillance, with 200,000+ visits monthly.

  • Articles on cameras, video analytics, VMS, and trends
  • Tests showing actual performance and problems
  • Courses in surveillance, access control, etc
  • Camera Calculator for designing systems

Dedicated To Independence

We're dedicated to staying independent and objective. We're the only industry source to refuse any and all advertisements, sponsorship, and consulting from manufacturers. Why?