New IQeye 7 Series (76x)

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Ethan Ace
•Published Feb 03, 2012 00:00 AM
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IQinVision [link no longer available] has announced the latest release in the revamping of their camera line, with an update to the IQeye 7 Series cameras.  In this update, we'll look at how these cameras compare to the previous 7 Series cameras, as well as competitive options from Axis.

Overview

The IQeye 7 Series consists of four different models of indoor box cameras:

  • All models are day/night
  • Resolution/framerate options of: 720p/60FPS, 1080p/30FPS, 3.6MP/16FPS, and 5MP/10FPS. 
  • Lenses are included with the cameras, with telephoto and wide angle options available. 
  • Cameras support direct to storage recording.
  • Models in this line replace the current 7 Series (such as the 752, 755, etc.).

These new models include a number of improvements over the 7 Series models they are replacing:

  • H.264 Main Profile and MJPEG streaming: Previous models were MJPEG-only.
  • ONVIF and PSIA compliant: Previous models were neither ONVIF nor PSIA compliant.
  • Remote Back Focus: This allows users to initiate auto back focus with a one-touch capability, or to manually adjust focus remotely. Previous models did not have this capability.

Competitive Comparison

Similar to their improvements to the Sentinel line and release of the 3 Series, some of this release is catch-up for IQinVision. H.264 and ONVIF have been supported by many manufacturers for some time, and even remote back focus capability is becoming a common feature. In IQinVision's favor, few manufacturers produce 720p cameras specified to 60 FPS, though this is not required in most applications. 

The Axis P13 series is a likely competitor for the IQeye 7 Series, as this series is available in resolutions from SVGA to 5MP. The 720p models of these two series compare as follows. Note that both include varifocal lenses:

  • IQeye IQ761NI-V16 (2.8-12mm lens): $989 USD MSRP. Based on other IQinVision products found online, we would estimate an online price of approximately $890.
  • Axis P1344 (3-8mm lens): ~$850 online

This places the IQeye 7 Series modestly higher than the Axis equivalent model. The 7 Series does have the potential advantage of H.264 Main Profile encoding, which may provide moderate bandwidth and storage savings, as Axis uses Baseline Profile only.

Comparing the other end of the line, the 5MP IQeye and Axis P13 models compare as follows:

  • IQeye IQ765NI-V7 (4-12mm lens): $1,239 USD MSRP, resulting in an estimated online price of about $1,115.
  • Axis P1347 (3.5-10mm lens): ~$1,300 online

This places the 5MP IQeye 7 camera modestly lower than Axis, with the same potential benefits discussed above.

Conclusion

On the positive side, this long overdue H.264 refresh is needed and is priced at comparable levels to current offerings. On the negative side, it lacks major cost and feature differentiation that would accelerate former or new customers to strongly consider IQinVision.