4MP vs 3MP vs 2MP for night vision

J

JamesR

Getting the hang of it
Jun 28, 2017
54
39
Eastern PA
I did some reading on this site with regards to the benefit of lower MP resolution when it comes to night vision using the IR light. More pixels, more noise, pixel cramming, light leakage across pixels.....I was looking at some 4.1MP LTS turrets (CMIP3042W) for example. Would I really be better off using one of the 3.2MP (CMIP3032) or even a 2.1MP (CMIP3022) instead of the 4.1MP camera ?? What is the trade off for choosing one vs the other?
Thanks in advance,
Jim
 
LTS is re-branded hikvision. I'm more familiar with Dahua. This link will explain the MP difference (light per pixel) and the importance of sensor size.
Right now, the Dahua Starlight series has the lead for low-light performance.

JamesR said:
What is the trade off for choosing one vs the other?
Click to expand...

The thread will explain. And dispel the "More Pixels are Better" mindset, when considering nighttime performance....

Dahua 2MP Starlight Lineup

Fastb
 
Unfortunately it isn't as simple as "fewer pixels means better low light performance", but that does hold true in many cases.

You can have two sensors of the same physical size and resolution as each other but each could have very different low light performance because one sensor uses older or cheaper technology. And the lens diameter also plays a role in this. With the right combination of variables, you could have a 1 or 2 MP camera that performs worse at night than an 8 MP camera. The best bet is to read reviews and see which cameras perform best in the real world.
 
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[QUOTE="Fastb, post: 200570, member: 15131

The thread will explain. And dispel the "More Pixels are Better" mindset, when considering nighttime performance....

Dahua 2MP Starlight Lineup

Fastb[/QUOTE]
Thanks for the info. Wow, that thread has 12 pages and within that are links to other threads that have 148 pages! Can't say that I read all of it. :) If I did, by the time I got done, what I decide on will be obsolete. Anybody have any LTS or Hikvision comparisons for 2.1MP vs 4.1MP? Maybe I am just overthinking it and either will be fine for my purposes. I do not need LPR, just want to see what is going on around the home. It is a very safe, boring neighborhood, but I travel a lot for work, so I want to keep an eye on things. Thanks again!
 
JamesR said:
[QUOTE="Fastb, post: 200570, member: 15131

The thread will explain. And dispel the "More Pixels are Better" mindset, when considering nighttime performance....

Dahua 2MP Starlight Lineup

Fastb
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info. Wow, that thread has 12 pages and within that are links to other threads that have 148 pages! Can't say that I read all of it. :) If I did, by the time I got done, what I decide on will be obsolete. Anybody have any LTS or Hikvision comparisons for 2.1MP vs 4.1MP? Maybe I am just overthinking it and either will be fine for my purposes. I do not need LPR, just want to see what is going on around the home. It is a very safe, boring neighborhood, but I travel a lot for work, so I want to keep an eye on things. Thanks again![/QUOTE]
if you are not willing to do the research, no one else is going to do it for you...
 
fenderman said:
The cameras he mentioned are not low light cameras
Click to expand...
The ones I mentioned are not low light?
Hmmm, I thought that they were by looking at the rating;
Min. Illumination 0.01Lux @ (F1.2, AGC ON), 0 Lux with IR
What spec or rating should I be looking for in their description to be considered a low light camera?
..Thanks in advance
 
Compare those specs to a Starlight cam
 
Fastb said:
Compare those specs to a Starlight cam
Click to expand...
Starlight IPC Turret HDW4231M gives 3 specs;
0.009Lux/F2.0( Color,1/3s,30IRE)
0.07Lux/2.0( Color,1/30s,30IRE)
0Lux/F2.0(IR on)
So this camera and the 3042 both say 0Lux with IR and the Starlight shows .009 Lux and .07 Lux, not sure the difference there, but anyway .009 Lux vs the 3042 of .01 Lux. That is a difference of .001 Lux with the edge going to the Starlight right? .009 + .001 = .01. is that noticeable to the eyeball or is that marketing to go to 3 digits? ..Just trying to sift through the info here and make sense out of it.
 
JamesR said:
Starlight IPC Turret HDW4231M gives 3 specs;
0.009Lux/F2.0( Color,1/3s,30IRE)
0.07Lux/2.0( Color,1/30s,30IRE)
0Lux/F2.0(IR on)
So this camera and the 3042 both say 0Lux with IR and the Starlight shows .009 Lux and .07 Lux, not sure the difference there, but anyway .009 Lux vs the 3042 of .01 Lux. That is a difference of .001 Lux with the edge going to the Starlight right? .009 + .001 = .01. is that noticeable to the eyeball or is that marketing to go to 3 digits? ..Just trying to sift through the info here and make sense out of it.
Click to expand...
When the specs are that close I think the only way you know which is better is to run them side-by-side in your own environment. And if you're getting the specs anywhere except from the manufacturer, be suspicious that they're correct. Even the manufacturer's specs need to be at least sanity-checked.
 
JamesR

JamesR said:
That is a difference of .001 Lux with the edge going to the Starlight right? Is that noticeable to the eyeball or is that marketing to go to 3 digits?
Click to expand...

I've heard some folks say they don't completely trust the specs that camera manufacturers tout. Eg: shutter speed affects low light performance (1/3 frames/second, 1/30 fps)
I've also heard the opinion that actual side-by-side comparisons are needed to truly evaluate a camera's performance.
Lastly, image clarity is important. Two cams could have identical lux specs, but their image quality could be different.

So posts here of pics in a comparison are really valuable.
Check these images:
Dahua Starlight Varifocal Turret (IPC-HDW5231R-Z)
 
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JamesR said:
What is the spec cutoff for a camera that would be considered "low light"? Ie; min illum < .01, or <=.009 or is it not that cut/dry?
Click to expand...
stop looking at the specs you cannot directly compare them across manufactures...dahua starlights are low light...hikvision calls them ultra low light...the difference between these cams and standard cameras is dramatic.
buy turrets not domes or bullets...
The dahua starlights are available in a varifocal turret for only 170...
 
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