It is not worth debating with you anymore as you are missing the point and you are clearly one of the "more MP is better" fanboys and does not understand the concept of optical zoom LOL
Do you run your cameras on default/auto settings as well LOL.
But to make it clear for others that find this thread, I will leave you with this.
You are correct that the more optical zoom (or focal length) one has, the tighter the field of view. That is why we have more than 4 wide angle cameras and use varifocal cameras so that we can optically zoom in to pinch points and other areas of interest to get the clean IDENTIFY captures of someone at a distance beyond what our 2.8 to 4mm fixed lens cameras can capture. While the varifocals are great at helping to identify at a distance, they come at a cost of a reduced field of view, just like the wide-angles are great at seeing a wide area, but they come at the expense of IDENTIFY at distance.
For roughly the same distance to be covered to realistically IDENTIFY, yes an 8MP on a 1/1.2" sensor will beat a 2MP or 3MP on a 1/2.8" sensor. And especially during the day, the additional MP can bring some additional clarity for some digital zoom that the 2MP cannot. Nobody is questioning that. But what about the distances that are beyond the realistic IDENTIFY of a particular focal length. Unfortunately outside of PTZs, there are not varifocal options yet for 8MP on the 1/1.2" sensor to optically zoom for longer distances.
Don't get me wrong, I am not knocking an 8MP on the 1/1.2" sensor. It has its place, just like every camera does. I am simply stating that someone needs to get the correct camera for the area trying to be covered. A wide angle 2.8mm to IDENTIFY someone 50 feet away is the wrong camera regardless of how good the camera is. I am not going to use my Dahua 4K/X 8MP on the 1/1.2" sensor for IDENTIFY purposes 60 feet away - that is the wrong camera for that application. A 2.8mm camera to IDENTIFY someone within 10 feet is a good choice OR it is an overview camera to see something happened but not be able to identify who.
One camera cannot be the be all, see all. Each one is selected for covering a specific area. Most of us here have different brands and types, from fixed cams, to varifocals, to PTZs, each one selected for it's primary purpose and to utilize the strength of that particular camera.
You show your field of view earlier in the thread (which looks like way too much WDR btw and some purple chromatic aberration)...and you are proud that you can read the plates of the red car that you said is about 15m (50 feet) away. Good for you, with a static object you can read the plates of a car at that distance that you probably couldn't with the 2MP. But can you make out the facial features of someone 50 feet away with that camera? (the answer is no). And at night, forget it.
Our long time resident camera expert Wildcat ran the Dahua 4K/X 8MP 1/1.2" sensor equivalent of your G2 thru the paces. Keep in mind this 4K/X camera is incredible and has much fewer complaints here than the G2. Folks here have both and prefer the 4K/X.
He had the 3.6mm version and here is the screenshot from 40 feet in the ideal daylight, which based on DORI numbers is the supposed IDENTIFY distance for this camera with the 3.6mm lens and I think most of would agree that this is not IDENTIFY quality, even if digitally zoomed in (thus showing similar to LUX numbers that DORI numbers are estimates and a manufacturer can make it whatever they want and personally I found they need to be cut in half or more and even more for nighttime):
While I have an 8MP on the 1/1.2" sensor for an overview camera and to provide IDENTIFY within 10-15 feet of the camera, I also use varifocals zoomed in to pinch points and other areas of interest at a further distance out. Here is a snapshot from my 2MP set to the appropriate focal length to actually IDENTIFY at 40 feet.
Which one of the two images gives you the best option to IDENTIFY the person? I think most will agree the 2MP optically zoomed...
Now the above images were in optimal daylight, so what about nighttime.
Prove me wrong that your 4mm G2 can produce a better IDENTIFY image of a person 90 feet away than this at night of a moving person than my 2MP Z12E that only has the coach lights from my house as a source of light as there are no street lights and the neighbors do not turn their lights on....
Heck I will be nice and give you one to try at 80 feet:
As I have said, someone needs to identify the areas they want to cover and pick a camera focal length designed to cover that distance. In some instances, it may be a 2MP or 4MP that is the right camera and not an 8MP. DO NOT CHASE MP!!!
I look forward to you proving me wrong with images of moving people at 40 feet during the day and 90 feet and 80 feet at night from your G2 4mm fixed lens that are better than these 2MP examples....