LOREX W482CAD

[Todd1976]

Hi,

I recently bought these from Costco (on sale) and I am amazed at the night vision quality. What I don't understand is how can this camera be so great at night with only a 1/3" sensor? I thought a bigger sensor would be needed, like a < 1/2.8" sensor?

https://www.lorextechnology.com/downloads/security-cameras/W482CAD/W482CAD_Series_Specs_R1.pdf

I also have many Amcrest and Dahua cameras, but this LOREX has the best night vision of all of them ...which is probably a rebranded Dahua (model unknown). Wish I knew which one.

Here are some screen grabs comparing the LOREX and a Dahua IPC-K35AP looking through my front window, so no infrared....just my porch light for ambient light.

LOREX




Dahua





LOREX advertizes it as dual-band, but it cannot see 5Ghz (confirmed with tech support). It also only has a fixed 0.5 I-Frame rate, but other than that I am very pleased with it.

Todd
Top

 

[mat200]

FYI - the camera in question


W482CAD Series

Sensor
Image Sensor 1/3" CMOS
Sensor Resolution 4 MP

 

[mat200]

Hi,

I recently bought these from Costco (on sale) and I am amazed at the night vision quality. What I don't understand is how can this camera be so great at night with only a 1/3" sensor? I thought a bigger sensor would be needed, like a < 1/2.8" sensor?

https://www.lorextechnology.com/downloads/security-cameras/W482CAD/W482CAD_Series_Specs_R1.pdf

I also have many Amcrest and Dahua cameras, but this LOREX has the best night vision of all of them ...which is probably a rebranded Dahua (model unknown). Wish I knew which one.

Here are some screen grabs comparing the LOREX and a Dahua IPC-K35AP looking through my front window, so no infrared....just my porch light for ambient light.

LOREX
View attachment 105083



Dahua
View attachment 105084




LOREX advertizes it as dual-band, but it cannot see 5Ghz (confirmed with tech support). It also only has a fixed 0.5 I-Frame rate, but other than that I am very pleased with it.

Todd
Top

Welcome and thanks @Todd1976

What models are you comparing the Lorex W482CAD with?

In general:
the most important low light image capture test is for moving subjects.
newer sensors are better than the older ones.
larger pixels within the same image sensor family are better ( size of pixel can be calculated using MP / sensor size ) - thus why we like to see larger sensors
more white light helps get better image capture in low light conditions
more cameras which are sold for color image capture in low light conditions are including white light leds to help with color image capture. ( often they then can put in cheaper smaller sensors )


FYI - Lorex modified website has removed links to spec sheets for many of their IP PoE cameras.

 

[wittaj]

Any camera can look great at night with a still image. A can make a $20 camera look like noon at midnight but then motion is a complete blur.

Let's see some motion video at night - someone walking past, a car driving by, then you will see the limitation.

 

[Todd1976]

Motion blur is no worse than any of my other cameras - so shutter speed is decent. My other cameras are: IP8M-T2499EB - I know, too many pixels for sensor size, IPC-K35AP, RLC-410W and a few indoor cameras IPM-HX1B, IP3M-HX2B). The W482CAD has no IRLED or white lights turned on, so I guess it is because like you said, it has a newer sensor. LOREX calls their technology CNV (Color Night Vision)...which I guess is equivalent to Starlight. Pleasantly surprised.

 

[wittaj]

Well maybe all your other camera video is crap then LOL. Folks with Ring cameras so their video is decent too...

Are you on default/auto settings? Running cameras on auto/default settings does not typically produce the best video, especially at night.

Most of the folks here don't care for what a static image looks like at night.

You might have enough light that it looks decent and maybe you will have blur regardless of settings given the sensor size, but folks here need to night video with motion or see screen captures of a car in motion or a person in motion at night before we will start talking about how great a camera is.

CNV is equivalent to Full Color not Starlight...but in any event they are all meaningless marketing terms. How the camera performs at night with motion is more important than a marketing term...

This is why you cannot buy a camera based on marketing terms like Starlight. This is an example from a manufacturer marketing videos - do you see a person in this picture...yes, there is a person in this picture. Could this provide anything useful for the police? Would this protect your home? The still picture looks great though except for the person and the blur of the vehicle... Will give you a hint - the person is in between the two columns:



Bad Boys
Bad Boys
Watcha gonna do
Watcha gonna do
When the camera can't see you

 

[looney2ns]

Proof is in the pudding, show us video with movement.

 

[mat200]

Motion blur is no worse than any of my other cameras - so shutter speed is decent. My other cameras are: IP8M-T2499EB - I know, too many pixels for sensor size, IPC-K35AP, RLC-410W and a few indoor cameras IPM-HX1B, IP3M-HX2B). The W482CAD has no IRLED or white lights turned on, so I guess it is because like you said, it has a newer sensor. LOREX calls their technology CNV (Color Night Vision)...which I guess is equivalent to Starlight. Pleasantly surprised.

FYI - other camera models

 

[Todd1976]

There is no web based configuration page, only the Lorex app. Their app is VERY limited, as it does not have bit rate, frame rate, shutter speed, etc... not even B/C settings! Using ConfigTool however, I am able to adjust bitrate, frame rate, B/C, gamma....
No setting for I-Frame, it is fixed at 0.5 per BI. I was able to get it on 5Ghz after tech support sent me new firmware.
I just think, for <$60, it's a pretty good night vision camera.

 

[dewhy12]

I just got this camera, do you know what the URL is to view the live feed in a web browser or VLC?

edit: nvm i figured it out by following the steps on this page: DahuaWiki

 

[JonSnow]

@Todd1976 @dewhy12

I know this is an old thread but wondering how this camera has held up?

I'm considering this camera do to the built in power cord and 5GHz, to replace my current 2.4ghz camera in a location i cannot run a network cable or hide the wires.

My only option to hide the wires would be to replace the light near by with a flood light camera.

Since this is a dahua camera, are you able to add the camera to Amcrest Surveillance Pro software? I use it to configure setting for one of my "Smart Camera" which has no web interface and requires the app. This works fine since my camera do not have internet access.

 

[Todd1976]

Yes the cameras have held up well. I just successfully tried the Amcrest Surveillance Pro software with it (had to choose port 35000 instead of 37777).

 

[JonSnow]

@todd

Yes the cameras have held up well. I just successfully tried the Amcrest Surveillance Pro software with it (had to choose port 35000 instead of 37777).

Can you confirm if you are able to change most settings when using the amcrest app, things like motion detection, codec, bitrate etc? I would really like to know if the spot light button in the amcrest app works?

What about ONVIF trigger events, do they work in BlueIris?

 

[Todd1976]

Yes it works with the Amcrest app. I don't see a control for the spotlight. Also, when using SmartPSS or Amcrest Surveillance Pro, you can even set the I-Frame interval!
Seems ONVIF trigger events are not available. See this discussion about the Lorex Doorbell:

Lorex 2K doorbell

Bummer dude!

ipcamtalk.com

 

[dewhy12]

@Todd1976 @dewhy12

I know this is an old thread but wondering how this camera has held up?

I'm considering this camera do to the built in power cord and 5GHz, to replace my current 2.4ghz camera in a location i cannot run a network cable or hide the wires.

My only option to hide the wires would be to replace the light near by with a flood light camera.

Since this is a dahua camera, are you able to add the camera to Amcrest Surveillance Pro software? I use it to configure setting for one of my "Smart Camera" which has no web interface and requires the app. This works fine since my camera do not have internet access.

2 out of 4 that I had stopped working. I bought them from Costco so I was able to return the broken ones. The remaining 2 are still going strong.