720P Versus 1080P For Covert Cameras

The Pixel Difference In Context

1080P carries about 2.25 times the pixels of 720P. On a 65 degree lens framing a doorway, both will show you who came in. On a 175 degree lens covering a whole room, 720P spreads those pixels so thinly that a face at four metres becomes a shape.

720P Buys Runtime And Card Life

The WF-720SAC runs four hours on 2500mAh while the WF-1080DAC runs 3.5 hours on the same cell. The WF-720CUP reaches 50 hours at 720P, which no 1080P model here approaches. Lower resolution also means more footage fits on a card, which matters on the 32GB and 64GB models.

Night Vision WiFi Cup Camera WF-720CUP shown from the front — Night Vision WiFi Cup Camera WF-720CUP · View specifications

1080P Buys Detail You Cannot Add Later

If the point of the camera is to identify a person or read a label, 1080P is not a luxury. The DVR-1080PDC pairs 1080P with a 65 degree lens and a 3.0MP Sony sensor, which is the combination that produces a usable face at normal room distances.

Night Vision Smart Desk Clock Camera DVR-1080PDC shown from the front — Night Vision Smart Desk Clock Camera DVR-1080PDC · View specifications

Sensor Matters As Much As Resolution

A named sensor tells you more than a resolution figure. The WF-1080WCL uses a Sony 1/3 inch CMOS. The baby monitors use a 1/4 inch CMOS with an F1.6 lens, which gathers more light than a narrower aperture. A 1080P unit with a small sensor and a slow lens can produce worse night footage than a well specified 720P one.

How To Choose In One Question

Ask whether the customer needs to know that something happened or who did it. Awareness and alerting works fine at 720P and buys runtime. Identification needs 1080P and a lens narrow enough to put pixels on the subject.

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