Lorex makes affordable security cameras, but how does their image quality compare to a more expensive brand such as Uniview?
We installed Uniview and Lorex 8MP cameras outside our office to see how the images look. We tested the cameras during day & night to see if there were any differences.
Watch the video below, or continue scrolling down for image comparisons!
License Plate & People Recognition (Daytime)
After installing the cameras, I left them on default settings other than bitrate, which was set to 5760 Kbps. Then, I stood at distances between 10 – 50ft (3-15m) away from the cameras while holding up a license plate.
During the day, the Uniview camera is sharper, with better contrast than the Lorex. Due to this, the license plate is easier to read from a distance.
You can swipe left or click the arrow on the images to compare between 10ft, 20ft, 30ft, 40ft, and 50ft.
General Image Quality (Daytime)
Next, we have a wide angle shot of our parking lot during the day. It was snowing quite a bit, which allows us to see how the cameras perform in poor weather.
You can drag in the middle to swipe between the Lorex on the left, and Uniview on the right side of the image.
License Plate & People Recognition (Nighttime)
Lastly, we repeated the license plate test during the night. This allows us to compare how both cameras perform during low-light scenes, especially in terms of face recognition and license plate detection.
Both cameras have had WDR enabled during this test, because otherwise the license plate was simply an overexposed white blur. Also, both we set to a minimum shutter speed of 1/30s, which allowed us to fairly compare the image between the two cameras without any special slow shutter settings.
Here, we can see both cameras are evenly matched. A small advantage can be seen at 40ft for the Lorex, but the Uniview performs slightly better at 50ft. The Uniview’s image is sharper, therefore we find it looks better overall compared to the Lorex.
Final Thoughts
Aside from image quality, the main difference between the Uniview and Lorex camera was build quality. The Lorex camera has a plastic housing where it mounts to the wall, while the Uniview has a fully metal housing. If someone were to attack your cameras with a hockey stick, I’m sure the Lorex would be knocked down quickly.
While Uniview may be more expensive, the cost may be worth it. The Uniview has better image quality, with higher contrast and an overall sharper image when compared with the Lorex camera.
If you’re looking to purchase Uniview cameras for your home or business, be sure to contact us at XLR Security. We’re always happy to help you choose the right cameras for your project.
