Frame rate (Frames per Second) FPS for video surveillance. Accelerated shooting What does FPS camera review mean?

Just a few years ago, it would have been hard to believe that mega-compact action cameras would be able to shoot video in 4K resolution, and this would not surprise anyone. The higher the resolution, the higher quality the captured video will be. This is a well-known fact. In reality, there are a ton of other parameters to consider, including frame rate, viewing angle, lenses used, and video processing technologies. There are a lot of 4K cameras now. Moreover, the ability to shoot in 4K has become an unspoken quality standard, but not every such camera is worthy of attention. Some are too expensive, others lack important accessories, and others even shoot in 2.5K with interpolation, but in advertising they proudly claim to shoot in 4K. Let's try to understand the proposed range and choose the best 4K action cameras among those on the market.

Before we move on to the rankings, let us remind you that 4 K – this resolution is 3840*2160 pixels. Otherwise it is called Ultra HD. There is also 2.5K – 2560*1440, FullHD – 1920*1080, etc. The higher the resolution, the lower the shooting speed. The standard for 4K is currently 30 frames/second. As filling productivity increases, we hope this figure will grow rapidly. However, already the first cameras appear, which at 4Kshoots 60 frames/second.

As the resolution decreases, the shooting speed increases. The options you choose depend on the scenes you're shooting.. It is better to shoot the most dynamic ones at maximum speed (120-240 fps), for calmer ones 60 fps is enough, and if the object in the frame is not moving at extreme speed and it is important to convey maximum details, then you can safely shoot in 4K. By the way, this mode is great for capturing travel and memorable events, so if the camera supports this resolution, then we get a multifunctional gadget: with it you can go to a water park, jump with a parachute, ski, and photograph weddings and name days.

We won’t mention the other nuances of the choice - so let’s boldly move on to the most interesting.

At last year's CES, Xiaomi presented an almost revolutionary model. It was the first action camera to at 4K resolution it allowed recording video at 60 frames/second, and these are honest, not interpolated parameters. This became possible thanks to the use new Ambarella H2 processor and matrices Sony IMX377. At 4K 60 fps settings, the camera, of course, heats up, but not critically.

Xiaomi MiJia 4K Action Camera

Xiaomi, it seems, does not intend to rest on its success. Not long ago, the company presented a new action camera, which risks becoming popular, because it is inexpensive and has quite a wide range of functionality. This is the first model in the MiJia line, and it is noticeably different in design from the YI series cameras. The manufacturer has finally decided conquer the budget segment, and, apparently, he can easily succeed.

The camera is perfectly balanced in functionality , stands out appearance . The model has a budget sensor, but due to its large size, the camera can even shoot in low light conditions well. The viewing angle is not the greatest, but it produces a more realistic picture without distortion. The camera's hardware is not exactly budget-friendly; the processor allows you to reduce noise and correct optical distortions. The device uses 6-axis electronic stabilization. In general, there are no complaints about the video.

The camera's photo quality is a little worse, but not bad at all. It would not be a shame to post the captured footage on social networks and print it out. Those who are more or less versed in photo processing should be pleased with the fact that it is possible to create pictures inRAW. For the stated price this is excellent! It is also worth praising autonomy: The battery is enough to record 2 hours of 4K video and 3 hoursFullHD. In this parameter, the camera confidently outperforms market leaders with a higher price tag.

Of the minuses, very much modest equipment: Apart from the camera and battery, there is only a charging cable in the box. The second drawback is the sound. For some, of course, it is not that important, but if you intend to shoot video blogs, then this model is not the best option. In addition, it is impossible to connect an external microphone. As a result, we get compromise inexpensive solution. An excellent camera for capturing extreme entertainment and travel.

Gmini MagicEye HDS8000

One of the most affordable action cameras with 4K resolution. The hardware here is mediocre, so the device records in 4K only at 24 frames/s, but at the stated price this is not bad. The advantages include a decent viewing angle, a form factor familiar to all of us (all mounts from GoPro, YI and other cameras of the same size are suitable), the presence of several indicator LEDs that simplify the shooting process. Besides, connectors are covered with a plug- dust will not get into them.

The touch screen is quite ordinary, making it easier to work with the camera and select the necessary settings. The camera package is decent. There is an aquabox, a screen cover for it, a frame and several fasteners. The camera received a module from SONY, it takes pictures very well, Fine stabilizes the image. When recording in 4K, as the lighting level drops, grain appears. The battery is not the camera's strong point. Average time battery life– about 50 minutes.

Rekam XPROOF EX640

Another quite interesting and inexpensive option. Let's start with the main feature - waterproof case. Not bad for your money, right? The camera can withstand immersion to a depth of 3 m. There is no need to carry an aquabox with you. Unfortunately, this advantage comes with some disadvantages. The battery here is non-removable, so you won’t be able to replace the battery on the go – only a power bank can increase the autonomy of this model. The sound recording quality is also not great.

The video and photo quality is quite decent. The model's equipment is average: just a couple of mounts for a bicycle and a helmet. On the other hand, the remaining fasteners are not used very often. Battery life is about 1.5 hours.

Sony FDR-X3000

This camera is interesting to us, first of all, because of what it received optical image stabilizer, which means that the most dynamic scenes can be filmed with minimal shaking. The advantages include decent autonomy. The manufacturer promises up to 2.3 hours of recording, and this is a decent indicator.

The model received splash protection, included aquabox, which allows you to dive to a depth of 60 m. The kit also includes a platform mount, and that’s where the accessories end. The company has become greedy, and the user will have to purchase the necessary elements if necessary.

The device has a built-in stereo microphone, but you can also connect an external microphone - there is a special output. Another competitive advantage is 3x digital zoom. The downside is the lack of a normal screen. All information is displayed on a small black and white screen. Not to say that this is very inconvenient, but after handling a camera with a more advanced screen built in, it will be unusual.

Users praise the camera for its high-quality images with excellent color reproduction. The disadvantages include the price and cost of accessories, cumbersomeness. By the way, the form factor of the camera is unusual.

Olympus TG-Tracker

You can take this camera with you wherever you go, and don't let its weight bother you. Olympus once created a truly indestructible gadget. It’s a pity that the company is in no hurry to update it, although it’s difficult to find fault with this model. The camera received waterproof case, is not afraid of immersion under water, falls and dust. It is equipped 5-axis stabilizer, thermometer, barometer, compass, dive sensor andGPS, has an electronic image stabilizer.

The battery will last for 1.5 hours of shooting, the kit includes a lens cap (regular and underwater), a monopod and an adapter for using accessories from other manufacturers. The viewing angle here is almost a record, there is built-in illuminator. In short, the camera, although unconventional in appearance and a little expensive, will be an excellent companion in extreme recreation. The only thing is that you can’t attach such a camera to your chest due to the elongated shape of the gadget.

Be careful when purchasing and carefully study the actual capabilities of the camera. For example, the popular SJCAM SJ6 Legend and Gmini MagicEye HDS5100 models use interpolation up to 4K, while the real maximum resolution is 2.5K.

Each of you has encountered a problem when games on your computer start to slow down, and the lucky person is the one who has money on hand for new hardware. Today we will try to figure out what “Frame Rate” (hereinafter referred to as FPS) can be considered sufficient, and how high a frame rate a person can distinguish. What is the “Gold Standard” and why do you need it?

Most of you understand frame rate as the number of images changed per second of a video stream.

It's simple.

What is the maximum frame rate a human can discern?

There is no such meaning, it is a myth. If you live with this myth in your head, then you are in for a big debate with yourself as you read the material below. The human eye is made up of many receptors that constantly send information to the brain. You cannot name the number of receptors or the bandwidth to the brain, so throw this myth out of your head. If such a quantity existed, it would be proven by science.

Interaction between monitor and video card

To begin with, it is important to convey two simple concepts to you.

Frame rate/FPS (eng. Framerate, hereinafter FPS)- the number of frames processed by your video card per second. This is an absolutely chaotic value that depends on your current tasks, video card power, scene load, general computer maintenance, etc. Over a short period of time in the same game, the frame rate can vary greatly, it can be both high and low.

We load the scene, and our FPS melts before our eyes.

Why is high FPS so important? The fact is that with a low FPS, the picture will become jerky, and we will not be able to see smooth movements or individual images.

At constant FPS, you can calculate the processing time of one frame: at 30 FPS - 33 milliseconds, at 60 FPS - 16 milliseconds. We can conclude: a twofold increase in FPS requires a twofold increase in the processing speed of one frame.

Monitor refresh rate- the frequency at which your monitor updates all its pixels. And unlike FPS, the monitor refresh rate (hereinafter referred to as “hertz”, because it’s simpler and shorter, don’t attach much meaning to the word “hertz”) is fixed, in other words, constant. If your monitor is 60 hertz, once every 1 second/60 hertz = 16.6 milliseconds the screen flickers and the frame changes. You must remember an observation from childhood, or for some from youth, when we pointed the first camera phones at TVs equipped with a cathode ray tube. You've seen flickering, it's the same in our LCD monitors, but we don't notice it. From this we conclude that frame rate and “hertz” are not on the same wavelength. And when the monitor changes frames, it displays what it currently has in the “buffer”. The buffer zone is the place where the monitor stores the finished frame for output (in fact, the technology may differ, but the essence is the same).

For an interaction example, we'll take a 60Hz monitor.

Let's consider 3 cases

1. The average number of FPS does not exceed your monitor frequency of 60 Hz.

In the period between flickers of your monitor, the source video card sends no more than one frame to the buffer. The more FPS drops, the more often we will encounter the fact that updating the monitor does not update the frame.

After your frame is rendered, it is instantly sent with the video signal to the buffer. When the time comes, our Hertz displays the contents of the buffer on the screen.

2. The average number of FPS exceeds your monitor frequency of 60 Hz.

Here it’s more complicated, the number of FPS per one flicker of the monitor. (hereinafter referred to as the computational segment)

In other words, Chaos with a capital C. Your video card manages to send more than one frame per monitor flicker.

Illustrated is the case where you have 300+ FPS. During the period between updating the monitor, the source video card manages to render more than 5 frames. During this time, all these frames come into the buffer, and each new one displaces the previous one, and this previous one disappears from the digital field. Besides this, there is one very interesting point: the time has come for the monitor to update, and at the same time information about a new frame arrives in the buffer, so the monitor begins to display information from two different frames. The consequences for you are screen tearing.

How to avoid these "gaps"? There are several technologies for synchronizing frames with the monitor's refresh rate, in other words, these technologies put FPS and Hertz on the same wavelength.

3. Vertical sync is enabled.

There is no place for chaos here. Your video card renders the frame for the monitor update.

There is a “regulator” on the video card that knows the refresh rate of the monitor and renders only 1 frame per 1 hertz.

4. G-sync.

Horizontal sync technology from NVIDIA. A chip is built into the monitor that causes the monitor to update when a new frame arrives (within its refresh rate). Everything here is too good and boring to talk about :)

Pros and cons of Vsync

pros
• Image tearing disappears.
• The video card does not operate at full capacity, thereby lowering its temperature and reducing the noise level.

Minuses
• Reducing the frame rate to the monitor frequency. But you can’t seem to see more frames on a 60 Hz monitor?
• Increase the responsiveness of all your actions in the game. Why? I'll try to explain this to you.
• Your “controller” on the video card, like its other elements, consumes computing resources. This means there are fewer frames left for processing.
• Before turning on vertical sync, make sure you have some FPS headroom. If the video card cannot handle the required FPS, it will lower it to the next multiple. In our case - 30 FPS, and no one wants to play with 30 FPS, unless you are a “console player”, more on them later.

Does it make sense to have 75, 90, 120 FPS in games on a 60 Hz monitor?

You just read about the interaction between the monitor and the video card, and, most likely, you decided for yourself, turn on this “your synchronization” and I won’t have any troubles. And there are some subtleties here.

Have you met people who told you that they see little difference between 60 and 120 FPS, and even see it on a 60 Hz monitor? Yes, they lost their minds. Or not? If you are close to the player and watch how he plays, you will not see the difference. But everything changes if you are the player who interacts with the game world.

We have three hertz in front of us. Between them there are 2 computational segments, in one of which an event occurred 12 milliseconds after the monitor was updated.
The red line is a game “tick” (moment), and it doesn’t matter which one. It could be the first shot of a grenade exploding, you can turn the camera with one tick and the light will come on. It doesn't matter at all!

As we remember, the monitor is updated every 1000 milliseconds/60 = 16.66 milliseconds. In the first case, we do not know whether the frame had time to render when our “tick” had already occurred.

But in the second case, we clearly see that the last rendered frame appeared after the "tick", so it contains information about it. And in 16.66/5 ≈ 3.33 milliseconds we will see our “tick” on the monitor. At the same time, in the first case, the frame skips a “tick”, and we will see it only on the next render, namely after 16.66+(16.66-12) = 21.13 milliseconds.

The combination of “ticks” creates the difference between 60 and 120 FPS on a 60 Hz monitor. It is impossible to explain or show this difference on video; you need to experience it yourself.

We ignored all other responses and delays associated with computer hardware, from mouse response to video signal speed, because it doesn't matter. The essence does not change from this.

I also ignored the case with vertical sync enabled, because it is the worst, because... The “adjuster” renders and sends the frame just before the monitor is updated, the delay of each “tick” will be up to 32 milliseconds, and this is the frame delay as at 30 FPS, I hope you can see the flaws at 30 FPS. This is the “second disadvantage” of vertical synchronization that I listed above; it is very easy to feel if you turn on/off synchronization directly in the game.

A visual demonstration of the gameplay, in which a lot of our “ticks” occur, namely camera rotations. If you move the camera in a similar way in CS:GO at 60 and 120 FPS on a 60 Hz monitor, you still won’t understand the difference. Then try not to think about it, it's not your thing :)

"Gold standard"

Let's start with the fact that there is no "gold standard". There are the requirements of players on the one hand, which in turn may vary, and the technical capabilities of developers on the other. If developers had the opportunity to release all projects with millions of FPS, they would not miss it. Still, we will try to determine some comfort zone and smooth image.

Let's look at a few cases.

Xbox One and PS4
At the time of development of these consoles, the choice of graphics system fell on a close analogue of the Radeon HD 7850. Try to take this HD 7850 and play something in modern games. There are games that will drop below 30 FPS. What do developers do in this case? Reduce the calculated resolution. Take any latest Assassin's Creed, both consoles operate in 900p 30 fps mode, this is still in the best case, it is not difficult to find a test on Youtube when the consoles cannot support 30 FPS. Can 30 FPS be called the Gold Standard? No! This the bottom, below which there is nowhere to fall.

As long as they are busy, the situation is unlikely to change. The main thing is that consoles do not cost $1000.

VR
VR runs at 90+ frame rates, which puts the screen as close to your eyes as possible, and low FPS will be more noticeable, leading to fatigue and poor health.

Let's get back to the monitors. The smoothness of the image is achieved when we do not see the transition from one frame to another. Unfortunately, here we return again to the fact that there are so many people, so many different opinions.

In this article, my goal was to explain to you the advantage of 60+ FPS on a 60Hz monitor.

I’ll leave some recommendations for video cards for gaming on FullHD monitors. Below you can see the tests of these video cards on our website.

30 FPS
It greatly exceeds the power of both consoles, so while they are playing on the consoles, you will not be left idle.

60 FPS this year
shows excellent results in games at a compromise price.

60 FPS in future experiments from Ubisoft :)
has excellent performance and is much better in price compared to its “big brother”.

Initially, action cameras were popular among professional athletes and extreme sports enthusiasts. Today, the GoPro camera accompanies people in their lives, at work, leisure, and in their hobbies.

Numerous camera settings sometimes lead new users to a dead end. And the selected parameters “the more the better” will not make the resulting materials ideal, but will complicate the process of processing and reproduction. Therefore, you need to choose a video shooting mode based on your needs. In this article we will help you understand the settings GoPro cameras.

The GoPro camera has three video modes:

The photo shows a diagram of modes and settingsGoPro HERO5 Black.

1. VIDEO

A mode used when shooting video on GoPro action cameras. The format and quality of video recording is affected by three main settings:

• Video file resolution (RES) is the number of horizontal pixels (dots) responsible for the quality and detail of the video. GoPro cameras record video up to 4K, comparable to professional video. But to watch such a video, you need equipment that supports this quality. However, the potential of a camera capable of shooting 4K video improves light sensitivity and image quality in other modes. For example, with a resolution of 1080P, full-fledged HD video is shot, which can be comfortably viewed on a TV screen of any diagonal. Or 720P mode, which is sufficient for playback on most computers. Video in this quality takes up less space, is easy to play and easier to edit.

• Frame rate per second (FPS) - is responsible for the smoothness and ability to slow down the video. The frame rate of 60 frames or more when processing video in the editor is easily stretched, slowing down the video, placing emphasis on a spectacular trick. The higher the frequency, the smoother the slow-motion video will be. When shooting a regular video, it is enough to limit yourself to a frequency of 25-30 frames, since the human eye cannot distinguish a higher number of frames per second, this will only increase the size of the video file.
• Angle of View (FOV) is the field of view of the lens.

Choosing a wide angle will help you capture as much space around you as possible, while choosing a smaller angle will help you capture videos with more detail. A common way to shoot with an action camera is to shoot from a first-person point of view (POV), using the Superview angle will help improve the immersion of the video format.

Now let's look at the most common video modes and settings, according to experienced users.

Mode RES - 2.7K/FOV - Superview/FPS-30

One of the best modes for shooting, uses the entire matrix, while the sensor interacts perfectly with the processor, which gives maximum quality images and fast processes. Perfect for making really exciting first-person footage that doesn't require slow motion.

Mode RES - 1080P/FOV - Wide/FPS-60

Like 2.7K, it is optimal in terms of the interaction between the sensor and the processor, delivering excellent quality and having a reasonable size. This is the recommended "standard" for almost all non-first-person shots. This mode is good for shooting objects that move quickly, walking while traveling, skiing, snowboarding, surfing. Videos of this format are popular among users, allow for fast post-processing and are of sufficient quality for YouTube. social networks. This is the mode that is installed on the GoPro HERO5 black camera in the default settings.

Mode RES - 720P/FOV - Narrow/FPS-120.

An excellent mode for getting high-quality slow-motion video. Ideal for creating extreme videos, shooting tricks with a cool slow motion effect for Instagram.

After trying these common modes and understanding how they work, you can adjust the settings and change them to suit your specific tasks.

GoPro's Video mode has additional settings: Auto Low Light, stabilization and Protune, which also help improve video quality under certain conditions.

Auto Low Light helps with night and twilight photography, in low light. Automatically reduces the frame rate per second, due to which the video becomes clearer, appears lighter, and improves the quality of the footage. This mode is available when shooting in modes with frame rates above 30.

Video Stabilization (EIS)

Read more about this setting in GoPro HERO5 cameras in ours.

ProTune - function manual settings, opens up the possibility of fine-tuning video parameters. We talk about the function in detail.

2. VIDEO + PHOTO (VIDEO + PHOTO).

A mode that takes photos simultaneously with video recording. The camera will take pictures at intervals of 5, 10, 30 or 60 seconds. Frames taken in video + fhoto mode will differ in size and quality, and graininess will increase. The mode works in the following video formats: RES1440P FPS up to 24, RES1080P FPS up to 30, RES720P FPS up to 60

3. LOOPING VIDEO

Typically, this mode is turned on when the camera is used as a video recorder. This mode is described in more detail in our next one.

The value of the frame rate is an important feature when developing any video surveillance system. Let's look at and determine the optimal frames per second value in theory and practice.

What is frame rate (FPS)?

Frame frequency, frame change frequency(from English) Frames per Second (FPS), Frame rate, Frame frequency) is the number of replaced frames per unit of time. The generally accepted unit of measurement is frames per second (fps). 24 fps is the global standard for filming and projection frequency. In fact, we have 30 fps (60 half-frames) for the NTSC television standard (USA, Canada, Mexico, Japan) and 25 fps (50 half-frames) for the PAL / SECAM standard (Europe). In addition, both accelerated and slow frame rates can be used for filming, for example, 48 fps is the shooting and projection frequency of IMAX HD cinematic systems.

Frame rate in video surveillance

Let's look at frame rate in video surveillance. It would seem, what is there to think? The higher the frame rate, the better - you can set the highest frame rate (25 fps / 30 fps) without looking. But all this is in an ideal world; in reality, we always want to optimize and get what we need for the minimum amount of money. Thus, the frame rate directly affects the recording archive and the duration of the archive. That is, as the frame rate increases, the weight of the archive also increases. Let's see if there is a difference in the picture at different frame rates.
Below is a video where you can compare the same picture, which was recorded at different frame rates (fps). Note that video shot at the maximum frame rate (25 fps / 30 fps) is practically no different from video at 15 fps.

Another video with different movements in focus to see the difference between frame rates from 1 to 30 fps. It's obvious that the lower the frame rate, the less smooth the video becomes- this is clearly visible when shooting moving objects in the frame.

Thus, 10 – 15 fps is the optimal frame rate for almost any video surveillance object - this value will increase the archive recording time. But there are also exceptions to the rules, for example in casinos, at supermarket checkouts, when determining license plates on cars for recording, it is necessary to set a higher frame rate. Also, do not forget that you can combine on one object, that is, you can set a high frame rate for important areas, and a low frame rate for other areas.
Frame rate also affects throughput, but for modern codecs, such as H.264, it is less than linear due to intra-frame compression, which reduces the need for frequency range for some scenes that do not change in each frame. So if you increase the frame rate by 10x, the increase in frequency range will be much smaller, 3 or 5 times greater.

Now let's look at some interesting frame rate tests from the authoritative publication IPVM (ipvm.com). This will help you better decide on choosing fps for each individual case.
So, different frame rates will be shown for a walking person, for a running person and for the purpose of detecting a person's face.

Shooting a person at a normal pace

A person walking at a leisurely, normal pace walks a little more than one meter per second, so he crosses the field of view of a video camera 6 meters wide in about 5 seconds. As a person crosses the field of view, we watch his movement frame by frame. At 30 fps and 10 fps, the full step does not go unnoticed. However, at a rate of 1 fps, the person traveled more than one meter between frames, which coincides with the estimated speed of a walking person - just over 1 m/s.

Running man in view

If an object runs, it will cross the 6-meter wide field of view of a video camera in approximately 1.25 seconds, i.e. moves at a speed of almost 5 meters per second. When a person moved while running, at a frequency of 30 fps, every half step was recorded; at a frequency of 10 frames, the person ran approximately 0.3 meters between frames. At a frame rate of 1 frame per second, the object is captured in only one frame, the rest of the path through the field of view was made between frames, and in the second frame only part of the moving object's leg is visible.

Face recognition

Another interesting test for frame rate and face detection of a moving person. Getting a clear image of a moving person's face can be difficult because the head naturally moves from side to side when moving. In an experiment comparing different frame rates, a subject walked down a corridor, moving his head back and forth. At a frame rate of 1 frame per second, only one clear shot was obtained; at a frame rate of 10 frames, there are many more clear shots. At 30 frames there are one or two more clear shots, but this is not a significant improvement.

In 2011, IPVM conducted a survey on the topic “What frame rate do you set for your clients and why” among 80 large integrators. Frame rate statistics that professionals set for their clients when installing video surveillance systems:

As you can see, only 6% of surveyed integrators set a frame rate of more than 20 fps, and 18 percent even set a frame rate of less than 5 fps.

Here are some arguments for each group of installers:

First group (less than 5 fps):

• Increase (recording) time by hard drives;
• Cost of data storage;
• Most customers want to record video with highest frequency frames until you tell them how much storage it will require. At this point we tell them how much it will cost, and then we go back to discussing the frame rate value.

It goes without saying that this group of integrators and their clients are focused on savings. disk space under the video archive.

Second group (6-10 fps):

• The golden mean between image quality and data storage requirements;
• We support 8 fps to ensure smooth video playback;
• 6 to 10 fps is fast enough to obtain adequate detail in fast-paced events.

Third group (11-19 fps):

• Client's requirement;
• The main thing is to get video playback that is close to real time. Sometimes you may miss something that happened at frame rates below 10 fps;
• When placing cameras in the most critical surveillance areas or at a close distance to the object, we use 15 fps.

The fourth group of installers (more than 20 fps):

• Requirements of casinos or settlement nodes;
• Client's requirement.

Updated 11/25/2016

In January 2016, IPVM repeated its survey. Results below:

Over the past 5 years, many changes have occurred in the world of video surveillance - the development of new technologies in analog video surveillance (AHD, HDTVI, HDCVI), new compression algorithms, and most importantly - hard disks with plenty of space for archiving. But, as we see from the survey results, more than 51% of integrators still set the frame rate for clients to 6-10 fps, and 6% of installers still set a frame rate of more than 20 fps. But new changes in the world of video surveillance could not go unnoticed - integrators who install low frequency frames (less than 5 fps) decreased three times and amounted to only 6%. At the same time, the number of balanced groups increased (11-15 fps).

The EKEN H9* action camera has been reviewed and re-reviewed many times. But I got my hands on new modification"S" (H9S).
I was interested to see what version this was...

To begin with, I tried to search the Internet and ask questions to the manufacturer to find out how the H9S version differs from the H9R, in addition to the fact that the H9S is newer. The manufacturer, other than that the difference is small, could not say anything.

Further independent search led to the fact that supposedly this version has a live video broadcast on the Internet, but this possibility is not stated in the H9R version. At least this is the information on the pages of these cameras on the manufacturer’s website.
But, having downloaded the documentation from the same site, it turned out that this feature is supported by more old version H9R.

The Russian-language EKEN website indicates that the H9S has a Panasonic AMN34112 sensor:

And on the product page there is a video where the picture from this version of the camera is clearer, sharper, and brighter and the Panasonic sensor is also indicated, although without specifying the model:

But again, the manufacturer apparently knows nothing about this, or he carefully hides this information. And elsewhere on the product page it is indicated that the matrix is ​​still OmniVision OV4689.

The funny thing is that the Panasonic AMN34112 is just an ordinary IR motion sensor, such as those used in alarms, and of course it is not in the camera:

In general, nothing is clear. You'll have to figure it out yourself.
Let's start over then.

Packaging and equipment.

The packaging in which the camera comes is beautiful and pleasant:

Complete set:

Example scenarios for using fasteners:

The camera itself is very compact:

Here are some more photos of the camera, its controls and connectors:

Battery.


After fully charging, my camera worked in 1080P (30fps) video recording mode for exactly 1.5 hours.
During this time it warmed up slightly, around 40 degrees. It was located statically - without airflow.
When charging, the maximum current I had was 0.8 A. Fast charging no (in the cell, I have it).
A full charge took exactly 2 hours, and the battery filled with 691 mAh. If the energy absorption efficiency of the battery is not 100%, it turns out that its actual capacity is somewhere in the region of 600 mAh.

Management, functionality.
The camera comes with a small instruction manual, although it is in English, it is quite clear.
The camera has a Russian language, I got used to the controls quite quickly, in general, everything there is obvious.

The camera is turned on by holding the front button near the lens.
It turns off in the same way.
When the camera is on, this button switches modes.
At startup, the camera is always in video shooting mode.
Next are the photo modes, serial photo, time lapse (taking photos with long intervals between frames to create accelerated video of slow processes, such as the opening of flower buds, the movement of the starry sky, clouds, etc.), the last mode is settings.
Next to this button there is a blue LED that glows when charging is in progress.

The top button starts/stops shooting, and when in the settings, selects an item/option.
Next to it there is an LED that glows red when the camera is on and blinks when recording video.

Use the up/down side buttons to navigate through the settings.

Outside the settings, the up button turns on the mode for viewing video/photo files from the card.

Outside settings, the down button turns on the dot Wi-Fi access with the name iCam-H9S_XXXXXX (X are numbers, different for each camera instance). By connecting to this point from your smartphone, you can control the camera using the Ez iCam App.
It allows you to see what the camera sees, take photos, videos (works like a Wi-Fi remote control), change settings, view and download already captured material on the card.

Unfortunately, the application only exists for smartphones/tablets.
There is no such thing for PC. For PC only, you can view the current video stream of the camera in VLC player using this link:
rtsp://192.168.1.1/MJPG?W=640&H=360&Q=50&BR=3000000
More precisely, you can do everything from a PC, since the camera provides such an opportunity, but there is no application for a PC and alternative way I did not find.
If anyone knows how to download files from a camera to a computer via Wi-Fi, please write about this in the comments.

Since we are talking about Wi-Fi, it is worth mentioning one more point.
There was a problem with the H9R cameras - a slight whistling sound when shooting video with Wi-Fi turned on.
My H9S doesn't have this problem. No additional noise when turning on Wi-Fi is not added.

Connectors, card.
On the other side of the camera body there are micro HDMI and micro USB, which serves both for charging and for transferring data from the card. There is also a slot for micro SD cards.
It is advisable to use SD cards of at least class 10. At slower ones, some video shooting modes may not be available - the card simply will not be able to record the stream received from the camera.
The camera is smart, when you turn it on, it checks at what speed you can write to the card, and makes modes with a large flow unavailable for selection. For example, I had this on a class 4 card, but on class 6 all modes were already available, but the manufacturer recommends at least class 10.

Remote control.
The camera comes with a radio remote control operating at 2.4 GHz.

It is triggered even by very briefly pressing the buttons, when pressed the corresponding LED lights up:

Despite the fact that the instructions say that the camera should be in the appropriate mode, in fact the remote control easily switches the camera from photo mode to video mode and vice versa. The only thing is that the camera will not switch to photos if it is currently recording video. First you need to stop the video. It also does not switch when you are in the settings.
A short press on the remote control buttons takes a photo/video or starts the processes of serial shooting, time-lapse, if the camera was in these modes.
Long press of the red button (photo) turns off the camera. You can't turn it back on from the remote control.

Video camera modes:
1080P(60fps) (fair)
1080P(30fps) (fair)
4K(25fps) (interpolation)
2.7K(30fps) (fair)
720P(120fps) (fair)

The video is recorded in 10-minute increments into separate files.

Photo camera modes:
I won’t list them, because honestly there are only 4 megapixels. There is no point in choosing higher - it only consumes more memory and loads the processor, and there is no more detail.

Another interesting thing in the settings is exposure correction and firmware/camera version, I have it:
H9S_v4.0
STD_EKIZA
O4D7AX_171210

Also in the settings there is the usual set of options for working with the alarm speaker, imprinting the date, etc.
By the way, about the date, maybe it’s hidden here one of the differences between H9S and H9R, which can be seen with the naked eye.
In the H9R, for many, the date/time is reset when the battery is removed, and only on some firmware, when the battery is changed very quickly, and even then not for everyone, the date/time is saved.
On my H9S, removing the battery for 10 seconds does not reset the date/time or any other settings. I didn’t experiment any further; 10 seconds is more than enough to replace the battery with a freshly charged one.

Another difference is that the H9S can record video while charging, without dancing with a tambourine, as sometimes happened with the H9R.

Photos and videos from the camera.
Since the camera does not have a stabilizer, watching video shot on foot is not at all comfortable, but the quality can be roughly assessed.

Photo:
Day:


Night:

Lens
The camera has a fisheye lens. According to my measurements, the viewing angle is about 140 degrees diagonally.
Well, more precisely, the picture with this angle is obtained; the lens itself can and does correspond to the declared 170 degrees.
If someone is not satisfied with its distortion, on Internet sites you can find lenses without such distortion, but correspondingly less wide-angle. Moreover, you can even select a zoom with focusing for this camera there.
The thread size in this chamber is M12.

Personally, distortions in an action camera don’t bother me, but the fact that the lens is flush with the lens edging leads to the fact that this same lens gets scratched and quickly becomes covered in fingerprints.

To protect the lens, people make lens caps using various caps/bottle caps/vial caps.
I decided to design and 3D print a cover specifically for this camera.
This is what happened:

I don’t have black elastic plastic, so I printed it from the transparent one I had.
With black, of course, it would be prettier, but for now it’s like this:

In addition, I designed a protective hood:


It protects not from glare, but, like the cap, from damage to the lens and reduces the likelihood of getting your fingers on it.
With a lens hood, you can place the camera with the lens facing down without fear of damaging it:

Car recorder, webcam.
The camera can be used as a car recorder, but it is not very convenient. There is no automatic start of recording when external power is supplied, although the camera itself turns on automatically when power is applied, there is no shock sensor, but there is cyclic overwriting of files when the space on the memory card runs out.

This camera can be used as a webcam. To do this, just remove the memory card and when connected to the computer, a new iCatchtek SPCA6350 device will appear, which is a webcam.

Disassembly
The SPCA6350 from the previous paragraph seems to hint that it has a Sunplus 6350 processor inside.
Let's see. And by the way, maybe we’ll still be able to find out what kind of matrix is ​​there, maybe it’s really Panasonic?

I don’t know why thermal pads were stuffed there. It’s not clear to me where and what they took.
Below them are chips, above them is a plastic case, behind which is a battery, which itself is a source of heat.
So I removed them, leaving instead a small air gap in which air would circulate, cooling the chips.

And here is the chipset:


Indeed Sunplus 6350.

But no miracle happened with the photosensitive matrix.
Good old OmniVision OV4689:

Conclusions.
Often these cameras have a discount that reduces the price to $40:


and for the money this is more than a good choice. Moreover, in this version the manufacturer has done work on the errors and problems that existed in previous version H9R.

The product was provided for writing a review by the store. The review was published in accordance with clause 18 of the Site Rules.

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