Vivotek IP7161

Vivotek has a history of producing tough IP cameras at reasonable prices, and it's latest - the Vivotek IP7161 - does little to damage this reputation. It costs £409 and boasts a list of specifications that look very enticing indeed.

A 1/3.2in CMOS sensor and 1,600 x 1,200 native resolution outstrip that of our current favourite, the Axis P3301, and a light sensitivity rating of 0.8Lux also compares favourably. The Axis made do with a 1/4in sensor and 640 x 480 resolution and 1Lux of low light sensitivity. There's also support for power over Ethernet (PoE).

Image quality is impressive at both maximum resolution and at 800 x 600. Colours were well reproduced and sound recording from the onboard microphone, while tinny, was perfectly serviceable.

It isn't quite as impressive as it first looks - at 1,600 x 1,200, the frame rate is limited to 10fps - but 800 x 600 at 30fps is still excellent and beats the best many rivals have to offer. The Vantage VIPC1431EP boasts 720 x 576, for instance, while the Axis boasts 640 x 480 at the same frame rate.

But it isn't perfect. Although it feels tough and well-built, it isn't rated for outdoor use and it records to MJPEG and MPEG4, which isn't as kind to your network bandwidth as H.264. On both counts the Axis beats it, and also bests it in other areas. The IP7161 offers a horizontal viewing angle of between 37.1 degrees and 77.6 degrees, where the Axis stretches between 27 degrees and 100 degrees.

Its night vision mode is nothing to write home about either. We tested it in a sealed room and found that, at a measured ambient light level of 20Lux, footage was usable. At 10Lux, however, we found that the IP7161 struggled to pickup up anything of practical use.

So, while its daylight image quality is good and it has a decent range of features, this Vivotek isn't about to make it onto our A List. The Axis P3301 remains our favourite IP camera, and although it's £30 more expensive, its image quality, outdoor ruggedness and broad range of features means it's worth the extra cash.

Author: Mike Jennings