Which Camera is right for me
From IPTrains
Image on the left is from a CM-51, on the right from an IP-2061
This video shot with a CM-51.....This video shot with an IP-2061
Contents |
In a nutshell
The IP-2061 for video and the CM 51 for still photos (although both cams will do both) during the day. The IP-2061 is the clear winner for night photos or video. The photo at the left was shot from an IP-2061 illuminated only by the platform lights and signals in the picture. You can see the running lights of an parked locomotive under the signal bridge more than 15 feet away down the line. If you click the picture to enlarge you can make out the headlight of that loco, it is on dim and just barely lit.
The photo on the right is, yup, the moon, also shot with an IP-2061. But we cheated, we have the ditch lights on!
Hard Data
| Camera Comparision | IP-2061 | CM 51 | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max FPS wired (WiFi) | 30 (28) | 25 (22) | Reasonable motion is possible from about 10 FPS up |
| Light Sensitivity (LUX) | 2 | 5 | CM 51 has excellent color saturation, the logo on our sites was taken with a CM 51 |
| Maximum Resolution | 640x320 | 1280x1024 | CM 51 max res on wire or while stopped when using WiFi |
| Software PTZ | Yes | No | IP-2061 has advanced box zoom and soft PTZ. Both cams support browser zoom |
| Multiview Controls | Full | Partial | IP-2061 has full control panel in popup window from Multiview |
| Motion smoothness | Excellent | Very good | The IP-2061 uses less bandwidth while delivering superior motion |
| Color | Good | Outstanding | The CM-51 has brilliant color saturation, excellent for stills from the loco. |
| Best for | Low Light | Color | IP-2061 does very well at night with LED ditchlights, very realistic view from the cab |
Summary
Both cameras have their strong points. The IP-2061 has excellent low light sensitivity and speed while the CM51 will take SXVGA sized videos and pictures with outstanding color saturation. The IP-2061 will give you smoother video from the cab in most instances but in good light the CM-51 provides excellent video as well. The IP-2061 does tend to wash out a bit in bright sunlight and recovers its white balance more slowly than the CM-51
Overall we believe that given it's feature set and speed that the IP-2061 is the right base camera for most on board use therefor we include it as the base camera in the DVRAC. However, if color photography is important to you then consider using the CM-51, it has outstanding color. Look at our logo in the upper left of this page, that shot was taken with a CM-51 and yes, our sky really is that blue. Our trackside and security products include an IP-2061 as the base camera because of its excellent low light performance, it is a genuine 2 Lux camera. An IPTrains Trainvision web server will accommodate both cams, at once. We normally equip our in house locos with both cameras, one to run (the train with) and one for fun (photos).
Making the choice
One final note, if your primary use for an on board video system is taking pictures and movies (a camera on rails), then the CM-51 is definitely the right choice. However, if like us, your primary use for an on board camera is operating your trains remotely and using the video to actually see where you're going, read signals and in general, drive the train remotely (totally outside of eyeshot) then the IP-2061 is the right choice. We operate our trains here with a fully remoted radio system (controllers inside, coax and amps feeding outside antennas above the layout) in a room on the far side of the house from the railroad and we operate at night a lot as well. We only go outside for construction and maintenance activities (esp. in the summer, it's hot here in AZ in the summer). We normally use the IP-2061 as the forward facing camera for this reason. It just gives us a more usable view of what is going on from the engine. But when we take pictures we normally snap them with a CM-51 because of the qualities mentioned above.
Video Intangibles
If this idea of remote operation sounds strange to you I suggest that you give it a try. You get an entirely different perspective (pun fully intended) on your railroad, in my opinion a much more realistic one, when your sight lines are limited to those that the train crew has. The Hereford and Northern is not a monster railroad, it has two two main loops of about 250 feet each and another 150 foot or so of side tracks, yards and branches. However, when you give up the 'airplane view' in favor of the cab view it becomes huge, esp. when operated at realistic speeds. There are downsides, even with multiple video windows open it is a task to keep more than two trains in active operation at any given time but these are more than compensated for by the realism. And you haven't lived until you've ridden a locomotive down off a high grade during a major derailment while 'sitting' in the cab. It's the frogs (the real ones, not the RR ones), they get zapped across the 24 VDC and dry out until they are nothing but derailments waiting to happen, esp. on the mountain division. We brake for frogs...
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