The IP Camera Store and IP CCTV Blog

The Axis 211 is one of our popular cameras, especially for those who were looking for a simple, cost-effective solution for outdoor monitoring.

It makes us glad then that Axis have developed a megapixel version, the Axis 211M. We’ve had one in for testing so lets take a look at it…

1. Accessories

> Included in the box

The camera comes complete with indoor power supply, generic stand which can be used on a wall, ceiling or desktop, installation guide and CDROM containing installation tools, camera software and user manual. The camera also comes complete with MPEG-4 licenses (1 encoder, 1 decoder), an MPEG-4 decoder (Windows only) and a 3-year manufacturer’s limited hardware warranty.

It also comes in a handy outdoor bundle.

> Additional Equipment Required

No additional equipment is needed for installation but a PoE midspan might be useful if you are considering installing using Power over Ethernet.

2. Installation

> Power

The camera can be powered using the supplied 9VDC power supply which is included in the box. This is plugged into a 240V mains socket as normal.

> PoE Compatible

The camera supports the Power over Ethernet (PoE) IEEE802.2af standard. This means that the camera can be powered through the data cable using a suitable PoE midspan or switch (not included).

> IP Setup Utility

The camera comes complete with a setup utility on the included CD-ROM which will enable you to perform the initial setup of the network information. This is easy to use and works very well and is a good initial starting point for any new user.

> Default Details

Default IP address: 192.168.0.90

The camera has no default username or password. These are initially set when the user logs into the camera for the first time.

> Ease of setup

Setting up the camera to work on your network is a very easy and straightforward. The camera comes with a user-friendly IP setup tool which takes the hassle out of configuration.

Focussing the lens can be somewhat fiddly but the lens supplied with the test model seemed to have a smoother action than most and was relatively quick to focus. A word of caution when configuring a static camera with a DC-Iris: The DC-Iris function is set to be enabled by default and to achieve the best possible focus from the camera this should be disabled while focussing the lens.

Axis also offer a free dynamic DNS service for users who wish to view their cameras from the internet but have a dynamic IP address allocated to them by their ISP. See www.axiscam.net for more information. For more information about Dynamic IP Addresses see our blog post ‘Dynamic DNS, or Do I Really Need a Static IP Address?‘.

> Wireless

The camera does not support wireless networking. To achieve this you would need to purchase an additional device known as a wireless bridge which would in effect give you an ‘aerial’ for your camera.

3. Viewing

> Camera Features

The Axis 211M is a static camera with a progressive scan megapixel CMOS image sensor and lens.

> Viewing Formats

The camera is capable of streaming images simultaneously as JPEG images or in MPEG-4 mode.

This is useful for streaming fast moving video in a web browser while simultaneously transferring high quality JPEG images to a storage device.

Viewing Technology and Compatibility

> Firmware

The camera comes installed with the latest firmware which is version 4.40.

> Technologies

On Internet Explorer the camera gives the following options for video streaming:

• ActiveX
• Java
• Quicktime
• Server Push

Using ActiveX is the best method when viewing through Internet Explorer as you gain all the additional functionality which Axis have embedded into their own plug-in such as full screen mode and joystick support.

On Mozilla browsers the camera gives the following options:

• Java
• Quicktime
• Server Push
• Still Image

> Cross Browser/Platform Compatibility

The camera runs fine across all browsers types although some additional functionality such as, full screen mode and joystick control is only supported using the ActiveX component, Axis Media Control (AMC).
> Supported Resolutions

The camera supports the following resolutions:

• 1280×1024
• 1280×960
• 1280×720 (16:9)
• 1024×768
• 1024×768 (partial scan)
• 1024×576 (16:9)
• 800×600
• 800×600 (partial, full speed)
• 800×450 (16:9)
• 640×480
• 640×480 (partial, full speed)
• 480×360
• 480×270 (16:9)
• 352×288
• 320×240
• 320×180 (16:9)
• 240×180
• 240×135 (16:9)
• 174×144
• 160×120
• 160×90 (16:9)

Partial scan takes the data from the centre region of the sensor and scales it down to present an image at optimal frame rate. What I would guess is that partial scan means interlace and normal resolutions are progressive scan.

> Frame Rate

The camera runs at the following frame-rates:

Motion JPEG:

• up to 12fps at 1280×1024
• up to 20fps at 1024×768 (partial scan)
• up to 30fps at 800×600 (partial scan)

MPEG-4:

• up to 8fps at 1280×1024
• up to 13fps at 1024×768 (partial scan)
• up to 20fps at 800×600 (partial scan)

> Image Sensor/Lens
The camera comes with a DC-Iris CS mount lens. 3.0-8.0mm, F1.0, Horizontal viewing angle: 35°-93°

> Image Quality

Image quality is reasonably good for this megapixel camera. The images appear to be sharp and crisp and it retains a more natural colour than the 211 model as can be seen in the example pictures:

Axis 211 - Daylight

Axis 211M - Daylight

The camera also can display a large 1280×1024 image full screen with live streaming video.

The image on the Axis 211M appears to be very good. It seems to have a better image quality than the Axis 223M as it doesn’t suffer from the same ‘misty’ effect that camera displays.

It does suffer from exposure issues in an environment with bright light conditions, as do all cameras, but this can be helped by appropriate positioning.

> Image Settings

The usual image settings are available for the camera:

• Compression can be set from 0-100.
• Brightness/Contrast can be adjusted 0-100.
• Colour level can be adjusted 0-100.
• Sharpness can be adjusted -2 to 2.
• Various presets to adjust the white balance. Choose from several indoor or outdoor presets or automatic.
• Various settings for exposure.
• The image can be rotated 180degress. Choices are 0 or 180.
• Text such as date/time and logos/messages can be applied to the image.

> Low Light Performance

The camera performs adequately in low light, although it is not a day/night camera so capturing useful images when the light value is very low will prove difficult.

Axis 211M - Twilight

The camera seems to also struggle a bit with focussing in low light. The image appears less sharp with definite blurring than the daylight image although in the twilight example above it is retaining colour quite well.

> Day/Night Function

The camera does not support automatic day/night switching

4. Audio

> Audio Support

The camera supports 2-way audio meaning that you can listen in to sounds where the camera is positioned and also issue orders or instructions to people or intruders in the cameras vicinity. Great for door entry systems or as a deterrent.

Can work as one-way audio with the viewer only listening in on sounds or audio can be turned off completely.

Audio specification: Full/Half duplex (1 or 2-way) Monaural output. Compression: AAC LC8 – 32kbit/s, G.711 PCM 64kbit/s, G.726 ADPCM 32 or 24kbit/s

> Microphone/Speakers

The camera comes with a built-in microphone. An external microphone can be attached using the mic/line input port.

For two-way audio support the camera would require external active speakers which would plug into the line-out port on the back, mono only.

5. Events

> Triggering Methods

• Events can be triggered by:
• Input sensors
• Manual trigger
• Motion detection
• Audio
• On boot

> Image Transfer

The camera can transfer images by email or to an FTP or HTTP server.

> Notification Methods

In the event of an alarm the camera can notify you by Email, HTTP notification, TCP notification and output sensor.

6. Protocol Support

> UPnP

UPnP is supported within the camera and is enabled by default. This helps set up the camera with external access automatically so it can be viewed over the internet without too much configuration.

> Dynamic DNS

As with all Axis cameras, Axis offer a free dynamic DNS service called Axiscam.net. There doesn’t appear to be any support for alternative DDNS services though.

Conclusion

The Axis 211 is a popular camera providing a reasonable cost-effective outdoor solution. The Axis 211M does the same job but with a refined picture quality.

Really, the only difference between the 211 and the 211M is the picture so should someone pay the extra to get the megapixel version? Well, the difference in quality and colour reproduction is quite large and I feel it’s worth spending a little bit more to get. Also not forgetting that the resolution means you can have a nice large image display full screen on your monitor. Something an Axis 211 can only stretch to fit, reducing the quality significantly.

The camera surprisingly also out-performs the Axis 223M too as the image produced is far less misty and it reproduces colours better where the 223M seems to be tainted with orange or blue at times.

I think these cameras will be as popular, if not more so than the Axis 211. The Axis 211 was a popular camera but did benefit from a different lens as the cameras image quality wasn’t great with the supplied lens. The new Axis 211M has refined this with a new image sensor and lens and this places it amongst one of the best megapixel cameras we stock.

Comparable Products

IQeye 701
Max resolution 1280×1024. Max frame rate: 30fps

The IQeye 701 camera offers a similar specification to the Axis 211M. They are both outdoor 1.3 megapixel cameras that support PoE. The only main differences are that the IQeye offers digital PTZ where the Axis 211M doesn’t and that the IQeye can produce faster moving streams at higher resolutions.

| Digg this | Trackback