While a good quality security camera can keep your home safe, poor performing models are nothing more than fancy-looking deterrents. Low quality video, night vision that’s lacking in detail and delayed motion capture are just some of the problems that you’ll experience with these cameras.
While these models may be mostly low cost, they’re not worth your time or money. You’re probably better off sitting by the front window all night long.
There are still plenty of decent options available at affordable price points if you’re shopping on a budget. Check out our test results for the top performing security cameras.
Video resolution vs camera quality: What matters most?
Manufacturers love to advertise video resolutions, like HD and 4K, as though they’re the key indicators of picture quality. A 4K security camera has to look fantastic right? Not exactly.
Camera components play a much more significant role in video quality. An HD camera with a good image processor and well-made lens will look a lot better than a cheaply made model that can record in 4K.
The important components are:
Lens elements: Lenses need good-quality glass for optimum image quality. Cheap glass or plastic looks softer with less detail.
Lens size: Bigger lenses can let more light in, which helps retain quality and detail, especially at night. Smaller lenses usually perform well during the day but may struggle at night.
Image sensor: This is basically the film negative for digital cameras. In this case, it captures light to convert to video that you can watch and record from your camera. Smaller sensors in compact cameras can’t capture as much light, which reduces image quality and detail.
Image processor: The software and hardware responsible for interpreting the light captured by the sensor. A low-powered processor can be slow and inefficient, which causes issues like artefacting (blocky image), compression and ghosting.
Most brands try to compensate for these shortcomings by tweaking or enhancing the video while it’s being processed. Results can be decent, but the software can only do so much with substandard source material.
So don’t be swayed by resolution alone. Check our image quality results to find the true top performing cameras.
Normally, we publish a single image quality score, which is made up of both our daytime and low light assessments. But this time we’re revealing the results of each individual test to show you just how poor some cameras can be in the much less forgiving night time test.
Test results and comments are based on the performance and features that were available at the time of testing. These may have changed via software updates.
Text-only accessible version
Wireless security cameras to avoid
Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Battery – Price (RRP): $179. CHOICE Expert Rating: 61%. Daylight image quality: 50%. Low light image quality: 55%. Ease of use 72%.
Connect SmartHome Smart Wire-Free Full HD Security Camera – Price (RRP): $130. CHOICE Expert Rating: 62%. Daylight image quality: 55%. Low light image quality: 45%. Ease of use 80%.
Swann Xtreem Security Camera Kit – Price (RRP): $270. CHOICE Expert Rating: 62%. Daylight image quality: 55%. Low light image quality: 45%. Ease of use 81%.
Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Battery
CHOICE Expert Rating: 61%
Daylight image quality: 50%
Low light image quality: 55%
Ease of use: 72%
Price (RRP): $179
This camera from Ring is starting to get pretty long in the tooth and you may be quite likely to find it on sale nowadays. The problem, though, is that it was never that good to begin with.
Ironically, it actually performs better at night than in the day, though the quality is still only OK. Daytime performance is borderline, thanks in no small part to video artefacting (blocky image), which is particularly noticeable when motion detection triggers a recording.
Motion detection issues don’t stop there. Sometimes, the camera takes too long to start recording and other times it doesn’t record at all. In fact, it’s only set to record motion detection events some of the time by default.
How does it decide what to capture and what to ignore? Who knows.
(Note. While we acknowledge that Ring has faced security and privacy concerns, CHOICE doesn’t conduct a security assessment in this test. We can’t comment on how these affect/have affected Australian customers and whether Ring has completely resolved issues).
Connect SmartHome Smart Wire-Free Full HD Security Camera
CHOICE Expert Rating: 62%
Daylight image quality: 55%
Low light image quality: 45%
Ease of use: 80%
Price (RRP): $130
Connect SmartHome’s security camera performs about as well as you’d expect for the asking price. Low light image quality is particularly poor, even though it has infrared night vision.
Once the sun sets and the lights go out, picture quality becomes very noisy (grainy) and messy, with very obvious ghosting. This means subjects leave wispy streaks or a trail of pixels as they move about, which can really obscure detail.
Though the camera is very easy to use, its associated app is not at all intuitive to use and is tricky to navigate. It’s especially hard to review and download recordings triggered by the camera’s motion sensors.
Even though it’s cheap, this camera is still not worth the asking price. Image quality is rough and lacking in detail, especially at night.
Humans, animals and other objects turn bright white as they get closer to the camera. Detail is more or less gone once the subject is within four metres of the camera, making it difficult to tell who has been poking around your property without permission.
This is a pretty big problem on its own, but night vision is only limited to five metres overall according to D-Link. In other words, night time image quality only looks good within a small, one metre window. Not exactly ideal.
Calling this camera extreme (or “xtreem”) may be a bit over the top. Swann would be better off with a more honest approach, something along the lines of the “OK to Average Security Camera Kit.”
Daytime picture quality is barely better than borderline while night performance is poor. The big issue here is very noticeable motion blur – not exactly ideal when you want to identify uninvited guests.
Performance isn’t exactly extreme either. The camera is slow to wake from standby, motion detection doesn’t always work and when it does, it’s usually slow to activate.
Peter Zaluzny is a Content producer in the Digital home team. He covers everything from home entertainment and personal safety devices to tech for your car and mattresses.
Peter enjoys cutting through the nonsense to help people understand the products they’re considering to buy. He helps consumers make educated, informed decisions.
Peter has a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wollongong.
Peter Zaluzny is a Content producer in the Digital home team. He covers everything from home entertainment and personal safety devices to tech for your car and mattresses.
Peter enjoys cutting through the nonsense to help people understand the products they’re considering to buy. He helps consumers make educated, informed decisions.
Peter has a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wollongong.
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