Hey everyone, we made an error in the edit and skipped #7!! It's the AI Bullet.. Bullet's have traditionally been in the $129-200 price range and @ $399 we feel like this is overpriced. It's nice to have the AI detections for license plates and if u need them, this is a good choice, but it priced itself out of our top 5! I might have even put it below 7 but it is the latest, greatest bullet so that's where it ended up.. Sorry about that, we will do a YT Short with the top 6 so you can hear my comments...
One thing to consider for more extreme climates is the G4 PRO. It is the only camera in the Ubiquiti line with an IPX7 (submergable) rating. I have tested G4 pro's tried and true in the Canada's far north (Yukon) up to -44C and they are rock solid. Because the G4 pro's "heat up" a bit, the lens remains fog free regardless of conditions. If you have exposed cameras in Canada or other extreme cold regions, or conversely heavy rains/storms, or a boat/ship mounted camera setup definitely go with the G4 pro without question.
Amazing review, just wanted to suggest using the HQ view in the browser in order to have a better understanding of the quality of the video, with less compression artifacts and better bandwidth.
Thanks for taking the time to do this. Very thorough and detailed. In the future, you may wish to consider testing with moving subjects, as static tests are unrealistic in the real world. As much as I like the Unifi cameras, they tend to run some very slow shutter speeds. This tends to blurred (read: near useless) images at night, even when there is good lighting. Regrettably, there is no way to manually force it to a minimum shutter speed.
Very nice comparison. As a new Ubiquiti user, i am building a homelab with a UDM SE, eventually an aggregation SFP+ switch, a 24 port POE Switch, multiple cameras and AP's. Hopefully i can become well versed with the lineup of hardware Ubiquiti offers.
Can't find the G4 PTZ, but honestly it's super hard skimming the video to know what camera is being talked about. Maybe I just missed it because you did say you covered every camera. Would be nice to have the video tagged with each camera in the timeline.
Great comparison, though it's a bit of a shame that the quality on all cameras was set to "Auto", leading to quality differences between streams, so the comparison isn't that accurate.
Clay, thank you for being so thorough in your material. You provide 10x the information that Ubiquiti does. Can you please explain the difference between the AI Pro and AI bullet options? thanks
I agree with your opinion on the AI theta being of a new build/niche case scenario. My opinion on hiding the box portion would be, if I was planning to build it in I would just install an access panel and attach the camera to the access panel so it wouldn't look obtrusive. As far as flush mounting the camera then yeah, you would have the same problem you described. This is the same issue I'm going through with the G4 Pro doorbell. I have to have a spot to hide the POE to USB adapter. I'm thinking of retroactively installing a gang box in the wall.
@@DPCTechnology since the theta doesn't use a standard USB-C cable and ubiquiti doesn't sell an extension cable per say (I suppose a normal USB-C F to M might work if you use have the unifi cable at the cam end) I agree they have really limited the use of this model but designers love them. We have been sly and mounting the hubs in the wall behind crestron or ipad touch panels and mounting these above in the same stud bay which gives us access. To reboot them you need to power down the POE port for 5 minutes at least (10 is better) without doing a truck roll. I believe (I may be wrong) there was a recent update to their firmware. We use 100's of the AI and AI Pro because they are grey/black more than any other reason for high end residential homes which tend right now to have black trim outdoors. Great review - thank you !
I know in the settings on some of these Cameras they offer a higher frame rate mode. In your opinion does that seem to lower the video quality/clarity? I really wish Ubiquiti would allow for higher than 10Mbps for 4K video. and I feel like 30FPS at 4K really needs quite a bit more than 10Mbps for a truly 4K image. When nothing is moving I am sure it is probably good enough, but when there is a car going by or something in fast motion does it loose detail on the higher frame rate mode? Like with the AI and AI Pro for example, does it have a harder time detecting license plates and getting finer details due to try to push higher frame rate on such a low bitrate? Or if you go to one of the 4K cameras and turn it down even lower to say 20FPS, does the image look shaprer?
I leave them at stock settings now. They are really pretty accurate and dont "jitter" The only time I have playback issues is in the stream. But if that is iffy, you just dl the file and it's rock solid. Obviously there is a lot you can adjust with image quality, frame rate, etc. but if I dont have an issue i just let it ride, and I rarely have an issue.
Thank you for taking the time to test all this cams, really appreciated it! Do you think the hard reset on the AI Theta and AI Theta Pro can be done by SSH instead of the manual reset?? You are still right when you say that you will still need attic access for the AI Theta Hub, fully agree with it. Cheers Marco
Not sure about the ssh but can test. I just reset POE on the switch. Both broken units were flakey before they broke, needed the lens detached from hub and reset. The USB cable is proprietary too so I can't just use any cable.. a lot of potential but they are definitely finiky at this point.
Thank you for putting in the work on this@@DPCTechnology , very helpful. Another thing I am thinking about re:theta is the max operating temperature.. for something installed outside of HVAC I am wary -
Great content! Would you be willing to do a compare contrast of just the 360 degree offerings? My use case is a little different than usual - we provide residential supports (trained-staffed group homes) for people with profound intellectual disabilities. Our typical use would be a post-game review of an injury or behavioral incident to try to determine the trigger event. The ability to record (and later review) the entire room, even if you could only monitor part of the image (landscaped de-warped) at any given time, is a game changer for post-incident analysis. Audio is an important consideration as well, but the distance scope is residential with no throw farther than about 15 feet. I'm particularly interested in whether the less discrete AI 360 represents a quality step up from the more discrete 2 piece AI Theta 390 Pro.
It's a great video idea.. I would chose the mounting option that works best for you. I have not tested the audio accessory for the thetas.. I will put it in the queue for a video comparison..
I am certified for avigilon, openeye, and turning, and am getting certified for genetec. What is impressive to me is the fact that every other LPR camera (License plate reader) that I know of costs over 1k. Genetec's AutoViews are around 5k. Selling a camera that does LPR for 500 is astonishingly cheap. While I wonder about accuracy and product longevity, it is still quite a good price. I've playing around with 10k axis PTZs and while the zoom and focus are far faster and the tracking is smoother, 2k vs 10k is what I would call a diminishing return. Again, I wonder about product longevity. If the unifi can last 10yrs, the lower price wins: good enough quality at a great price compared to the alternatives. And the fact that unifi doesn't charge a subscription like nearly every commercial brand does now, makes it a great option for residential who want decent quality.
My G4PTZ is 3.5 yesrs old and is holding up well. The Pro line of cameras will certainly make it to those kinda of ages. They lower lines are plastic and have a shorter lifespan but they are cheaper and have less technology and would probably warrant a replacement as technology moves on anyway. Thank you for the thorough perspective and post!
I have some older ip non protect cameras. The microphones on the non protect cameras are so much better. Ie can hear conversations much further away. Still keeping them because of that feature
I am seeing some reviews and comments that the build quality of the G5 Pro is not as good as G4 Pro -- some metal components were swapped out for plastic, the onboard NIC is only FE (100 Mbps), not GbE, etc. Do you have any comment on whether these factors actually matter in terms real-world performance?
That is all true and I seen no practical difference. The g3's and G4 pros were built out of metal and they are super tough but the G5 is going to be fine. If you're trying to look for something that's going to last in the an extreme environment for a long time, the G4s may have a sliight advantage.
If you want to see license plates, the AI Pro is the way to go if you want the best optical night vision. I think the G5 Pro with image enhancer is the best.
Umm you mentioned a lot of good things about G4 PTZ, but why did you rank it at #9? Is it because of the price point relative to the competitors in thr msrket? Or Is it because PTZ is less popular for most installations you have seen?
I am planning to install a Theta 360 pro in a recessed mount within a brick wall facing the street. It will be covered by a porch. This video is making me think twice about making a very permanent hole in the brick wall since the Thetas are a bit flakey. What are your opinions on this use case?
I really wished you would have reviewed the AI DSLR. There still isn't a single video review out yet, at least I could find. I want to deploy it as a LPR camera but not sure if it will work without a review
I ALMOST did, but $2500 each for 2 units (wide and zoom) was more than I could justify. There is a reason nobody (even Ubiqiti Affiliates) is reviewing them..
@@DPCTechnology completely understandable. It is odd that Ubiquiti isn't even sending out review units to people such as yourself or LTT. I wonder if it's a paper launch, always sold out but don't know a single person that actually has one
@@DPCTechnology Thanks. I can find some comparisons, but nothing that lists every cameras across the board. I found your channel from the UI Official FB group. Good stuff.
We live in the countryof WA and have just bought a dream machine pro and now trying to work out the best cameras. The cameras will be use on our sheds external & internal. We do have WIFI in both large sheds. As you can image we do not have much lightning as we are totally off grid. Any suggestions on what might be best
@@DPCTechnology sorry WA Western Australia. Would you be able to tell me why you think this would be better than the AI pro bullet. We need to buy a few and i want to get it right.
@@DPCTechnology The other problem you might be able to advise me on. As i stated before we are totally off grind. We have a dream machine pro in the house which will work well with the g5 pro but our shed are a long way away from the house. We do have WiFi in each sheds using Ubiquiti Networks U6 Plus UniFi PoE Compact Wi-Fi 6 Access Point. How can we use the G5 pro in the sheds without (which is impossible) running wire to the house?
The AI Pro sensor is NOT bigger. You can query the hardware from the cameras themselves and this is what they report: G4 Pro: OS08A20 G5 Pro: OS08A10 AI Bullet: OS05A10 AI Pro: IMX678 The sensor size of each of the pros is identical.
Ubiquiti website tech specs say AI Pro is using 1/1.8" 8MP sensor with lens F 4.1-12.3 mm; ƒ/1.53 -ƒ/3.3 and the G5 pro 1/2" 8MP sensor with lens F 4.1 - 12.3 mm; f/1.53 - f/3.3
probably all use the crap IR magnetic filter, or they go colorblind .so many i have deployed and they dont last longer than the warranty, huge fall from grace UBNT
@@changeagent228 no there isn't. I still have original g3 domes and bullet IR filters working fine. They clearly changed design and went to a less reliable filter when they standardised the poe injection. Completly appalled at the current state Ubnt gear. Have had switches, doorbells, unvr's and even dream wall arrive DOA. They aren't exactly a cheap option either
@@changeagent228 look at the other contenders dahua. Hikvision. The gui isn't as good as ubnt but you far more choices for cameras. Even ptz for the of a g4 pro
Hey everyone, we made an error in the edit and skipped #7!! It's the AI Bullet.. Bullet's have traditionally been in the $129-200 price range and @ $399 we feel like this is overpriced. It's nice to have the AI detections for license plates and if u need them, this is a good choice, but it priced itself out of our top 5! I might have even put it below 7 but it is the latest, greatest bullet so that's where it ended up.. Sorry about that, we will do a YT Short with the top 6 so you can hear my comments...
As a regular installer of these cameras this comparison is invaluable. Thanks so much for the time and detail!
Thanks for the kind feedback! I'm glad it helped
One thing to consider for more extreme climates is the G4 PRO. It is the only camera in the Ubiquiti line with an IPX7 (submergable) rating. I have tested G4 pro's tried and true in the Canada's far north (Yukon) up to -44C and they are rock solid. Because the G4 pro's "heat up" a bit, the lens remains fog free regardless of conditions. If you have exposed cameras in Canada or other extreme cold regions, or conversely heavy rains/storms, or a boat/ship mounted camera setup definitely go with the G4 pro without question.
Amazing review, just wanted to suggest using the HQ view in the browser in order to have a better understanding of the quality of the video, with less compression artifacts and better bandwidth.
Thanks for the feedback!
Since your last comparison j have been waiting for this video! We have held off since this dropped. Thanks!!!
Glad it could be of help!
Thanks for taking the time to do this. Very thorough and detailed. In the future, you may wish to consider testing with moving subjects, as static tests are unrealistic in the real world. As much as I like the Unifi cameras, they tend to run some very slow shutter speeds. This tends to blurred (read: near useless) images at night, even when there is good lighting. Regrettably, there is no way to manually force it to a minimum shutter speed.
Very nice comparison. As a new Ubiquiti user, i am building a homelab with a UDM SE, eventually an aggregation SFP+ switch, a 24 port POE Switch, multiple cameras and AP's. Hopefully i can become well versed with the lineup of hardware Ubiquiti offers.
There are a lot of good YT channels out there to learn. Check out @mactelecom, Cody does a really nice job of putting out the latest Unifi info...
Need to put in HQ when viewing, cameras all look very similar and very compressed.
Can we all appreciate his taskbar? Amazing.
LMAO
waiting for the industrial G5 PTZ Ai pro version
@@xtelit9764 would be cool!!
Can't find the G4 PTZ, but honestly it's super hard skimming the video to know what camera is being talked about. Maybe I just missed it because you did say you covered every camera. Would be nice to have the video tagged with each camera in the timeline.
Great comparison, though it's a bit of a shame that the quality on all cameras was set to "Auto", leading to quality differences between streams, so the comparison isn't that accurate.
Clay, thank you for being so thorough in your material. You provide 10x the information that Ubiquiti does. Can you please explain the difference between the AI Pro and AI bullet options? thanks
The pro is 8MP vs 5mp, it also has 3x optical zoom. It also has more IR range. The AI is my go to between the two.
@@DPCTechnology I don't follow, which AI is your go to? Thanks
@@paulsomero The AI Pro
I agree with your opinion on the AI theta being of a new build/niche case scenario. My opinion on hiding the box portion would be, if I was planning to build it in I would just install an access panel and attach the camera to the access panel so it wouldn't look obtrusive. As far as flush mounting the camera then yeah, you would have the same problem you described. This is the same issue I'm going through with the G4 Pro doorbell. I have to have a spot to hide the POE to USB adapter. I'm thinking of retroactively installing a gang box in the wall.
I'm sure it will evolve too. They will build more accessories if they keep developing the platform.
@@DPCTechnology since the theta doesn't use a standard USB-C cable and ubiquiti doesn't sell an extension cable per say (I suppose a normal USB-C F to M might work if you use have the unifi cable at the cam end) I agree they have really limited the use of this model but designers love them. We have been sly and mounting the hubs in the wall behind crestron or ipad touch panels and mounting these above in the same stud bay which gives us access. To reboot them you need to power down the POE port for 5 minutes at least (10 is better) without doing a truck roll. I believe (I may be wrong) there was a recent update to their firmware. We use 100's of the AI and AI Pro because they are grey/black more than any other reason for high end residential homes which tend right now to have black trim outdoors. Great review - thank you !
Awesome video. Thanks for the comparison of the entire line up
Would love an outdoor rated Ai Theta so I can put it in my front fence.
My current cameras are a bit too obvious.
Yeah, it performed way better than I thought outdoors. I think the USB cable is the weak link..
This is incredible content just what I was looking for to buy some new cameras before the new year starts
Thanks for the kind feedback, I'm glad it helped!
I know in the settings on some of these Cameras they offer a higher frame rate mode. In your opinion does that seem to lower the video quality/clarity? I really wish Ubiquiti would allow for higher than 10Mbps for 4K video. and I feel like 30FPS at 4K really needs quite a bit more than 10Mbps for a truly 4K image. When nothing is moving I am sure it is probably good enough, but when there is a car going by or something in fast motion does it loose detail on the higher frame rate mode? Like with the AI and AI Pro for example, does it have a harder time detecting license plates and getting finer details due to try to push higher frame rate on such a low bitrate? Or if you go to one of the 4K cameras and turn it down even lower to say 20FPS, does the image look shaprer?
I leave them at stock settings now. They are really pretty accurate and dont "jitter" The only time I have playback issues is in the stream. But if that is iffy, you just dl the file and it's rock solid. Obviously there is a lot you can adjust with image quality, frame rate, etc. but if I dont have an issue i just let it ride, and I rarely have an issue.
I have three G4 Pro's and love them. Looking into maybe getting the G5 Pro's to add on. That is why I am here.
If u need license plate or facial recognition the AIPro might be good too. I mix and match all 3!
Thank you for taking the time to test all this cams, really appreciated it! Do you think the hard reset on the AI Theta and AI Theta Pro can be done by SSH instead of the manual reset??
You are still right when you say that you will still need attic access for the AI Theta Hub, fully agree with it. Cheers
Marco
Not sure about the ssh but can test. I just reset POE on the switch. Both broken units were flakey before they broke, needed the lens detached from hub and reset. The USB cable is proprietary too so I can't just use any cable.. a lot of potential but they are definitely finiky at this point.
Thank you for putting in the work on this@@DPCTechnology , very helpful. Another thing I am thinking about re:theta is the max operating temperature.. for something installed outside of HVAC I am wary -
Yeah, it is delicate for sure.. @@ArniSumarlidason
The link to the comparison article is gone. I could not find it on your website. Can u add it back or send a link? Thx
I just wanted to see the DSLR Camera compared to the G4 PTZ :(
Great content!
Would you be willing to do a compare contrast of just the 360 degree offerings? My use case is a little different than usual - we provide residential supports (trained-staffed group homes) for people with profound intellectual disabilities. Our typical use would be a post-game review of an injury or behavioral incident to try to determine the trigger event. The ability to record (and later review) the entire room, even if you could only monitor part of the image (landscaped de-warped) at any given time, is a game changer for post-incident analysis. Audio is an important consideration as well, but the distance scope is residential with no throw farther than about 15 feet.
I'm particularly interested in whether the less discrete AI 360 represents a quality step up from the more discrete 2 piece AI Theta 390 Pro.
It's a great video idea.. I would chose the mounting option that works best for you. I have not tested the audio accessory for the thetas.. I will put it in the queue for a video comparison..
Hi! Great Video! I cant find the link for the blog post with all features compared you mention at the beginning of the video. Can u hand it out to me?
Is there any blog post in the end?
@@fededepro sorry, forgot to post, I will..
@@DPCTechnology ok! No prob. Anyway GREAT video!
I would like to see this blog post as well, please.
A blog post would be great. Thanks for the video. Well done!
Perfect timing
I love it!
Big thanks for this great comparison / demo
Thanks for the nice feedback!
I am certified for avigilon, openeye, and turning, and am getting certified for genetec. What is impressive to me is the fact that every other LPR camera (License plate reader) that I know of costs over 1k. Genetec's AutoViews are around 5k. Selling a camera that does LPR for 500 is astonishingly cheap. While I wonder about accuracy and product longevity, it is still quite a good price.
I've playing around with 10k axis PTZs and while the zoom and focus are far faster and the tracking is smoother, 2k vs 10k is what I would call a diminishing return. Again, I wonder about product longevity. If the unifi can last 10yrs, the lower price wins: good enough quality at a great price compared to the alternatives. And the fact that unifi doesn't charge a subscription like nearly every commercial brand does now, makes it a great option for residential who want decent quality.
My G4PTZ is 3.5 yesrs old and is holding up well. The Pro line of cameras will certainly make it to those kinda of ages. They lower lines are plastic and have a shorter lifespan but they are cheaper and have less technology and would probably warrant a replacement as technology moves on anyway. Thank you for the thorough perspective and post!
A succesor or update for the g4 ptz with the AI license plate recognition would be a dream.
It's in the pipeline
I have some older ip non protect cameras. The microphones on the non protect cameras are so much better. Ie can hear conversations much further away. Still keeping them because of that feature
Amazing, thank you 👍
Thanks for the kind feedback!
I am seeing some reviews and comments that the build quality of the G5 Pro is not as good as G4 Pro -- some metal components were swapped out for plastic, the onboard NIC is only FE (100 Mbps), not GbE, etc. Do you have any comment on whether these factors actually matter in terms real-world performance?
That is all true and I seen no practical difference. The g3's and G4 pros were built out of metal and they are super tough but the G5 is going to be fine. If you're trying to look for something that's going to last in the an extreme environment for a long time, the G4s may have a sliight advantage.
What is the best camera for night vision. I have G4 Pros and i find licence plates and faces are not really recognisable.
If you want to see license plates, the AI Pro is the way to go if you want the best optical night vision. I think the G5 Pro with image enhancer is the best.
Umm you mentioned a lot of good things about G4 PTZ, but why did you rank it at #9? Is it because of the price point relative to the competitors in thr msrket? Or Is it because PTZ is less popular for most installations you have seen?
I think for my time lapse project I'll probably get a G5 pro
Good choice
I am planning to install a Theta 360 pro in a recessed mount within a brick wall facing the street. It will be covered by a porch. This video is making me think twice about making a very permanent hole in the brick wall since the Thetas are a bit flakey. What are your opinions on this use case?
Just give urself access on the interior. The lens has been robust, the hub, not so much
I really wished you would have reviewed the AI DSLR. There still isn't a single video review out yet, at least I could find. I want to deploy it as a LPR camera but not sure if it will work without a review
I ALMOST did, but $2500 each for 2 units (wide and zoom) was more than I could justify. There is a reason nobody (even Ubiqiti Affiliates) is reviewing them..
@@DPCTechnology completely understandable. It is odd that Ubiquiti isn't even sending out review units to people such as yourself or LTT. I wonder if it's a paper launch, always sold out but don't know a single person that actually has one
@@Porsche7905 Yeah they are typically sold out. I have an alert for them on the discord server and they are available now though.. LOL
@@DPCTechnology it would have been nice to throw in the doorbells and the access reader as they also have cameras too ;-)
@@weldchipyeah but i think that's another video, and i was already concerned with it being an hour long..
Do you have a google sheet with all the specs lined up that we can filter and sort on?
It's a great idea. I'll build one and I'll let you know
@@DPCTechnology Thanks. I can find some comparisons, but nothing that lists every cameras across the board. I found your channel from the UI Official FB group. Good stuff.
@@liutang Thanks man!
Do any of these cameras work with a focus range of 1-3 feet? Looking for something to monitor a device inside.
I've been getting this question a bit. On my testing this week i will let you know...
How does the AI PRO compare to the much cheaper Hikvision ColorVu range?
It's more expensive 😂🤣😂
the MS Teams notification sound at 52:30 had ME checking my MS Teams for new notifications! lol
I know I always forget to mute that!!!!
We live in the countryof WA and have just bought a dream machine pro and now trying to work out the best cameras. The cameras will be use on our sheds external & internal. We do have WIFI in both large sheds. As you can image we do not have much lightning as we are totally off grid. Any suggestions on what might be best
Probably G5 Pro with image enhancer..
@@DPCTechnology sorry WA Western Australia. Would you be able to tell me why you think this would be better than the AI pro bullet. We need to buy a few and i want to get it right.
@@DPCTechnology The other problem you might be able to advise me on. As i stated before we are totally off grind. We have a dream machine pro in the house which will work well with the g5 pro but our shed are a long way away from the house. We do have WiFi in each sheds using Ubiquiti Networks U6 Plus UniFi PoE Compact Wi-Fi 6 Access Point. How can we use the G5 pro in the sheds without (which is impossible) running wire to the house?
This helped thanks
Glad u liked it!
I sure wish I was able to grab a couple more G3 Instants when they were $29! They work great for inside my house.
They are great for areas with no Cat6. and at $29 they are a NO BRAINER!
please just timestamp each camera in each section...
Will do
@@DPCTechnology thanks
Thank you
You are welcome!
They need to allow 36 cameras on a screen
I'd love that 😍😍
1
The AI Pro sensor is NOT bigger. You can query the hardware from the cameras themselves and this is what they report:
G4 Pro: OS08A20
G5 Pro: OS08A10
AI Bullet: OS05A10
AI Pro: IMX678
The sensor size of each of the pros is identical.
Ubiquiti website tech specs say AI Pro is using 1/1.8" 8MP sensor with lens F 4.1-12.3 mm; ƒ/1.53 -ƒ/3.3 and the G5 pro 1/2" 8MP sensor with lens F 4.1 - 12.3 mm; f/1.53 - f/3.3
Am I blind, where's the blog post?
I can't find it either.
probably all use the crap IR magnetic filter, or they go colorblind .so many i have deployed and they dont last longer than the warranty, huge fall from grace UBNT
Thanks for your insights. So is there a superior brand that use better IR filters for long term?
@@changeagent228 no there isn't. I still have original g3 domes and bullet IR filters working fine. They clearly changed design and went to a less reliable filter when they standardised the poe injection. Completly appalled at the current state Ubnt gear. Have had switches, doorbells, unvr's and even dream wall arrive DOA. They aren't exactly a cheap option either
@@thecookeman Thanks that's a shame. I'm at a loss of what to do then I need to get a system bought and setup. What would you recommend?
@@changeagent228 look at the other contenders dahua. Hikvision. The gui isn't as good as ubnt but you far more choices for cameras. Even ptz for the of a g4 pro