5MP vs 4K vs 1080P – Which Security Camera Resolution Do You Need?

Getting the best surveillance cameras for your home, apartment, or commercial property is crucial if you want to keep your space safe in more ways than one. These devices can help deter criminals, allow you to monitor people and pets remotely, and even help with insurance and law enforcement. For this reason, there are a lot of crucial factors to consider before purchasing one.

Many property owners consider the brand, price, materials, special features, and many others when shopping for a home security camera. However, one of the most crucial aspects of a camera is its video resolution. This feature often determines how much you can see from the video footage the camera captures.

If you want to get the ideal camera and the best footage possible, you’ll likely encounter four common choices in terms of video resolution: 5MP, 720p, 1080p, and 4K. However, not everyone is familiar with what these confusing numbers mean. 

To make things easy for you, we’ve researched for you, so let’s explore these terms and their implications on the camera you’ll be buying.

5MP vs 720p vs 1080p vs 4K Security Cameras: Differences

When it comes to cameras, most manufacturers produce devices that record with resolutions of 5MP, 720p, 1080p, and 4K. Even if you’re fairly confident in your knowledge of technology, these numbers can still be quite confusing. 

With this, let’s try to break down some important differences between these video resolutions and determine which one is best for your property. Here’s a table highlighting their differences:

	5MP	720p	1080p	4K
Image Resolution	2560 x 1960 Pixels	1280 x 720 Pixels	1920 x 1080 Pixels	3840 x 2160 Pixels
Total Number Of Pixels Per Image	5,017,600 Pixels	921,600 Pixels	2,073,600 Pixels	8,294,400 Pixels
Aspect Ratio	4:3	16:9	16:9	16:9
Storage At H.264	827.55 MB Per Minute At 30fps	152 MB Per Minute At 30fps	342 MB Per Minute At 30fps	1.37 GB Per Minute At 30fps
Also Called	2K	720p Standard HD	2MP, 1080p Full HD	8MP, 2160p

Let’s explore what the terms on the table mean and what they imply for the quality of your security camera.

Pixels And Megapixels

Many tech-savvy individuals are familiar with pixels—these are small squares that make up an image. Like small pieces of a puzzle, they combine smoothly to form a whole, discernible picture. 

The number of pixels generally determines how much detail you can get from the footage. The higher the pixel count, the clearer the image will be. For example, a 1080p camera provides a clearer picture than a 720p camera, especially if you zoom in.

If you zoom in on a 720p video, you may see that some parts of the frame begin to just look like a bunch of squares, so the image becomes blurred or “pixelated,” so you may not be able to see much detail. The fewer pixels the image has, the less information it can store.

The term “megapixel” or “MP” simply refers to one million pixels. This is where 5MP cameras get their name—they contain around 5 million pixels per image. The number before the “MP” refers to how many megapixels each frame contains.

Similarly, 1080p is sometimes referred to as “2MP” because it has over 2,000,000 pixels per image, and 4K videos are also known as “8MP” because they have about 8,000,000 pixels per image.

As a quick recap from the table, we can deduce that 4K videos have the most number of pixels, followed by 5MP, then 1080p, then 720p. 

Image Resolution

Image resolution is related to the number of pixels on an image, but the difference is that it’s expressed as a horizontal x vertical measurement. For example, a 4K picture has an image resolution of 3840 x 2160 because it’s 3,840 pixels wide and 2,160 pixels tall. Multiplying these two values gives us the total number of pixels it contains per frame.

Much like the number of pixels, a high image resolution generally entails clearer and more detailed footage. You’ll see more features with a higher resolution, such as facial details and license plates. For example, if you’re comparing 5MP vs 4K videos, you’ll notice that 4K videos produce crisper images even if you zoom in significantly.

Aspect Ratio

The aspect ratio of a video showcases the relationship between its width and height. It’s expressed in the format of x:y, where x refers to its width and y refers to its height. In the table, we can see that 5MP cameras have an aspect ratio of 4:3, while 720p, 1080p, and 4K cameras have an aspect ratio of 16:9. 

What does the camera’s aspect ratio imply? It affects how the video is displayed on a monitor. A video with a 4:3 aspect ratio would be four units wide and three units high, which results in a mostly square and box-like image. Videos with 16:9 aspect ratios, on the other hand, appear much longer horizontally. The former format is only 33% wider than it is tall, while the latter is 78% wider than it is tall. 

The 4:3 aspect ratio is more common in still photography, and it’s more compatible with many traditional monitors. However, many screens and monitors nowadays are built to display 16:9 aspect ratios, which is why most modern films use this format.

Another implication is that 5MP cameras capture more vertical space than the others, but 720p, 1080p, and 4K cameras show more horizontal space.

Storage

H.264 or Advanced Video Coding (AVC) is the standard format for recording, compressing, displaying, and distributing video content. Typically, the storage space your video consumes is directly related to its resolution and how many pixels it contains. This is because more pixels mean more data, and the resulting file takes up more space in your memory card, cloud, or hard drive.

At the standard video encoding format of H.264, one minute of a 4K video at 30 frames per second takes up 1.37 GB of memory, which is significantly more than other formats. Because of this, 4K videos require way more storage space. It’s ideal if you have a dedicated hard drive for your footage. Although its image quality is much better than the others, it may be impractical and over-the-top if you only want to monitor a small space.

The storage requirements vary for different video compression formats. If, for example, your system supports the more advanced H.265 compression, you’ll be saving significantly more storage in your memory card or hard drive.

Which Security Camera Resolution Should You Choose?

Now that we have already explored many of the differences among the most common video resolutions, it’s time to consider which one is best for your needs. Let’s take a closer look at them.

5MP Cameras: Best For Quality Long-Distance Monitoring

If you need exceptional detail and quality when monitoring small objects over long distances, then 5MP cameras are the ideal option for you. They’re also ideal if you wish to view more vertical space than any other format. 

Cameras with a 5MP resolution typically provide higher-quality footage than 1080p cameras, so they’re best for medium-sized spaces like parking lots, driveways, home entrances, and even large retail stores.

The Amcrest 5MP UltraHD Outdoor Security Camera is an excellent product to buy if you’re looking for a quality 5MP camera. The product boasts a wide, 103° field of view to cover a lot of ground, and it also has night vision that reaches up to 98 feet. It’s also certified to be weather-proof, making it ideal for both indoor and outdoor use.

720p Cameras: Best For Those On A Tight Budget

When it comes to quality comparison, most people would tell you that a 720p camera shouldn’t be your first choice, but if you’re looking for a reliable 720p camera, Night Watch Security Bullet Camera is an excellent option. 720p cameras take up significantly less data storage space, making them reliable for closed rooms and those looking for affordable options. Moreover, it’s more practical if you’re only monitoring a tight space without much need for detailed images, such as a small room.

1080p Cameras: Best All-Around Option For Small Areas

Is 1080p good for a camera? The short answer is yes because it provides enough detail to provide clear pictures even if you zoom in. The ZOSI 1080p Security Camera offers everything you need to look for in a reliable security camera. Simply put, this should be your go-to option if you wish to provide an extra layer of security for your front door, driveway, garage, boutique store, boat, and other small areas. 

4K Cameras: Best For Getting The Highest Quality And Finest Details

The Amcrest UltraHD 4K Security Camera is a top choice for 4K cameras, especially if you wish to oversee a large surveillance area. You’ll also want this camera quality for finer details, especially if your intention is to protect places from thieves and other criminals. It’s best for protecting construction sites, warehouses, and other large facilities.

Other Factors To Consider When Choosing A Security Camera Resolution To Use

Field Of View

Aside from the image quality, it’s also crucial to determine how much the camera captures. The camera’s lens often determines its field of view, and this typically refers to the area that the device records. Usually, this aspect is expressed in degrees.

A security camera with a wider field of view, such as 112°, will cover considerably more ground than one with a 70˚ field of view. Many manufacturers equip 4K video cameras with wide-angle lenses so that they capture a larger area than other devices, which supplements their more detailed footage.

It’s also crucial to note, however, that although wider fields of view capture a wider area, they have their drawbacks as well. Wide-angle lenses tend to produce a fisheye effect, which can distort the proportions of the images. 

Bandwidth

The video bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transferred over time. It determines many aspects of your footage, such as how fast you can transfer it or how fast it loads when you stream it. Similar to storage, a higher video resolution would naturally take up more bandwidth because it contains more information. This means that it will take more time for computers to process this data.

720p videos contain the least amount of pixels (i.e., the least amount of data), so they will load the fastest. Transferring the files will also take the least amount of time.

Device Compatibility

Before buying a security camera for your home, it’s best to consider if you can play the footage on your existing equipment. For homeowners with 5MP monitors or TV sets, you can readily view videos with 5MP, 1080p, and 720p camera resolutions. However, you may not be able to watch 4K videos and will have to purchase a monitor that can handle 4K resolutions. In contrast, most modern monitors and TV screens that can handle 4K resolutions can play all of the formats mentioned above. 

Conclusion

Your safety should be your top priority, no matter the type of property you’re trying to protect. For this reason, investing in a security camera is non-negotiable, but finding one with a good quality resolution can be difficult. Now that you know what to look for, though, it shouldn’t be too difficult! Just remember that storage, image resolution, aspect ratio, and other factors must always be taken into consideration.

If you’re ready to buy the best camera with the resolution that suits your needs, take a look at our top picks:

• 5MP Camera: Amcrest 5MP UltraHD Outdoor Security Camera
• 720p Camera: Night Watch Security Bullet Camera
• 1080p Camera: ZOSI 1080p Security Camera
• 4K Camera: Amcrest UltraHD 4K Security Camera