Vantrue E1 Pro testing and comparisons with VIOFO A229 Pro

[Hack_man]

I think you need to adjust the lens angle on both models the same.

Changing the exposure when changing the shooting angle.

That video perfectly demonstrates your point. When there was more skyline, the sky was a deeper and more realistic blue but became more washed out when the lens was focused more on the ground. A 50% ground/sky Horizon showed an overexposed (washed out blue) sky. It's a tradeoff between horizon location and exposure.

 

[Hack_man]

You may have received a test sample without a CPL filter, but it is listed as part of the package on the Vantrue website. I received the E1 Pro with a CPL filter.

My test sample did not contain the CPL filter or the cable clip. The user manual that came with my sample showed the CPL filter under "optional accessories" but the cable clip was listed under "what's in the box".

 

[Karagandinez]

My test sample did not contain the CPL filter or the cable clip. The user manual that came with my sample showed the CPL filter under "optional accessories" but the cable clip was listed as "what's in the box".

You have a pre-production sample. It may not even have a serial number.

 

[Karagandinez]

That video perfectly demonstrates your point. When there was more skyline, the sky was a deeper and more realistic blue but became more washed out when the lens was focused more on the ground. A 50% ground/sky Horizon showed an overexposed (washed out blue) sky. It's a tradeoff between horizon location and exposure.

It is advisable to set the horizon angle the same on both models so that the exposure is the same.

 

[Hack_man]

It is advisable to set the horizon angle the same on both models so that the exposure is the same.

I made a rookie mistake and deserve to be flogged mercilessly

 

[TonyM]

For the purpose of your original test - does the E1 Pro have a wider FOV than the A229 Pro - I don't think it makes a big difference if one camera is aimed a bit higher than the other, although there will be some distortion at the edges. I think you showed they are close enough not to worry about such small effects.

If you are comparing exposure then it is advisable to set both at the same angle.

 

[Karagandinez]

I made a rookie mistake and deserve to be flogged mercilessly

I am not a newbie, but I also made a mistake.
I forgot to set the same resolution on all models.



Viofo is installed near the rearview mirror.
E1 Pro installed on the dashboard.

 

[Hack_man]

For the purpose of your original test - does the E1 Pro have a wider FOV than the A229 Pro - I don't think it makes a big difference if one camera is aimed a bit higher than the other, although there will be some distortion at the edges. I think you showed they are close enough not to worry about such small effects.

If you are comparing exposure then it is advisable to set both at the same angle.

My original test in Post #8 was intended to demonstrate difference in FOV (as you indicated).

The specifications for FOV are:

E1 Pro 158°
A229 Pro 140°

I agree, aiming the lens higher or lower a bit would not make a meaningful difference for FOV except it's best to keep setup variables to a minimum as a matter of good practice.
I would have expected to see a noticeable difference (in FOV) since the E1 Pro advertises 18% higher performance. I haven't quantified it yet but just eyeballing video they don't look that different.

The exposure issue I think comes into play more in Post #17 where I try to read license plates with two significantly different lens angles as @Karagandinez and you point out.

 

[Hack_man]

I am not a newbie, but I also made a mistake.
I forgot to set the same resolution on all models.

View attachment 77927 View attachment 77928 View attachment 77929

Viofo is installed near the rearview mirror.
E1 Pro installed on the dashboard.

What is the resolution set to for the A229 Pro? I am guessing 2K. I see 4K displayed in the A329 image. E1 Pro looks like 4K.
How did you mount the E1 Pro on dashboard? Sticky stuff? The way I mounted mine on the windshield its hard to avoid being obstructed by the nearby A229 Pro.

I have not used the PlatePix feature yet. I assume it's intended to be used to enhance plate readability at night since it's enabled using a timer similar to HDR.

 

[Nigel]

I would have expected to see a noticeable difference (in FOV) since the E1 Pro advertises 18% higher performance. I haven't quantified it yet but just eyeballing video they don't look that different.

Looking at your post #8 images, the centre pane of the window is 1% wider on the Viofo, the left pane is 2.2% wider, which is a pretty insignificant difference, but the Viofo does have the wider field of view, and less fisheye distortion.

Certainly not 18% difference, and the wider is actually the narrower!

As I said in post #4:

In general, you should not believe the viewing angles given in the specifications!

They are probably very similar, or maybe one is 2% wider than the other

Wider field of view does not actually mean higher performance, it means less pixels per license plate, thus quite likely less plate reading performance.

 

[Hack_man]

Looking at your post #8 images, the centre pane of the window is 1% wider on the Viofo, the left pane is 2.2% wider, which is a pretty insignificant difference, but the Viofo does have the wider field of view, and less fisheye distortion.

Yes but the Viofo is spec'd at 140° vs Vantrue = 158° so I have to agree with your statement "In general, you should not believe the viewing angles given in the specifications!"

Certainly not 18% difference, and the wider is actually the narrower!

As I said in post #4:

Wider field of view does not actually mean higher performance, it means less pixels per license plate, thus quite likely less plate reading performance.

Agreed. We saw that especially in the E360 where wide FOV was sacrificed for resolution "density". It was spec'd as a 5K camera but spread out over a hugely wide viewing area. Different camera for different purpose.

 

[Karagandinez]

What is the resolution set to for the A229 Pro? I am guessing 2K. I see 4K displayed in the A329 image. E1 Pro looks like 4K.

The resolution on the A229 Pro and A329 is 4K 21:9.
On the E1 Pro the resolution is 4K.

How did you mount the E1 Pro on dashboard? Sticky stuff?

Just like you fixed your E1 Pro on the glass.

I have not used the PlatePix feature yet. I assume it's intended to be used to enhance plate readability at night since it's enabled using a timer similar to HDR.

I decided to test the new feature during the day.
I haven't reached night yet...

 

[TonyM]

The specifications for FOV are:

E1 Pro 158°
A229 Pro 140°

That's probably a difference between diagonal FOV and horizontal FOV. Not all FOV's are the same!
For all practical purposes, your two cameras have the same field of view. Any difference you see between them in what they do or do not capture is not down the angular coverage of each lens.

 

[Hack_man]

The resolution on the A229 Pro and A329 is 4K 21:9.
On the E1 Pro the resolution is 4K.

In post #28 you said you did not set the resolution the same on all models. I thought you were referring to the pictures in that post but evidently not since they are all 4K.

 

[Hack_man]

That's probably a difference between diagonal FOV and horizontal FOV. Not all FOV's are the same!
For all practical purposes, your two cameras have the same field of view. Any difference you see between them in what they do or do not capture is not down the angular coverage of each lens.

I think Nigel has it right, we really can't read too much into the FOV specs.

 

[Nigel]

That's probably a difference between diagonal FOV and horizontal FOV. Not all FOV's are the same!

158° diagonal would be good for a 1:1 sensor, maybe Vantrue got their maths wrong?
For a 4:3 sensor you would need 138° diagonal which is close to the Viofo figure.
But it is only a 16:9 sensor, so we only need 129°.
Unless I have got my maths wrong?

They could be the real figures for the lenses, but in that case, the Vantrue lens is a lot bigger than it needs to be, and thus probably more expensive than it needs to be, so it is a bit hard to believe. The Viofo lens would be a bit bigger than necessary, but that helps to keep the corners of the image nice and sharp, so that is believable. Only way to find out would be to take the lenses out of the camera and test them, but it doesn't matter, it is the field of view of the recorded image, and the image quality, that matter.

 

[Karagandinez]

In post #28 you said you did not set the resolution the same on all models. I thought you were referring to the pictures in that post but evidently not since they are all 4K.

I meant the photos in that post: Viofo has 4K 21:9 resolution, while E1 Pro has 4K 16:9 resolution.

 

[EricSan]

I think you need to adjust the lens angle on both models the same.

Exactly! You want to have the same "horizon line" in each camera as this will impact the exposure and the resulting image quality. When one camera is pointed at a bright sky, it will darken the exposure. Conversely, if the other camera is pointed at a darker road, it will lighten the exposure. I think the Vantrue camera has a way to display "cross hairs" in the image (using the app) so you can better aim at the horizon line to balance the relatively dark foreground with the relatively bright sky.

This will give you the best comparison on image quality and readability of details.

 

[Hack_man]

I'm posting new footage with both cameras adjusted better for 50% Horizon Line compared with similar poorly adjusted footage possibly impacting proper exposure in my earlier post #17.
VIOFO has a CPL filter, Vantrue does not. I can see the benefit of the VIOFO filter because it doesn't have the speaker reflections in the windshield but Vantrue does.
I still think Vantrue has the edge with license plate readability as I approach the red car in front of me. It's subtle but noticeable.
Is there a way to force the video quality in the utube links to 4K?

 

[Karagandinez]

I still think Vantrue has the edge with license plate readability as I approach the red car in front of me. It's subtle but noticeable.

To be honest, I haven't noticed any difference yet.
But I look at the license plates of oncoming cars.

Is there a way to force the video quality in the utube links to 4K?

When watching a video, click on the star and select 4K.