The Night Vision Reality Index
Security cameras are sold on megapixels and advertised IR range in feet. Neither predicts whether you can actually identify a face at night. The specs that do — sensor size, aperture (f-stop), and minimum illumination in lux — are frequently missing from spec sheets entirely. This dataset audits 14 popular cameras and doorbells against exactly those specs, and records "not disclosed" as a real finding rather than filling the gap in for the manufacturer.
The one thing to know: Sensor size, aperture (f-stop), and minimum illumination in lux are the three specs that actually predict low-light performance — and on the majority of consumer security cameras we surveyed, at least one of the three is not published on the retail spec sheet at all. Megapixel count and 'night vision range in feet' are marketed heavily instead, because they sound impressive and are cheap to test favorably, not because they predict whether you'll recognize a face.
License: CC BY 4.0 — free to use with attribution
This dataset is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. You may use, share, and adapt it for any purpose, including commercially, as long as you provide attribution.
How to cite
Night Vision Decoded. "Night Vision Reality Index" (Version 1.0), July 30, 2026. https://nightvision-decoded.pages.dev/night-vision-reality-index/
The disclosure table
| Model | Brand | Sensor size | Aperture | Min. illum. (lux) | Advertised IR range | Night vision mode | DORI criterion stated? | Subscription for recording? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argus 4 Pro | Reolink | 1/1.8" | f/1.6 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed (color NV) | Color (spotlight) + IR | Not stated | Optional |
| RLC-820A | Reolink | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | 100 ft | IR (monochrome) | Not stated | No (local native) |
| Video Doorbell 4K | Reolink | Not disclosed | f/1.6 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Color (ambient) + IR | Not stated | No (local native) |
| Cam Outdoor Pro (3rd Gen) | Wyze | 1/2.7" | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Color (spotlight) + IR | Not stated | Yes (Cam Plus) |
| Cam v3 | Wyze | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | 0.9 (color) / 0 (IR) | Not disclosed | IR / limited color | Not stated | No (local native) |
| Pro 4 | Arlo | 1/1.8" | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Color (spotlight) + IR | Not stated | Yes (Arlo Secure) |
| Essential Spotlight Camera | Arlo | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Color (spotlight) + IR | Not stated | Yes (Arlo Secure) |
| 2K Outdoor Cam (Battery) | eufy Security | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | IR (monochrome) | Not stated | No (HomeBase native) |
| Video Doorbell E340 | eufy Security | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Color (dual-cam, ambient) + IR | Not stated | No (HomeBase native) |
| Spotlight Cam Plus | Ring | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Color (spotlight) + IR | Not stated | Yes (Ring Protect) |
| Video Doorbell Pro 2 | Ring | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Color (HDR, ambient) + IR | Not stated | Yes (Ring Protect) |
| Video Doorbell (2nd Gen) | Google Nest | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed ("night vision" only) | Not stated | Yes (Nest Aware) |
| 2K Floodlight Cam WiFi Pro | Lorex | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Color (floodlight) + IR | Not stated | No (local native) |
| 2K Wire-Free Add-On Camera | eufy Security | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | IR (monochrome) | Not stated | No (HomeBase native) |
| Nest Cam (battery) | Google Nest | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed ("night vision" only) | Not stated | Yes (Nest Aware) |
What this table shows
Of the 14 cameras and doorbells surveyed, aperture is disclosed for exactly 2 (both Reolink models), sensor size for 3, and minimum illumination in lux for 1. Not a single model's spec sheet states which DORI criterion (Detect, Observe, Recognise, or Identify) its advertised IR range refers to. This isn't a knock on any one brand — it reflects an industry-wide marketing convention of leading with resolution and a distance claim instead of the physics specs that predict real low-light usefulness.
Caveats — read before citing a row
- This is a disclosure audit, not a lab test. We report what each manufacturer's own spec sheet states or omits — we have not independently measured any camera's low-light performance.
- "Not disclosed" can change. Manufacturers periodically update spec sheets; if a brand adds a previously-missing spec, we update this table and CSV and bump the version.
- Real-world IR range depends on scene reflectivity — a dark, non-reflective yard absorbs more IR than a light-colored wall or driveway — so even a disclosed range claim varies by installation, not just by camera.
- Glass and windows defeat IR illumination almost universally; a camera's stated range assumes an unobstructed outdoor view, not shooting through a window.
- Subscription requirements change over time and vary by specific plan tier — verify current terms directly with the manufacturer before buying based on this table alone.
Methodology & versioning
Version 1.0 — published July 30, 2026. Specs are drawn from each manufacturer's official public product spec page as of the publish date, cross-checked against retailer listings where the manufacturer page was ambiguous. The DORI framework facts come from the published IEC/EN 62676-4 standard. We do not test cameras ourselves; this is a specification-disclosure reference. Corrections: if a manufacturer updates a spec sheet or we find an error, this page and CSV are updated in place and the version/date bumped — see How We Evaluate for our full editorial policy.
Machine-readable download: the full table is available as CSV at /night-vision-reality-index.csv (version-pinned copy at /night-vision-reality-index-v1.0.csv), and a condensed digest is maintained in /llms-full.txt.
This page reports manufacturer-disclosed specifications and a published international standard — it is not a lab test result for any specific camera, and not a recommendation to buy based on any single spec alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
A normalized dataset of 14 popular home security cameras and doorbells, recording exactly which night-vision-relevant specs (sensor size, aperture, minimum illumination in lux, and the DORI criterion behind the advertised IR range) each manufacturer discloses versus leaves undisclosed. It exists because advertised IR range and megapixels are marketed heavily while the specs that actually predict low-light performance usually aren't published at all.
Because that is the finding, not a gap in our research. We checked each manufacturer's official spec sheet; when a spec like aperture or minimum illumination in lux is absent from that page, we record it as not disclosed rather than estimating a number the manufacturer never published. Non-disclosure across most of the category is itself the citable pattern.
Not among the models we surveyed. None of the 14 cameras' spec sheets state whether their advertised night-vision range was measured to the Detect, Observe, Recognise, or Identify criterion under EN 62676-4 — the standard almost universally used in professional CCTV design is simply absent from consumer marketing.
No. This is a disclosure audit of manufacturer spec sheets and published standards, not a physical test. We report what each brand states (or doesn't state) about its own product, cross-referenced with the DORI framework — we have not independently measured any camera's low-light performance.
Prefer the camera that discloses more of the four columns (sensor size, aperture, lux, and DORI criterion) over one with a longer but unsupported range claim — disclosed specs, even if unimpressive, are more trustworthy than an undisclosed bigger number. Pair this dataset with the DORI Pixel-Density Decoder to estimate identification distance from a camera's actual resolution.