Camera Facts: Is Higher Resolution Better?

79Video Quality

Though this may seem to be common sense for most users, there are factors to consider before assuming that higher resolution video is always the best fit for your intended use.

High resolution videos are better quality and contain more detail, but depending on your needs, a low resolution file might be good enough.  

If you are looking to share video online the low resolution videos will still look good, but if you need to closely assess detail in a video, higher resolution will be more important.  

Additionally, if your camera is capable of recording high resolution video, but your monitor is only capable of transmitting a small image, there may be no need to deploy a high resolution camera.

Video Size

Low resolution videos are considerable smaller than high resolution videos. If you are looking to conserve space on your device or archive your media, the low resolution option might be right for you as it will conserve space.

Download and Upload Speed

High resolution video will take much longer to copy to your other devices than the low resolution video since there is a lot more data to transfer.  This means upload and download speeds for sharing files will be impacted depending on the resolution you choose.  This will be important if you need to share files quickly with team members at remote locations.

The Bottom Line

While high resolution offers more clarity and detail, there are cases where clarity and detail are not the primary objectives of your inspection.  For instance, if the purpose of your inspection is merely to assess if there is a major blockage, you won’t need the high resolution required to inspect weld seams.  As technology advances, resolutions are getting better, file formats are getting smaller and the devices are getting cheaper.  The main thing to consider is how to choose the right resolution for your specific needs.

Eye image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons