We have the older Axis 206 camera and are wondering if we should upgrade to the newer M1011 since the image resolution is the same. For any teams that have played with both - is there a noticeable difference between either camera as it relates to imaging?
-Mike
If you don’t mind spending $160+ go for it. Otherwise if the old Axis still works, don’t bother.
Both use the same sized 1/4" sensor, and both have the same lens aperture of F/2.0, so there shouldn’t be much difference in how they handle badly-lit environments. This shouldn’t be an issue, as the FRC fields are usually pretty well-lit anyway.
The 206 had a 4mm lens focal length, compared to the M1011’s 4.4mm focal length. This basically means the 206 has a slightly wider angle of view than the M1011. According to the spec sheets, the 206 has a 54° field of view, while the M1011 has a 47° field of view. Because both output 640x480 video, neither are necessarily better or worse, as it all depends on if you want a slightly wider view with less detail, or a narrower view with more detail.
Another difference between them is that the 206 has a manual focus ring you can adjust to focus better on things either closer or farther away. The M1011 has a fixed focus range, but the range is pretty big, and we’ve never found the image to be so blurry that it was impossible to see a vision target.
Oh, and another really minor thing is that the new M1011 apparently weighs 94g, where the 206 weighs 180g. If for some odd reason you really need to shave 3 ounces on the robot, the new camera does weigh slightly less.
Bottom line: I think the differences between them are pretty negligible.
http://www.axis.com/files/datasheet/ds_m10_40705_en_1009_lo.pdf - M1011
http://www.axis.com/files/datasheet/ds_206_33168_en_0904_lo.pdf - 206