At a Glance
Product	Axis M1011-W Network camera [Website]
Summary	Entry level wireless day network camera with strong AXIS feature set
Pros	• Lots of features • Solid construction • Wireless connectivity
Cons	• No night vision • No audio • Wireless is only 802.11b/g vs. n

Introduction

I recently looked at the surveillance features of the ReadyNAS Ultra-2 NAS. With the ReadyNAS Surveillance kit were included two AXIS M1011-W network cameras. While the features of the AXIS line of cameras have been covered in-depth in the M1031-W and M1054 reviews, I wanted to look at hardware differences with the M1011-W, as well as image comparisons between the M1011-W and some of the other cameras we've reviewed.

Hardware Comparison

First, let's take a look at a table of comparisons between the three AXIS cameras we've reviewed:

	M1011-W	M1031-W	M1054
Typical online price	$180	$250	$380
Processor	ARTPEC-B	ARTPEC-B	ARTPEC-3
RAM	64MB	64MB	128MB
Flash	32MB	32MB	128MB
Video buffer	16 MB pre and post alarms	16 MB pre and post alarms	25 MB pre and post alarms
Lens	4.4 mm/F2.0 fixed iris	4.4 mm/F2.0 fixed iris	2.9 mm/F2.0 fixed iris
Horizontal angle of view	47deg	47deg	80deg
Video compression	H.264, Motion JPEG, MPEG-4	H.264, Motion JPEG, MPEG-4	H.264, Motion JPEG
Max video resolution	640 x 480	640 x 480	1280 x 800 (1 MP)
Frames per second	30 (640x480)	30 (640x480)	30 (1280x800), 30 (HDTV 720p)
Audio support	No	Two-way Built-in mic and speaker	Two-way Built-in mic and speaker
Alarm in/outputs	No	No	1/1
Power	DC, PoE splitter available	DC, PoE splitter available	DC, PoE IEEE 802.3af Class 2
Wireless	802.11b/g	802.11b/g	No
Built-in PIR sensor	No	Yes	Yes
Night Illumination LED	No	Yes	Yes
Record to storage	FTP only	FTP only	FTP, SMB (network share)

As you look at the specs, you can see the M1011-W has much hardware in common with the M1031-W. It sports the AXIS ARTPEC-B processor, capable of three maximum simultaneous video streams. It also has 64 MB of RAM and 32 MB of flash like the M1031-W.

Figure 1: ARTPEC-B processor of the Axis M1011-W

Also, in common with the M1031-W is the 802.11b/g wireless interface with built-in antenna, secured by WEP 64/128 bit and WPA/WAP2-PSK. Like the M1031-W, it does not support 802.11n and could present problems in a predominantly 802.11n network by slowing down faster N devices.

The M1011-W also shares the same lens, same horizontal field of view, same maximum resolution and same video compression formats as the M1031-W. What differs between the M1011-W and the M1031-W is the exclusion of audio and any night vision capabilities. With so much in common with the M1031-W, we would expect that image comparison pictures will be about the same.

Image Quality - Outdoor

The maximum resolution of the M1011-W is 640 x 480 and it will deliver that at 30 fps, which I verified within the ReadyNAS Surveillance software. Horizontal field of view is 47 degrees, which as you will see in the comparison pictures below, is the same as the M1031-W. Figure 2 is the M1011-W, while Figure 3 is the M1031-W.

Figure 2: 47° Field of View from the Axis M1011-W

Figure 3 is the M1031-W horizontal field of view.

Figure 2: 47° Field of View from the Axis M1031-W

As you can see, horizontal field of view is identical. Note that we have added a few pavers to my outdoor test bed since the M1031-W image. The M1011-W image does seem to be brighter and more vivid, although I believe that can be chalked up to being tested on different days in slightly different conditions. I no longer have the M1031-W or I could have run another comparison just to be sure.