Comparing Uniview's EasyStar, LightHunter, and ColourHunter Camera Series

If you’re in the market for security cameras and have been eyeing Uniview’s offerings, you’ve likely come across the EasyStar, LightHunter, and ColourHunter series. Each of these camera lines has its unique strengths and is designed to cater to different security needs. In this blog, we’ll break down the key differences between these three series to help you make an informed decision.

EasyStar: The Entry-Level Low-Light Performer

Let’s start with the EasyStar series. Uniview positions EasyStar as its entry-level range for low-light environments. These cameras are capable of providing colour images around the clock, but only if there is sufficient ambient light. When the light drops below a certain level, the camera switches to infrared (IR) mode. While infrared mode allows you to see in darkness, it only captures images in the IR spectrum. This results in a greyscale image. If you're working with a tight budget and don’t need high-level nighttime performance, the EasyStar series might be a good fit.

LightHunter: Enhanced Night Vision with Advanced Sensors

Next up is the LightHunter series. While it shares some similarities with EasyStar, LightHunter cameras come equipped with a more advanced sensor, allowing them to capture more light. This is quantified by minimum illumination, which is measured in lux.
 

This image shows the amount of minimum illumination each camera series needs to see in order to see in colour at night.

Several factors influence this lux number, including the camera's aperture and digital signal processing (DSP). In simpler terms, the LightHunter series can produce brighter, more colourful, and clearer images at night with less ambient light than the EasyStar. Even when the camera switches to infrared mode, the black-and-white image will be sharper and more detailed.

ColourHunter: Full-Colour Vision 24/7

Finally, we have the ColourHunter series, which offers the best light sensitivity of the three. Unlike the EasyStar and LightHunter, the ColourHunter doesn’t rely on infrared when it gets too dark. Instead, it switches on its floodlight, illuminating the area with white light containing all light spectrum frequencies. This feature allows the ColourHunter to deliver full-colour images 24/7. However, it's important to note that the white light is visible and can be disabled if desired. Disabling the white light may result in a grainy image if there isn’t enough ambient light, but you’ll still have the advantage of colour vision in most situations.

AI TECHNOLOGY AND SMART FEATURES

A key differentiator between these camera series is the inclusion of AI technology. While the EasyStar series is more budget-friendly, it lacks AI features. On the other hand, most LightHunter and ColourHunter cameras come equipped with deep-learning AI technology. This allows the cameras to distinguish between pedestrians, vehicles, and non-vehicles, significantly reducing false alarms. Additional smart features include line crossing, intrusion detection, and area entry/exit detection.
 

The above image shows the enter area detection function found in the AI technology.

Real-World Testing: Day and Night Performance

To give you a better idea of how these cameras perform, we conducted a series of tests using three Uniview turret cameras with the same resolution, lens size, and aspect ratio—one from each series.
 

Day-time Performance: During the day, all three cameras performed similarly, producing vivid colours and crisp details.
Night-time Performance with Ambient Light: At night, the ColourHunter led the pack with the clearest and most colourful image, closely followed by the LightHunter.
Night-time Performance with No Ambient Light: This test highlighted the main differences between the series. Both the EasyStar and LightHunter switched to infrared mode, producing monochrome images. The EasyStar’s image was slightly less detailed than the LightHunter’s due to its less advanced sensor. Meanwhile, the ColourHunter’s whitelight illuminated the area, resulting in clear, colourful footage.
 

We tested each camera series at night with no ambient light, the above image shows the results.

Conclusion: Which Series Is Right for You?

To sum it up:
 

The EasyStar series is your most cost-effective option, but it lacks AI technology and may struggle to see in colour in low-light environments.
The LightHunter series offers a balanced performance with AI features and better low-light capabilities than the EasyStar, but it still produces monochrome images in very dark settings.
The ColourHunter series is your go-to if you need full-colour images 24/7, thanks to its advanced sensor and whitelight feature, offering the best overall image quality.