Testing Wide Angle Megapixel Lenses - Theia SY125M

More pixels provide the opportunity for greater field of views and less cameras. However, stock lenses provided with cameras only offer moderately wide fields (60-70 degrees).

A few companies are now developing wider angle lenses to help solve this problem. In this group, Theia is receiving the most marketing attention (see some image examples of their lenses in use and a report on their technology).

This report shares finding from a test of the Theia's SY125M lens, a 1.3mm manual iris lens that provides 125 degree FOV for 1/3" imagers. The MSRP of SY125M is $440.

Key Findings

Here are our key findings from the test of Theia's SY125M:

• The SY125M provides a far greater Field of View (about 200-300% greater area).
• The greater FoV comes at the expense of significantly reduced pixel density / pixels per foot
• The lens provided the greatest advantage for large areas but provided little advantage and some disadvantages for small areas
• The lens benefits from modest installation modifications to maximize the viewing area of the lens