CCTV pixels per metre calculator (DORI)
Pixels per metre a CCTV camera gives at a set distance, which DORI and IEC 62676-4:2025 levels it meets, and the maximum distance for each. Free.
Enter resolution, field of view and distance, or start from a model in our comparator: the result updates as you type. Below are the levels of the 2014 edition (DORI) and of the 2025 edition, with the maximum distance for each.
Result
Pixel density at that distance–
- Scene width
- –
- 2014 level met
- –
- 2025 level met
- –
Levels and maximum distances
For each level: whether you meet it at the chosen distance, and how far out you keep it with this resolution and field of view.
| Level | At this distance | Up to |
|---|---|---|
| Detect25 px/m | – | – |
| Observe62.5 px/m | – | – |
| Recognise125 px/m | – | – |
| Identify250 px/m | – | – |
| Level | At this distance | Up to |
|---|---|---|
| Overview20 px/m | – | – |
| Outline40 px/m | – | – |
| Discern80 px/m | – | – |
| Perceive125 px/m | – | – |
| Characterise250 px/m | – | – |
| Validate500 px/m, Axis name | – | – |
| Scrutinise1,500 px/m, Axis name | – | – |
What the calculation leaves out
- It is geometry only: horizontal pixels divided by the scene width at the chosen distance. Light, IR illumination, compression, focus, lens distortion and camera tilt are not counted, and on site they all reduce detail.
- The levels apply to images viewed by a person. Video analytics and thermal cameras use other definitions.
- Meeting a figure does not guarantee the result: it is a simplified rule. Before handover, have someone walk through the spot that matters and check the recording, not the live view.
- Field of view is entered in degrees, not worked out from the focal length: the sensor format (1/1.8", for example) is a nominal figure that does not give the exact width, and wide lenses are distorted. The datasheet value is more reliable.
- Sources: px/m values from the foreword of IEC 62676-4:2025, which lists both editions; 2014 level names from the 2022 Axis white paper; 2025 levels from 20 to 250 px/m from the definitions in the standard. The names of the 500 and 1500 px/m levels come from Axis only.
Further reading: CCTV pixels per metre: DORI and the new EN 62676-4 and 4K CCTV cameras: identification distance vs IR range.