Recomendations wanted for outdoor video camera (make/model) and retailer

[Video Guy]

I'm looking for recommendations as to who makes a good quality
CCTV/video camera for out-door use.

I'm putting these under the eves of my house (so no direct exposure to
rain) but they will experience summer heat (up to 90f), winter cold
(down to -20f), as well as lens condensation and fogging (I suppose).

Will hook them up using RG-6 coax (BNC or F connector).

I notice all sorts of different types of cameras, some with IR lights,
large, small, etc. Would like something that's not particularly
large, yet has high resolution (and color).

Sometimes what you end up buying depends on where you shop - and
although I suppose I could buy from US mail-order, I would do so only
if a Canadian retailer didn't have the camera I really wanted. So I'm
also looking for a good place to buy from in Canada.

Thanks - and please post responses here (e-mail won't work).

 

[Andy Evans]

With that temprature range, you will be looking at a heated external
houseing, so you will be able to use just about any camera and lens that
you want. Try looking at the dennard 506 houseing at
http://www.dedicatedmicros.com

Andy

 

[Robert Green]

With that temprature range, you will be looking at a heated external
houseing, so you will be able to use just about any camera and lens that
you want. Try looking at the dennard 506 houseing at
http://www.dedicatedmicros.com

Andy

That's not necessarily true. Bulletcams, because of their dense
electronics, put out a *lot* of heat in their hermetically sealed enclosure.
The essentially *are* in a heated case (most consist of a machined aluminum
tube with a protective glass plate at one end and a gasketed, screw-down cap
at the other). This one:

http://www.smarthome.com/7538.html

is rated from -22F and 140F. While I've never gone much below 0F with
mine, they've shown no sign of trouble, even at that temperature. There are
no moving parts to bind up: The focus is usually fixed and the electronic
shutters do away with the need for delicate iris diaphragms whose lubricants
can stiffen in extreme cold. While I don't really believe it, this bullet
camera:

http://www.hometheaterstore.com/store/product.php?productid=1107&cat=0&page=
1

alleges specs of -100 to +500 C RH 95% Max (which runs between the unlikely
melting points of chlorine gas (-100.98 °C) and zinc (419.58 °C) so take it
with a grain of NaCl melting point (804 °C)). I think the bottom line is to
look at the specs and buy from a reputable dealer who'll back them should
the spec turn out to be overly optimistic.

Here's another one from a reliable manufacturer (I have some 10 year old B&W
ProVideo bullet cams that are still working just fine) that will fill the
OP's original specs:

http://azcctv.com/Color-exterior-high-resolution-low-light-cameras.46.0.-hr-
ll-.0.htm

ProVideo CVC-637EX Color Bullet Camera
Operating Temperature -20 degrees to 122 degrees F

If the OP has a *really* cold freezer he can pre-test them before mounting
them under the eaves. I would recommend that highly no matter what option
he chooses. It's a lot easier to debug such problems from the freezer than
from the eaves in a -20F blizzard. Wait until the wife's away, though.
Freezer experiments (aka "cold soaking") are notoriously unpopular with the
ladies, I've found, but they're awfully important to perform before
deployment to hard-to-reach locations.

Unless the OP's house is regularly at -20F or he wants to use PTZ (Pan,
Tilt, Zoom) cameras that must be able to move even in extreme cold, then
heated enclosures (and yet another glass surface to cause reflections and
light loss) might be overkill. They'll certainly be a lot more obtrusive
than bulletcams alone.

Though I couldn't find the housing at the URL you cited, I did find it here:

http://www.buythis.co.uk/open_product.asp?catid=67&pid=756&offset=&search=&s
price=&orderby=

The difference between a bare bulletcam and a heated housing is roughly the
equivalent of hanging a lipstick case from the eaves versus hanging a small
mailbox or birdhouse. Things that big hanging from the roof usually have a
low spousal approval factor. Also, I am not sure what £70 is worth in
Canadian bucks today, but I suspect for the price of a heated case alone you
could buy a very nice bulletcam.

 

[pcbutts1]

I have the color version of this one http://www.smarthome.com/7538.html and
the problem I had with it is that the heat from it fogs the lens, not the
camera lens but the case lens cover. It is not suppose to do that. The
outside temp was only about 58 degrees. I solved it by removing the cover
and permanently fixed it by using some of that no fog spray you get at the
auto parts store.

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[Robert Green]

I have the color version of this one http://www.smarthome.com/7538.html and
the problem I had with it is that the heat from it fogs the lens, not the
camera lens but the case lens cover. It is not suppose to do that. The
outside temp was only about 58 degrees. I solved it by removing the cover
and permanently fixed it by using some of that no fog spray you get at the
auto parts store.

I've had one bulletcam with the same problem, but it was after pretty
serious immersion in running roof water. The problem was a flattened O-ring
that sealed the back part of the camera. There's a substantial difference
between "weatherproof" and "waterproof" and if in doubt about how wet things
are going to get, it's probably best to go for the "waterproof" models as
they usually have big, fat O-rings and very deep threaded covers so that
they rings don't compress to the point that they leak.

Was yours beyond the warranty period? If not, I would have sent it back.
I've found that once you have trouble with a camera's seal, it's going to be
trouble again. I thought I had fixed mine with a new O-ring, but it fogged
up again on the inside of the cover case. If it happens again, I am going
to wait for a very low humidity day, run the camera for a while to heat it
up and drive off any residual moisture and then seal it with silicone at the
edge of the screw-on cap and where the wires enter the camera body. Not
pretty but who can see it 20' feet up in the air? I might even try a little
"No Fog" just to be sure!

After mine fogged up the second time I assigned it to indoor use where
condensation isn't likely to be a problem.

 

[Video Guy]

Thanks for the replys.

Here are a few more points as to what I'm looking for:

- top mounting screw or base (ie ceiling mountable)
- Dome-style not required (or desired)
- PZT not needed (which is a whole other ball game)
- additional mounting complexity, compatability, and visibility of
an outdoor housing chasis is not desired (would go to a
bullet-cam style camera instead of a camera that needed
an out-door housing).
- The Powertech camera (below) and KG-230EX are interesting but
I wonder about the quality of the optics.

In general I prefer the "form factor" of the box-style camera (as in
most of the cameras listed below) but I'm unsure if their housing is
suitable for outdoor use (ie mounted, say, 6" under an eve with a 2
foot overhang). I don't think that the occasional -20f night (which
we had quite a few of this past winter) is necessarily something these
camera's can't handle. I think more of an issue is condensation or
fogging on (or in?) the lens assembly

I've done a quick search and have put together a (more or less) random
list of cameras that is representative of what I'm looking for. Any
direct experience with these items is what I'm looking for, or
anything similar (again for protected out-door use).

Panasonic WV-CP244 ($209)
http://www.securityproshop.com/product/main.asp?pro_id=328
($162 at http://www.prosecuritywarehouse.com/fixedhighrescolor.html)
This is the sort of camera I had in mind (probably the upper end of
the price range I had in mind too).

PANASONIC: WV-CP484 SERIES ($376.00)
http://www.prosecuritywarehouse.com/fixedhighrescolor.html

PANASONIC: WV-CP254H ($299)
http://www.prosecuritywarehouse.com/fixedhighrescolor.html

SONY: SSC-E473 ULTRA HIGH RES DAY/NIGHT COLOR CAMERA ($257)
http://www.prosecuritywarehouse.com/fixedhighrescolor.html

SONY: SSC-DC374 HIGH RES COLOR CAMERA ($158)
http://www.prosecuritywarehouse.com/fixedhighrescolor.html

POWER TECH : PIR-4856 HIGH RES COLOR CAMERA W/INFRARED ($195)
http://www.prosecuritywarehouse.com/fixedhighrescolor.html

Panasonic WV-CP470 Fixed Day/Night Camera ($487)
http://www.securityproshop.com/product/main.asp?pro_id=517
This camera is probably a little more than I want to spend, but it's
got some interesting features.

Sony SSC-DC374 High Resolution Color Camera ($205)
http://www.securityproshop.com/product/main.asp?pro_id=832
Again here's an affordable camera - but like others in this style I
see a cable running from the camera body to the lens. Is this some
sort of motorized zoom or focus? And if so, I assume there will be
low temerature concerns with the operation of the motorized function?

Sony SSC-DC193 Fixed Color Camera ($210)
http://www.securityproshop.com/product/main.asp?pro_id=290

KG-230EX Weatherproof Color 0.05 LUX Moonlight Camera ($180)
http://www.cctvwholesalers.com/customer/product.php?productid=16159&cat=0&page=1

http://azcctv.com/Color-exterior-high-resolution-low-light-cameras.46.0.-hr- ll-.0.htm

ProVideo CVC-637EX Color Bullet Camera
Operating Temperature -20 degrees to 122 degrees F

Nice, but I think I would go with the SPECO TECH CVC-870EX H.E.A.T.
Color Bullet Camera.

If the OP has a *really* cold freezer he can pre-test them
before mounting them under the eaves.

Yea, but how do I simulate a rainy November or April day in Ontario?

The difference between a bare bulletcam and a heated housing
is roughly the equivalent of hanging a lipstick case from the
eaves versus hanging a small mailbox or birdhouse. Things
that big hanging from the roof usually have a low spousal
approval factor.

Yes, I don't exactly want my house to look like most of the UK does
with cameras everywhere.

 

[[email protected]]

also check out www.cctvforum.com for more ideas.

By the way, the CVC-637EX use to be a low light Day Night camera, but
they have now changed it to just a normal high res color camera, even
though it says Day Night still on the box, juist so you know, we
ordered 20 of them and even Speco told us they changed it, but then why
they didnt change the box and specs online ..? It is still a decent
camera, but only for day time or areas where there is alot of light. i
wouldnt take my chances on any of the EX models also. The CVC-7706DNV
is a true day night camera though with a mech filter, it is their best
model, check it out.

Also check out the WizKid Dome and Bullet camera models, they are
literally unbreakable and not that expensive.

 

[Video Guy]

I see that some of these cameras (specifically some of the bullet or
torpedo type) claim to be "varifocal".

A specific example is the CVC-7706DNV:

http://www.123securityproducts.com/cvhecodaniul.html

Note the link "how to adjust the verifocal lens" :

http://www.resicam.com/techtips/images/7706lens.pdf

It's really a focus adjustment.

I believe a true varifocal lens is a lens that changes it's focus when
the focal length is changed. Which means the lens must be some sort
of zoom lens. So does the CVC-7706DNV (or any other "varifocal"
camera) have some sort of external ring or control that allows you to
change it's focal length (ie zoom in or out) ???

 

[Doug L]

A varifocal lens allows you change the focal length between set ranges IE
3.5-8mm or 5-50mm etc, it doesn't hold the focus when adjusting the focal
length. A zoom lens when correctly set up will hold its focus throughout its
entire range.

I don't know about the camera in question but a varifocal lens will have two
adjustment rings, one to adjust the field of view or focal length and the
other to adjust the focus, both will need to be adjusted at the same time,
normally in opposite directions, in order to maintain focus at the desired
focal length. If its a manual varifocal lens then there will be a third ring
to adjust the iris, a bullet or board camera manual varifocal lens probably
won't have an iris adjustment ring.

The varifocal bullet & board cameras that I have seen with varifocal lens
have had these two rings.

Doug L

 

[Celso Lujan]

I'm looking for recommendations as to who makes a good quality
CCTV/video camera for out-door use.

I'm putting these under the eves of my house (so no direct exposure to
rain) but they will experience summer heat (up to 90f), winter cold
(down to -20f), as well as lens condensation and fogging (I suppose).

Will hook them up using RG-6 coax (BNC or F connector).

I notice all sorts of different types of cameras, some with IR lights,
large, small, etc. Would like something that's not particularly
large, yet has high resolution (and color).

Sometimes what you end up buying depends on where you shop - and
although I suppose I could buy from US mail-order, I would do so only
if a Canadian retailer didn't have the camera I really wanted. So I'm
also looking for a good place to buy from in Canada.

Thanks - and please post responses here (e-mail won't work).

We use the AXIS LAN cameras for indoor and outdoor use. We are in
Albuquerque, NM, where our winters do not get too severe; however, our
summers get guite warm. If you go to:

URL 206.206.97.135:5801

your will get a demo system we have on-line. The password is
"acasdemo". Once you gain access go to on-line system click and hold
down the left hand mouse button and move to "cameras". Wait awhile until
mozilla pops up and select "Real Time Display". Cam one is an AXIS
camera mounted under an eave, and you can judge for yourself if the
quality is what you are looking for. This camera has been operational
for five years with no apparent degradation. If you click on the image
you will get a larger display of the camera output.

I should point out that all you would need to connect the camera would
be a standard cat-5 twisted cable (LAN). Co-ax cables are not required.
You will also need to get voltage to the camera. We use regular 18AWG
wires for voltage. Note that you can also build your own DVR into the
computer system which connects to the camera. Just go the the archives
to get pictures of the past activities.

Good luck.

Celso Lujan, Lujan Software Services, Inc.

 

[[email protected]]

you are using vnc to get on a computer then view the video ... thats
ass backwards ..