2 SONY outdoor IP cameras

[MRL]

Sony IP camera 3.6mm lens
Sony IP camera 3.6-9mm vari-focal lens
The 3.6mm fixed lens is $590, the 3.6-9mm vari-focal lens is $770. Both from CCTVSpeciality. Any comments on these 2 IP cameras as alternatives to the Panasonic BB-HCK331A. The Sony's have LEDs for night images - the Panasonic specs did not indicate LEDs. The Sony's have jpeg/jpeg-4, the Panasonic only jpeg. The Sony's have a 1/3" CCD, the Panasonic 1/4" CCD.

 

[upstatemike]

OK these links work. Looks like the Sony cameras are not Pan/Tilt. The Panasonics do not use LEDs because they do not switch to B/W for night viewing. They stay in color mode and do an amplification thing to boost low light sensitivity.

 

[MRL]

Looks like the Sony cameras are not Pan/Tilt

Son of a gun! I missed that. I will have to check that but I certainly would not pay $590 for a network camera that does not pan/tilt. The Panasonic BB-HCM331A is looking better and better.

 

[MRL]

Sony Pan/Tilt Outdoor
I found this Sony outdoor pan/tilt for $410 (needs $55 outdoor mount - total cost $465) - has 2.5-6mm vari-focal lens, 1/3" CCD. No LEDs so I wonder how it will do in low light. Specs - Low Lux Sensitivity 1.0 Lux / F 2.0. Anyone know the low light specs on the Panasonic BB-HCM331A.

 

[Steve]

You can always add your own IR pods that will probably work better anyway. And remember what that other gentleman said about reflection from IR in some of the cameras.

 

[upstatemike]

You can always add your own IR pods that will probably work better anyway. And remember what that other gentleman said about reflection from IR in some of the cameras.

As long as the camera switches to B/W mode at night. Color mode cannot see in IR light.

 

[upstatemike]

Sony Pan/Tilt Outdoor
I found this Sony outdoor pan/tilt for $410 (needs $55 outdoor mount - total cost $465) - has 2.5-6mm vari-focal lens, 1/3" CCD. No LEDs so I wonder how it will do in low light. Specs - Low Lux Sensitivity 1.0 Lux / F 2.0. Anyone know the low light specs on the Panasonic BB-HCM331A.

Is this Sony an IP camera?

 

[MRL]

s this Sony an IP camera?

Pelco D Protocol- Compatible with all Geovision Cards. This mini dome Allows you to Pan 320°, Tilt 90°, and Digital Zoom up to 3X. Uses common RS485 signal.

It does not specifically say IP - I guess it is not a network camera. Could this be a special interface?

 

[upstatemike]

RS-485 is a pretty standard interface for PTZ controls on non-IP cameras. Has nothing to do with power and video.

 

[MRL]

RS-485 is a pretty standard interface for PTZ controls on non-IP cameras

So this means an additional cable would need to be run to the camera - or is the video cable being used full duplex?

 

[upstatemike]

I'm not sure what you are asking exactly but...

Non IP camera = RG59 (or some other arrangement for video) + Power + RS-485 (usually a cat-5) to control pan/tilt. You can probably combine power with RS-485 and run 1 cat-5 + 1 RG59.

IP camera = cat-5 for network (handles video and pan/tilt) + Power BUT you can do a "power over ethernet" arrangement and then 1 cat-5 is all you need!

This is what I am going to do.

 

[MRL]

IP camera = cat-5 for network (handles video and pan/tilt) + Power BUT you can do a "power over ethernet" arrangement and then 1 cat-5 is all you need!

This is what I am going to do.

Can any network camera use PoE? Is the Panasonic BB-HCM331A capable for PoE?
Which camera are you planning to go with?

 

[upstatemike]

I am going to use the Panasonic BBHCM331A. I am not going to use real POE but I am going to use the same conductors. I am going to splice a power connector lead to the unused pairs (blue pair for positive and brown pair for negative just like real POE) and plug the adapter that comes with the camera into that lead. At the camera end I will use a plug type lead connected to the same pairs to plug into the power connector on the camera.

Should be very simple.