Feature rich and modular, we look at some of the most versatile modern dome cameras on the market
Eyeball this
Merit Li-Lin's PIH-7728PW, which we bench-tested last month, is a specialist camera that is designed to be installed in suspended or false ceilings, offering quality at an unbeatable value.

Said to be one of the company's most popular dome ranges, it is available in both colour and monochrome, in a range of resolutions and a choice of both 3.6mm and 6mm lenses.

The 1/3 inch Sony Super HAD chip produces 480 TV Lines resolution, with excellent colour rendition and low light performance, which our bench-testers claimed was a tad optimistic at 1.2 lux. Each unit is supplied complete with fixings for false ceilings, power supply and comprehensive manual. The PIH7728PW not only looks good in stainless steel, it is vandal-resistant and comes with a three-year full parts and labour warranty.
Reader Service No 130

Modularity ensured
Silent Witness's MagnaView V28Plus dome camera joins the company's line of modular CCTV cameras. It is housed in a die cast metal enclosure that can be flush or surface mounted, with or without a 45 deep electrical box. The model is tough enough for schools, prisons and areas where vandalism is rife.

Silent Witness has also redesigned the less robust PrimaView C14 dome camera in a polycarbonate material with a surface mount option. Both the MagnaView V28P and Prima-View C14 come with the full range of interchangeable lenses from 2.9mm to 16.0mm including varifocal auto iris, and with a wide range of camera boards including EXview HADTM. All nine modular cameras come with coax or twisted pair options.
Reader Service No 131

Wide area coverage
The DM326 is TeleEye's first colour pan/tilt dome camera and is aimed at users who are looking for a cost-effective tool for active and wide area coverage, such as shops, petrol stations, offices, plants, car parks and banks.

It gives enhanced performance and full compatibility with the TeleEye III+ and TeleEye Pro Video Transmitters in remote surveillance applications.

The DM326 supports up to 64 programmable pre-set positions, with four auto patrol sequences, high speed pan and tilt functions, auto pan and auto tracking white balance, high sensitivity with 1.8 lux, 6mm zoom lens, RS-485 telemetry interface and TeleEye 326 and Pelco-d support.

The dome is easy to control, direct, install and move. Users can also remotely control the pan/tilt of the TeleEye DM326 to verify video for rapid reaction.
Reader Service No 133

Ceiling or surface-mount
Pelco has launched two models of the Colour Lowlight DSS Camclosures, as either a surface-mount or in-ceiling dome, that are built "Pelco tough". They are aimed at a variety of applications including residential, office buildings and other business complexes where rugged protection is required.

These fixed-mount domes bring together all the necessary elements of a typical fixed indoor/outdoor video security/surveillance installation – camera, lens, enclosure and mounting system integrating them into a small, easy-to-install sealed unit.

The DSS technology enhances low light performance of the camera by slowing down the picture frame rate and increasing the camera's sensitivity in low light conditions, producing outstanding images. An integrated varifocal lens also enhances functionality.
Reader Service No 134

Rugged enclosures
Sanyo has launched a range of vandal-resistant domes with integrated cameras. They are designed for environments where rugged enclosures are required, such as banks, schools, prisons, hospitals, retail environments, subways and public buildings.

Key features of the domes include integrated cameras providing a wide choice of configurations varying from standard resolution monochrome cameras to high-resolution colour cameras with varifocal lens. Die cast enclosures are also available in both surface mount and flush mounted versions. A conical non-grip version is also available.

There are five models in the range. The VDC-C1572FP is a surface mounted colour dome, the VDC-C257FP is a flush mounted colour dome and the VDC-B2512FP is a flush mounted monochrome dome. They are designed to provide cost-effective solutions for industrial applications.

Meanwhile the VDC-B151FP is a monochrome surface mounted version of the VDC-C1572FP and is ideal for nightclubs, and the VDC-C3072VP is an aesthetically appealing cased conical non-grip dome for high risk commercial sites such as banks.
Reader Service No 136

Striking model
The striking Titan 200 from Conway Security Products, which we Bench Tested last year, marks a significant departure from traditional dome camera design.

The camera unit sits behind an optically flat 4.4mm laminated glass protective window. Fitted with a Sony ExWave camera module with an 18x optical zoom and 12x electronic zoom, resolution is 470 lines with low light sensitivity down to 0.01 lux (0.25 sec slow shutter). Low light performance is also augmented by a switchable black and white 'Night' mode.

The construction is metallic, either aluminium or stainless steel. The double seals allow operation in harsh environments and a wiper option is available to ensure the screen remains clean.

The Titan 200 can reach any position on a 360-degree pan circle within one second. The optical pan sensors ensure accuracy of pre-sets recall. They also prove superior to standard potentiometers in terms of lifespan. Add to this the ability to store 75 pre-set positions, 30 tours of 30 steps, privacy zones and pan sector identification and it becomes a fact that the whole unit can be connected up using just seven wires.
Reader Service No 137

Outdoor multi-camera dome
Videolarm's Q-View series is a series of indoor and outdoor multi-camera systems with six housing configurations including an outdoor wall/pendant mount dome with heater/blower options for all environmental applications. Other models include indoor pendant, recessed ceiling, corner, wall or surface mount models.

Each Q-View housing contains multiple cameras mounted on segmented flexible bracket arms enabling it to be used in applications where users may have previously needed several housings, or a unitized camera system.

A choice of high resolution, black and white, standard colour or hi-res colour cameras is offered with fixed, vari-focal or auto-iris lenses. All are backed by a five-year warranty from Videolarm.
Reader Service Number 138

Compact performer
JVC's TK-C676E is a 360 degree endless panning camera designed for 24/7 operation. It has a professional quality quarter-inch Super Lolux CCD, which can capture crisp colour pictures at just 0.5 lux. An infrared switching function also allows it to operate in the dark with IR illumination.

Under manned operation, the Easy Auto focus function and 27x zoom lens and variable pan and tilt speeds allows the operator to quickly zoom in on the action. In auto mode, users can take full advantage of the TK-C676E's auto patrol, area title and motion detection functions for single camera use or as part of a 32-camera system under RS485 control.

Our Bench Testers concluded that the TK-C676E sets the standard for compact domes, rating it highly in terms of performance, ease of installation, set up and use.
Reader Service No 139

Adding to the portfolio
Norbain has signed a distribution deal with Pelco which will significantly expand its CCTV dome portfolio. The agreement provides Pelco with a strong entry point into the UK market. Norbain is the home of Vista CCTV equipment, and the company also distributes other leading brands of dome cameras.

Dermot Grace, managing director of Norbain SD, said the inclusion of Pelco was "a win:win agreement for our customers. Our strategy is to build our business by identifying the world's leading manufacturers and bringing their products to market."
Reader Service No 140

Quality guaranteed
TeleEye's new DF112 colour dome camera is a user-friendly, cost-effective colour camera with a 1/3rd inch interline transfer CCD pick-up device that is available in two models. The DF112P PAL and DF112N NTSC have picture elements of 500(h) x 582(v) and 512 (h) x 492 (v) respectively.

The DF112 is fully compatible with TeleEye II+ and TeleEye Pro video transmitters in remote surveillance applications. It offers 350TV lines and is available with a 3.6mm lens and light sensitivity down to 1.0lux. It has a compact and light dome camera body, measuring just 118mm in diameter.

The camera is easy to install and is suitable for many remote surveillance premises such as retail shops, offices, schools and residential buildings when used with TeleEye's video transmitter.
Reader Service No 141

With integrated lenses

CBC (Europe) Ltd is distributing the Ganz ZC-D1000 range of colour and black and white mini domes. They come with integrated 3-6mm varifocal lenses, which are DC auto iris driven to provide optimum performance in demanding lighting conditions. The camera has a 3-axis gimble allowing it to be adjusted for ceiling or wall mounting. Dip switches on the camera body also enable easy set-up. These include backlight compensation, AGC on/off, auto white balance and auto white tracing. Both colour and mono units come with low voltage input, allowing either 12V dc or 24V ac. There are six models in the range.
Reader Service No 132

Dome patrol

A new dome camera from the Fire & Security Products division of Siemens Building Technologies combines reliability and high performance with a number of features making it the ideal option for a wide range of applications. With its dark bubble housing, it is virtually impossible to determine camera direction, thwarting criminals from attempting any illegal activity while the camera is averted. Available in CCDA 1415-DN (day/night) and CCDA 1410 colour options, it gives 360 degree operation, reducing the number of cameras required to monitor a given area. Camera operators are able to spot and track criminal or suspicious activity with ease. Its controls also include pre-set panning and zooming capabilities at 280 degrees per second. The dome can also perform a ‘patrol’ of the site using programmable pattern facilities with the option of linking an alarm input to a preset position to provide automatic movement of the dome to view the alarm. The day/night dome camera has an infrared cut filter ensuring it performs well even in poor light. It also offers 23x optical zoom (with electronic zoom providing selectable magnification up to 184x) continuous auto-focus and backlight compensation. Its wide dynamic capability also ensures excellent picture quality in variable light, and it has a privacy zone. There are two models in the CCD 1410 option, an indoor dome (ID), and a weather dome (WD). Both feature a colour camera with 16x optical zoom and more than 450 TVL.
Reader Service No 135

Dynamic dome

JVC says its latest dome camera, the TK-C655E is built to give total reliability. The ¼ inch CCD high-resolution dome gives 360 degree continuous rotation, and has a high quality 25x zoom lens behind a smoked perspex dome. The Super LoLux facility enables good quality pictures to be captured in light levels down to 1.0 lux, and the domes gives instantaneous pan and tilt speeds which effortlessly come into action. The camera shoots scenes of contrasting bright and darker areas with its dynamic range feature, and with a combination of high-speed shutter and normal exposure, delivers perfectly balanced pictures. The dome camera enables comprehensie manned or automatic surveillance of indoor areas. When in automatic mode, users can access the TK-C655E’s automatic patrol and area title functions for either single camera operation or as part of a multi-camera system. When the camera is switched to manned operation, the 25x zoom lens and variable pan and tilt speeds takes the user to the action speedily using the easy-auto focus function. The TK-C655E comes with a comprehensive range of housings and fixtures for outdoor and indoor installations.
Reader Service No 142

Source

Security Installer