The bench test 1: Pack a punch

What our experts say …

It is easy to get blasé in this business with so many similar looking products designed to do what is basically a fairly small number of jobs. But occasionally, very occasionally, something surprises us. The Bosch Dinion LTC 0610 colour camera is one of that small and select group, and it wasn’t just the eye-catching shape and cosmetics that caught our attention. This exceptionally neat little camera packs a tremendous punch when it comes to build quality, features and performance.

The camera is positioned as a high-end model, capable of operating under difficult lighting condi-tions, thanks in part to 15-bit digital processing and ‘XF’ dynamic range extension. The specs only tell part of the story, but are the logical place to begin.

We’ll start with the 1/2-inch Interline CCD, which has a 752 x 582 pixel matrix giving a resolu-tion of 480 lines. Standard (full video) sensitivity is quoted at 0.72 lux, falling to 0.095 lux in low light ‘Nightsense’ mode, which automatically increases gain, reduces shutter speed and eventually switches to a monochrome image.

Other highlights include built-in motion detection with alarm output, three programmable operating modes, a host of manual and automatic controls, a ‘wizard’ to help with lens set-up, menu-driven on-screen displays, camera ID and Bosch’s proprietary ‘Bilinx’ communications, which uses data signals embedded in the video signal for remote configuration, diagnostics and alarm signalling.

It’s a highly distinctive shape with the camera housed in a tough cast alloy case. The C/CS lens mount has a simple to use back-focus adjustment courtesy of a large purple wheel that dominates the front of the camera body. The wheel has a reassuringly smooth and positive feel to it indicating high-quality mechanical components.

This continues with the sliding panel on the left side, which opens to reveal a locking switch for the back focus and a group of five buttons used to access the camera’s control system.

Immediately below the panel is a standard four-pin socket for an auto-iris lens. On the back are two BNC sockets for composite video output and external sync plus a six-pin mini DIN connector for the Y/C video out. In the top right corner is a two-pin spring terminal for the power supply connections (12v DC or 24v AC).

There are no polarity markings for a 12v DC supply but this is because the PSU is auto sensing and it doesn’t matter which way round the wires are connected; a four-pin spring terminal at the bottom of the panel handles the alarm connections. The only notable omission is a power-on indicator.

The case is extremely well built, and nearly impenetrable without special tools but we can’t resist a challenge ... Inside is a large PCB on the left side, which handles all of the video processing and control functions. To the right of that is the power supply board which sits inside a black plastic case.

Cables from the main board connect to the image sensor on the back-focus mechanism and a small board with the control buttons. The case doubles up as a chassis and heat sink. It looks extremely sturdy and well built and although not flagged up as being weatherproof it is well pro-tected against the ingress of dust and moisture.

Set-up & operation
There’s a lot of ground to cover so let’s press on with the controls and displays. The middle button on the concealed panel brings up the first of the camera’s three operating modes, which allows

the user or installer to create and switch between customised exposure settings for three different lighting situations.

On each of the three mode menus there are seven options: Automatic Level Control, Enhance, Colour, Backlight Control, Video Motion Detec-tion, Mode ID and Defaults. The ALC setting has sub-menus for setting ALC level (+/- 15 steps), Shutter speed (auto, ‘flickerless’ or fixed 1/50 to 1/10,000th sec in nine steps), Gain (AGC or fixed), Maximum Gain (20 steps) and Night-sense mode. Also on the ALC menu is settings for Peak/Average expose in +/- 15 steps and ALC speed (slow, medium or fast).

The Enhance menu has switches for ‘Auto Black’, which tweaks the contrast when the image is excessively contrast – bright lights or glare – or reduced contrast – fog or mist. There are also settings for Black Level (+/-50 steps), Contour or sharpness (+/- 30 steps), DNR (auto or off) and presets for the XF dynamic range control (off, low, mid, high).

Colour balance is controlled from the Colour sub menu with auto, auto tracking or manual white balance settings, the latter enabling adjustments for red and blue gain (+/- 5 steps), individual red, blue and green levels (+/- 50 steps), saturation (+/- 15 steps) and white balance speed (slow, medium or fast). Backlight compensation has three options – on/off, BLC level (+/- 15 steps), and BLC area, which displays an opaque mask, which can be sized and moved to any part of the screen.

The Video Motion Detection feature is most impressive and the VMD sub-menu has options for selecting a silent or on-screen alert, selecting up to four sizeable detection areas, adjusting sensitivity and it displays a real-time motion level and sensitivity on two bar graphs. Mode ID allows the user/installer to assign a name to each of the three modes and Defaults returns each mode to its factory settings.

A second Installer menu is displayed when the middle control button is held for longer than a couple of seconds and this has five options. They are:

Lens Wizard, I/O, Sync, Camera ID and Defaults.

The Lens Wizard is a clever feature that auto-matically optimises the camera according to the lens attached, it detects the type of lens and selects auto, manual or DC/video auto iris opera-tion, guides the user/installer through the back focus adjustment and level adjustment for video auto iris lenses.

The I/O sub menu handles external Sync impedance (75 ohms or High), Bilinx comms (on/ off), Cable Compensation (odd, default, RG59, coax 12 or coax 6), Cable Compensation level (15 steps) and Alarm setting, with a separate sub menu (Active/High/Low, Action and Alarm out - switches between VMD or remote activation).

On the Sync sub-menu there is a switch for selecting internal, line-lock, HV Lock or Genlock mode, a V Phase, H Phase and sub phase adjust-ments. Camera ID allows the user to compose a single line title of up to 16 characters and position it in the top left or bottom left corners of the screen and finally Defaults, which restores all Installer adjustments to the factory settings.

Performance
It should be fairly obvious by now that this camera has more than its fair share of exposure adjust-ments, and in triplicate. These should be enough to cover just about any eventuality but the auto systems are so responsive it should work perfectly well straight out of the box in the vast majority of installations.

Picture quality with all of the main settings in default condition is superb; the image is pin-sharp with resolution at or very close to the manufac-turer’s claims. Colour fidelity in natural light is also on the button and it compensates seamlessly for changes between natural, mixed and tungsten light with only the merest hint of a colour caste under predominantly tube lighting.

The exposure system reacts swiftly to sudden changes in light level and they have to drop down quite a way before picture noise starts to become intrusive. Even in near dark conditions the image remains useable though the effects of slow-speed shuttering become increasingly apparent on any movement within the scene.

The switch from colour to monochrome is accompanied by another useful jump in gain but at the expense of even more noise. Even so, it still manages to produce a clearer image than some mid-priced day/night cameras we have seen lately, and that’s without the benefit of infrared filter switching.

As above average build quality suggests, it’s a solid design and a good battering with the trusty Bench Test mallet didn’t show up any intermit-tencies or instability in the video output. *

* Reader Service No 100 (or go to www.security-installer.co.uk/enquiries and key in 100)

What the manufacturer says ...

The Bosch Dinion XF camera is more than your standard camera. It’s a fully digital camera with a special patented DSP chip. The chip is the brain of this smart camera. Dinion XF cameras are high-end smart surveillance cameras for challenging situations.

The cameras achieve unsurpassed picture performance even under the most difficult light and scene conditions through 15-bit digital video processing. Only XF-Dynamic reveals details in high contrast scenes that other cameras miss. Dinion XF is the natural choice for advanced professional surveillance systems.

The 15-bit technology allows you to capture the full dynamic range of any scene in a single image, even with strong back lighting, bright highlights and deep shadows. The power of a 15bit digital video processor is at the heart of the range. XF-Dynamic is built on this 15-bit technology to ensure you see all the details in virtually any lighting condition with bright natural colours. This giant step forward in video processing technology puts the Dinion XF family miles ahead of competitors’ products.

Dinion XF provides you with the most complete, cutting-edge cameras in the marketplace. With its unsurpassed range of advanced features from Night-Sense and Lens Wizard through to XF-Dynamic and Default Shutter, Dinion XF cameras deliver something special. Featuring a stylish housing, the cameras also manage to look as good as the pictures they produce.

Whatever the application from traffic and transportation, banks, perimeter surveillance, industrial sites, through to city centres and correctional institutions, Dinion XF cameras will deliver reliable surveillance with exceptional pictures in all weather and lighting conditions.