Ultrak KC7500CP cameras

WHAT THE MANUFACTURER SAYS ...

Ultrak professional CCTV cameras are designed and manufactured to provide installers with the best combination of high performance, ease of installation and competitive cost. The KC7500CP is a 1/3 inch CCD high resolution colour camera designed for general video surveillance systems. It forms part of Ultrak’s line of professional cameras using Sony DSP CCD technology.

This high resolution camera produces outstanding colour images for the most resolution-intensive colour applications. Featuring 470 lines of resolution, a sensitivity of 1.0 lux at F1.4 and an advanced feature set including multi-format BLC, AGC auto/manual white balance, auto/manual shutter speeds and gamma control, it allows the CCTV professional to optimise image quality and performance in any application.

Installation is simple and quick with its ergonomic C/CS/back focus mechanism and push button terminal strip for power connection.

Other highlights include:

• Composite and Y/C video output
• Auto electronic shutter and manual electronic shutter modes from 1/50 to 1/10,000
• Auto and manual white balance modes
• Accepts AI or DD lenses with dip switch select
• Quick connect for AI or DD lens with four-pin connector
• Multi-format BLC, gamma AGC adjustments

  l12v DC/24v AC auto switching power supply and 230v AC versions

• Limited two year warranty.

WHAT OUR EXPERTS SAY ...

It is easy to get fixated by exotically specified cameras which do fancy tricks or function in unusual situations or environments. But in the real world, the vast majority of installations call for simple cameras to do relatively undemanding jobs. It is a mistake to equate simple with basic: a lot of sophisticated technology is required to cope effectively with supposedly normal conditions that ordinary video cameras have to deal with.

Ideally a general purpose camera should be a fit-and-forget device, requiring a minimum of initial adjustment and little or no subsequent attention. It is a challenge that many manufacturers have risen to but there is always room for wider choice in this busiest sector of the camera market, a slice of which Ultrak Intervision hopes to capture with its KC7500CP series models.

Currently there are two colour models in the range, the KC7500CP and KC7502CP, which have low voltage (12v DC, 24v AC) and mains power supplies respectively. A second mains-powered version (KC7501CP) is also available. This one is fitted with an Euro-style mains plug. Aside from the differing power requirements the two cameras are virtually identical. Key features common to both are 1/3-inch interline CCD sensors and processing chipsets made by Sony, giving a claimed resolution of 470 lines. Minimum low light sensitivity is quoted at 1 lux (F1.4).

The cameras have composite and S-Video outputs and incorporate a high level of digital signal processing. This includes manual or automatic electronic shutter adjustment, backlight control, gamma correction and AGC adjustment plus automatic or manual white balance and compatibility with auto-iris or direct-drive lenses with C or CS fittings.

They look rather smart. The case measures 62 x 54 x 140mm and, excluding a lens, it tips the scales at 290 grams. The cream coloured central section of the sculptured case is a tough one-piece alloy extrusion with cut-outs for standard 1/4-inch UNC mounting threads top and bottom.

The grey-coloured front cap is moulded from alloy while the one at the back is made of ABS plastic. The casework is solid and affords a high degree of mechanical protection to the internal components but comparatively little in the way of weatherproofing, so it should not be used in a damp, dusty or otherwise hostile environment without a protective housing.

At the front, the large back-focus adjustment thumbwheel is clearly visible. When the lock screw is slackened off the CCD assembly moves back and forth on a spiral thread, with sufficient travel to accommodate C and CS-type lenses. The gently tapered front cover also incorporates the square four-pin socket for auto iris lenses.

The angular lines on the front of the camera are carried across to the rear cap with its raked sides. On the back panel of each camera there is a BNC socket for the composite video output and a four-pin mini DIN connector for S-Video (Y/C) formatted video output.

Two buttons control the phase adjustment when external synchronisation is required and a recessed eight-way rotary switch sets the speed of the electronic shutter (1/50, 1/100, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1,000, 1/4,000, 1/10,000 & 1/100,000th sec).

The low voltage model (KC7500CP) has a three-way spring terminal for the power connection while a two-metre long captive cable, terminated in a three-pin plug, protrudes from the mains powered version.

On the top lip of the back panel there is a small hinged cover that opens to reveal a ten-way miniature DIP switch. On this point the instruction book veers off into confusion. A diagram show the switch upside down and labelled in a bizarre fashion. Fortunately the hinged cover has some function labelling and it is possible to work out what they all do.

Position 1 switches the shutter between auto and manual, number 2 is auto iris on/off, 3 is gamma correction (off & 0.45), 4 is AGC on/off and 5 is for selecting DC or video controlled auto-iris lens. Position 6 is unused; 7 and 8 set the white balance (auto, indoor, fluorescent & outdoor) and 9 and 10 set backlight compensation (off, top, bottom & centre areas of sensitivity). Next to the DIP switch is a tiny potentiometer which sets iris level when the camera is used with a DC-controlled AI lens.

Inside the case there are six or seven glass fibre PCBs (depending on the version), with the image sensor mounted on the moveable back-focus mechanism at the front of the unit. The power supply boards are in the bottom of the case and the video processing PCBs are on the sides. The PCBs are bolted to a metal sub-frame at the rear and the alloy front cap, forming a fairly rigid chassis.

It is unusual to see so many separate PCBs inside a video camera these days. Consequently there is rather a lot of internal wiring with cables, plugs and sockets all over the place. The trend is to reduce the amount of wiring in devices as each mechanical connection is a potential source of trouble. The connections in our test cameras proved sound and intermittence-free but it needs bearing in mind, particularly if the camera is going to be exposed to sustained vibration or subject to repeated mechanical shock. The instruction manual goes into a fair amount of detail concerning lens fitting and back focus adjustment but skips lightly over most of the other installation procedures. Fortunately it is all straightforward, at least for selecting switch positions. Getting to the controls is another matter. The buttons and shutter speed switch on the back panel are OK but the DIP switch and iris control is in an awkward position. They are microscopic and situated on the top facing upwards, almost impossible to reach if the camera is suspended from, or mounted close to, a ceiling. It would be better to have the switch panel on the bottom or side, much more accessible in a wider variety of mounting configurations. The lens and back-focus adjustment gains the camera a few extra Brownie points for simplicity of use. The mechanism is smooth and it is possible to make precise adjustments. The locking screw is also on the top but it is easy enough to tighten it off before the camera is fixed into place. The stated low light sensitivity figure of 1 lux was a little optimistic but not far off. Results were impressive overall. Resolution came close to 470 lines but the surprise was the very low levels of picture noise. The image looked very clean in good natural light and it remained sharp down to quite low illumination levels. Colour accuracy in natural light was also good and the auto setting coped well with a changing mixture of natural and artificial light. Scenes lit solely by tube light had a yellowish caste; it is a good idea to set the white balance control to the fluorescent position. The exposure system is accurate and responds promptly to big changes in lighting levels. The image is rock steady with no significant jitter.

Reader Service No 162 SI