OCTOBER 1--Canon (Tokyo, Japan; www.canon.com/index.html) has introduced the Canon Communication Camera VC-C50i/VC-C50iR, a new surveillance camera that enables the capture of clear images in low-light conditions, along with new software that allows users to record video images remotely via a network connection: the Canon Network Video Recorder VK-64 v1.0. The launch of Canon's new surveillance camera and network video-recording software mark the company's full-fledged entry into the video-surveillance-device market, responding to increasing consumer demand for anticrime and general surveillance equipment.
The new surveillance camera incorporates a large-aperture lens and a high-sensitivity 1/4-in. CCD sensor to make possible effective surveillance in low-light conditions down to 1 lux. Also, when operating in Night Mode*2, which utilizes an infrared illuminator positioned beside the lens, the new camera enables monitoring in 0-lux darkness, satisfying the need for reliable night performance.
Both the VC-C50i and the VC-C50iR are equipped with a powerful 26x optical zoom lens, the highest level of magnification for the class, and also offer a 12x digital zoom function. Supporting broad-area coverage, the system enables high-speed wide-angle panning and tilting. The pan function of the VC-C50i enables 100° horizontal movement in either direction for a combined range of movement of 200°, while the tilt function permits an upward tilt of up to 90° and a downward tilt of up to 30°. The VC-C50iR's pan function offers 170° horizontal movement in either direction, and the tilt function allows an upward tilt of 10° and a downward tilt of 90°. Both models achieve a maximum pan speed of 90° per second and a maximum tilt speed of 70° per second.
The Network Video Recorder VK-64 v1.0 allows the remote recording of surveillance camera images via an IP (Internet Protocol) network connection. When using select communication cameras, including Canon's new VC-C50i/VC-C50iR, in conjunction with a network camera server such as the VB-150 (sold separately), or when using the server-equipped Communication Camera VB-C10, users can record video via the Internet, preventing any loss of recorded data as a result of fire or other calamity at the site where the cameras are located.
Also, as the Network Video Recorder VK-64 v1.0 utilizes an IP network, it allows users the flexibility to change camera locations or add additional cameras to their surveillance system as needed, unlike conventional systems where cameras are connected directly to a recording device via a video cable. The recording system allows the simultaneous viewing, control and recording of images from up to 64 cameras on a single PC.
