At a press conference held March 9 in New York's American Museum of Natural History, Panasonic Security Systems' President Frank DeFina unveiled the company's newest camera technology - the Super Dynamic III (SDIII). Watch out: this camera line boasts some hot features.
Leading the way in Panasonic's new product initiative of providing the security industry with Intelligent Technology (IT), SDIII is an attempt to raise the bar in camera performance and functionality. The technology, DeFina explained, combines a newly designed CCD and digital signal processing (DSP) that deliver a myriad of performance features. The core of the SDIII technology is that it allows the cameras to continuously adjust themselves in response to a wide range of conditions, with the goal being the delivery of better image definition and balance, even when used in areas that, due to lighting or other factors, present hard-to-overcome challenges.
Simply put, the cameras think for themselves.
Steve Surfaro, director of the Enterprise Project Group for Panasonic Security Systems, pointed out some of SDIII's numerous performance attributes:
- 128x dynamic range
- Pixel based digital contrast correction
- Auto Image Stabilizer
- Scene Change Detection
- 30X optical zoom (300X electronically)
- Adaptive Digital Noise Reduction to minimize image streaking when viewing moving images
- 540 lines of color resolution
- Extreme low light sensitivity in color (0.5 lux) and B/W (0.06 lux)
Panasonic's research and development team lost no time in getting back to the drawing board and started development of the SDIII technology several years ago, right after the release of the SDII. It's in keeping with Panasonic Security Systems' history of security products innovation, dating back to the early 1980s when the company introduced solid state cameras to the industry.
The new technology will hit the show floor in Las Vegas, April 5-8, at ISC West. But the two new cameras aren't all that's in the pipeline.
"We have several new systems products in the latter stages of development that will soon join SDIII as components of Panasonic Security Systems' Intelligent Technology solution," DeFina said.
WV-CS954 Color Dome Camera
The new all-in-one WV-CS954 Color Dome Camera color dome camera features Auto Focus to maintain image detail and clarity across its extensive zoom range; Auto Tracking to follow an individual's movements within the camera's field of view; Day/Night operation; privacy zone masking; built-in digital motion detection; digital-flip for automatic 180 degrees turning; 360 degrees endless fine panning at a max speed of 400 degrees/second; RS-485 communications; alarm inputs/outputs; VD2 internal synchronization; and 256 presets.
WV-CP480 Series Color Fixed Cameras
The WV-CP480 Series Color Fixed Cameras feature Panasonic's exclusive Auto Back Focus technology to assure sharp focus when the cameras switch from color to B/W operation and back to color again. A mechanism physically moves the CCD within the camera to achieve the optimal focus in the prevailing light. Additional performance features include: day/night operation; built-in motion detection; electronic shutter from 1/60 to 1/10,000 sec; electronic sensitivity enhancement; 2H vertical enhancement; and VD2 synchronization.
