|
REVIEWS – HOME SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS
INTRO
There used to be only two ways to go with video surveillance cameras,
the see-and-be-seen approach with prominent, highly visible installations and
at the other extreme, hidden or ‘covert’ cameras. Now there’s a new generation
of video camera, designed to be seen, and blend in with modern décor
1.
MERIT LI-LIN ‘EYEBALL’ CAM, £95
At
first glance the PIH-772 could be mistaken for a miniature spot light, the sort
fitted in false or suspended ceilings, but that’s assuming that you even notice
it. It’s a very discrete design with a small camera module mounted inside a
metal sphere or ‘eyeball’ that can be swivelled to point in any direction (360
degree pan/180 degree tilt).
Several
versions are available, ranging from a black and white model with good low
light performance to high-performance colour types. The one we’ve been testing
is the latter, using Sony guts in the shape of a /4-inch Sony Hyper Had image
sensor chip. Low light sensitivity is rated at just 1.5 lux, which is quite
gloomy and equivalent to a living room lit by a 20-watt table lamp, or the
light from a TV screen. The camera is fitted with a F2.0 3.6mm lens, which
gives a wide field of view; a narrower view is also possible with an optional
4.3mm lens.
INSTALLATION
Whilst not specifically designed for DIY installation it’s quite easy
to fit using simple tools and some basic savvy. The camera and its mounting
plate slots into a 62mm hole and the supplied fixing kit clamps it into place.
There are only two connections, a single cable emerging from the ball splits
into two with a connector for a 12 volt DC power supply (a mains adaptor is
supplied) and a standard BNC type bayonet socket for the video output cable.
Hook up the mains adaptor and connect the video feed to a TV or monitor and
it’s ready to go. Aim the camera, tighten up the fixing clamp and it’s done!
There are no external controls but inside the ball (it splits apart easily)
there’s a switch for setting automatic gain control (AGC) for brightly lit or
dull surroundings and white balance, to ensure colour accuracy in natural or
artificial light
PERFORMANCE
Resolution, or the camera’s ability to capture fine detail is rated at
380 lines, which puts picture performance somewhere between a high-end analogue
camcorder and satellite TV. In good light the picture is sharp and full of
texture with a good range of contrast and natural looking colours. Noise levels
are very low but they increase very quickly as light levels fall, and as it
approaches normal living room levels it starts to look quite muddy. The claimed
1.5 lux minimum illumination level will produce an image or sorts, but don’t
expect to see very much…
VERDICT
If you’re looking for a camera to work in dimly lit surroundings then
it might be better to opt for the black and white version, or a specialist
low-light camera, otherwise the colour model copes well with a normal range of
lighting conditions. The big selling points though, are ease of installation and
the way it blends in unobtrusively with modern decorative styles.
MERIT LI-LIN PIH-772
Price £95
Lens F2/3.0 or 4.3mm
Low Light 1.5lux
Resolution 380
lines
Features Switchable
AGC and white balance, pre-wired power and video output cables, suspended/false
ceiling installation kit and AC mains adaptor included
Dimensions diameter
92mm
Weight 310g
Contact Merit Li-Lin
UK, 08702 05550, www.meritlilin.com/
2. ENEO VHP-2 ‘BENDY’ CAM,
Video surveillance cameras are by nature ungainly looking objects,
though the actual camera ‘head’ is usually a fairly innocuous beige box, it’s
the ugly mounting brackets and dangling wires that spoil the view. It can be distressing prospect for interior
designers, seeing a carefully manicured creation spoilt by large chunks of
ironmongery hanging off walls and ceilings.
The Eneo VHP-2 ‘Candid Junior’ marks a welcome break with tradition, a
surveillance camera that manages to be both functional, and elegant in fact it
from some angles it doesn’t look like a camera at all and it could easily pass
for some sort of designer wall light. The actual camera is housed in the
cylindrical section, the flexible corrugated section contains the mounting
hardware in the form of a double-jointed metal stalk that allows the camera to
‘bend’ through 220 degrees and twist round 360 degrees.
Several configurations are available, based on a combination of colour
and black and white camera modules and lenses. The monochrome cameras can
operate down to 0.1 lux, which is close to pitch darkness; the colour cameras
require at least 2.5 lux – a dimly lit room -- to produce a useable image. The
lens options go from a 2.9mm wide-angle to a 4-8mm tele/wide type. In front of
the lens there’s a toughened glass window and this, like the hidden end cap on
the back of the cylinder is hermetically sealed to provide the camera with a
degree of weatherproofing, though it’s not actually meant to be used outside.
INSTALLATION
The are only two connections, one for power the other for the video
output, unfortunately the cables are not fitted with plugs or sockets, so
installation is best left to teccy types who know their away around such
matters. Fitting the camera should pose no problems, though. It is held in place
using a couple of screws, which hold the mounting plate onto the wall or
ceiling. Pulling back the flexible gaiter reveals the mounting arm and this can
be positioned, then locked into place using an Allen key, which is supplied
with the camera. It’s a plug-and-go design with no controls or adjustments to
worry about
PERFORMANCE
We tested both monochrome and colour versions and the ability of the
black and white camera to produce a useable image in very low light conditions
was most impressive. In normal light the picture was crisp and detailed with
hardly any noise and it handled sudden changes in brightness without any
problems. The colour camera works best in daylight and well-lit surroundings
and the picture isn’t as sharp and there’s a fair amount of noise when light
levels drop but colours are natural looking, even in normally tricky florescent
tube light.
VERDICT
Picture quality is good but unremarkable, marking it out as decent
general-purpose camera. However, it’s the ease of installation and radical
styling that sets the VHP-2 apart and provides interior designers and home
owners with an elegant and discrete alternative to boring standard-issue
security cameras.
ENEO CANDID JUNIOR VHP-2
Price £220
Lens F2/2.9, 3.6 or F2 4-8mm tele-wide
Low Light 0.1,
0.5 or 2.5 lux
Resolution 380/470
lines
Features toughened
glass window, weatherproof design, fixing kit supplied
Dimensions 55
x 44 x 204mm
Weight 480g
Contact Videor
Technical www.eneo-security.com,
08707 749944
---end---
Ó R. Maybury 2003,
3001
| 
