MidwestSurveillance.com Blog

Today marks the midway point for the annual ASIS show in New York. Many innovative items have been announced, but it was Axis who stole the show before it even began with the announcement of the newest additions to their line. Finally filling the niche in the market for an affordable, Megapixel covert camera, Axis announced the P1204 and P1214 Indoor Network Camera along with the Outdoor Rated P1214-E. These are all priced at $499 making them one of, if not the most affordable HD covert cams on the market.

Adding to their already impressive Encoder line is the new Q7411 which will allow for a blazing 60 frames per second. This device also allows for “supports key IP surveillance features such as two-way audio, configurable I/O ports, edge storage with the built-in microSD/microSDHC memory card slot, and Power over Ethernet” as stated in the Axis Press Release, 9/6/2012. This is ideal for casino, traffic, and machine type applications where high speed movements are a critical part of the system.

Last and most importantly, the new M3006-V was announced. This 3mp Indoor dome compliments the already impressive M3004-V and M3005-V, and carries along with it a very reasonable price tag at $499. What will set this 3mp indoor dome apart from the competition is not only its on-board storage that will work with the Free Axis Camera Companion, but its enormous  134° Horizontal field of view. Another priceless feature is its 3-axis camera angle adjustment allowing for the flexibility of wall and ceiling installations. Many high res cams in this price range cut corners by offering only a swivel and pan of the camera unit, leaving you with awkward diagonal shots that make you twist your head to comprehend.

Axis also announced a few updates to the free Axis Camera Companion platform which will only further increase the value of the entire Axis line. Stay tuned as there is one more day to go at ASIS, and Axis may still have another ace in the sleeve.

In the last few months, Axis Communications had announced new improvements to their existing P33 Series with latest model encompassing them all. Although this particular model has yet to be officially announced, the new P3384-V and P3384-VE should by the full blown replacement to the extremely popular P3344-V and P3344-VE models.

This year has brought 2 new exciting technologies to the Axis line that have propelled Axis to leader of the pack. If you’re in the IP Surveillance Industry, you get used to hearing fancy words from camera manufacturers to describe a new line or feature of a camera, always claiming to be “industry leading” or the best in the business. When the side by side comparisons are done, you are yet again disappointed. When Axis introduces new technology with fancy names, they truly outperform the competition and prove that the what they have developed has taken this technology a few steps further. When “Lightfinder” and “WDR- Dynamic Capture” first appeared in the Axis Q1602 and Q1604, they proved these new features were newsworthy. With Lightfinder technology, the camera will stay in color mode in much lower lighting conditions than its competition. This ensures crucial color details of subjects or objects when other cams are in black/white mode. Wide Dynamic Range has been around for while, however Axis has further refined this technology with their Dynamic Capture feature. This greatly reduces the affects of Sunlight, Lighting from Doorways/Windows, and back-lit fixtures and signs producing an evenly lit scene with vivid details from edge to edge.

Both the Lightfinder and WDR- Dynamic Capture are features found in the new P3384-V/VE making it one of the most impressive 1mp, 720p Domes on the market. we hope to have these shipping by this winter.

June 16th, 2012, Axis Communications announced 2 brand new models, the Axis M3004 which is a 720p HD IP Camera, and a very similiar M3005 1080p HD IP Camera.  These models both Fixed Indoor Network Camera with some of Axis’ new signature features such as SD Card Storage, and compatibility with the free Axis Camera Companion software. An affordable 720p indoor ip camera is nothing new for Axis, but this will be the first 1080p camera in the Axis M-Series that will surely fill a gap in Axis’ almost gap-less line. The 1080p M3005 is stated to boast an impressive 118° horizontal field of view. Going along the lines of the M-Series history, this 1080p model is sure to be affordable as well. Stay tuned to MidwestSurveillance.com for more info regarding the new M3004 and M3005 IP Cameras from Axis Communications.

Announced September 19th, Axis Communications announced the new Q1604 and Q1604-E. These are in addition to the q1602 announced not too long ago. The core feature of the q16 series is Axis’ new LightFinder Technology which is claimed to provide superior color images in very low light conditions. When first announced the Q1602 looked very promising and yet again displayed the continuous effort by Axis Communication to constantly innovate and develop new IP Camera technologies. That was until you realized this new camera was only capable of standard resolution. This is a hard sell in a new megapixel craved world. Yesterday, the announcement assured us that the innovation wasnt going to stall at 720 x 576, or D1 resolution. The new Q1604 and outdoor rated Q1604-E are going utilize the same lightfinder technology, but increase the resolution to a respectable Axis 720p HD. Availability is slated for Q4 2011, but we wouldnt expect to see these hit US soil until 2012. For more information click on the links below.

Axis Q1604 Network Camera

Axis Q1604-E Outdoor Network Camera 

Details finally emerged April 17th of Axis Communications entry into the 5mp Dome category. The new Axis P3367-V and Axis P3367-VE will boast a full 5mp resolution at 12 frames per second, with industry standard 1080p at an impressive 30 frames per second. This camera will compete with Areconts  AV5155DN when comparing Data Sheets side by side. Two considerable factors will set these two apart. Axis stands behind a 3 year warranty where Arecont is only 1. The outdoor rated AV5155DN requires separate power for the heater/blower unit. This alone makes the PoE functionality this camera does have almost worthless. All Axis P33xx series cameras, including the new P3367-VE offer full PoE functionality that will supply power to both camera and Heater/Blower. This greatly simplifies installation and truly utilizes the advantages of PoE. The P3367 will be one of the first in the industry to use the Precision, or P-Iris. The P-Iris which is the latest and most technologically advanced IP Camera Lens available, is desgined specifically for the high megapixel cameras, enabling precise focus and amazing image detail.

Axis P3367 Press Release

CHELMSFORD, Mass. – May 17, 2011 – Axis Communications, the global leader in the network video market, today introduces 5-megapixelfixed dome network cameras withprecise iris control for optimal image clarity. The indoor AXIS P3367-V and outdoor-ready AXIS P3367-VE Fixed Dome Network Cameras – both of which come in vandal-resistant housings – are suitable for any application that requires video surveillance coverage of a large area or extremely high image detail in a limited area, such as in airport halls, train stations, city surveillance installations, school buildings and campuses.

The day and night fixed domes deliver 5-megapixel resolution video at 12 frames per second and support HDTV 1080p video at 30 frames per second. To help minimize bandwidth and storage needs, AXIS P3367-V/-VE cameras feature H.264 video compression, powerful digital pan/tilt/zoom capabilities and multi-view streaming, which enables cropped areas of interest to be streamed simultaneously instead of the full view.

AXIS P3367-V/-VE can be installed quickly and easily through a combination of modular product design and smart features such as remote zoom for adjusting the angle of view over the network, remote focus that eliminates the need for manual focusing and Power over Ethernet (PoE) support, which requires only one network cable to carry both power and data.

“The AXIS P33 Series is very popular and widely used in all vertical market segments and, by bringing P-Iris control and Axis’ latest processing technology to the series, security end-users can experience exceptional 5-megapixeldetail even in areas with poor lighting,” said Fredrik Nilsson, general manager, Axis Communications Inc. “The option to choose either megapixel or 1080p HDTV video in this fixed dome IP camera will make AXIS P3367 a very versatile product.”

Two compact and discreetly designed variants will be available: the indoor vandal-resistant
AXIS P3367-V and the outdoor-ready, vandal-resistant AXIS P3367-VE. The latter model, which offers an impact-resistant IK10-, IP66- and NEMA 4X-rated casing, requires no additional protection for installation outdoors.

Announced today by Axis Communications, the Axis Q1602 and Q1602-E will be the first mainstream IP Camera to offer quality color video in very low lit conditions. Capturing details in low light areas has always been a difficult task. With plenty of camera make and models claiming to be night capable, there is no camera that can truly see in the dark, unless you go thermal. With thermal IP Cameras, detection is the key benefit with identification almost impossible. With that in mind, IP Camera manufacturers have ever increasingly been pushing the envelope for producing a color camera in low light. If you spend enough time studying data sheets, you’ll see that each manufacturer has their own idea as to what a lux rating is. Side by side, there truly isnt a clear winner even if thier claims on the datasheets has one beat by a mile. Axis Communications is now going to change the game……as they always do.

Via Axis Communications press release:

“Axis’ unique Lightfinder technology allows fixed network cameras to reach a new level of image performance in difficult light conditions,” says Erik Frännlid, Director of Product Management, Axis Communications. “This is a revolutionary improvement for video surveillance cameras and we believe that AXIS Q1602 will be the market’s most light sensitive camera. This product will be the best choice in dark conditions and low-light environment.”

Lightfinder makes AXIS Q1602 highly sensitive to low light, effectively allowing the camera to ‘see’ even in dark conditions. Axis’ knowledge base about image processing, chip development, choice of sensors and day/night lenses, allows the camera to maintain focus during daylight and infrared light and heralds a new generation of surveillance cameras with outstanding performance. The fixed network camera delivers progressive scan image quality at D1 (720 x 576) resolution, in both indoor and outdoor applications, where light is poor.

The advanced Lightfinder technology will be especially beneficial in demanding video surveillance applications, such as construction sites, parking lots, perimeter and city surveillance. In contrast to conventional day/night cameras which switch to black & white in darkness, AXIS Q1602 can maintain colors even in very dark conditions. There are many situations where surveillance video with color is an important factor for successful identification, and this capability greatly enhances the user’s ability to effectively identify people, vehicles and incidents. In many cases, IR illuminators are not required due to the camera’s extreme light sensitivity, which reduces installation costs.

As part of a large roll-out of new cameras, Axis Communications announced the new P5522 and P5522-E. The main and most important feature of these cameras are its price point. Meant to fill the void for affordable yet feature rich true Pan/Tilt/Zoom cameras, Axis decided to slightly scale down their already prominent Axis P5532. The Axis P5532 boasts a huge 29x optical zoom which in some applications may simply be overkill. Bringing the optical zoom down to 18x but still retaining the rest of the impressive features of the P5532, the Axis P5522 was born. This model will fit in perfectly where an application requires a rock solid PTZ, but has needs to stay within a tight budget. Again, this model brings with it all the features that make Axis products lead the market such as H.264 Compression, Power over Ethernet and simple integration.  Availability is slated for Q2, 2011.

Another great addition to the Axis IP Camera family was announced today. Again, aiming at affordable IP Surveillance, Axis Communications is expanding the M31 series to include Outdoor Ready, or IP66 rated Network Cameras. Previously the only model in the P31 series was the Rugged M3113-R and M3114-R intended for mobile applications where moderate vibration was present. From there Axis added a thick skin, and wrapped in a water/dust tight coat to make these IP66 rated. The Axis M3113-VE will be standard resolution while the Axis M3114-VE will boast Progressive or HD resolution. Both models bring with it the industries new standards such as H.264 compression and Power over Ethernet. One of the biggest features found with these models are the shear size. Similar to Axis M5013 and Axis M5014, these camera are compact and provide discreet surveillance. We expect these to be available Q2 of 2011.