GoodTill

I was doing a search thru ebay and found this. Does anyone know anything about it?
He wants 40 bucks for them and has 400 of them. He also has a listing with a telephoto lens and a b/w board



Panasonic™ ZE55012

Ultra small ¼" Color CCD DSP camera



Configuration

The following items are included with each camera

* Color board camera
* Camera Lens Holder
* Glass lens in metallic holder
* Lens is pre-focused at the factory
* Removable Lens is locked with setscrew & lock-tite



Camera Specifications

(1) Image Sensor: ¼" 250K pixel Interline Transfer CCD

Effective pixel: 512(H) X 492(V)

(2) Scanning system: 2:1 Interlace 525 lines, 60 fields

(3) Sync system: Internal Only (HD VD synchronization)

(4) Video Output: NTSC Color; EIA, 1 Vp-p/75Ohms

(5) Minimum Illumination: 5 Lux @ F 2.0

(6) H. Resolution: 330 TV lines; measured with 53mm glass lens

(7) S/N ratio: more than –46dB(at AGC off)

(8) Power Consumption: DC 5.0 V, 160 ma

(9) Weight: Camera board Approximately 8 g.

(10) External Terminal: 6 pin Connector

1 – Power input

2 – Ground

3 – Video Output

4 – Ground

5 – 12C SCL (serial clock)

6 – 12C SDA (serial data)

(11) Lens: 2.9 mm focal length F 2.0, 71.9 degrees horizontal,

53.7 degrees vertical

(12) MTBF – (mean time between failures). The calculated MTBF for this camera configuration is 90,000 hours.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=3084034214

Mike

lvspark

Looks decent, but 5 lux is not very good, and I wouldn't consider 330lines of res a high res camera.. If it is ccd, the picture would be pretty good if you had good lighting conditions... The 2.9mm lense would give a wide angle and distant objects would be very small even when you are not far away.. In a security application this camera would cover a 20x20 room pretty well.

billmi

Pretty decent price for a color camera like that.

For comparison, lines of horizontal resolution is the way the horizontal resolution in video is measured - it's as close as there is to an analog equivalent of the width in pixels in a computer image - though it's not exactly the same - it still allows for fading of brighness between the lines which pixels do not.

330 lines puts you right at the resolution of UHF/VHF/Cable broadcast video. For comparison, VHS video can handle only 280 lines, and Hi8 tapes can usually go a bit over 400.

GoodTill

Well I ordered one. It will be a backup to my 161. As for the 5 lux, all the ones I have seen are 5 lux for CCD. I should have it monday or tuesday. The wireing looks the same as my 161, so I should be able to just plug in.

Mike

yb2normal

Goodtill,

Does the camera come with a cable? It wasn't obvious from the description.

Thanks,
Bill

GoodTill

Bill
I dont think so. I dosn't say in the listing. The guy selling it works for March Electronics in Bohemia, NY.

http://www.marchelectronics.com/

They are an electronics distributor that sell panasonic medical equipment. I guess this is a CCD from a Panasonic camera.

I have not been able to track down the part number, it could be an internal part number.

Fubar-One

My Feedback: (1)

Bought one too.
Couldnt pass it up!

muc

Hi All,

It is the Panasonic 161. It just has a different lens holder. A bit heavier at ~18 grams. Unfortunately there is no cable. I checked digi-key and Rock. Both had nothing. If you don't already have a cable then it may be tough to get one. I have to double check but I think the listings are incorrect. He may have the lens specs reversed on the auctions. The larger lens actually has a wider field of view, auction #3084035941. Wider than the standard Panasonic 161 lens. The smaller of the two lenses can't be pointed directly into the sun. Video goes completely black. Anyone know of a way to stop this from happening? Is there some kind of filter that can be placed in front of the lens or CCD sensor?

Mark

billmi

Yep, a neutral density filter.

The problem comes in finding one built to slip onto a microcameral lens mount - I've never seen one.

You can get neutral density filters at camera stores, that are larger in diameter - key it that the camera is looking through it to the outside world, when you mount it, and that there's no light source behind it to reflect light back to the lens.

Basically the concept is like putting sunglasses on your camera. It goes black when it sees the sun directly because it is being overloaded with light. The neutral density filter reduces the amount of light that gets to the camera. As long as the light when not pointed at the sun is enough for a good image, then you're in great shape.

Professional video cameras typically have an internal filter wheel with a selection of neutral density filters in different densities, to limit the light going into the CCD to optimal levels.

IA-Flyer

I need to stop looking for an engine and check this forum more often!

I’ve been looking around for second cable for my 161 so I could move it between planes easier (yes I’m cheap), with no luck what so ever. I just looked at the back of my 161 and they sure do look the same!
If anyone finds a source for cables and connectors let me know, I don’t think my soldering skills are “that good” wow those pins are small!

mr.rc-cam

Sadly, I learned the hard way on that issue. Based on the advertised lens specs, I bought the wider field-of-view version (auction 3084034214). On a practical level it is useless to me for R/C aerial usage (I don't want the telephoto-like narrow field-of-view lens).

I have sent emails to the seller explaining that I needed the camera with the lens specs that were advertised. I've advised him that his auction was in error and perhaps the two cameras' specs were backwards. The seller does not respond at all!

Hopefully the seller will eventually respond. In the meantime, I guess the camera I received can be used as a fancy paperweight ...

GoodTill

Rc-cam

Let me get this straight. The one with the long lens is the wider field of view and the one with the smaller lens is the telephoto?

I just got an email from him, I was going to order 2 more with the cables that he now has. Did you test the camera with the smaller lens.

The smaller on is item #3084034214 and the longer lens is item #3084035941


Mike

mr.rc-cam

I bought the e.bay #3084034214. It was advertised as 71.9 degrees horizontal x 53.7 degrees vertical. However, its FOV is MUCH less than that. Compared to my 53 degree CX161's that I own, it should be wider, but instead is the opposite and is very telephoto-like. My guess is that the specs were reversed from the other camera, but I cannot confirm that since I did not order his other offering.

The bad news is that he has not returned my emails. He is either on vacation or ignoring me. At this point I will assume I will hear from him so that I can confirm my findings and get a replacement. Fingers are crossed.

IA-Flyer

You should have a email form him already Mr. RC-CAM, if not email him agian.
Yep he said he received the wrong spec sheet from Panasonic so they were reversed.
He is making it right but was on the road last week, so I’m sure he will be replying to you shortly if he hasn’t already.
I’m keeping the tight lens model also because I want to try switching between the wide and narrow lens cameras in the air.

Jim

mr.rc-cam

I have not heard a thing. I will send another (my third) email to him.

IA-Flyer

If you don’t have his phone number I can send it to you in a PM.
I'm sure he will take care of it for you. He's probably real busy and your 3 emails were hidden between my 4.


Hey, this is way off topic, and I can ask in a PM but would making a diversity receiver system be as simple as using a comparator to choose the highest voltage level among two receivers using the video or audio voltage level of the receivers?

TIA!
Jim

mr.rc-cam

Cyber-flyer's diversity system worked by comparing the RSSI outputs (the video or audio signal monitoring method will not work well). His simple implementation is very robust because of the mix of 2.4Ghz and 900Mhz tx's. The ground based diversity end has two 2.4Ghz and one 900Mhz receiver. It's a very clever scheme. More info: www.cyber-flyer.com

As far as the camera goes, I will wait to hear from him. If he is responding to your emails then it seems that he should be able to deal with mine too. We will see.

mr.rc-cam

Update: The e.bay camera seller has replied and confirmed that the two auctions have swapped specs. He will exchange the camera for me. Looks like a happy ending.

GoodTill

I just ordered 2 more of the wide field of veiw camera's. Now I have 1 of each and another for a buddy of mine.

Fubar-One

My Feedback: (1)

Chuck has been nothing but up front with me. I also got the wrong camera which turned out to have the 12mm lens which is a very narrow field of view but is something like a 5X zoom. Since I was looking at getting something like this in the first place the mix-up is not a problem for me.
However, he emailed me last week to let me know of the foul up (says the specs he was given were incorrect) and offered to either exchange the 55012 for a 55029 (2.9mm 53 degree field of view) if I wish or offered me a great deal on a 55029 if I wish. Too good a deal to pass up, I might add, so I will be purchasing a second camera from him. He also has the plugs for these in stock now at something like $3.25 ea or less if you buy quantity.
I have tested the zoom cam briefly in the garage and it is definitely a zoom lens. I used a spray bottle of alchohol I keep on the bench for the test subject. The CX-161 shows the entire bench while the 55012 showed just the spray bottle fairly closeup. I can use this!
I first heard of the camera mixup in both PM's and emails last week but Chuck also emailed me later that night to explain what happened and has been in contact with me since.
Give the guy a chance, he will make good!
On a side note, both the CX-161 and the 550XX cameras will plug and play with the same plug setup. I just unplugged my CX-161 and plugged in the 55012 and it came right up.
I am also in the process of buying another camera from Chuck if that is any indication of how I trust the guy.

Fubar-One

My Feedback: (1)

Great!

ghjr

My Feedback: (1)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=48629

Item# 3088791411 if the link chokes.

"cable assembly that will work with all Panasonic 1/4" CCD DSP board cameras including the ZE-55019, ZE-55012, ZE-55029, & GP-CX161"

222 left

Question is will he combine shipping with cameras purchaced

GoodTill

I don't think you will have a problem with him combining stuff. I have ordered 3 cameras from him and the wire and they were all shipped for 1 price.

Mike

IA-Flyer

I put one of the cameras on my video stick today to try it out.
Wow.
Nice.
I’ll try to post a short video of the flight later, but I was very impressed.

Fubar-One

My Feedback: (1)

I dont see why not. He is including them in the same package as the camera I just bought. Email and ask him. He has been great to work with in my opinion.