Subscriber Discussion

Whimsical Box Camera Options (Parson Animals)

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Ari Erenthal
Mar 26, 2014
Chesapeake & Midlantic

If you ask what form factor they'd prefer the cameras to be, and the customer responds "whimsical", well, now there are options.

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Ethan Ace
Mar 26, 2014

I'm not even going to pretend I don't love these.

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Brian Rhodes
Mar 26, 2014
IPVMU Certified

Truly bizarre! It's the intersection of Patch Adams and 1984.

JH
John Honovich
Mar 26, 2014
IPVM

Is that for real or is it a joke?

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Ari Erenthal
Mar 26, 2014
Chesapeake & Midlantic

Try ordering one and see?

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Ross Vander Klok
Mar 26, 2014
IPVMU Certified

No ordering info. I work for a company that would actually buy something like this too....

KL
Keefe Lovgren
Mar 26, 2014
IPVMU Certified

I am shocked at how life like they actually look, they would fool any "real" animal or any would be intruder. I am thinking about getting the squirrel and mounting it in the corner of our office, right next to our avigilon micro dome, it will be an addition to our "discrete" lineup of cameras.

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Brian Rhodes
Mar 26, 2014
IPVMU Certified

That combo would look like this:

KL
Keefe Lovgren
Mar 26, 2014
IPVMU Certified

i'm dying... that is hilarious...

CP
Carlton Purvis
Mar 26, 2014

They are real. I talked to the designer about a month ago about doing an interview, but she is still traveling in Europe and wants to wait until she's settled down.

AL
Andrew Lund
Mar 26, 2014

Those are fantastic. Please keep the group posted on any updates you receive.

CP
Carlton Purvis
Mar 26, 2014

Will do. I actually contacted her again by email today to see if she's be up for doing an interview by email.

MI
Matt Ion
Mar 26, 2014

Let me know if she branches out into steampunk designs, I know some people who would be totally into that.

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Carl Lindgren
Mar 26, 2014

Something like this?

LM
Luke Maslen
Mar 27, 2014
IPVMU Certified

Hi Ari, I'm curious. How did you find out about these cameras? I can't even find any info on their site to say they are cameras or camera housings, and Google didn't find any other info for me. I've been looking for attractive housings so this is of great interest. Thank you for your post.

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Ari Erenthal
Mar 27, 2014
Chesapeake & Midlantic

I say it on Gizmodo, who linked to it from an industrial design site.

LM
Luke Maslen
Mar 28, 2014
IPVMU Certified

Thank you for the direct links Ari. There are some detailed photos on the industrial design site. I'll be interested to learn what kind of cameras might fit in the animal housings.

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Ari Erenthal
May 14, 2014
Chesapeake & Midlantic

Now taking preorders, apparently.

Wired has a story on these housings, with obligatory reference to 1984. Some surveillance manufacturer needs to commision a movie or TV show or something where the CCTV installer is a good guy.

RW
Rukmini Wilson
May 14, 2014

Some surveillance manufacturer needs to commision a movie or TV show or something where the CCTV installer is a good guy.

Why don't you get the ball rolling by selling the big screen rights to your 'NY Confessional' to one of the majors? (Sony?). Maybe see if Clooney's 'people' are interested in the lead role, unless you have time for a cameo...;)

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Ross Vander Klok
May 14, 2014
IPVMU Certified

Any idea on price?

ST
Seth Thompson
May 20, 2014

prob like 50 million depending on location of the movie shoot.

if we do it low budget it may not attract enought viewers to offset the cost...

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Jeffrey Hinckley
May 27, 2014

It will not take long for this idea to get ripped off and be mass produced. It is a novel idea, though, especially for theme parks and public parks. Do they come in goofy, donald, and Mickey for my local daycares.

JH
John Honovich
May 27, 2014
IPVM

Evidently, they are ONVIF compatible as well...

I don't see any update or news on how to order them. However, this might be a real opportunity for a real manufacturer to create something like this.

Though I still think it's absurd as it will require a box camera and the black / smoked lens area is going to seriously undermine low light performance.

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Brian Rhodes
Jun 17, 2014
IPVMU Certified

If you are at IFSEC, you can see these on the floor at stand F1752:

LM
Luke Maslen
Jun 17, 2014
IPVMU Certified

A PTZ version would be fun!

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Brian Rhodes
Jun 17, 2014
IPVMU Certified

Now there's a thought...

What animal looks like a PTZ?

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Richard Lavin
Jun 17, 2014
Salas O'Brien • IPVMU Certified

Maybe one eye could be the camera and the other could be an IR emitter?

Although, if it is realistic enough, your fat gorilla might actually provide some deterrence value.

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Richard Lavin
Jun 25, 2014
Salas O'Brien • IPVMU Certified

Looks like I was wrong about the deterence value of the 800-pound gorilla cam. Instead of detering criminals, they attract cheerleaders.

JH
John Honovich
Jun 19, 2014
IPVM

Pricing for these cameras are almost unbelievable - ~$2,300 and up (volume discounts apply)

Here's the price list.

Parson emphasizes that, "The production is entirely hand-made by Italian artisans, and they are composed entirely of cast aluminum."

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Luis Carmona
Jun 19, 2014
Geutebruck USA • IPVMU Certified

Whoa! I'd think you could get a local artist to paint a box or dome housing and add on some nice accents for a lot, lot less.

LM
Luke Maslen
Jun 19, 2014
IPVMU Certified

Now the astronomical pricing has been revealed, I don't find this thread funny anymore.

Forget Pelco. I want Dahua to acquire Parson and produce this product at a sensible price!

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Ari Erenthal
Jun 19, 2014
Chesapeake & Midlantic

I can buy regular housings and some paint and some brushes and glitter and pipe cleaners and popsicle sticks and whatever, and then drive down to Bay Ridge or Bensonhurst and ask random Italians if they'd like to be artisans and pay them to paint the housings for me for less than $2,300.

I should probably film it for YouTube, too.

RW
Rukmini Wilson
Jun 19, 2014

Hand-made by Italian-american artisans! Fuggadaboutit!

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Ari Erenthal
Jun 19, 2014
Chesapeake & Midlantic

Hey, I heard you were in the market for surveillance cameras. Look how cute it looks! Yeah, no, it's basically a regular camera, no better or worse... but look at it! It looks like something Disney would make! No, yeah... yeah... $2,300. No, per camera. Uh huh... uh huh... well, I can get you a volume discount- but... uh huh... yeah, hand made by Italian artisans... no, I am being serious... no, but- hello?

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Luis Carmona
Jun 19, 2014
Geutebruck USA • IPVMU Certified
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Ross Vander Klok
Jun 25, 2014
IPVMU Certified

Dang it! I was actually interested in these too......

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Jun 26, 2014

This is awesome.

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Joseph Marotta
Jul 15, 2014
IPVMU Certified

This could be a good sell for daycare and kindergarten schools. I'm working on a high-end art school where these would be a great replacement for all of the standard interior domes. But the price just isn't anywhere close to being affordable... unless of course you're Bill Gates.

Hay Parson, just a suggestion; consider substituting the cast aluminum with vandal resistant plastic to help make it more affordable.

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Brian Rhodes
Jul 15, 2014
IPVMU Certified

I'm being halfway serious. Why couldn't an enterprising installer just load up on cheap plastic animals from the dollar store and make something work?

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