Extreme HD PTZ Series (Moog/Videolarm)

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Brian Rhodes
•Published Oct 04, 2012 00:00 AM
PUBLIC - This article does not require an IPVM subscription. Feel free to share.

Want a bullet resistant, pressurized or explosion proof High Definition PTZ? Until today, one had to buy a third party enclosure and assemble it themself. Now, Specialty housings manufacturer Moog/Videolarm is releasing an in one kits to solve this. Does the offering make financial sense, or are buyers better off piecing together their own units? We dig into the details in this note.

EXO IP Series

While the announcement of six extreme-use camera kits marks Moog's first venture into the IP camera business, the company has been a mainstay vendor of speciality housings for years. Traditionally, the company has OEM'd outdoor housings for camera makers and sold 'unique purpose' enclosures for special applications under their own brand. 

In all cases, the EXO IP 'kit' pairs an existing Moog housing with a factory installed PTZ camera. The different enclosure options are built to meet environment-specific applications, including: 

  • Corrosive Environments
  • Bullet Resistant
  • Explosion Proof Environments
  • High Impact/Vandal Resistant
  • Pressurized Domes for Hazardous Environment
  • Surface Mount Vandal Resistant
The manufacturer's promotional video below provides an overview of the series models and planned applications:

Aside from the different housing configurations, the PTZ camera included in the kit is the same unit across the series:

Camera Specifications

  • Sony OEM
  • 1080P (1920x1080) Resolution
    --
  • Day/Night rated, with IR cutfilter/ WDR feature
  • 20X Optical Zoom
  • SDHC Memory Slot
  • No POE support: 24 VAC or 120/220 VAC depending on model
  • ONVIF compliant
  • Camera is rated for temperature ranges of -58°F to 165°F (-50°C to 74°C)
  • NEMA TS2 vibration resistance rated
  • Surge Protection for both Ethernet and Power Inputs

VMS Support

While Moog lacks direct 3rd party support, it is using ONVIF to provide VMS integration. ONVIF has extensive adoption [link no longer available] how well it works with each VMS, especially for PTZ controls remains a material risk. However, the manufacturer claims that integration with major platforms like Genetec, Exacq, and Milestone are in development. 

Because the camera is a Sony OEM, an alternative method of VMS support is to simply use Sony camera drivers. Moog does not officially support this method, however Sony equipment generally has broad and full featured driver support with 3rd party VMS platforms.

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For either method, we recommend testing integration of these cameras with your preferred VMS to ensure no key interoperability issues exist, especially for PTZ controls.

EXO Variant Details and Pricing

Cost varies according to the specific enclosure type. The housing types are listed below, along with a brief explanation of their use and list price:

  • Pressurized (EXPF7C2-3): Sealed with an inert gas to prevent vapor and dust from infiltrating the dome in dirty or industrial environments. Street price: ~$4,000 USD
  • Stainless Steel (EXSS7C2-3): Built of 316 Stainless Steel for corrosion resistance, and IP67 rated against liquid infiltration for washdown environments like food processing. Street price: ~$4,500 USD
  • Rugged (EXRH7C2-3): IK10 Rated cast aluminum pendant housing and polycarbonite dome designed for high vandal risk environments. Street price: ~$3,500 USD
  • Surface Mount (EXSM7C2-3): A flush/wall mount version of the above pendant mount model. Flush mount design makes prying difficult. Street price: ~$4,000 USD
  • Purge Dome (EXPD7C1-3): NEMA 4x rated for Class 1/Div 2 and Class 2/Div 2 explosive environments. Installation of this product requires a source of inert gas to maintain positive pressure. Street price: ~$10,500 USD
  • Bullet Resistant (EXBD10C1-3): Heavy-duty steel enclosure and free-spinning dome are UL 752 - Level 1 rated against handgun calibers up to 9mm. Street price: ~$8,000 USD

Pricing offered by Moog/Videolarm is preliminary at this point, and has not been formally released. Additionally, the manufacturer has indicated that the company's pricing scheme will be changing in the months ahead and will affect the current distribution markup model.

Comparison

The EXO cameras claim a wider temperature range, improved vibration resistance, and surge protection rarely found in other PTZs. However, Moog/Videolarm has previously offered housings equivalent to the EXO models for use with other cameras. 

Comparing the cost of combining other cameras with equivalent housings reveals lower pricing compared to buying the EXO kits. For example, take the Sony SNCEP580 (FULL HD PTZ W/ 1080 HD, 1920x1080) with a street price of $2,300 and adding the housing yields the following results:

  • Bullet Resistant: $2,300 camera + DeputyDome housing (DDW10CN2) $5,500 = ~$7,800, compared to the ~$8,000 EXBD10C1-3 kit.
  • Explosion Proof: $2,300 camera + PurgeDome housing (PDW7CN9) $8,000 = ~$10,300, compared to the $10,500 EXPD7C1-3 kit.
  • Stainless Steel: $2,300 camera +  Fusion Stainless Steel Dome (SSDP75C2NY) $1,500 = ~$3,800, compared to the $4,300 EXSS7C2-3 kit.

Conclusion

In most cases, there is a slight to moderate cost advantage to assembling these kits yourself from housings and 3rd party cameras. However, the EXO line features broader temperature range, vibration tolerance, and surge suppression than other outdoor 1080P PTZ cameras and may be better suited for 'extreme' application/environments.