Ultrawide SL183 Lens Examined

Published Sep 03, 2010 00:00 AM
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Theia has announced a new addition [link no longer available] to their ultawide angle lens lineup - the SL183 [link no longer available]. This note examines its positioning and differences from Theia's existing lenses [link no longer available].

  • The SL183 is Theia's first varifocal lens offering a focal length of 1.8 to 3.0 mm providing a Horizontal FoV of approximately 85-110 degrees (depending on imager size of camera). The varifocal capability allows for optimizing the specific field of view for customer's preferences.
  • The lens is designed to stay in focus even if you change the magnification/zoom. They are referring to this as Truezoom (and is similar to SLR zoom lens functionality). The lens is not motorized and cannot be controlled remotely by the camera.
  • The lens is moderately shorter than other Theia lenses (50mm vs 56mm or 59mm for other Theia lenses). Theia reports that this will allow the lens to better fit in some dome housings.
  • The SL183 is rated for 5MP resolution.
  • The SL183 is positioned as a complement to to their existing lenses. While those lenses provide wider FoV, this lens provides varifocal capability and a smaller form factor.
  • The MSRP of the SL183 is $299. The SY110 [link no longer available] has an MSRP of $248 (similar max focal length but fixed focal length). The SY125 [link no longer available] has an MSRP of $440 (widest FoV offered).

For more information on Theia, review our test results on their widest lens - the SY125M.