In August of 2013, Canon President and CEO Fujio Mitarai made a statement that ?a major focus for the next phase is increasing our business-to-business (B2B) sales, and of course security cameras ? which is a huge market ? is part of that.? [ Read Here ] With the release of the new Canon S-series network IP-cameras, that focus seems very sharp indeed. The S-series cameras consist of four compact models that pack generous features and functionality into quality offerings.
Three mini-dome and one box IP-camera make up the new indoor S-series, consisting of the VB-S30D, VB-S31D, VB-S800D, and the VB-S900F. The D models are the mini-domes with the F model being the fixed box unit. Although the video quality is excellent for outdoor recording, all four units are sold as indoor units as they do not have IP or IK ratings nor other protections from the elements.
VB-S900F Indoor Image
Watch The Canon VB-S900F Indoor Camera Walk-Through Video Review
SecurityHive ?whether for indoor or outdoor classified cameras? always generate indoor and outdoor camera-focus tests for these reviews. You can review the indoor and outdoor videos samples below. [Please note that you may wish to download the original camera video as the zip file at the end of this article. The web-compatible video that you are able to play here has been transcoded to play on the web.]
Watch The Canon VB-S31D Indoor Walk-Through Video Review
Which Camera Is Best For You?
With four models that generate excellent video output, which of the four cameras would best suit your needs? Of course, every user is different and their surveillance needs differ as well, so one would need to determine placement and coverage areas and top reasons when selecting the right Canon S model. If you need to hang a camera high on a wall or on the ceiling, the Canon VB-S30D, VB-S31D, or VB-800D would be a good choice. If you need a lightweight camera to ?shoot straight? in small areas, then the VB-S900F could be your best choice.
Watch The Canon VB-S30D Indoor Video Walk-Through Video Review
Video Quality
Let?s face it; at the end of the day, it comes down to the quality of the live and recorded video. In the case of the Canon S-series, the quality of the video is very impressive. As you can see in the test videos, the video from all four of the Canon S-series IP-cameras is clean, crisp, and sharp. Canon is very proud of their DIGIC DV III image processor along with the DIGIC NET II processor. You really do need to appreciate the quality of video that is produced by these compact lightweight units.
Two of the units, the VB-S31D and the VB-S800D have fixed focal lens of 2.7mm. The VB-S30D has 2.25 (W) – 7.88mm (T) focal length, while the VB-S900F the 2.7mm with 4x digital zoom. With these focal lengths, the S-series cameras deliver between 77- and 96-degree of horizontal viewing area.
Therefore, with these smaller focal lengths, the S-series IP-cameras are not optimized to deliver the sharpest of details at any great depth. As you can see from the indoor and outdoor camera-focus test walkthroughs, one can identify the camera-focus boards at the initial 10? distance. However, reading the details at 25? and beyond becomes unattainable. Remember that the VB-S900F has 4x zoom and the VB-S30D is a PTZ IP-camera, so if you need to zoom in on objects, people, license plates, you may need to get one of the S-series models with zoom capability.
Lighting Issues:
As you watch through the S-series camera-focus videos, you will notice the indoor tests are conducted under ?typical? house lighting. The video quality is clean and delivers 20/50 vision at a distance of 10 feet from the camera. But make sure to notice the clarity of the image from edge to edge with this wide view. When the focus-boards are moved back to 25? feet with no additional lighting it is either impossible or nearly so to make out details.
Watch The Canon VB-S800D Indoor Video Walk-Through Video Review
Keep in mind we did not go out of our way to make these tests clear. We strive to run all of our IP-camera review tests through the same indoor and outdoor camera-focus settings under typical (natural) lighting conditions.
Although these cameras are not outdoor cameras, you can get another representation of the video quality by the outdoor lighting. Your video quality will be determined by your lighting conditions.
Features and Functionality
All four of the S-series IP-cameras are POE, ONVIF Profile S conformant, 1-year warranty, auto and manual day night switching, as well as 2.5mm audio-in mini-jacks. Another professional feature of the S-series units is the built in video analytics including: Moving Object Detection; Removed Object Detection; Abandoned Object Detection; and Passing Detection. The VMS system utilizing these IP-cameras will need to take advantage of these features as well as the Privacy Mask feature also included in each model. Below are some of the specification highlights of the individual S-series IP-cameras:
Canon VB-S900F IP-Camera:
Watch the VB-S900F Box Open Video
Street Price US$375 (as of April 20, 2014)
Micro Box Full HD Network Camera
Dimensions: 2.13″H x 1.26″W x 4.49″D
Weight: Approx. 180 grams ( .39 lb. )
Video Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (2MP @ 30FPS)
Image Sensor: 1/3 type CMOS Sensor
Focal Length: 2.7 mm fixed focal length lens (4x digital zoom)
Horizontal Viewing Angle: 96