This is a high quality PTZ with what I would call a middle of the road zoom power. It's pretty powerful on the zooming, but the magnification power isn't so high that the camera is going to cost you $1500 but it's not to low too be virtually unnoticeable either. Our company uses this camera in its security camera system for outside surveillance of our building and parking lot and it works very well. The camera can hold its own in low light conditions as well, especially when you switch from color to the black and white mode. (It's rated at 0.1 LUX in color and 0.0002 LUX in black and white). Our parking lot is always lighted at night so it isn't even an issue for us. We can get some fairly challenging Winter weather here and the camera operates well under cold conditions (like the Winter we just had) here. It has a built in heater fan that runs continuously to keep things from freezing up inside. We do own a Security Camera King Ultimate series DVR and this camera works very well with it. The 3D mouse oriented controlling works very well. (You just point and click on your monitor screen where you want the camera to tilt or pan to and it goes there. Drag a rectangle around an area and the camera goes there and zooms in. It's nice if you like the idea of eliminating a PTZ joystick controller. On the other hand, if you prefer the joystick you may not care for this feature but you can still use the controller too.) I like the idea of the safety cable that keeps the camera module connected to the mount when servicing. It's a nice touch to help prevent a $600 camera from smashing to the pavement when you are working on it.

As a CCTV technician and independent contractor I'm always happy when I can get a camera with the Sony Super HAD II Effio DSP chip combination, let alone when I can get it in a PTZ because I know the quality of the video is going to be great. This PTZ has a color resolution of 600 TVL and a black and white resolution of 700 TVL. It also has a pretty high quality optical stack as far as the 23X zoom lens is concerned so it provides a nice, clear, detailed video without any flaws. I've had no problems at all with mounting and the camera includes a built in heater and fan since it is rated at IP67 for outdoor use and it includes 4000V lightning and surge protection. My customers like this type of PTZ especially when they purchase or already own Security Camera King DVRs because they can use the 3D intelligent positioning which can virtually eliminate the need for a joystick controller. Basically, all you have to do is pint and click the mouse to move the camera or click and drag the mouse to form a rectangle and the camera will move to that location and zoom in automatically. When it comes to following objects, especially people, this 3D intelligent positioning makes it very easy. It's got a pretty good handle on true day/night vision too with the color mode rated at a minimum of only 0.1 LUX of light needed and the black and white mode at a whopping 0.0002 LUX! As far as the other electronic features you'd expect, they are all there. From an installers perspective I also like the metal wound safety wire or cable that is clipped to the camera body and mount. It helps keeps you from dropping a $500+ camera and smashing it to pieces on the ground or floor below while you are making adjustments and performing the installation.

This is an excellent Pan Tilt and Zoom camera for the price. The camera has many features but I will begin with what I think are the top three. First the camera has a 23X optical zoom. This zoom can bring distant objects closer and it can really "pick out" smaller items at a closer distance. The zoom lens itself is fast and responsive also. In addition to the 23X optical zoom, the camera also has a 10X digital zoom. These means that for every "tick" of digital zoom that is used the maximum optical zoom is increased by a factor of 10. Therefore, the camera has a combined overall optical and digital zoom power of 230X. However, to be realistic, after about the first couple of ticks of digital zoom it really doesn't behave like an actual zoom any more the picture just gets larger. (Imagine looking at a TV up close with a magnifying glass). The second best feature of this camera is the 700 TVL resolution. I can't say this with absolute certainty, but as far as I know this is the greatest resolution you can get from a color analog camera at the current time. The resolution helps to see pretty small details and when you combine this with the 23X zoom it is really quite amazing. The resolution, sharpness, and vibrant colors all contribute to an outstanding video picture. The third most impressive feature on this camera is the 3D intelligent positioning. If you've never operated an older PTZ camera it may be more difficult for you to appreciate how much better this really is. Older analog cameras usually required the use of a joystick control which may be a little quirky to operate. With Security Camera King's 3Dntelligent positioning if you have a Security Camera King DVR all you have to do is draw a rectangle around an area on the monitor and the camera will automatically reposition itself and zoom in on the object to center it on the screen. Of course the camera has many other beneficial features too, like an included outdoor wall mount, built in lightning and surge protection and a built in heater fan. It's a good camera and I would recommend it to others.

I don't write reviews a whole lot been when I can I do especially for on-line items because it has always helped me to make a decision to go with a product. It's usually not the sole deciding factor but I know it helps. Also, when I do write a review, I hate to write one of those short "It's great!" one liners and I also hate to give the product an "all over rosy" review like it's the best in the world. Seldom do I find a product that I can't point out something wrong with, especially in the security camera industry. But I have to admit, I can't find it on this Security Camera King 23X 700 TVL PTZ Security Camera, product # PTZ-EL700L23X, especially when it is used with a Security Camera King DVR. First of all the camera has a recording resolution of 600 TVL color and 700 TVL black and white. (I know I could pick on the color resolution not being a "full" 700TVL but remember this camera costs less than $650!). And talking about extra expense, there isn't one necessary for an outdoor wall mount because one is included in the package with the camera at no extra charge. The camera has a great 23X optical zoom which can really pull things in close (it has a 10X digital zoom but I'm not really crazy about digital zooms anyway--hey, there a negative!). It's extremely quick to react the specs say something like .1 to 300 degrees of pan speed per second and 0 120 degrees of tilt speed per second. Its a great outdoor PTZ as it comes with lightening surge protection, a built in heater and a blower. It's got all kinds of features that you can set on the On Screen Display menu, which can be operated from a typical RS485 wire pair connection to your DVR and if you have a Security Camera King DVR you can even use the buttons on the DVR to control the camera. It also has what they call their "3D Intelligent " positioning using a mouse. Basically you point and click on the monitor screen where you want the camera to go with the mouse and it sips there. Click and drag a rectangle on the screen with the mouse and the camera automatically zooms in. The camera even comes with a small "safety" cable that attaches the camera body to the mount so if you need to open it up, you won't drop it and smash it on the pavement. I know it works well for us, and we will continue to use it and I will continue to recommend its use to others.

We bought a Security Camera King DVR and some cameras back about a year ago for our business office building. We had a few extra unused channels on our DVR and after getting some bouts of vandalism in our parking lot, we thought it was time to add a PTZ. Since we installed our original system ourselves we thought we could do the same with the PTZ camera. We purchased the Security Camera King 23X 700 TVL PTZ Security Camera and received it in 3 or 4 days after we ordered it. It arrived at our doorstep in a nice box, professionally packaged so it would not incur shipment damage. Our parking lot is basically on one side of our building but so we could see a little on that side and an adjoining side we mounted the camera using the included wall mount on the side of the building near the end, up toward the roof. I have to admit, we've had it now about 5 months and it works like a charm! The 700 TVL color resolution picture is like watching a regular video camera to me. The PTZ movements are smooth and quick and even though the PTZ weighs about 15 pounds it doesn't shake or vibrate on the mount. It works well with our Security Camera King DVR including using the mouse to position the camera and the buttons on the front of our DVR to operate the On Screen Display. In addition to all that, the camera comes with its own built in heater and fan that run continuously. Thank goodness for that because we get some pretty cold days up here. Excellent quality camera that performs as expected. You won't be disappointed with this one.

It really isn't an exaggeration to call this camera smart or intelligent. We own a Security Camera King DVR and this PTZ camera works wonderfully with it. Not only do the buttons on our DVR control most of the cameras features but being able to use a mouse to position and zoom the camera makes it easy for anyone to operate and demonstrates the "intelligence" that I reference. All you really have to do to use this feature is point and click with your mouse and the camera automatically goes to the area that you clicked on your monitor. Draw a rectangle by clicking and dragging and the camera not only goes to that position but zooms in on the area as well. Speaking of zoom, the 23X optical zoom works very well and really brings far away objects close. Couple that with the 700 TVL color resolution and you can pick up some incredible detail as well as small objects. The camera has all the electronic features you'd expect like white balance, presets, touring, and scanning. The camera has it's own built in heater and blower too as well as a 24 VAC power supply. It also comes with it's own wall mount (there's a little savings) and even has a "smart" cable that attaches the camera casing to the mount to keep from dropping it when opening the case while it is mounted. We use this camera continuously and haven't had any failures or trouble. It's a good quality camera with a good quality video capture.

This is a nice PTZ camera with a good picture and great control. The reason why I say it is a "True" Security Camera King camera is because it was designed to get the most advantage out of the camera by using it with Security Camera King DVRs. Not that you can't use it with other DVRs (it uses Pelco -D, Pelco-P, and DH-SD protocols), but it does work best with Security Camera King DVRs. The reason why is because this camera works with their DVRs using "3D intelligent positioning." Instead of fiddling with joysticks or buttons or struggling with infrared remote controls, you can control this PTZ by simply using the USB mouse on your DVR. It's pretty simple too; just click the mouse and draw a rectangle on the object that you want to center and the camera does the rest! The PTZ automatically moves (Pans or Tilts) and then Zooms in on the object to center it on your screen. Of course you can still use the standard PTZ control methods as well. The camera features a 700 TVL resolution 23X optical zoom (10X digital) and has a built in heater and fan to keep things from freezing up. It also is rated for outdoor use and is protected to 4000V of lightning and surge protection. Definitely a good quality camera with a lot to offer.

Maybe I should say "hard to the core." This camera has got just about everything that you need in a PTZ camera It's got great recording resolution at 700 TVL and a zoom that can really bring things close at a power of 23X (it also has an additional 10X digital zoom). The optical zoom is pretty strong yet the included wall mount is solid and sturdy enough that when the camera is extended to its full optical zoom it doesn't pick up any significant movement of the mount. This PTZ comes with Security Camera King's intelligent positioning and many other features that make it truly outstanding. This is definitely a quality instrument and well worth the investment.

When you start talking about the PTZ-EL700L23X PTZ camera your talking about the beginning of some serious PTZ cameras. Although this camera does not cost in the thousands of dollars range, it performs like one. I use this with my Security Camera King Ultimate DVR and it works absolutely great. The 700 TVL resolution produces a fine quality color picture and the camera has a 23X physical zoom to allow you to get in close on objects. Furthermore, the camera also comes with an electronic digital 10X zoom which can give you a total virtual zoom of 230X. It's got a built in heater and blower that help keep things from freezing up when you use this camera in cold climates like we do. Plus, it's protected up to 4000 volts with lightning surge protection. The camera was easy to mount and install and using the Security Camera King DVR at least, it is also easy to operate.

Our guard "shack" is actually located smack dab in the middle of the plant's property. It would be a good vantage point for the security personnel if we had 360 degree windows and no other objects in the way. However, using the 23x PTZ 700 TVL camera we solved this problem. We securely mounted a 4 x 4 to the side of our building and mounted the camera at the top. We have the camera mounted high enough that it can "see" over all the objects that would normally be in our "line of sight" path and it covers all 360 degrees without a hitch. Since the camera is rated IP67 and has a heater/blower and 4000V lightning surge protection we're not too worried about the manner in which we have mounted it. Generally, we let the camera run on a pre-programmed set scan tour and we don't touch it unless we see something that catches our eye. It's almost like having an extra security employee. If we do see something, we'll stop the scan and use the 3D intelligent positioning (use our mouse to draw a rectangle around the area or object) to zoom in and follow. The 700 TVL resolution shows some really good detail and when you combine this with the 23X zoom you can really "pick things out." Excellent camera.