akelley

Thanks... don't know why this didn't come up in my search, and I actually now remember seeing these. I was actually hoping to see some video too if someone could provide that.

Hi, can anyone post a sample clip (or image) of the Q24 showing its low-light capability (both the B/W and color models)? I've searched all over for something like this and can't find one (not even on the Mobotix site). I'm trying to determine if I should go with the B/W version or if the color version is adequate for my low-light needs. A video clip showing motion would be the best if someone could produce one, but full resolution images would be useful too. Thanks in advance.

Without further details about your specific requirements, you should look at Mobotix cameras - they take the whole bandwidth and recording to a server out of the equation as the cameras can record directly on the camera (SD card) or can even record to a NAS. If that model doesn't meet your requirements, you'll need to look more specifically at what cameras will be at what MP and what fp will be acceptable. You'll also have to know if the network is dedicated to the security system traffic, or if other traffic will be on the same network (such as VoIP,etc.) - then you'll need to estimate network saturation on a full load. You may want to consider setting up multiple servers if all 25 cameras are streaming at MP+ 15fps or more. You'll also want to take into consideration number of clients accessing the realtime stream as well.

Thanks so much for posting this info! Looks like Mobotix will be releasing some good updates this year. Even though moving parts is one of Mobotix' major "no no's" in their camera designs, I do wish they would consider having optical zoom and IR cut filters in specific configurations. I understand the issue of the cut filter with regard to MP resolution and low light (at least I think I do), but I think an option to have decent optical zoom could be useful for specific situations.

The IP Academy MxInstaller Monthly newsletter has a small story on the release of a new low light Q24 model (see bottom right page 3 - http://www.theipacademy.com/files/MxinstallerMonthly_March2010.pdf). This model supposedly has a 1.3 MP BW sensor capturing down to .005 lux. No pricing or release date is provided. The Mobotix site does not mention this model in their product lineup yet or from what I can tell any announcements regarding this. I think the IP Academy is based out of Australia, so perhaps it's not available in the US yet? So, any of you Mobotix dealers out there have any further information on this (pricing, availability)? I'm assuming this model will work with external IR floods? Thanks

Thanks for the responses. Since the imager is 1.3MP I would also assume that it's priced a bit lower than the Day version which is 3 MP. I'll be interested to see what info comes out of the US Partnership Conference. It would be interesting to see if it would be possible to have dual imagers/lenses for Day/Night like the M series, but in the Q form factor.

I think you're preaching to the choir here. I don't think anyone is saying that IP MP cameras are the be all and end all of security and surveillance. Like any good product or technology, there is going to be sales hype (how else will we learn about the new stuff?). Our jobs (integrators and users) is to see through that and be knowledgeable about OUR needs and if this particular technology or product meets them. Yes, the hype is there, but so there is for analog products, which I would assume you are smart enough not to buy into either. The original poster was simply asking about Mobotix quality and people's experience. I don't recall him making any comments as to IP MP is better than analog. The answer to are "Mobotix cameras any good?", is yes. But you need to clearly define what YOUR requirements are to determine if they're good for YOU.

Simo, I second that request! If you could post pictures of your custom work on the Q24 I would also be interested in seeing that as well. I'm curious as to why you chose to conceal it even more. I mean, one of the benefits of the Q series is that they basically look like a speaker when mounted, so unless someone knew specifically, they would be hard pressed to know that it even was a camera. But anyway, yes, if you could provide remote access to the camera in an environment that provided both low light and normal (say in a room with windows that received natural light) that would provide me a great deal of "intel" on how it might work for myself or my clients. Much appreciation in advance!

Thanks - I have that demo CD too. I definitely wouldn't sell to a customer without trying myself, I just wish that there was a quicker (and cheaper way) to "play" with one myself. Yes, I will eventually buy one for myself that I can demo to potential clients. Right now I've only gotten one or two curious questions to which I had to honestly answer that I've never actually seen one (Q24) or used one in real-time. I just think that Mobotix could do a better job at evangelizing their product by actually making demo units available - it's a network camera for goodness sake; how hard can it be to hook it up to the 'net!?! I've actually been to Mobotix's NYC office and at that time they didn't have any demo Q22s in stock. I was able to see and demo some of the other models in their office, but again, none of them were accessible as demo units to the general public. And when I asked, they didn't have any answer. But I like their technology and the decentralization of the recording - I just wish they were more "demo" friendly.

As a Mobotix rep I would suggest that you let them know that there are probably many potential customers who will not make a decision on purchasing their product without first being able to access a live demo. For those of us looking for just two or three cameras, it may be a small price in Mobotix's eyes (thus to not warrant setting up a demo model), but $2-4K is a significant investment for these clients. In my opinion, it's those small, but happy customers, that lead to positive word of mouth that wind up letting the company get the big deals later down the road.

I think it's not about "knowing" but about seeing in live action. I've inquired of several dealers and none have a demo model set up so that prospective customers could login and see for themselves how features actually work - it's one thing to read a spec sheet and another to actually see how it's implemented. Is the rationale that because these cameras are MP that bandwidth limitations (of the customer's connection) might degrade the performance so much that Mobotix would rather control the environment for demos to ensure the performance of their product meets a certain standard? I guess that might make sense, but then for those looking to see the performance of remote monitoring, this would not allow for that.

Quick question on the Mobotix cameras as I can't seem to figure the answer out by reading the spec sheet on their site. Can any or all of these cameras operate WITHOUT a network connection? Of course, I realize you wouldn't be able to view them remotely without the network, but would they continue to record to their internal SD card? Two reasons I ask: for areas that do not have network access but you still want to record, can these cameras do that (assuming you can power them other than PoE), and two, in the case the network goes down (and the switch is still sending power over the Cat5) will they continue to record?

I am not a dealer of the Mobotix line or a dealer for any other CCTV manufacturer. Sorry if I gave that impression. I'm in the IT industry and more of my clients are inquiring about these types of service. I have installed some small jobs for existing clients using Panasonic, Sony, Axis, and Canon. I'm now educating myself on other brands likes Mobotix and Arecont Vision. I definitely understand about dealer pricing and the agreements you have to make with manufacturers on pricing. I was simply saying that MSRP or Retail is a tough "sell" in this economy for both the end user and the dealer. Which hopefully, as a dealer, you will pass on to Mobotix head quarters. I'm also aware of prices you're allowed to advertise publicly versus those that you can actually sell at. Thewireguys, I didn't mean any disrepsect to you or meant to insinuate that you were trying to price gouge. The original poster had mentioned that he was looking for more than one unit, and typically, you can get further discuounts on volume purchases. That was why I thought you were joking when you quoted full retail.

I'm also looking for decent prices on some Mobotix cameras and wouldn't be interested in buying them at list price - that's a tough sell to my clients when they find out I marked them up higher than they could buy them. Times are tough, but no one should expect to get full retail, or pay have to pay it. I'm hoping thewireguys response was a joke

Griffonsystems, thanks for that info - very helpful. You mention about being able to in the future use the SD card as the ring buffer as opposed to the internal 64MB memory - is that actually a feature that you know is planned in a subsequent firmware upgrade? Voipmodo, the install location has power, but running cat5 would be costly to do right (outdoor rated cable and a number of local codes), so I thought wireless might be an option, but that has its own problems and in my opinion not as reliable. At this point I'm just looking to see if Mobotix is an option to present to the client. BTW, I posted in the classifieds that I was looking for either a used or demo model that I could purchase to do evaluations and testing - these cameras are expensive so I was opening to find some used and cheaper models to acquire for that purpose. So would any of you have such items for sale? And one other question if you don't mind I saw in another thread that many people have asked if the Q24 was going to be released in a true day/night version - does anyone know if Mobotix is planning on developing such a model? That would definitely be something I would be interested in. Is the low light capability better in the Q24 than the previous model Q22? (sorry, guess that was two questions).

Thanks guys for the responses; that's exactly what I wanted to know. Buellwinkle, I asked because of both the reasons you pointed out. I have client where a network cable run to the location would not be feasible, and another client that was concerned about losing recording capabilities if the network were to go down (either the network and/or the switch providing PoE). In the latter case, I want to demonstrate that provided a back up power source to the camera, it would continue to record to its internal SD card even with the switch down.

Not at this point. I have an IT consultancy business that has considered expanding into security as a few clients have asked if that's a service we offer, and more times than not, we're hired to install and support the network for IP based systems. I have experience with Sony, Canon, Axis, and Panasonic cameras and have installed a few small systems (convenience store and residential). I'm not a dealer for any camera manufacturer but would consider if I saw value in having it as part of my existing business. Interestingly, I discovered Mobotix because their NY office shared a floor with a previous client of mine so I got to speak with some of the guys in the office. I was intrigued by the technology behind the cameras and was given a couple hands on demos, but never got to the point of actually being able to take one to my office or do a proper evaluation. I no longer do work for that client so I'm not down there (40 Fulton) anymore to speak to the Mobotix guys. Last I heard they (Mobotix) were planning on moving to another location in NYC. Also at that time (a little more than a year ago) one of the tech guys told me that if I needed a camera with decent zoom and PTZ, Mobotix cameras wouldn't be an ideal fit.

I'm looking to evaluate the Mobotix cameras so I'm looking for used or demo models would reduce my upfront financial costs. Particularly looking for the day/night models and the hemmispherical (Q22) model (though a good deal on a Q24 would even be better!). Thanks in advance!