beppodb

Thanks for your reply, Ilkie. If I could capture a medium-sized bird (say, 1/2m x 1/2m) at 25m occupying 1/4 of the screen, that would be very nice. I'll have to do some geometry to figure out how high I'd need to mount the camera to get the water's surface near the platform..., but I think above should suffice. We aren't expecting to use the system for night operation off-the-bat, but it would be nice to have the option in the future. I know there are some cameras that filter IR light, and we would prefer not to do that. Hope this helps.

My research group is working on a proposal for a marine observation platform, and I'm looking to have a PTZ HD system put together that can stand up to this environment. Can someone please make recommendations on the following fronts: Camera: From people's reviews, and from the specs, I like Sanyo's HD2300 / HD2500. The CS-mount systems should give us some flexibility with the lens that we use (i.e., possibility of greater than 10x zoom). However, are there CS-mount variable focus lenses, where the zoom can be controlled remotely through a separate PT unit? Enclosure: Salt spray is an issue, although we will have maintenance available at least every few months, so stainless might not be necessary. The much (MUCH) bigger issue is pelicans. They perch and leave "evidence" on any surface that will support them. We'll do our best to keep them off the box, but a wiper / washer combo seems like a must, unless there's a better way to remotely clean up the viewport. PT: Something that will stand up to this environment, and something that we can program for -- that is, we need APIs or programming guides available for the PT mount. Mounting: Parapet mount -- on top of a fiberglass building or wireframe antenna tower. Supplier: We plan to do our own installation. But if there's a knowledgeable company who can specify options for this and put the equipment together into one unit for us, that's extremely helpful. Please name the company or email me offline. Admittedly, this is just a proposal right now, and the soonest we could order would be August 2011. But I need to get a quote or close estimate for the proposal. Thanks a ton. Dan