Sony SNC-EP521/EP520 (vs Panasonic WV-NS202A)

[ingrid2476 0]

SNC-EP521 is the PAL version of this model; SNC-EP520 the NTSC version.

 

I am very pleased with this camera. It performs well at night* and during the day. It is also excellent value. I do not believe there’s another camera currently on the market that offers this much for this kind of money.

 

My other camera, a Panasonic WV-NS202A, was much more expensive and is no longer available. SNC-EP521/520 is cheaper, better and has a much longer zoom. I also like the fact that the camera interface allows the shooting of instant movies (in .avi format) as well as stills. Movie shooting is impossible from the Panasonic interface. For movie shooting with this camera you have to use dedicated (and expensive) software purchased separately. Whereas with SNC-EP521/EP-520, in addition to the interface instant movie-shooting facility Sony supplies a copy of Realshot Manager Lite for more serious users meaning that you can start sophisticated motion recording right away. Also, unlike the Panny, SNC-EP521/520 allows you to store movies on its SD card up to 32Gb capacity. Conversely, WV-NS202A does not allow you to do this and takes a mere 2Gb SD card that only captures stills.

 

SNC-EP521/520 was easy to install using the supplied ceiling bracket. I understand the camera can also be used sitting upright on a flat surface (because the image can be inverted). But I haven’t tried this yet and may not since I am happy with the current (orthodox) arrangement. Do be aware however that SNC-EP521/520 is quite a heavy beast. Being very robustly built with a comforting ‘industrial’ feel it weighs about twice as much as WV-NS202A and is much bulkier. Therefore pay particular attention to the ability of any surface to support it and make sure to use M4 bolts (not supplied) rather than screws (not supplied). This, of course, is irrelevant if you plan to use the camera sitting upright on a flat surface, like a desktop.

 

Because SNC-EP521/520 requires more than twice the power of WV-NS202A (25 Watts as opposed to 12 Watts) you will need a HPoE power injector or switch. I am using a PowerDSine 9001G rated at 30 Watts connected to an ordinary non-powered 100TX switch nearby. Works great. Alternatively the camera will accept 24 volts AC. In addition, I have to say that, although the panning, tilting and zooming controls on SNC-EP521/520 are not as smooth as on WV-NS202A, given all the superior features of SNC-EP521/520, this is hardly a deal-breaker.

 

So all in all I can highly recommend the Sony SNC-EP521/520.

 

* WV-NS202A might ‘just’ have the edge at night. But there’s not much in it. To my eyes SNC-EP521/520 is certainly superior during the day. That 36x zoom and the clarity are quite awesome. SNC-EP521/520 is a terrific camera you will not be disappointed with. Five stars plus from me.