You don’t have to be an expert photographer to realize that the camera you’re looking at below is a bit strange.
It doesn’t have any knobs, buttons, or doors as you would see on consumer cameras that flood the market using micro four thirds lenses, such as the offerings from Sony. There’s a good reason for that too, as this isn’t exactly a consumer camera.
The camera – designed by a company known as SVS-Vistek – is dubbed the SVCam-evo Tracer. One of the most interesting aspects of the camera? It was engineered to be integrated into all manner of electronic systems, from robots down to geeky projects that tinkerers like to get up to. Certainly, the most interesting thing about this camera is the fact that uses the micro four thirds lens mounting system.
The ability to switch lenses ensures significantly more flexibility than a fixed lens – allowing the user to pick the best lens for the task they want the camera to perform. Meaning, if the camera is shooting objects close up, you can fit a macro lens. At the same time, if the project calls for a camera with lots of zoom you can always use a telephoto lens.
Inside the camera is a Truesense CCD sensor allowing for frame rates of 146, 85, 40, and 21 frames per second. The sensor supports resolutions of one, two, four, and eight-megapixels corresponding with those frame rates. Meaning, at one-megapixel resolution, the camera can record at a frame rate of 146 FPS.
The camera also supports auto grain, exposure, focus, and electric zoom control, along with PC software for basic image capturing and even boasts a GigE Vision interface. As such, the camera is uniquely appropriate for use in robotic systems, aerial photography, and even special-effects and cinematography.
One key piece of information that remains unknown? How much the camera will cost. Considering that it appears to be aimed at industrial and professional use, I’d wager the answer to that is “not cheap.”
