The popular FCB-EX980S color block camera from Sony, is being discontinued.

Replacing a preferred camera, many times requires long searches, compromise and disappointment. Fortunately, Sony and Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. makes the transition from one camera to another a simple and rewarding process.

Feature worthy, the FCB-EX980S has the latest generation firmware, and an advanced 3-D spherical privacy zone masking function, used with pan/tilt systems. The camera masking blocks can be joined to track with pan/tilt/zoom cameras, even when the camera is panning in a tilted position or circling. With SMART (Sony Modular Automatic Lens Reset Technology) lens control, the monitor lens focus positions during zooming, and will then spontaneously compensate for mechanical misalignment which can occur over long periods of continuous usage. And, it’s telephoto zoom and horizontal field of view (1.6° H-field of view capability) are great.. A lot going for it, however, Sony has announces discontinuation of the FCBEX980S model with last delivery date in September of 2016. While this camera’s features are impressive, Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. stocks a worthy successor to this camera…and it’s a Sony new kid.

The FCB-EX995E is unquestionably, the superior camera replacement for the FCB-EX980S.

Similar features, absolutely, that is what will make this transition simple and uncomplicated. The two cameras share Internal/External V-lock synchronization system, electronic shuttering of 1/1 to 1/10000 s 22 steps, auto/manual/and maximum gain limits (-3 to 28 decibel, 2 decibel steps) and an on/off backlight compensation benefit. And while the FCB-EX980S has E-Flip, Nega Art, Black/White and Mirror Imaging, the FCB-EX995E has all of the same, with the addition of color.

[caption id="attachment_7034" align="alignright" width="180"]FCB-EX995E Sony Color Block Camera is the ideal Replacement for FCB-EX980S FCB-EX995E Sony Color Block Camera is the ideal Replacement for FCB-EX980S[/caption]

Exposure control, again, similar: auto, manual, priority mode, bright, EV (Exposure Value) compensation and back-light compensation. The FCB-EX995E also has slow AE (After Effects) for those all-important slow-motion pictures. Both cameras have more than 50 decibel signal to noise (S/N) ratio, and an NTSC (National Television Standards Committee) signaling system as standard.

Camera control interface for both cameras are VISCA (TTL signal level), baud rate: 9.6 Kb/s, 19.2Kb/s, 38.4Kb/s and 1 or 2 Stop bit selectable. While not the same size cameras (the FCB-EX995E is .185 inches or 4.7mm wider), they weight exactly the same at 8.1 ounces, or 230 grams.

Now, let’s concentrate on why the FCB-EX995E color block camera is the ideal replacement camera for the FCB-EX908S. Its ¼” EXview HAD™ CCD (True Progressive Scan) sensor for high sensitivity in low light environments, and is an expert at viewing details in a moving image, be it a moving car, or person.  All the processing is done by the PS from the CCD readout, signal to processing to video output. Now equipped with IP-ready digital output and enhanced white balance functions compared to prior FCB models, this new FCB-Ex995 camera is well suited for military and IP-ready monitoring applications.

And with the camera's 380,000 effective pixels (NTSC), 440,000 pixels (PAL) producing  recordings with optimum clarity and precision, this new camera in Sony's FCB arsenal  Thanks to a high horizontal resolution of 550 TV Lines (TVL), pictures are stunningly readable and faultless. With an advanced auto Wide Dynamic Range (WDR), the variation in available light levels that simultaneously exist in a scene, are distinctly reproduced. WDR enables the camera to reliably identify persons, objects, vehicles and activities in situations where there is a wide range of lighting conditions, vital for a security surveillance application.

Both cameras have a 12x digital zoom, however, the FCB-EX995E block camera has an optical zoom of 432x; greater than the 312x optical zoom of the FCB-EX980S. With a horizontal viewing angle of 42.2° at the wide end, to 1.6° at the telephoto end, this too surpasses the FCB-EX980S’s viewing angle of 54°at the wide end to 2.2°at the telephoto end, thus allowing a greater area to be covered. Minimum object distance is 10 mm (wide) to 1,500 mm (tele), with its default setting at 320mm, which is the FCB-EX980S’s wide end setting. The camera’s 28x bright optical zoom lens with f=35mm (wide) to 98.0mm (tele), allows for a quick zooming capability of 2.5 seconds from telephoto to wide end.

The FCB-EX995S has additional white balance modes, and the addition of an automatic outdoor setting mode feature (which will automatically adjust the white balance, thus reducing dark tones at dawn or dusk) and sodium vapor lamp mode. The sodium vapor lamp mode assists the camera when the application calls for recording under a sodium vapor lamp, which could be a street or tunnel lamp, where images would have a yellowish tint because of the lamps. With this added mode, there is compensation for the sodium vapor lamp degree of Kelvin, and objects are restored to their original color.

With its color enhancement feature, perfectly suited for low vision applications, text reading and pictures are less challenging. Full color images can be changed to black and white, and then inverted into two selected colors. Also, there are two additional wide dynamic range choices; the progressive scan mode, appropriate for low-contrast environments, and the interlace Wide-D which is suitable for high-contrast lighting environments.

The enhanced noise reduction of the Sony FCB-EX995E allows the combing of noise-reducing settings (from Level 1 to Level 5), allowing users to choose the appropriate level for application recording conditions. With spherical privacy zone masking, it exceeds the 24 position, on/off of the FCB-EX980S.

The Sony FCB-EX995E is the conclusive replacement for the FCB-EX980S block camera. Straightforward in its abilities, it keeps a watchful eye on the future of technology, and confidently pushes the video camera genre continuously forward. Aegis Electronic Group, Inc., will accept purchase orders for the FCB-EX980S, with a deadline order date of June 1, 2016. Eager to assist with all questions and information, Aegis maintains their high quality of supply and delivery with uniformity and excellence.