Panasonic Announces New PTZ Camera, AW-HE42

NEWARK, N.J.—Panasonic is readying a new addition to its lineup of pan/tilt/zoom cameras, announcing the details for the AW-HE42.

The AW-HE42 is a 1080p integrated HD camera with an HDR mode that is equipped with output connectors for 3G-SDI, HDMI, SDI, USB and LAN. The camera also features a Four Drive Lens System, which allows for three zoom lenses and one focus lens to be driven independently but simultaneously, and which are capable of 20x and 30x zoom. Other features include a 1080p 60/50p video output and the ability to incorporate an external sync signal input connector, Black Burst Sync and tri-level sync.

The camera comes equipped with a 1/2.3-type MOS sensor and DSP. It also has a 12x digital zoom or 1.4, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0 and 8.0 digital extender zoom. A range of 175-degrees (plus or minus) pan and -30-degree to 90-degree tilt is available. Optical and digital four-axis automatic stabilization is included to help with image shaking.

AW-HE42 has IP transmission support for IP video output of up to 60 frames per second. Support for multistreaming output (H.264 streaming) of up to four channels and video transmission up to 14 terminals is also available. The camera also has an IP browser that allows for remote location control, as well as IP video monitoring and remote camera control through a PC, Mac or mobile terminal.

Users can upgrade the AW-HE42 model for NDI | HX compatibility by purchasing a license through the Panasonic website.

Additional features for the AW-HE42 include support for audio input, embedding and encoding; audio output to IP; night mode; an optical ND filter; USB Audio Class 1.0 support; MicroSD card recording; assignable buttons for color temperature, digital extender and other functions; and the ability to control up to 100 AW-HE42 units through a single remote camera controller over IP.

Panasonic will begin shipping the AW-HE42 cameras this month at a price of $4,250.