The Axis Communications P5544 PTZ Dome Network Camera is a unique indoor HDTV pan/tilt/zoom dome with 360° panoramic view and 18x optical zoom. It is ideal for live monitoring applications at airports, train stations, logistics centers, museums, and big retail stores.
The Axis P5544 camera provides a 360° field of view that covers more than 10,000 sq. ft. (950 m²), more than the size of 3 tennis courts, enabling panoramic views not only for security purposes, but also for crowd, flow, and queue management.
With the capability to also pan 360°, tilt 180°, and optically zoom up to 18x, the camera enables flexible coverage over a wide area and sharp zoomed-in views for identification purposes in HDTV 720p.
Using Axis’ unique Panopsis technology, Axis P5544 incorporates 2 different lenses to ensure that there is no loss in image quality, whether in the 360° panoramic view or zoomed-in view.
The camera's day/night functionality ensures high image quality in both daylight and low light conditions. Multiple streams in H.264 and Motion JPEG formats are supported.
The camera provides Advanced Gatekeeper, which enables the camera to automatically move to a preset position when motion is detected in a pre-defined area.
Two-way audio, audio detection, and inputs/outputs for external devices are supported when an optional multiconnector cable is used. The IP51-rated camera also supports Power over Ethernet Plus (PoE+) for easy installation.
The dome camera incorporates 2 different lenses. The camera uses a zoom lens in pan/tilt/zoom functions to deliver normal 16:9 views. When the zoom lens points straight down, it looks through the Panopsis lens (a wide-angle converter) to provide high-resolution 360° panoramic overviews. The camera records video either in normal view or 360° overview, not both simultaneously.
In overview mode, the camera’s user interface enables the mouse pointer, which appears as a white cross in the image above to act as a digital magnifier. By moving the mouse to any part in the live overview, a dewarped, digitally magnified view of the area is presented in the right-hand corner of the interface. Clicking on any area of the overview image or drawing a rectangle around the area to be magnified (area zoom) will steer the camera’s zoom lens to the area, and video in normal view will be provided.
The camera will also go over to normal view when clicking on any PTZ preset button that has been defined. A preset button defines the camera’s coordinates, including the zoom position.
In normal mode, the Axis P5544 camera uses the zoom lens when panning, tilting and zooming, just like any other PTZ camera. The 18x optical zoom with auto focus in HDTV 720p ensures outstanding video quality. The camera can be steered with both a joystick and a mouse.
The user interface in normal mode features in the right-hand corner a snapshot of the 360° field of view. The overview snapshot is a static shot, not a live view.
The overview snapshot functions conveniently as a map of the monitored area. It helps to orient the user to where the camera is pointing at all times. In addition, the user can click on a spot in the overview snapshot to quickly steer the zoom lens to a different location and, thereby, monitor a new area in normal mode.
If PTZ preset positions are defined, the presets show up as small circles in the overview snapshot. Clicking on a preset circle in the overview snapshot or clicking on a preset button in the bottom row of the interface will steer the camera view to the pre-defined position.
As with other PTZ cameras, the view can also be adjusted (re-centered) by clicking in the live view. You can zoom in using the joystick, the zoom bar in the interface, using area zoom or by rotating the mouse wheel.
Going back to overview mode can be done by clicking in the center of the overview snapshot or clicking on the overview button. The unique interface gives the operator many ways to quickly get to an area of interest, enabling efficient monitoring of a wide area.