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[badmoonryzn]

I have been waiting for years now for a decent PTZ camera that was in a price range I would buy. I liked when the other one went on sale last summer. It is a pretty good camera when they were selling it for under 400. The competition with all of the Chinese manufactures has sent me off to getting units from China. I wrote a couple of letter to X-10 asking why they didn't have one at a competitive price several times and I never got a response. They sure fall all over them self if I am buying something. Anyway, the new PTZ only has a three power zoom. Who on earth allowed that to pass through production without a big fat, I don't think so? We need at least 15 power zoom. I can't anything with a zoom being useful under 15 or so and while the unit seems to be good in every other category all they have now is a good outdoor PT. 3 power zoom??? Come On! It is difficult for me to imagine why anyone would allow something so useless to be produced.  I am still waiting for a PTZ from X-10 for a good price. With their buying power there is no excuse. So much of the X-10 items are a good deal and perform well. This one with such a limited zoom is not going to be able to perform when it need to see a licence plate or faces at over 30 feet. The whole point of the zoom was to capture these details. I question this camera usefulness with such a limited zoom. We might as well get the other one for a hundred bucks more and hard wire it.

[dave w]

What X10 camera are you talking about? What X10 camera has a 3X zoom?
You should call them. Maybe they still have some Vanguard Cameras left.

[Brian H]

Just saw this preorder for a Airsight PTZ Pro.
http://www.x10.com/promotions/airsight_pro_ptz_wireless_ip_camera.html?SN

Indicates 3X optical zoom.

[Brian H]

badmoonryzn; As a user to user forum we have no direct connection to X10. Thus we can not answer your question on why 3X. I doubt any X10 employee is going to give you an answer here.

[badmoonryzn]

Thanks Brian,
I was hoping someone might know. We have a couple of the other cameras and they are great. They feel a little cheap, but so far they have worked great. Off the top of my head i think they have about a 43 power zoom and going back to 3 power is just silly. Why waist the money on something so weak. The 100 dollar PT camera performs quite well so I cannot see paying an extra 190 dollars for a camera that just pans and tilts with 3x optics. That is such a tiny amount of zoom it is almost funny. The 100 dollar pocket digital cameras come with 24x or more zoom. I think my Panasonic video camera has a 50 power zoom plus an extra 20 digital so 3x is nothing. The other ones were on sale last year for 300 I think, so I would rather have the other one for a few bucks more with the high power zoom. It seems like a pretty lame market decision to me, but I am not them. I am going to go back and look at what the other ones cost just to be sure. I sent X10 and email with the question twice and no one bothered to answer me.   Oh well, I wish I could say I was surprised.

I want back and looked at what the last PTZ camera was and what it cost. It was the Sentinel ptz security camera and it was 399.00 and had a 44x zoom. You can read a license plate from nearly 800 feet without a problem, however you really need to make sure this camera is mounted solid so it doesn't wiggle on high magnification. This is a good camera and only 99 bucks more. Why on earth would anyone want a 3x camera period. Both of these come with the outside box and mounts and I couldn't care less about the WiFi because it is pretty worthless unless you mount the camera within 40 feet of the router/hub anyway. I hope someone from X10 see this and answers the question. Maybe they are coming out with another camera. Who knows. Thanks for the response! Cheers!  

den

[Brian H]

I have to modify my statement.
In the last few days I have seen an X10 Representative here.

[badmoonryzn]

Well Brian,

Lets hope he see this and comments. There is a reason why we all come here. At least for me they are simply one of the biggest bangs for the buck on the planet. The stuff is good quality for the money and their service department has always been good to us. In nearly 18 years I have only had three problems on hundreds of goodies. I have worn some out or over the years I have had a couple of things weather that were outside, but that is normal. Oh yea, I busted a few of the cameras all by myself too. lol All in all they are equal if not better than most of the equipment sold out there for twice the money as far as cameras, wireless transmitters and wireless house goodies. This new PTZ camera is causing me some issues. lol I just don't get it. DUH! Thanks again.
den

[Brian H]

I doubt X10 manufactured the camera and had much control on what it was.
Just bought an OEM one from a Chinese source. Just like many of their latest offerings.