Honey Optics 12x review
Honey Optics 12x: A Premium PTZ Camera With UHD Quality Output and Lossless Zoom
To get the best quality when recording events like business conferences, church programs, and broadcasts, you need a camera that records in ultra HD. The Honey Optics 12x camera guarantees you crisp video in true 4K quality with smooth transitions thanks to its ability to record up to 60fps and output via SDI, HDMI, and NDI connections.
Video production
Cameras Honey Optics 12x will always stand out because of their high-quality live video production. This camera’s maximum resolution is 3840x2160; however, it can also shoot 720p and 1080p videos at 60fps. That means it can capture a wide range of scenarios, including news broadcasts, online lectures, and behind-the-scenes shots.
This camera uses an 8.51 megapixels Sony CMOS lens with a focal length of 4.4 mm — 52.8 mm, which means it can capture wide-angle shots, up to 71 degrees field of view. If your subject moves out of the camera’s line of sight, it will quickly pan at a degree of +/- 170 or tilt up to 90 degrees upwards and 30 degrees down to keep them in focus. This feature makes it essential when recording wide spaces like church auditoriums.
As a PTZ camera, the Honey Optics 12x camera horizontally pans as slowly as 1.7 degrees per second and as fast as 100 degrees per second, depending on the subject’s speed. This variable speed comes in handy when subjects move in front of the camera. I tried walking, jogging, and then running in front of the camera, and it followed me without overshooting its mark when I stopped. The best part is that the camera can pan vertically, though its field of view isn’t that wide, at 42.7 degrees.
I also tested the zoom capability of this premium camera and was impressed. When I moved far, the optical zoom system zoomed in without noticeably dropping quality. I didn’t notice much digital graining when zoomed to the max; maybe the noise reduction feature managed it quite well.
Connection types
This Honey Optics camera uses HDMI, SDI, or NDI for video signal output. If you prefer LAN or USB-C, the camera also has ports for those connections. The device has an Ethernet port (RJ45) for receiving the NDI and IP and a separate HDMI port for plugging HDMI cables. Unlike traditional IP addresses, the Honey PTZ Optics 12x-NDI protocol reduces the latency or lag between the video and its audio, providing a seamless watching and listening experience.
Finally, the Honey Optics 12x – 4K live stream PTZ camera works with RTSP. So, if you intend to use it for a podcast or live stream on Facebook, YouTube, or other services, rest assured of impressive and smooth video quality.
Setup
I got the camera unit, the power supply, a remote controller, and a composite output out of the box. You can power the camera with its power brick or a PoE connection using the Ethernet port, but ensure your switch produces enough power (9W per camera unit), or the camera will go off.
Follow the next steps to set the camera up for use:
- Connect the unit to the same network as your computer.
- Afterward, download and install the UPGRADE tool from the Honey Optics website.
- Launch the program, click the search button, and the program will find your camera.
- Right-click on it and use the MAC address to configure a static IP address to your DHCP server, then set the mode to DHCP.
- Press “set,” and the camera will reset with the new IP address.
- Enter the IP address in your web browser and log in with admin as the username and password.
- You can then connect the HDMI cable and use the rotary switch at the back of the camera to adjust the video to resolutions your TV and other devices support.
Conclusion
If your job or project requires you to shoot videos at the best quality, you need 4K PTZ cameras, and few are as versatile as Honey Optics cameras. My test unit lived up to expectations during personal use, especially when streaming gaming sessions. So I recommend investing in this camera if you want the premium PTZ camera experience.