Honey Optics 20x review
Honey Optics 20x: the Ultimate 20x Magnification PTZ Camera
While searching for a camera to record professional-style videos at events, church programs, conference meetings, and eSports, you will see many products from different brands. I would recommend you try the Honey Optics 20x 4K model. From my experience using it, this unit will guarantee clear video recording and playback quality in different environments. Its ultra HD (UHD) quality shines through indoors, so if you are planning indoor programs, read this Honey Optics 20x optical zoom 4K camera review before investing in a camera.
Video production
The Honey Optics 20x uses a lens manufactured by tech giants Sony, so you can expect crisp shots, fast capturing speeds, and flexibility when used in different scenarios. Using the camera in a conference hall, I noticed that it captured more people in one shot than I expected. I believe the small 4.42 — 132.6 mm focal length made those wide-angle shots possible. And if you are using it in a smaller room, you can always use the pan feature to move the camera around and capture every important detail in your event.
The camera is an 8.42-megapixel shooter with a 3840x2160 resolution (4K native) at 60fps. You can expect crisp videos at 720p, 1080p, and 4K formats, especially if you replay them on a 4K TV or monitor. It also supports H.264 and H.265 IP live-streaming.
The camera allows you to mirror or reflect the video vertically. So, if you want to install the unit upside down, you need not worry about ending up with inverted videos.
This camera can tilt 90 degrees upwards and 30 degrees down at speeds between 1.7 and 69.9 degrees per second. It also has a pan speed of +/- 170 degrees, moving between 1.7 and 100 degrees every second. The viewing angles are 60.7 degrees (horizontally) and 34.1 degrees (vertically), meaning you can accurately watch the videos from above and the sides with little washing out. In real-world usage, you can quickly shuffle between different subjects in a crowd without ending up with a janky video.
The magnification of the Honey Optics 20x optical zoom 4K camera didn’t disappoint either. I placed the unit at the back of an auditorium and zoomed in on a subject several hundred feet away. The camera produced remarkable results as I could see their faces with little digital noise.
Connection types
With an Ethernet cable, you can power and control the camera’s video and audio. However, you need an HDMI cable or NDI technology to transmit video data without quality loss to connect this camera. And if you want to add audio to an IP stream, there is a 3.5 mm jack on the camera.
This Honey Optics camera uses LAN connection, HDMI, or RS-232 and 485 ports for network connectivity. The unit also requires PoE 802.af connection that consumes between 12 and 15 Watts to stay on.
Setup
Setting the camera up isn’t the most convenient process, which was one gripe I had with the unit. To set the camera up, follow the steps below.
- Plug the camera in using the power brick or PoE connection.
- Ensure the unit is the same WiFi network as your computer.
- Go to the Honey Optics website and install the UPGRADE tool to find your camera.
- Configure an IP address to your DHCP server with the MAC address, then set the mode to DHCP.
- After the camera takes the new IP address, log in to the new address with username and password as admin.
- Connect the HDMI cable to the device and a 4K TV or adjust the video output to suit your display device.
Conclusion
4K PTZ cameras are the standard for indoor event video coverage, and my experience with the Honey Optics 20x camera has been pleasant. If you have a church program to stream, feel free to use this camera. It will give you crisp videos, lossless zoom, and quick panning to ensure your video comes out nice.