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Xignal · Portable 4G PTZ Camera
Xignal Portable 4G PTZ Camera
A PTZ camera that does not need a vehicle at all. It runs ten hours on its own battery, streams over its own 4G SIM, and lifts out of a hard case onto a tripod in a couple of minutes. It is also the only PTZ we supply with a published optical zoom, at 20x or 30x, on a sensor that sees down to 0.005 lux.
Supplied, fitted and commissioned
Overview
What the Portable 4G PTZ Camera does
The one camera in this range that does not need a vehicle. It runs for ten hours on its own lithium pack, carries its own SIM for 4G, and finds its own position on built-in GPS, so the only thing it needs from the outside world is somewhere to stand. It ships as a kit: the head, a tripod and tray, a charger, an integrated cable and a hard protective case, at 3.5 kilograms in the hand and 9.6 packed.
It is also the best specified camera of the three PTZ variants, which is not what you would expect from the portable one. It is the only one that publishes an optical zoom figure, 20x or 30x, on a 1/2.8 inch progressive scan sensor that sees down to 0.005 lux in colour and 0.001 in black and white, with a shutter range from a full second to 1/30,000. That combination is what makes it useful at an incident: it can be stood up at a distance and zoomed into detail rather than moved closer.
Where it fits best
- Incident scenes and cordons, where the camera goes where the vehicle cannot
- Emergency command and temporary control points, set up in minutes and packed away as fast
- Field law enforcement, investigation and traffic work away from a parked vehicle
- Fire and rescue, where a scene has to be watched from a standoff distance
- Any deployment where a camera is needed for a shift and gone the same day
Not sure this is the right recorder? See how many channels your vehicle needs.
Full specifications
Every published figure
The complete Portable 4G PTZ Camera specification, as published by the manufacturer.
- Battery
- Large capacity lithium pack, with a remaining charge reminder
- Working time
- 10 hours at room temperature
- Charging time
- Under 5 hours
- Supplied with
- Host unit, integrated cable, charger, tripod and tray, protective case and manual
- Net weight
- 3.5 kg
- Gross weight
- 9.6 kg, as shipped in its case
- Dimensions (H × diameter)
- 258 × 161 mm
- Sensor
- 1/2.8 inch progressive scan CMOS
- Optical zoom
- 20x or 30x
- Digital zoom
- 16x
- Resolution
- 1920 × 1080 or 1280 × 720, at 25 or 30 fps
- Minimum illuminance
- 0.005 lux in colour, 0.001 lux in black and white, at F1.2 with AGC on
- Day and night
- ICR filter switching
- Electronic shutter
- 1/1 s to 1/30,000 s
- White balance
- Automatic or manual, with sunny, cloudy, dusk, incandescent, sodium and fluorescent presets
- Noise reduction
- 3D
- Infrared
- 60 to 80 metres
- TV system
- PAL or NTSC
- Pan range
- 360 degrees
- Tilt range
- −20 to +90 degrees
- Protocol
- Pelco-D and Pelco-P
- Preset positions
- Not published
- Pan and tilt speed
- Not published
- Subject auto-tracking
- Not published
- Operating system
- Linux
- Video compression
- H.265 or H.264
- Dual stream
- Primary and secondary
- Recording resolution
- 1080P, 720P or D1
- Local storage
- 2 TF cards
- Cellular
- 4G or 3G on a single SIM, full network or a private network protocol
- Wi-Fi
- Built-in module, 802.11 b/g/n
- Hotspot
- Runs as a 4G access point, or joins a router in station mode
- Positioning
- Built-in GPS
- Preview
- Supported
- Extension ports
- RS232, RS485, sensor in, sensor out and the charging port
- Operating temperature
- −15 °C to +50 °C
- Humidity
- Under 90%
- IP rating
- Not published
- Certifications
- Not published
Figures published by the manufacturer, which lists this camera by description rather than by a model number. Two things worth reading closely. This is the only PTZ we supply with a published optical zoom figure, and it publishes far more of its camera specification than the two vehicle-mounted heads do. But it publishes no IP rating, which matters more here than on the others because this is the one designed to be carried outdoors and stood on open ground, so ask us before deploying it in rain or blown sand. Note also that the automatic tracking listed under white balance is a colour setting, not subject tracking. Where a figure reads Not published, the manufacturer does not state it, which is not the same as the feature being absent.
Supply
What ships, and what the install needs
Unusually for this range, the manufacturer does publish a parts list for this camera. It ships as a self-contained kit rather than as a component to be fitted, so there is very little to specify around it.
Published parts list
- Host unit
- Integrated cable
- Charger
- Tripod and tray
Also in the box
- Protective case
- Manual
- Optional accessory quantities are set on the order
- 9.6 kg gross, as shipped
Ordered with it
- 20x or 30x optical zoom, chosen at order
- Two TF cards for recording in the head
- A 4G SIM on a data plan
- Devices on the RS232, RS485 or sensor ports
Accessories
What goes on the order with it
A recorder is one line on a vehicle quotation. These are the parts that make up the rest of it.
Mounting and cabling
- A roof bar or bolted plate rated for 6 kg plus wind load
- Cable route for video, power and the RS485 control line
- Mounting hardware surveyed for the specific vehicle
- A range of mounting options, per the manufacturer
Seeing in the dark
- Array infrared, 100 to 120 m, rated to 30,000 hours
- 808 nm laser illuminator, 3 W or 5 W at order
- The laser beam narrows as the lens zooms in
- Wiper and heated housing keep the lens clear
Control and recording
- A recorder channel, on AHD or on IP
- RS485 control from the recorder, Pelco-D or Pelco-P
- ONVIF for the IP route, matching the M720(G4F)-IP
- A joystick or control terminal for the operator
Compare
How it sits against the alternatives
The two vehicle-mounted PTZ heads in this range. This one is the odd one out because it does not attach to anything. The full comparison lives on the range page.
| Portable 4G PTZ | Xignal C814 | Vehicle PTZ, AHD or IP | Xignal M720(G4F)-IP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model number | None published | C814 | None published | M720(G4F)-IP |
| Mounting | Tripod, free standing | Vehicle roof | Vehicle roof | In the vehicle |
| Power | Own battery, 10 hours | Vehicle supply | Vehicle supply | Vehicle supply |
| Optical zoom | 20x or 30x | Not published | Not published | Not applicable |
| Minimum illuminance | 0.005 lux colour | Not published | Not published | Not applicable |
| Infrared | 60 to 80 m | 60 to 80 m | 100 to 120 m | Not applicable |
| Link | Own 4G SIM and Wi-Fi | Cable to the recorder | Cable to the recorder | Takes the cameras |
| IP rating | Not published | IP66 | IP66 | Not published |
| Operating range | −15 to +50 °C | −35 to +55 °C | −35 to +65 °C | −20 to +70 °C |
| Weight | 3.5 kg net | 2.5 kg | 6 kg | 2.2 kg |
| You are here | View the C814 | View the AHD or IP PTZ | View the M720(G4F)-IP |
Scroll sideways to see every column.
Questions
Before you specify the Portable 4G PTZ Camera
Questions we are asked about this model.
How long does it really run, and how fast does it charge?
Ten hours at room temperature on its lithium pack, and under five hours to charge. Room temperature is the manufacturer’s own qualifier and it matters here: a battery worked hard in a hot summer will not match a bench figure, and the camera is rated only to plus 50 degrees anyway. Plan a shift around it rather than a multi-day deployment, and if it needs to run continuously, ask us about running it from a vehicle or mains supply through the charging port instead.
Is this the only PTZ with a published zoom?
Yes, and that surprised us too. The two vehicle-mounted heads publish no optical zoom figure at all, while this portable one publishes 20x or 30x optical, 16x digital, the sensor size, the minimum illuminance and the shutter range. If your requirement is written around a zoom figure, this is the camera in our range that can be quoted against it directly. For the vehicle heads we would have to get the figure confirmed by the manufacturer in writing first.
What does 0.005 lux actually mean in practice?
It is the light level at which the camera still produces a usable colour picture, and 0.005 lux is roughly moonless starlight. Below that it switches to black and white with the ICR filter and works down to 0.001 lux, and the infrared illuminators reach 60 to 80 metres beyond that. In real terms it means the camera can be stood at the edge of an unlit yard or a stretch of road and still see what is happening, which is the whole point of a camera you carry to a scene.
Does it need any cabling or a recorder?
No, and that is what separates it from everything else here. It records to two TF cards in the head, streams over its own 4G SIM, and locates itself on built-in GPS. It can also run as its own Wi-Fi access point so a phone or laptop connects to it directly, or join an existing router in station mode. The only cable it needs is the charger. It does have RS232, RS485 and sensor ports if you want to integrate it into something larger.
Is it weatherproof?
The manufacturer publishes no IP rating for this camera, and we are not going to imply one. That gap matters more here than on the vehicle heads, both of which publish IP66, because this is the model specifically designed to be carried outside and stood on open ground. It is supplied with a hard protective case, which tells you something about how it is meant to be transported. If it will be deployed in rain, spray or blown sand, ask us and we will get a rating confirmed before you order rather than guess.
Does it follow a subject on its own?
No. The manufacturer publishes Pelco-D and Pelco-P control and a 360 degree pan with minus 20 to plus 90 tilt, but no subject tracking, and no preset count or movement speed either. One thing to watch: its specification lists automatic tracking under white balance, which is a colour setting and nothing to do with following a person. None of the three PTZ cameras in this range publishes subject auto-tracking, and if you need it we will source against that requirement specifically.
The range
Other models worth comparing
Three other recorders in the range, and what each one changes against the Portable 4G PTZ Camera.
Xignal · Vehicle PTZ
C814
+IP66+300°/s presets−vehicle power
The fast vehicle head. Sealed to IP66 and reaches a preset three times quicker, but needs a vehicle.
Xignal · Vehicle PTZ
Vehicle PTZ, AHD or IP
+120 m infrared+laser+IP66
The long range vehicle head, with a laser illuminator and a defogging heater.
Xignal · Hybrid Mobile NVR
M720(G4F)-IP
+records the vehicle heads
The recorder the vehicle-mounted PTZ heads pair with. This camera needs none of it.
surveillance and deployment rules
The Portable PTZ Against Common Requirements
A camera that can be carried anywhere and set up in minutes raises questions a fitted camera does not. Where it is placed, who authorised it and how long it stays are decisions made on the day, which makes the policy around it more important than the hardware.
- Where it is set up is a decision, not an installation: a fitted camera is surveyed and signed off once. This one is placed by whoever carries it, so the authorisation for each deployment should be recorded.
- Who may steer it: an operator chooses what it looks at, so the authorised-user register and access levels apply as they would to any steerable camera.
- Footage on two cards in the head: recording is local, so the offload path and the retention policy have to be defined before it is deployed, not after.
- Encrypted storage and retention: the evidence rules that apply govern the server the footage lands on. The camera itself is a buffer.
- Written approval before sharing: a process obligation on the operating entity, unchanged by the camera being portable.
- Check the weather rating before outdoor use: no IP rating is published for this model, unlike both vehicle heads at IP66. Ask us before it is deployed in rain or blown sand.
- Position on the record: built-in GPS records where the camera was standing, which matters when it moves between deployments.
Get a quotation for the Portable 4G PTZ
Tell us what you need to see and at what distance, so we can advise between the 20x and 30x optical zoom, and tell us whether it will be used outdoors in weather, because no IP rating is published for this model and we would rather confirm it with the manufacturer than let you find out on site.
