The bench test 2: Outstanding quality

We'll begin with the feature list, which is unusually brief by today's standards. Right at the top is a one third-inch interline transfer CCD sensor chip with 440,000 pixels in a 752 x 582 array. Incidentally these are pukka 'effective' pixels – no dead weight here – and together they yield a claimed resolution of 535 lines.

The advanced sensor chip is also partially responsible for an above average low-light performance, which JVC has dubbed 'Super Lolux mode (AGC on and using an F1.2 lens) in the order of 0.7 lux.

Exposure and image processing are largely automatic and handled by a fairly conventional set of digital control systems that take care of shutter speed (auto or off only), backlight control (on/off), AGC (on/off) and white balance (auto or user set).

Additionally it supports both video and DC controlled auto-iris lenses, internal or line-locked synchronisation and the model we've been looking at can be powered by a 12v DC or 24v AC supply. A mains powered version is also available (TK-C921EG).

The camera is housed in an unobtrusive rectangular case measuring 11.5 x 5 x 5 cm and it tips the scales (without a lens) at a modest 370g. It's mostly metal in construction with steel upper and lower case halves. The front end is a cast alloy moulding and the rear end cap is plastic and together the case components provide a strong and sturdy shell for the electronics.

A mounting plate with a standard ¼-inch UNC thread can be attached to the top or bottom panels on the case. It's not weather proof so it will need additional protection if it is to be used in a hostile environment.

At the front end of the camera body is a standard C/CS lens mount: the threaded collar is attached to a simple but effective back-focus adjustment, set with thumbwheel that protrudes through a small slot on the top of the case. Once in position it is locked by tightening a screw on the left side of the camera body.

The location of the back-focus thumbwheel, on the top of the case, seems a little strange. The recess for the wheel forms a well that will allow dust to accumulate and any moisture or drips to find their way into the camera body. The symmetrical layout of the front end of the camera means that it would be a relatively simple matter to reposition the thumbwheel opening at the bottom, out of harm's way.

On the right side is a four-pin socket for an auto-iris lens, a small switch for selecting Video or DC control and a recessed preset for adjusting DC level.

Moving now to the back panel there is a miniature DIP switch in the top left corner for switching the AGC, shutter, backlight control, auto/manual white balance and internal/line-lock sync functions.

Immediately below the access hold for the DIP switches there are two recessed buttons for making the line-lock phase and manual white balance adjustments, and a third button for restoring the camera to its factory defaults.

In the top right corner are two screw terminals for the low voltage AC/DC supply. The video output socket (composite only, why not S-Video as well?) is mounted more or less in the middle of the back panel and in the bottom left hand corner there is a green power on LED. In stark contrast to many of today's cameras the TK-C920 case is chock full of circuit boards, attached to one another by edge connectors to form a box-like structure. There appear to be at least six PCBs, though there could be more lurking inside the structure and inside shielded compartments. It is an extremely robust arrangement though we were a little concerned to discover that the PCB modules are only attached to the outer case by one tiny screw, which seems to be about the only thing stopping the whole shebang from rattling around inside the housing.

The lack of on-screen indicators was a little surprising at first. It is something we have become accustomed to on mid-range and high-end cameras though given that the C920 has so few controls and adjustments it could be argued that they would be an unnecessary extravagance. Nevertheless, some sort of basic function display would prove useful, especially when the rear of the camera and the bank of fiddly little DIP switches are inaccessible or difficult to get at.

Even so, configuration is unlikely to be a lengthy process, even in tricky lighting conditions.

   High performance
This is a high performance camera and capable of outstanding image quality. Fine detail is crisply rendered so it is worth spending a little extra time on lens selection, to get the best from this camera. Resolution was within a few lines of the manufac-turer's figure and picture noise levels were among the lowest we've seen lately.

Colour fidelity is a tad variable; in good natural light there is no problem whatsoever and even difficult shades such as skin tones are faithfully rendered. But under predominantly tube lighting it is likely that installers will have to fiddle the red/blue levels to achieve a natural looking image.

In mixed natural/artificial light the auto system does a fair job but there is a tendency to exagger-ate reds, particularly at lower lighting levels.

The exposure systems react very quickly to sudden changes in lighting levels and the backlight compensation mode was effective but only when the auto shutter facility was engaged. On its own it didn't seem to do very much.

Low light performance is also remarkably good and the C920 continues to produce a useable, albeit increasingly grainy, colour image down to very low levels.

It could certainly give one or two dual mode (colour/black and white) low light cameras a run for their money.

It runs cool, which is always a good sign and a pointer to a long and healthy life. Although we were surprised by the mounting arrangements for the printed circuit boards inside the camera, it proved to be mechanically very stable. The picture never faltered when the case received the customary assault from the Bench Test mallet.

What the manufacturer says ...
THE NEW TK-C920E INCORPORATES an innovative ten-bit intelligent Digital Signal Processor (DSP) that automatically adjusts camera parameters to ensure constant sharp and natural pictures.

The TK-C920E has a 1/3-inch interline transfer CCD with 440,000 effective pixels producing an extraordinary 535 TV lines resolution. The high-resolution pictures allow for accurate colour reproduction and Super Lolux sensitivity while giving a signal to noise ratio of 50dB.

JVC not only satisfies customers' current demands but also anticipates their future requirements by incorporating advanced camera technologies inside both the TK-C920E (12v DC and 24v AC version) and TK-C921EG (230v AC version) cameras.

Measuring 11.5 by 5cm and weighing only 370g, this quality guaranteed camera comes with all the high performance capabilities you would expect from any JVC camera. The extended dynamic range feature enables the TK-C920 to shoot scenes of contrasting bright and darker areas and, using a combination of high-speed shutter and normal exposure, delivers perfectly balanced pictures.

Its Super Lolux function allows the camera to attain reliable, high performance pictures at light levels as low as 0.7 lux (using an F1.2 lens). For flexibility and ease of operation in a wide range of environments the white balance can be set manually, or automatically adjusted in real time using the automatic white tracking function. Product manager Mark Lusby said: "The TK-C920E performs brilliantly in all the key areas with its innovative technology giving 535 TV lines of horizontal resolution. This makes it easy to use, practical and cost-efficient."