NORMAN, who will be instrumental at SecTech’s HD Camera Shootout, has expressed broad concerns over the nature of HD camera performance in challenging applications. According to Norman, too many cameras juggle performance parameters on paper and don’t offer all their maximum specifications simultaneously.
“It’s disappointing for me,” said Norman, in an exclusive interview with SEN. “And frankly, it feels a little like sleight of hand. I expect my modelling to be respected and my features to be rendered exquisitely using the highest quality hardware available. But if cameras have poor quality lenses or employ agricultural noise reduction algorithms that make me appear wooden and 2-dimensional, my confidence will be undermined and I’ll find it difficult to perform at my best.”
Norman said installers, integrators, consultants and end users could expect something special from him at SecTech Roadshow’s HD Camera Shootout, if the cameras were good enough.
“After years of practising 24-hours a day, I’ve created an expression of unchanging intensity and vulnerability that’s perfect for the sort of modelling work I do. Given all the effort I’ve put into perfecting my performance, I think it’s only right the best HD cameras available on the market today are used to view me at SecTech.”
Norman detects noticeable yellow shift in the light at the SEN office and annoying chromatic abberation in the 85mm f1.4 lens used to photograph him.
According to Norman, his attire for the SecTech HD Camera Shootout features silver and gold buttons the size of the iris of a human eye and a shirt incorporating an integrated resolution guide. Meanwhile, his belt is emblazoned with vivid colour bars and his trousers patterned with a subtle grey scale. There’s also a license plate recognition panel and a focusing aid on his pant legs.
As SEN’s Newsletter 162 went to compress, Norman fleshed out his concerns about possible flare from the 4200-lumen Studio Force Chroma-Q V 12 Phosphor 3200-5600K CCT lamps that will be used in the demo rooms in Brisbane on May 4, Sydney on May 6, Melbourne on May 11, Adelaide on May 13, and Perth on May 18.
Hair flare worries Norman.
“It’s not a big problem under the LED downlights here in the SEN office but flare from the epic levels of gel in my hard-man hairdo is still noticeable,” Norman said. “I think we’re going to need lamp elevation or a slight forward angle on my base, or the HD cameras in the shootout are going to get some high contrast areas they weren’t expecting. And as for those Raytec VAR-i2-1 Vario i2 850nm IR illuminators we’ll be using under sub-1 lux, I’m not sure how my hair will react.”
Curiously, given his choice of vocation, Norman said he was afraid of the dark.
“This my first major show in Australia,” said Brit-born Norman, with a slight quaver in his voice. “And between that, rumours of drop bears and the extremely low light levels expected in the demo rooms, I’m banking on all you electronic security professionals to register now and come along to help me get through.”
Norman (National Operational Requirement Mannequin by Tavcom) said his core expertise was in quickly and easily representing image height ratio, resolution focus, colour rendering, facial recognition and automatic number plate recognition. Don’t miss him at SecTech Roadshow’s HD Camera Shootout – register here for free parking!♦
