My Utile Center

Today we are going to be evaluating another security camera product manufactured by the Optaplex Corporation. This product is the MCD12V Security Camera.

The kind people at Esentia Systems has volunteered to provide us with this product to evaluate, free of charge - provided that we do not blow up, melt or otherwise destroy this product within the testing phase.

On the outset, the MCD12V is an indoor, color dome camera that is described by the factory as a, “no frills, typical indoor dome security camera”. We found this to be the case, as it simply looks like every other security camera of its class. We found that the MCD12V security dome camera is equipped with a genuine Sony 1/3 CCD circuit - which is good since we have found that many other products supply their product with inferior CCD circuits.

( Editorial side note: You would not believe how many manufacturers literally lie about the use of the Sony CCD circuit. If you do not open the security camera to visually verify the CCD, it could be anything. )

We tested the unit in a variety of conditions that are warranted within the operating instructions as outlined by the manufacturer. The camera is rated for indoor use only and is well suited for a wide range of potential applications such as convenient stores, gas stations, home & office use just to name a few.

We were able to verify that the TVL or “Television Lines Resolution” was exactly 420 - as stated by the factory. We were also able to confirm that the lens that is supplied with the MCD12V is also a 3.6mm fixed lens with all glass optics. The LUX rating that was listed on the camera, .05, was precisely as indicated by the factory. So far, we are right on target and everything that we have been testing has rung true with the MCD12V - no

Testing the MCD12V against the Cop 15-CD35

At first glance, both cameras appear to be the exact same -however our testing found amazing results which we hope security professionals will benefit from. Getting right into the differences between the Optaplex MCD12V and the Cop 15-CD35, we notice many differences. The MCD12V utilizes a genuine Sony CCD which makes the image color more rich and bright when compared to the Cop 15-CD35.

After examining the CCD on the Cop 15-CD35, we discovered that it was a no-name, generic brand of CCD to which the end result is a vastly lower quality picture. Upon making a few phone calls to friends in the distribution business we further learned that the Cop 15-CD35 had an unusually high failure & return rate when compared to other cameras of its class.

We do not like to beat around the bush with political correctness when conducting a product evaluation, so we will end the review with this -The Optaplex MCD12V is an honest product for the price. You can trust what you are getting with this product.