February 23, 2011

Tamron Co., Ltd.

NEC Avio Infrared Technologies Co., Ltd.,
Far-Infrared High-Sensitivity Security Camera and

High-Performance Lens Series,

Jointly Developed by the Industry's Two Leading Companies

February 23, 2011 (Saitama City, Japan; Tamron Co., Ltd.) - Tamron Co., Ltd., an integrated manufacturer of optical products and a leader in the security market, and NEC Avio Infrared Technologies Co., Ltd., the top infrared technology device company in Japan, announced their joint development of a far-infrared (far-IR) high-sensitivity camera and a series of six high-performance interchangeable lenses for use in security applications.

Far-IR cameras began drawing attention as a screening device to deal with the pandemics (widespread outbreaks of infectious disease) that have repeatedly occurred in recent years, and consequently they are now used in a range of different areas. Infrared rays are of longer wavelength than the visible spectrum, so infrared sensors are able to detect heat and create images of objects and phenomena that cannot be filmed using a normal-view camera, by minimizing the impact of no lighting at night or obstructing objects such as fog. With this key feature, the market for far-IR cameras for security and surveillance is expected to grow significantly.

In security applications, there is an increased need for improved image recognition. In our joint development work, we used an optical image stabilization system to improve the far-IR sensor's sensitivity and image processing capability. This also rectified image deterioration caused by vibrations at the camera installation point. The result is a high-performance lens that delivers high-resolution images at any focal distance using an optical zoom.

With this new far-IR camera, we have achieved significantly higher sensitivity, bundled with a variety of image processing capabilities. At the same time, we offer six types of interchangeable lenses that come equipped with VC (Vibration Compensation) optical image stabilization for far-IR cameras - the world's first - and the industry's premium zoom optical system optimized for the far-infrared range. And with the groundbreaking adoption of an interchangeable lens system, the camera and lenses may be flexibly used in a variety of combinations, depending on the respective monitoring situation.