• ISG Zoom/Elite are sub-mega pixel cameras of approximately 325,000 pixels. Mega pixel digital cameras typically offer 1 to 8 million pixels or more PVC cards produced on 300 DPI or 600 DPI printers always use sub mega pixels to print images. A 1 inch wide by 1.33 inches high (3/4 aspect ratio) will use 120,000 pixels. Additional pixels cannot be used and will not increase the image quality.
  • Mega Pixel cameras will either scale (intelligently throw away pixels) or crop (camera is zoomed out wide and only a small section of the CCD array is used for the image). Both these methods have their downsides. Scaling can produce artifacts, and the individual pixel quality of digital cameras can be poor.
  • Although ISG Zoom/Elite uses a lower pixel count CCD, each pixel is physically larger and has higher quality than most digital cameras. That's because with the digital camera you are stuffing 1 -8 mega pixels on the same size chip as the ISG Zoom/Elite, but the ISG camera has only 1/2 million pixels. Therefore our pixel size is higher and quality is better. The mega pixel camera will NOT use any more pixels to create the image than the ISG Zoom/Elite, and the ISG Zoom/Elite pixel quality is higher.
  • The ISG Zoom/Elite should be zoomed in to the subject to maximize image pixel count. Taking wide captures and cropping in software will reduce the image quality.

Other advantages of the ISG Zoom/Elite over Digitals:

  • Higher intensity Flash that overrides ambient light. Most digital flashes mix with ambient light and can produce inconsistent results.
  • Flash intensity is adjustable at distances from 2 feet to over 15 and achieves consistent illumination at various distances. Digitals often give inconsistent results because they are optimized for flexibility. The ISG Zoom/Elite is optimized to always capture at a given distance from the camera with a high intensity flash and deliver consistent results.
  • The ISG Zoom/Elite has a large real time live preview to monitor the image as it will appear on your printed card
  • The ISG Zoom/Elite provides real time preview cropping and capture. If you wish, you can bypass the software cropping step and capture straight to the capture box on the card design.
  • The ISG Zoom/Elite offers fast image acquisition through its twain driver
  • The ISG Zoom/Elite offers optical (not digital) Zoom and Pan and Tilt (PTZ models). Different subject distances can be accommodated without diminishing image quality.
Thank you. Great Service!

Steve Berry
Manager, Security, Operations Branch
Canada Border Services Agency