Posted by Fiona
Last week I had a look at the latest visualiser models from AverMedia. The CP150 is their latest ‘bendy neck’ model, pictured below. At the budget end of the range, it retails for approximately £400 and is designed to be a portable visualiser for looking at documents or objects. There is a built in light, which improves the image quality. The CP150 has 2x optical zoom and 8x digital zoom. Optical zoom gives a better quality image, so images tend to pixellate as the limit of the zoom is reached. However you can get around this by using the bendy neck to position the lense closer to the object. The bendy neck design makes it easy to view 3D objects from different angles.
The next model up is the 300AF, and I thought this one was the best ‘all-rounder’. Also a portable model, this one has a ‘hinged neck’ design, which allows the neck to be either fixed in position for looking at documents, or moved around on the hinges for looking at 3D objects. I get on better with this model, as I find it easier to position, particularly as there is a ‘laser positioning point’ display which shows you the shooting area. However it’s movement is more limited than the bendy neck design. This model also has autofocus, which makes it much easier to switch between objects quickly. The image quality is the same as the CP150, with a 3.2M pixel image resolution , 2x optical and 8x digital zoom. This one is slightly more expensive at around £500.
The top of the range model is the SPB 350. This one has a platform design with an attached base, which is designed to stay in one place as it’s too heavy to move around. The image quality on this one is excellent, with a 5M pixel resolution, 20x optical and 8x digital zoom. This means it could double as a microscope, as you can zoom in and see very fine detail on objects. However it isn’t as flexible as the portable models, as the head is fixed in position. It retails for around £950.
All of the Aver visualisers come with software which works well with interactive whiteboards. Capturing images to Smart Notebook software is straightforward.
I am looking forward to seeing the new Smart visualiser in September. This one is an based on the Elmo L1n, a hinged neck model similar to the Aver 300AF, adapted to work within the Smart Notebook software.
Recent Comments