Dark 30 Defiance vehicle roof-mounted PTZ thermal camera: for LE, private security and civil protection

Dark 30 is a European brand, based in Sofia (Bulgaria) created to provide advanced imaging technology for the outdoor, LE and professional communities, and distributed in EU by Sellmark OOD. The company’s flagship product is currently the Defiance PTZ (Pan, Tilt and Zoom), vehicle mounted, thermal imaging observation camera.  

An external mounted PTZ thermal system offers many advantages over a simple hand held, the most obvious is that it can be used from inside the vehicle without being blocked by the glass windshield and windows, which are completely opaque to IR, and compared to other NODs, can pierce difficult weather conditions like smoke, light fog and glare – and also complete darkness, i.e. a tunnel, where passive NV is useless without an illuminator.

The Dark 30 Defiance is a system that includes a PTZ head that can be mounted on the roof of a vehicle and that connects inside the interior to the included monitor for viewing and control of the head’s movements.

It can be used by a passenger during the vehicle’s travel. The head itself, built of tough aluminum alloy, is IP66 rated and the Defiance PTZ addresses critical covert observation topics such as perimeter security, LE patrol and surveillance, search and rescue, environmental control and game management, and much more.

The Defiance is available in two configurations that differ solely due to the sensor used: the Defiance 640, with a 17 µm, 640x480 pixel resolution and <30mK NETD sensibility (7199.99 euro MSRP), and the Defiance LT 384, with a 17 µm, 384x288 pixel resolution and <40mK NETD sensibility (4250.00 euro MSRP). The germanium objective with F/1:1.0 and 30mm focal length is the same, as is the fast 60 fps refresh rate.

We received a sample of the Defiance 640 PTZ, that includes all the ancillary gear to set it up and install it on a vehicle. Performance specs are impressive, with a 1,150 meter detection range.

The Dark 30 Defiance 640 PTZ

Delivery of this interesting thermal imaging device is contained in a very nice rugged and waterproof protective polymer case. It includes the head and base, three mounting options (suction cups, magnets or bolts for rooftop fastening), all cables for power and HDMI video, a 10.1” LCD FHD color monitor and mounting hardware, remote control, a few tools and barrel connector adapter. The manual is available for download in PDF form.

I mentioned that the PTZ head itself and its base are IP66 rated, therefore waterproof and dustproof, however the color monitor and remote are not, as they are designed to be used inside the vehicle. 

It is possible to completely control the Dark 30 Defiance 640 PTZ via wifi using the free Dark30 app and a smart device; the connection is encrypted and secured via a password. The Defiance supports video recording on a TF card (located on the PTZ head), which is also used for firmware updates.

The PTZ movements of the head are 360° continuous pan, straight downward to 45° above horizontal tilt, and 1-8x digital zoom. 

The battery operated remote features a joystick for pan and tilt, and a wheel for zoom control; it also controls recording and palettes, while a Home button allows for menu configuration and other functions.

The monitor only offers on/off and brightness controls.

Field Test of the Dark 30 Defiance 640 PTZ System

all4shooters.com partnered with the Police Department and the Councillor for Security of Castano Primo, a municipality in the metropolitan city of Milan in Northern Italy, to field test in official law enforement duty the Dark 30 Defiance 640 PTZ vehicular thermal imaging system. Patrol car crews tested the system for several weeks in real operational situations.

Even without specific training, the initial installation and setup of the system was simple and took only about thirty minutes from opening the box of the kit; once installed, it is very easy to move the device during technical downtime and vehicle rotation. 

However, since the system was on loan, it was not possible to permanently mount it with bolts to the roof. Only magnets and suction cups were used, limiting the travel speed at which the device could be used.

In the case of permanent installation, it is possible to protect the base with a cover when the PTZ head has been removed for storage during service downtime and garage parking. 

The display size and brightness are excellent. It should be noted that in some cases, the emitted light may be visible from outside the vehicle: something to keep in mind when performing surveillance or a stakeout from an unmarked car rather than from the classic commercial van.

The Dark 30 has been used to enforce public safety, and some thermal imaging footage recorded with the Dark 30 has been acquired as evidence in both felonies and misdemeanours’ ongoing proceedings – and release to the public has been vetoed. Nevertheless, part of the footage was authorized for publication and kindly shared with us by the Police Commander’s Office, to whom we are grateful. Thanks to this footage we were able to publish the video.

Castano Primo’s county – or "Comune" in Italian – is not limited to the urban municipality, and includes industrial areas, large forests and farmed land, and its Police Department has jurisdiction on game and forestry supervision. During service, especially at night, encounters with local wildlife are possible. The Dark 30 is also an excellent system for detecting so-called hot spots for fire prevention, which are extremely visible even from considerable distances.

Officers who tested the Dark 30 PTZ reported a good overall impression of the system, in terms of stability, ease of use, and ruggedness. The great sensitivity of the thermal optics in difficult situations and the good resolution was very appreciated. Comments mainly concerned the request for some form of focus adjustment for close distances, since the lens has a fixed focus from about 10 m to infinity, the introduction of a touchscreen interface for the tablet display, and a wired remote control not requiring batteries — most importantly, the possibility of having a backup remote included. There’s no latency using the Dark 30 hardwire connected via HDMI, whereas when using the app and wifi connection, a bit of latency is noticeable.

At the end of the test, we received an excellent impression of the new Dark 30 Defiance 640 PTZ thermal camera, both personally and from the officers who used it. The MSRP of €7,199.99 is extremely attractive for institutional users, since it is significantly less — even less than half — compared to competing systems with lower performance. Its scope of use easily extends to fire fighters, civil protection units, game warden and forestry control.

Dark 30 Defiance 640 PTZ technical specifications and price