The TN04510AC.HR, from Senview of mainland China, has 4.5mm to 10mm focal length and manual iris.

Production and R&D focus on varifocal and IR units. Function enhancements target both indoor and outdoor applications.

A wide range of CCTV lenses is offered, including varifocal, fixed iris, direct drive (DC), video drive, auto iris, board and IR-enabled units. Among these, it is varifocal and IR models that top the production and product development agenda of interviewed companies in mainland China and South Korea. As far back as Electronics' report on CCTV lenses in April 2006, varifocal lenses have been lording over the mainstream while IR-enabled units have been on the rise.

In mainland China, the estimated annual CCTV lens production is 12 million units. Currently, there are about 100 CCTV lens suppliers on the mainland, most of which are trading companies while only less than 10 percent are volume manufacturers with in-house production facilities. Most industry players are based in Fujian province, with five volume producers in the capital city of Fuzhou and two in key port city of Xiamen.

In South Korea, there are about 30 CCTV lens companies, of which four or five are active and leading makers.

Varifocal lenses remain in mainstream position in the CCTV lens industry in mainland China, according to interviewed makers. In South Korea, featured companies are releasing day/ night lenses with standard or optional IR feature.

Mainland China's Zheng Sheng Photoelectric Instrument Co. Ltd produces 150,000 CCTV lenses a month, 70 percent of which are varifocal and auto iris lenses. It has more than 50 models that are classified into eight categories: fixed iris, manual iris, auto DC, auto VC, DC 2-varifocal, DC-3 varifocal, board and IR-enabled.

Varifocal and auto iris lenses also dominate the output of Fuzhou Senview Optics Co. Ltd and Yuxin Electronic Co. Ltd. Yuxin's latest release is the CAM0358A, a 1/3in CS mount, 3.5mm to 8mm varifocal and auto iris model featuring F1.4 and selectable DC or video drive. Yuxin specializes in the development and manufacture of CCTV cameras and lenses.

Senview has more than 50 series and models, including fixed iris, auto iris, manual iris, DC drive, video drive, board and IR-enabled lenses. The company, which has more than 40 years' experience in developing optical instruments for military and police use, is one of the leading professional makers of CCTV lenses on the mainland.

Fuzhou Keekoon Electronics Co. Ltd has developed a highresolution model, the MTV0620H, with 100 lp/mm resolution or twice the rating of mainstream lenses in the market. The company also has a 2.1mm to 25mm IR CCTV lens with a range of about 300m outdoors, said vice president Joe Huang. Keekoon's CCTV lens line includes more than 60 models, including fixed iris, DC drive, video drive, auto iris, board and IR units. The company produces 50,000 CCTV lenses a month.

A major South Korea maker, Daiwon Optical Co. Ltd has recently released the VIR series of day/night IR lens. The series consists of five models. Two of the models have focal length of 3.8mm to 8mm, and the other three have 3.7mm, 4.0mm and 6.0mm, respectively. The company's bestsellers are 3mm to 8mm CS mount lenses.

Also from South Korea, Naotech Co. Ltd has introduced a lens for car rearview cameras, which has 2.45mm focal length, F1.8 relative aperture, 160° field of view and optional 650nm IR range. The company also offers a board lens for general applications. The lens has 3.6mm focal length, F1.8 relative aperture, 92° field of view and optional 650nm IR range.

New Born Hightech of South Korea is planning to release a new C mount lens that features 30mm to 750mm focal length, 1/2in image format, F1:4.6 relative aperture, 4.6 to 360 iris range and 2.5m minimum object distance.

Higher-resolution and more IR lenses can be expected, as makers have lined up these products for development in H2 2006.

Mainland China's Senview is focusing its efforts on coming up with 1 million- to 1.3 million-pixel CCTV lenses, as well as IR lenses with mainstream 3.3mm to 8mm focal length. The company plans to release two models each of these lenses by the end of the year. Its latest release is the high-resolution TN04510VC.HR, a 1/2in CS mount model with 4.5mm to 10mm focal length, F1.6 aperture, 0.2m MOD and manual iris.

Aside from developing models with high resolution, Keekoon is also working on cosmetic designing and products for professional applications. For indoor use such as in banks, lenses require stable and reliable lighting. For outdoor use such as in traffic monitoring, lenses emphasize day/night and IRenabled functions.

Zheng Sheng will stay focused on varifocal lenses and has scheduled the release of four new models in H2 2006, while IR lenses can be expected from the company in H1 2007, according to sales director Hannah Chen. The maker has developed a real 5mm to 99.99mm lens with a wide viewing angle and variable applications. Its ZS5100A is an auto iris DC control, 5mm to 100mm and F1.6 model.

South Korea's Daiwon is planning to add varifocal lenses with focal lengths of 2.8mm to 10mm and 3.8mm to 9.5mm. To boost its fixed focal lens line, the maker will add 3mm and 8mm products by yearend. It expects IR lenses to become more popular as the IR camera market continues to grow.

Price forecasts vary from stable to a decrease, but no interviewed companies in mainland China and South Korea anticipate an increase for the rest of the year.

Susan Wu, sales manager at Senview, said that while FOB prices are foreseen to drop, increasing production costs make it difficult to predict the rate of change. Chen of Zheng Sheng and Yuxin's export manager Michael Lee both expect FOB prices to be stable until the end of the year. Keekoon's Huang also expects FOB prices of new models to be stable but forecasts that of conventional lenses to drop.

Daiwon of South Korea said prices generally go down by 5 percent to 10 percent annually. For this year, however, fluctuations in the currency exchange rate may affect this trend. The company, however, rules out a price increase and believes a slight reduction is possible.

Senview's FOB quotes range from $3 for a basic fixed iris lens to $30 for a varifocal auto iris model. Zheng Sheng's price for a basic fixed iris lens also starts at $3. The company's midrange varifocal models are priced at $10 to $20, and highend varifocal and auto iris models are priced at more than $40. Yuxin's FOB prices range from $2 to $100.

In South Korea, price ranges vary from company to company with quotes at $1.30 to $17 or $1 to $55 for low-end to high-end models. Zoom lens prices start at $200.

Zheng Sheng imports varifocal apertures and DC motors from Japan. Imported components account for 20 percent to 30 percent of total product cost at Zheng Sheng and for 20 percent at Keekoon. Keekoon and Senview source motors and drivers from Japan. These three companies turn to domestic suppliers for other materials and parts.

All contacted South Korea companies expect component sourcing will be stable for the rest of the year.

Most mainland makers in this report allocate more than half of their production to overseas markets. Senview ships 80 percent of its output to North America, Europe and South America. It produces about 50,000 units a month in its two ISO 9001:2000- certified and 250-worker factories in Fuzhou. Keekoon, which is also based in Fuzhou, exports 60 percent of its CCTV lens output to Europe and North America.

Zheng Sheng exports 80 percent of its output to Europe, North America and the Middle East. The company entered manufacturing in the early 1990s. Aside from CCTV lenses, it also produces CCD cameras, speed domes, quad processors, DVRs and other security accessories in its 150-worker facility in Fuzhou. Fuxin was established in 1997 and specializes in CCTV cameras and lenses. It is based in Shenzhen, Guangdong province and has a partner factory in Fujian.

Two South Korea makers in this report, on the other hand, send less than half of output to overseas destinations. Naotech sends 15 percent of its total production overseas. Its biggest export market is mainland China, where the company sends all its own-brand products. New Born derives about 40 percent of total sales from exports. The company markets only its own brand. Brazil and Japan are its major export markets.

Daiwon, however, ships 90 percent of its products to foreign markets, mainly Taiwan and mainland China. The company conducts its production activities in its headquarters. Daiwon has six production lines and can produce up to 400,000 fixed lenses a month. It has five QC and five R&D staff.

New Born's R&D team includes two staff each for hardware, software and mechanism designing.

Interviewed South Korea makers are RoHS/WEEEcompliant, as are the mainland's Zheng Sheng and Keekoon. Keekoon's CCTV lenses carry CE and FCC approvals.