DJI makes camera module with 30x optical zoom for industrial drones

Drone manufacturer DJI announces the Zenmuse Z30, a camera module with 30x optical zoom. The module can be combined with the Matrice drone platform and, according to the manufacturer, is intended for industrial applications.

The camera module contains a 1/2.8″ cmos sensor with a resolution of 2.13 megapixels. DJI does not mention on the specification page in which resolution the module films, but with this pixel number a maximum of 1080p resolution is possible. aperture is maximum f/1.6 in wide-angle position and f/4.7 when zoomed in to maximum.

It is not mentioned which focal lengths the lens has. The angle of view in the wide-angle position is 63.7° and 2.3° in the maximum zoom position. In addition to the 30x optical zoom, there is also a 6x digital zoom available for a total of 180x zoom. Zooming from wide-angle to telephoto takes 4.6 seconds.

You can take photos with a maximum of 5 fps and there is a time-lapse function with an adjustable interval of two to thirty seconds. Users can choose manual settings or an automatic mode. It is not known at what frame rate the camera can film. Files are stored on a micro-SD memory card with a capacity of up to 64GB.

According to the manufacturer, the camera is suitable for inspecting, for example, transmission towers or windmills. On Twitter, DJI shows a short demonstration video of eight seconds. The module can be combined with the Matrice 100, a ‘developer drone’ that can be adapted for specific industrial tasks.

The Zenmuse Z30 measures 152x137x61mm and weighs 549 grams. DJI does not disclose what the module will cost. Previously, DJI released the Zenmuse Z3, a 3.5x optical zoom module that can be used on the Inspire-1 consumer drone.