Why are Dakota Micro’s AgCam and EnduraCam Cameras Superior? Part 2 – The Camera Body

By: Gary Manske – Executive Director, Sales & Marketing

There are several reasons cameras built by Dakota Micro are superior. In part two of this four-part series, we will discuss the camera body.

Part 2 – The Camera Body

You might not think much about a camera body when spec’ing or reviewing various camera systems. As my previous article indicated, read the article here, Dakota Micro’s AgCam and EnduraCam cameras are rugged and reliable. They are intentionally designed to include several special features that set them apart from other cameras. Today, we look at the camera body.

Cameras are basically a sealed box with a hole to let light in with the intent of capturing a subject on a light-sensitive surface. This box is the body of the camera. The material a camera is made of is an important component to consider. The environment a camera is used in will affect the life and performance of the camera both in the near term and long term.

Many cameras are made of die-cast aluminum, plastic, or stainless steel, for example. Each of these has an achilleas heal to be very aware of. For example, die-cast aluminum is prone to casting defects and can be quite brittle, especially in the cold. If you put pressure on cast aluminum, it can easily break. Plastic is sometimes a good solution for some caustic environments but, heat, cold, and sunlight can weaken the body over time. They fade, become brittle, and can break easily. Stainless steel is durable and resists corrosion, but it is expensive, and keep in mind, a major flaw of stainless steel is that rust is easily introduced when stainless steel is scratched. This rust penetrates the camera body, and it will fail.  Dakota Micro’s AgCam and EnduraCam bodies are made from a solid billet of anodized aluminum. Let’s look at these terms and why they are superior.

A billet is a solid block. Therefore, the AgCam and EnduraCam from Dakota Micro are carved from a solid billet of aluminum.  This is unlike casting where molten material is poured into a mold with the hope there are no voids or internal cracks. Billet parts, on the other hand, are created by removing excess material from the solid billet block, essentially the camera body is carved out of solid aluminum.                                       

Without getting too technical, anodizing is a process used to increase a natural layer of oxidation on the surface of metal parts.  The anodized surface becomes part of the aluminum.  It is no longer a separate layer of paint or corrosion resistance.

Anodized aluminum has several advantages, including a more durable product that will not flake, chip, or peel over time. Anodized aluminum protects from abrasive wear during installation and handling.  Of course, aluminum does not rust. Perhaps the most caustic environment you can find is fertilizer. Evidence of the durability of the AgCam and EnduraCam bodies comes from a customer. This camera has been in his fertilizer tank for 10 years. Note that this camera is still working when tested this spring.

So far, we have reviewed what makes Dakota Micro cameras lenses and camera bodies different. Check back for further information as we discuss Durability in Part 3 and what makes Dakota Micro cables superior in Part 4.

Part 1: Lenses

Part 3: Durability

Part 4: Cables