Swann Debuts Video Camera Pens

By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 2/8/2012

Santa Fe Springs, Calif. - Video camera resource Swann introduced Wednesday the HD PenCam and PenCam 4GB video surveillance cameras.

The Swann PenCam 4GB ($70) records video high resolution video to 4GBs of internal memory.

Both devices conceal a miniature video camera and DVR inside a real working pen.

The two cameras differ primarily by storage capability. The HD PenCam ($100 suggested retail) is capable of capturing high definition AVI videos (1280-by-720) and high resolution JPEG images onto up to 16GB Micro SD cards.

The PenCam 4GB ($70 suggested retail) also captures both high resolution videos and images, but features the largest internal memory of any PenCam to date.

Both models are designed to surreptitiously record action from a hidden perspective and switch between video and photo mode with a touch of a button. They also feature date and time stamping, and are compatible with PCs and Macs.

The HD PenCam can transfer videos to a PC via a USB cable or MicroSD card slot. It is powered by a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery with 45 minutes of charge life and recharges via the USB port. The 16GB MicroSD card will allow the camera to capture up to 8 hours of video or 72,000 still images.

The PenCam 4GB unscrews to reveal a USB connector that plugs into a computer to transfer files and charge the Lithium-ion battery. The camera runs for 90 minutes per charge. The 4GB of built-in memory will store up to 2 hours of video or 18,000 still images.