ATEX/IECEx Digital Camera - Armadex OZC 3
ATEX/IECEx camera certified for Zone 2/22
The Armadex OZC 3 is the only explosion proof camera with a 4x optical zoom. Designed for ATEX Zone 2 (gas) and Zone 22 (dust) environments, it combines compact durability with high functionality: it withstands drops of up to 2.1 m, operates down to -10 °C and resists dust intrusion.
The OZC 3 is a modified version of the TG-7, developed in collaboration with OM System.
The camera excels in hazardous areas, offering specialised shooting modes for low light and dusty environments (construction mode) alongside a mode tailored to capturing labels clearly. Built for maintenance and inspection work, it is engineered for precision and safety.
Note: ATEX regulations require the xenon flash tube to be deactivated, but the LED flash remains operational, ensuring visibility and functionality.
Optimised features for hazardous area operations
The OZC 3 is equipped with features and modes tailored to hazardous environments:
- Date and timestamp — simplifies record keeping with easy logging.
- Construction mode — removes dust particles from images, automatically adjusts brightness in dark areas, and adapts to outdoor lighting by minimising shadows in direct sunlight.
- Slow shutter — allows long exposure times to capture detailed images in low light.
- Document mode (label capture) — ensures legible captures of labels, supporting digital reporting and analysis.
- Macro mode — extreme close-up detail from just 1 cm away, ideal for examining cracks and damage.
- Environmental logging — records location, ambient temperature and pressure readings with a manometer.
- OI.Share — connects to a hazardous area smartphone for immediate image viewing and transfer.
Construction mode in low light
Construction mode in direct sunlight
Auto mode versus Live Composite mode in a low light environment
The OZC 3 in use
4x optical zoom lens
One of the key benefits that distinguishes the OZC 3 from the alternatives is its zoom. The optical zoom lens captures images and video at 4x magnification without losing any quality at all, even while filming.
The 4x zoom allows users to:
- Capture dangerous machinery from a safe distance
- Inspect Zone 1 safely from within Zone 2
- Capture extreme detail, particularly useful when inspecting machinery or microchips
- Take images and video in tight spaces
- Discover microscopic damage and unevenness in microscope mode (1 cm close-ups)
Microscope mode, approx. 5 cm distance
Microscope mode, approx. 5 cm distance with 4x optical zoom
No zoom, approx. 185 m distance
4x zoom, approx. 185 m distance
Macro close-up of a cable gland
Sensor shift image stabilization
The OZC 3 uses advanced sensor shift image stabilization to steady both video and stills. This proves invaluable during video inspections, allowing users to move around a site and capture equipment, machinery and surroundings without distorted or shaky footage. The result is clearer, more professional material than the latest generation of smartphones can offer.
Tough, lightweight camera body
The Armadex OZC 3 weighs just 249 grams including the battery. The compact, explosion proof body is designed to survive drops from up to 2.1 metres, operates in temperatures from -10 °C to +40 °C, and is waterproof to 15 metres as well as dustproof.
Excellent low-light performance
A camera flash poses an ignition risk, which makes it non-compliant with ATEX regulations. That creates a challenge in potentially explosive environments where a consistent light source is not always available — confined spaces inside factories or machinery rooms, or outdoor hazardous areas that depend on daylight.
The OZC 3 is the only intrinsically safe camera designed to overcome this obstacle. It achieves exceptional sensitivity through its advanced image processing engine, using software enhancement combined with the LED flash to produce bright, high quality images.
4K recording
The camera records 4K at 30 fps for the finest image quality at 12 megapixels. Recording at 60 fps in HD is also available for smoother playback, with a modest compromise in per-frame quality. A high-resolution CMOS sensor and superior image processing engine capture low-noise, exceptionally sharp images.
Further benefits
- USB-C (3.0) connectivity for rapid, safe file transfer
- Long battery life, good for approximately 340 still images
- Worksite ready: rugged chassis, secure grip, solid buttons
- Wide angle lens — capture more in a single image
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity
- Straightforward, practical interface, ready for use out of the box
How the OZC 3 compares
| Feature | OZC 3 (2025) | OZC 2 (2022) | OZC 1 (2021) | Other brands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image quality | Higher | High | Medium | Low |
| Drop resistance | 2.1 m | 2.1 m | 1.8 m | 1.8 m |
| Video capture | 4K 30 fps | 4K 30 fps | 4K 15 fps | None |
| Low-light performance | Software + LED | Software + 6 LED ring | None | LED |
| Zoom | 4x + software | 5x optical, intelligent zoom | 5x optical | None |
| Size | Compact | Compact | Compact | Larger |
Is the Armadex OZC 3 intrinsically safe?
Hazardous area cameras are often referred to as intrinsically safe cameras. It is important to realise that this term can carry two meanings.
Intrinsically safe (IS) versus non-incendive (NI)
There is a difference between intrinsically safe and non-incendive equipment. Neither will form a source of ignition, but non-incendive equipment is certified on the assumption that there are no faults or malfunctions. Intrinsically safe means that even in the event of a fault — a cracked screen, for example — the equipment still cannot form a source of ignition. This is essentially what differentiates Zone 1 from Zone 2.
Protection method Ex ic: intrinsic safety
The other side of the argument is more technical. In the hazardous area design of this camera the protection method Ex i is used, which stands for intrinsic safety. Ex ic applies to Zone 2 only. Because this protection method is used, the OZC 3 is referred to as an intrinsically safe camera.