Bosch LVF-5003C-P2713 Varifocal 2.7-13mm 3MP CS-Mount Lens
The Bosch LVF-5003C-P2713 is a 3-megapixel varifocal lens covering 2.7–13mm focal lengths on a CS mount — purpose-built for integrators who need flexible field-of-view adjustment without swapping glass when scene requirements shift during commissioning. With a nearly 5:1 zoom ratio, it handles everything from wide-area lobby coverage to tighter corridor or doorway framing from a single installed unit. If you're pairing box cameras or board-camera housings with a surveillance camera solution that demands optical precision and P-iris control, this lens belongs on your shortlist. Browse the full Bosch catalog for compatible camera bodies and accessories.
Key Features
- 3MP Optical Resolution: The lens is rated to resolve 3 megapixels of detail — match it to a sensor no larger than 1/2.7-inch for full optical performance. Pair it with a higher-resolution sensor and you'll hit the lens's resolution ceiling before the sensor does, wasting pixels. Get the pairing right and you get crisp, evidence-grade imagery at every focal length across the zoom range.
- 2.7–13mm Varifocal Range (Manual Zoom): The 4.8:1 zoom ratio gives you a wide-angle 102° x 74° horizontal/vertical field of view at 2.7mm — useful for open lobbies, retail floors, and wide-corridor overviews — and a 26.7° x 15.2° tele view at 13mm for tighter framing on doorways, registers, or entry lanes. Manual zoom means you set it once during install; it won't drift under vibration the way motorized mechanisms can.
- F1.4 Maximum Aperture: Opening to F1.4 lets in as much light as the iris allows, giving the paired camera sensor more latitude in low-light conditions. P-iris control (4-pin connector) lets the camera's ISP actively manage the iris for optimal depth of field and contrast rather than leaving it on a fixed setting — this is the spec that separates this lens from basic DC-iris or fixed-iris alternatives when scene lighting varies throughout the day.
- P-Iris Control (4-pin): Precision iris control via the camera's image processor optimizes depth of field and minimizes diffraction at small apertures. Compared to a standard DC iris, P-iris delivers more consistent sharpness across lighting transitions — relevant when the camera faces a scene with mixed artificial and natural light, or when the iris would otherwise hunt. Confirm your camera body supports P-iris before ordering; a DC-iris camera won't use the 4-pin connector correctly.
- 0.3m Minimum Object Distance: The lens can focus as close as 30cm — useful in tight mounting situations or when the camera is positioned near a door frame or counter and needs to resolve near-field subjects without going soft. Most general-purpose varifocals in this range push minimum focus further out.
- 8mm Back Focus Distance: The 8mm back focal distance is a fixed optical constraint. When mounting on a CS-mount camera body, verify the camera's flange distance is properly set — a mismatch produces a soft image that manual focus adjustment alone won't fix. This is the most common installation mistake with interchangeable-lens box cameras.
- 87g, Ø47mm x 75.11mm: At under 90 grams and 47mm in diameter, the lens fits inside standard box camera housings without clearance issues. Verify housing internal diameter before ordering if you're working with compact or retrofit enclosures.
- -10°C to +50°C Operating Range: The lens operates in temperatures from -10°C to +50°C — appropriate for indoor installations and conditioned equipment rooms. It is NOT rated for uncontrolled outdoor environments without a housing. Storage extends to -40°C/+60°C, so transit and warehouse conditions won't cause damage.
- Up to 60% RH Non-Condensing: The humidity ceiling of 60% RH non-condensing is relevant in climate-controlled interiors. High-humidity environments — loading docks, food processing areas, washdown zones — will require a sealed housing to protect both the lens and camera body.
Integration & Compatibility
The LVF-5003C-P2713 (often searched as LVF 5003C P2713) uses a standard CS mount, compatible with any CS-mount box camera body. Maximum sensor format is 1/2.7-inch — use with larger sensors (1/2-inch, 1/1.8-inch, or bigger) and you'll see vignetting at the image corners. The 4-pin P-iris connector requires a camera with native P-iris support; without it, the iris defaults to a manual or de-rated mode depending on the camera body. Manual zoom and manual focus mean no motorization dependencies and no firmware compatibility concerns — it works with any CS-mount body that accepts P-iris. For deployments integrating into a network video recorder system, the lens itself is VMS-agnostic; all intelligence lives in the camera body.
This lens is a strong fit for indoor fixed-mount IP cameras in retail, commercial interiors, and light industrial spaces where scene framing flexibility is needed at install time but motorized remote zoom is unnecessary. It is not the right choice for outdoor unhoused installations, environments exceeding 50°C, sensors larger than 1/2.7-inch, or applications requiring remote zoom/focus adjustment post-commissioning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the maximum sensor size compatible with the LVF-5003C-P2713?
A: The LVF-5003C-P2713 supports sensors up to 1/2.7-inch format. Pairing with a larger sensor will result in image vignetting — darkened or cut-off corners — because the lens's image circle does not cover the full sensor area.
Q: Does the LVF-5003C-P2713 require a specific iris control type on the camera?
A: It uses a 4-pin P-iris connector. For full P-iris functionality — where the camera's ISP actively controls the iris for optimal depth of field and sharpness — the paired camera must natively support P-iris control. On a camera with only DC-iris support, the iris behavior will be degraded or manual-only.
Q: Can this lens be used outdoors?
A: The lens itself carries no IP ingress rating and is specified for up to 60% RH non-condensing humidity. Outdoor use requires a sealed protective housing. The operating temperature range of -10°C to +50°C also limits unhoused outdoor use in cold climates.
Q: Is zoom and focus motorized on the LVF-5003C-P2713?
A: No. Both zoom and focus are manually adjusted. You set the focal length and focus during physical installation. There is no remote zoom or autofocus capability — this is a manual varifocal lens.
Q: What is the field of view at the widest and narrowest zoom settings?
A: At 2.7mm (wide end), horizontal x vertical field of view is 102° x 74°. At 13mm (tele end), it narrows to 26.7° x 15.2°. This gives considerable flexibility for framing a scene at install time without needing to reposition the camera.
Q: What mount type does the LVF-5003C-P2713 use?
A: CS mount. It is not a C-mount lens. Using a C-mount adapter is possible in some cases but will alter the back focus distance and may compromise image quality — verify your camera body's mount type before installing.
The LVF-5003C-P2713 is one of the more practical lenses in Bosch's CS-mount lineup specifically because the 4.8:1 zoom ratio genuinely covers the two most common indoor framing scenarios — wide-area overview and focused entry-point coverage — without requiring two separate lens SKUs on the job. The P-iris 4-pin connector is what sets it apart from cheaper varifocals in this focal range; when paired with a compatible camera body, the ISP-managed iris maintains consistent depth of field as lighting shifts through the day rather than hunting or locking at a fixed aperture.
Technical Highlights:
- 102° x 74° Wide FOV at 2.7mm: That's a genuinely wide horizontal angle — enough to cover a full retail aisle or lobby entrance in a single frame without distortion artifacts that a fisheye would introduce.
- F1.4 Maximum Aperture with P-Iris: The F1.4 ceiling gives the camera sensor meaningful low-light headroom. Combined with P-iris, you avoid the sharpness penalty you'd get from a basic DC-iris hunting at small apertures under fluorescent flicker.
- 0.3m Minimum Focus Distance: Closer than most varifocals in this class — useful for tight counter-mount or door-frame installations where the subject is right in front of the camera.
Deployment Considerations:
- Back focus distance is 8mm — set this precisely on the camera body before locking the lens. A few tenths of a millimeter off and no amount of manual focus ring adjustment will produce a sharp image at the tele end of the zoom range.
- Operating humidity tops out at 60% RH non-condensing. This lens is not suited for unhoused installations in loading docks, kitchen prep areas, or any space with regular humidity spikes — plan for a sealed housing in those environments.
This lens is the right call for indoor commercial box-camera installs — retail floors, office lobbies, light manufacturing interiors — where you need one lens SKU that handles both wide overview and tighter detail framing, and where the camera body supports P-iris for consistent image quality across variable lighting conditions.
