An automated electronic video surveillance system enables a high-resolution mega-pixel camera to capture high quality, detailed, magnified images at multiple locations, simultaneously with an overview of the whole scene. A preferred embodiment requiring no moving parts provides full 360-degree continuous viewing with up to 5× all-digital zoom capability. The system performs continuous surveillance and active resolution allocation in the form of a feedback control subsystem that dynamically allocates resources so that important details within a scene receive appropriate scrutiny, while uninteresting areas are imaged at a lower resolution.