
What to Consider When Buying a CCTV Camera
There are many important factors to look into when buying a new CCTV camera, most of which concern the basic hardware components; therefore, understanding these parts and how they affect the CCTV camera's performance is crucial to any shopper.
Lens
The lens is what collects the light that will be used by the sensor. Whatever you see or is recorded on the DVR is coming through the lens. With the lens controlling focus, it determines up to how far you will be able to recognize a face or read a car plate number. In a lot of cases, it's better to have a good lens than a high output resolution, considering that the depends on the input, and the input depends on the lens. Also consider getting a zoom lens, which comes in handy when you analyze video recordings where details are critical.
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Sensor
What Do You Know About Security
There are two very important things to look into when it comes to a CCTV camera's sensor: type and size. Typically, CCTV sensors would be CMOS or CCD. CMOS is not as expensive as CCD and consumes less power too; however, as it is less sensitive, the quality of images it produces is lower as well. In terms of size, the bigger the sensor, the more light it can process, leading to a better quality image. There are two common sizes CCTV camera sensors are sold in today - 1/4 inch (3.2 mm by 2.4 mm) and 1/3 inch (4.8 mm by 3.6 mm).
Output Resolution
Tne usual specification for CCTV cameras is how many TV resolution horizontal lines - also called their TVL - they can output. Some experts say this should be at least 420TVL, but this is not true for all cases.
Although it would be great to have a high resolution, remember that output is dependent on input, which means whatever extra resolution is added will only go to waste, unless the lens and sensor are able to match the DSP-determined output resolution. What really matters is that there is enough resolution to clearly display any image produced by the camera.
Types
> Bullet
Bullet cameras are cylindrical in shape and are usually used in environments in which discretion is important, but it is unnecessary to install the camera permanently in a protective dome. They are perfect for service areas and shops in which the staff needs to be monitored.
> Dome
A CCTV dome camera is the ideal choice for surveillance because it doesn't only protect itself from vandals, but it also offers a degree of security because it's usually impossible to tell where the device is pointed.
> IR Day/Night
Though it's easy to tell by their appearance, these cameras can offer round-the-clock outdoor coverage in any lighting condition. They come up with colour images during the day and shift to black and white for infrared viewing during night time. Indeed, buying the right CCTV camera isn't going to be that easy. But this information can sure give you a great jumpstart.