Which Type of Camera Should I Use? Part 1: Box Cameras
Filed under: CCTV Articles, CCTV Camera, CCTV Training Videos, GeoVision, Security Camera, Uncategorized
When designing a security system, one of the most common questions that comes up is “which type of camera should I use?” There are dome cameras, bullet cameras, box cameras, IR cameras, IP cameras, and a whole lot more!
With so many options, it’s nearly impossible to give a direct answer. As you might expect, the answer to that question is “it depends.”
Use Box Security Cameras for Special Needs
Perhaps the oldest style of camera is the box camera. While at one point, the box camera was the only choice; its role has changed into a specialty camera.
There are two things that make a box camera an excellent choice for specialty applications:
1) The Lens – The lens on a box camera can be changed swapped out depending on the application. Apex CCTV offers lenses ranging from 1mm to 100mm, and all of them are varifocal. This allows the end user cover to very specifically adjust the field of view from a very wide range at a close distance, to a very narrow range at a great distance.
2) The software – Many box cameras has additional built in software that allow them to get better images than other camera styles like dome or bullet. For example, the AP-WDSHQ offers Wide Dynamic Range, the ability to correct bight back-lighting that might cause other cameras to only record silhouettes and not functional videos. Another example is the Samsung SCC-B2331 which features eXtended Dynamic Range, the ability to differentiate light and dark areas at a greater range than other cameras.
While the rise of dome cameras and bullet cameras has reduced the market share for traditional box cameras in everyday applications, box cameras still remain the best choice for specialty applications.
What is H.264 and Why Does it Matter?
Filed under: CCTV Articles, CCTV Camera, General Technology, Security Camera, Security Camera System
There seem to be a few leaders in the market at this time regarding compression: H.264, MJPEG, andMPEG4.
H.264 seems to be the market leader at this point in time due to the fact that it provides better image quality. While there are different profiles it can be hard to compare head to head different manufactures cameras. Advantage of having so many profiles helps you to maintain the amount of bandwidth storage you are going to eat up on your network. High Stereo Profiles for instance will have the highest video quality while eating up massive amounts of bandwidth.
Imagine operating 32 units on the same network and the drag you can create if the network does not have adequate bandwidth. The most commonly used by most manufactures is a main profile that offers medium resolution and low bandwidth. One main thing to consider when tapping into this resolution is latency. Do to the fact that h.264 has to collect a lot of pictures and frames before it will start to process them. Is essence its where you will catch your drag on your system. Sometime it can take a few seconds before you see an image begin to play back on your monitor.
Installing Security Cameras: Why Wait Until It’s Too Late?
Did you know that 78% of New Security and Surveillance Camera installations are due to already having an incident or some sort of criminal activity happen? This is typical in all areas of the world. Taking preventative measures can eliminate risk of this type of behavior at your home or place of business by as much as 80%. Public areas tend to already be on top of this matter mostly due to Government regulations and have seen significant decreases in criminal activity by exposing that public to the fact that they are ” Being Watched” while occupying this area.
Taking these precautions before occupying your public or private environments obviously can give you the peace of mind that you deserve. While assuring the safety of your family or employees is the right choice to make a safe and happy environment is a productive one.
So when something happens in your community ask yourself this. Am I safe from potential harm? Am I sure that I can protect my loved ones or employees? Would I be able to prevent the same person or group of people from repeating similar criminal acts if acted upon? Why wait? Secure your home or work place before perpetrators make you believe it is necessary to do so.
Are you really getting what you need?
Filed under: CCTV Articles, CCTV Camera, Security Camera, Security Camera System
When designing a surveillance system, don’t get too caught up in some of the technology that is now on the market.
Things like a PTZ camera can be a great tool if used for the right application, but don’t get talked into adding one to your system just because it can do certain things if it is not what is truly needed for the best possible surveillance system for your application. PTZ’s can be a great tool if you have a large area you are trying to cover, but also need to have the ability to move that camera around to see certain things happening and enlarge the image. If you have that need, a PTZ camera might be the best solution.
If you are covering that large area with just the one PTZ camera and you move it to one area and zoom it in, you have no idea of what is happening in the other areas. Keep in mind; if you are going to use a PTZ camera, it is usually best to have overall coverage from another source, that way if the PTZ is being utilized for a specific need, you will still have coverage.
Remember that if using IP cameras, most of them have the ability to utilize a digital zoom feature and take a small area of a much larger image and enlarge it enough that the need for a PTZ camera does not exist. The advantage there is you are taking away a mechanically controlled camera, which can break down much easier, and having in its place a camera that has no motor to move it around thus less to worry about.
Remember, if your system is down, it might just be when it is really needed. For the most part, a good rule of thumb is to cover all the areas that you feel are important, and keep it as simple as possible.
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