Concerned about crime in your area? Does your home contain valuables that you’re unhappy leaving unattended? Simply looking for a little additional peace of mind that your property and family are secure? Then installing your first home security system may be the right move. In the first part of this multi-part series, we’ll be looking at the different IP camera types available, and wade through some of the most common designs and their features in order to identify some of the key things you need to consider when deciding what setup is right for you home.
The different IP camera types available
If you look through our catalogue of products, the clearest difference between them is the appearance. We offer a number of different types of IP cameras. Today we will be looking at: bullet cameras; dome cameras; turret cameras; and cube cameras as these are the most common camera types used for home surveillance. If this already seems a little daunting don’t worry – each camera type is designed with a specific use in mind, and we’ll run through each of those now.
Bullet Cameras
Bullet cameras have been designed to be suitable for indoor and outdoor use and come with a range of options, including variable focal lengths (more on those later) and infrared imaging. Whilst they provide excellent pictures, they are vulnerable to vandalism, and so typically should only be mounted in places where they are hard to reach. They come in a range of sizes, and so can be matched nicely to your needs. Bullet cameras are particularly popular in applications where users would like their camera to be noticeable and so can be a deterrent as well as being used for security surveillance.
Dome Cameras
Dome cameras offer users a very large range of flexibility and are suitable for indoor and outdoor use. This camera style comes complete with a dome housing surrounding the camera lens which makes many dome models vandal resistant. This enables users to mount these cameras at lower levels than some other types of cameras. This is why dome cameras tend to be the most popular camera type used at front doors. As well as this dome cameras are often mounted under the eaves of houses for a more discreet and unobtrusive look.
Turret Cameras
Turret cameras are very similar to dome cameras style-wise and are often referred to as flat-faced domes. This camera type has proved to be very popular with our customers which we attribute to the quality pictures they can produce both day and night. Due to the flat face style, the turret camera eliminates the threat of IR reflection that can sometimes occur with dome cameras. Although this style looks very aesthetically pleasing and produces high-quality images it lacks vandal-resistant housing which can leave the device open to vandal attempts and so may not be suitable for certain lower down applications.
Cube Cameras
These cameras are perhaps the easiest to set up and often come with a great selection of bundled features that provide a range of benefits. Their small size and portability also make them easy to re-position and relocate. However as a result they are the most vulnerable to vandalism and disruption, making them likely unsuitable as the sole camera in a security system.
The different IP camera types available
If you look through our catalogue of products, the clearest difference between them is the appearance. We offer a number of different types of IP cameras. Today we will be looking at: bullet cameras; dome cameras; turret cameras; and cube cameras as these are the most common camera types used for home surveillance. If this already seems a little daunting don’t worry – each camera type is designed with a specific use in mind, and we’ll run through each of those now.
Bullet Cameras
Bullet cameras have been designed to be suitable for indoor and outdoor use and come with a range of options, including variable focal lengths (more on those later) and infrared imaging. Whilst they provide excellent pictures, they are vulnerable to vandalism, and so typically should only be mounted in places where they are hard to reach. They come in a range of sizes, and so can be matched nicely to your needs. Bullet cameras are particularly popular in applications where users would like their camera to be noticeable and so can be a deterrent as well as being used for security surveillance.
Dome Cameras
Dome cameras offer users a very large range of flexibility and are suitable for indoor and outdoor use. This camera style comes complete with a dome housing surrounding the camera lens which makes many dome models vandal resistant. This enables users to mount these cameras at lower levels than some other types of cameras. This is why dome cameras tend to be the most popular camera type used at front doors. As well as this dome cameras are often mounted under the eaves of houses for a more discreet and unobtrusive look.
Turret Cameras
Turret cameras are very similar to dome cameras style-wise and are often referred to as flat-faced domes. This camera type has proved to be very popular with our customers which we attribute to the quality pictures they can produce both day and night. Due to the flat face style, the turret camera eliminates the threat of IR reflection that can sometimes occur with dome cameras. Although this style looks very aesthetically pleasing and produces high-quality images it lacks vandal-resistant housing which can leave the device open to vandal attempts and so may not be suitable for certain lower down applications.
Cube Cameras
These cameras are perhaps the easiest to set up and often come with a great selection of bundled features that provide a range of benefits. Their small size and portability also make them easy to re-position and relocate. However as a result they are the most vulnerable to vandalism and disruption, making them likely unsuitable as the sole camera in a security system.
Other options to consider
- Wired or wireless? Some cameras, such as the Hikvision DS-2CD2455FWD-IW, come with the option of being connected to your home network via wireless internet rather than via a network cable. Whilst this may sound good on paper, the camera still requires a power lead, and the picture it provides is dependent on a number of factors relating to the strength of your router and placement around the house. We generally recommend a wired camera as the most reliable option, however, the ease and portability of a wireless camera may make it a consideration for you.
- Fixed or varifocal lens? As with ordinary digital cameras, IP cameras come with a specific focal length on the lens that makes them suitable for certain distances and not others. The smaller the focal length (measured in millimeters), the wider the angle of the lens, and the more “stuff” it will be able to fit into the picture. This does mean however that everything within that picture will be smaller, and thus potentially make it harder to identify people within the shot if it’s unsuitable. For example, for a location such as a corridor, a large focal length is ideal as the area is narrow, whereas in an overview of a garden the area is wider and so a shorter focal length is appropriate. Varifocal lenses come with the option of manually changing the length to fit the location, however, they are more expensive. Generally, it is better to identify what is needed for a location and buying a fixed lens camera suitable.
- Pan/Tilt/Zoom? Some cameras come with the option of being able to change where the camera is looking via panning, tilting, and zooming (often abbreviated as PTZ). This can be controlled manually, or set to any number of patrol programmes via external software. The advantages this type of camera offers are obvious, however, they typically come with a much higher price tag and tend to be larger in size to accommodate the motors required.
