Security Cameras--Types and Features

Security cameras are the most noticeable part of a closed-circuit television (CCTV) system composed of a camera, lens, video recorder, and monitor. These systems range from the simple to the extravagant, depending on the type, quality, number, and features of the security cameras. Below are some of the different types of security cameras:

• Analog vs. Digital: Analog CCTV systems simply stream video footage to a VCR, but the footage is not watched live. Digital systems, on the other hand, stream footage to a live monitor and digital recorder.
• Color vs. Black and White: Color cameras are more expensive than black and white models, and they are not as good at night, but they add detail during daytime recording.
• Wired vs. Wireless: Wireless cameras are more expensive and experience poorer transmission, but they are portable.
• Video Only vs. Video and Audio
• Battery-Powered vs. Electric
• Fixed vs. Movable

Some families and businesses opt to not even record the material, but simply want the option of live monitoring, and when you shop for security cameras, you will need to navigate through advertised features such as recording ability and the features listed below:

• Lens: Manual iris lenses work best in areas that rarely experience changes in light, while auto iris lens work best in areas with frequent light changes. A zoom lens, on the other hand, enables you to bring the items in view closer than a normal lens.
• Camera Format: Look for a format from ¼ inch to ½ inch, so that you can easily find a lens format to match.
• Switcher and Multiplexer: These two devices allow you to view video footage from multiple cameras simultaneously or use full screen recording on all cameras, respectively.
• Resolution: For color security cameras, the greater resolution offered, the better, but on black and white cameras, more than four hundred lines is more harm than good.
• Lux Rating: The lower the Lux rating, the less light the camera needs to operate.
• Infrared or Day/Night Cameras: These cameras can be expensive, and they generally don’t hang well in outdoor housings, but they provide effective night vision.

Finally, you may need to choose the exact style of your security camera. The bullet camera is the most popular and recognized form. Its casing is often weather resistant, so it can work inside or outside and it offers approximately a seventy-degree angle of view. A dome camera, on the other hand, has a different look, and it can be especially secure against vandalism. A c-mount camera allows you to change lenses easily, so you can increase the viewing distance.