Lesson 1.3: Camera Types & Features

Security cameras come in different shapes and styles. Choosing the right shape depends on where the camera is placed and what you want it to see.

1. Dome Cameras

• Look: Shaped like a small dome or bowl attached to the ceiling

• Best Used For: Indoors, office spaces, retail stores, and front entrances

• Why Choose It?

  • Discreet: They blend in easily with ceilings

  • Vandal-Resistant: The plastic shell makes it hard for someone to grab, hit, or push out of alignment

  • Wide View: Covers a broad room area nicely.

2. Bullet Camera

• Look: Shaped like a cylinder or bullet cartridge, usually mounted on a wall with an adjustable neck

• Best Used For: Outdoors, driveways, fence lines, and long corridors

• Why Choose It?

  • Weatherproof: Built with sun shields and weather seals to handle rain and dirt

  • Long Distance: Infrared (IR) night vision LEDs tend to reach further down long paths

  • Visible Deterrent: Easy for people to see, which scares off intruders.

3. PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) Camera

Equipped with motorized mounts and optical zoom lenses that allow users to maneuver the camera angle and zoom remotely.

• Key Features:

  • Full remote control of Pan (side-to-side), Tilt (up-down), and Zoom functions.

  • Requires RS485 telemetry wiring (for analog PTZs) or IP network control (for IP PTZs).

Simple Camera Features Beginners Should Know

When picking a camera from the list above, you will see two basic ratings on the box

1. Lens Size (Field of View):

   • 2.8mm Lens: Wide view (captures an entire room, but objects look further away).

   • 3.6mm or 6mm Lens: Narrow view (zoomed-in view, great for looking down a driveway or gate).

2. Weather Rating (IP Rating):

   • IP66 or IP67: This means the camera is completely safe to mount outside in heavy rain and dust.