Cameras There are a variety of security cameras available on the market today. They vary with tech-nology, style, and features. Lower priced CCTV cameras often use a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) chip whereas higher quality cameras use CCD (Charge Couple Device) chips. Cameras using CMOS technology have less light sensitivity and overall produce a much poorer image compared to cameras using CCD technology. To distinguish between CCD chips manufacturers refer to the size of the chip. You will generally see these noted as 1/4” or 1/3” and sometimes 1/2”. Typically a larger chip will produce a higher quality image. However, as technology is evolving, smaller, more affordable chips are being manufactured that produce high image quality. The style of a camera is refers to the shape and mounting options of a CCTV camera. The most common camera styles are dome, bullet, box, PTZ, and covert. Dome cameras are becoming increasingly popular due to their ability to blend in with their surroundings. These cameras are used in residential applications as well as public places such as convenience stores, offices, and lobbies. Though they can be mounted to a wall, they are usually mounted on the ceiling. Bullet cameras are encased in cylindrical usually weather resistant housings. Their size, cost and integrated design make them a great choice for home and outdoor installations. Box cameras can be used with or without a housing. In most instances, they are used with a housing and bracket unit for outdoor areas such as parking lots and entry gates. Lenses are purchased separately offering greater flexibility. PTZ cameras are more expensive but offer the operator more control with remote pan/tilt/zoom. These cameras are used primarily when an operator is actively monitoring an area and needs to manipulate the camera. They are popular in department stores, casi-nos and government buildings. Covert or Spy cameras are designed for discreet installations. They are commonly re-ferred to as a nanny cam. Used frequently by private investigators, they effectively cap-ture video without others being aware. Camera Specifications One of the most common differences between cameras is the resolution offered. Camera resolution is measured by the number of horizontal lines the camera chip produces. It is re-ferred to as TV lines or TVL. The more lines of resolution, the higher the image quality. Stan-dard quality is from 380TVL to 420TVL. High quality is from 420TVL to 480TVL. Very high quality is anything above 480TVL.
Posted on: Mon, 21 Jul 2014 07:34:17 +0000
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