When selecting cameras for your digital CCTV system, there are several important factors to consider first before making a purchase:
The location of the camera:
Is the camera situated outdoors or indoors? If located outdoors, it might require a weather-proof or vandal-proof housing.
The field of view required for the camera:
Is a wide or narrow angle of vision required?
The Focal Length:
How far away from the camera do you wish objects to be recorded?
Light Conditions:
Do you want to view and record in day or night mode or both? The light level will have an impact on the quality of the images recorded.
Sensitivity and Resolution factors:
Sensitivity is a camera's ability to respond to light levels, whilst resolution means the quality or details in image produced by the camera.
Camera Type:
Are colour or monochrome cameras required? There are cameras that can record in both day and night modes. If colour cameras are preferred and there is a need to record in low light levels or at night, cameras with IR functionality are recommended.
Wireless or Wired cameras:
Do you require wireless or wired cameras? Wireless cameras are more expensive, but costs can be recovered due to fact that CAT5 cabling is not required. Wireless cameras also allow you to easily move the cameras to other locations, making your network more flexible.
Budget:
The more you want a camera to do and the better the image quality required, the costlier it will be. Often however a PTZ (Pan Tilt Zoom) camera, for example, working with a digital recorder can have several pre-set angles and can work an area just as effectively as 3 static cameras if a deterrent is all you require.
