The camera’s field of view (sometimes called viewing angle or angle of view) is the other thing that you need to consider. Just like your eyes, a camera can only cover a certain area – under a certain angle – of its surroundings.
You can see some things to the right or to the left of the screen right now, but you can’t see all the way to your left or right. And you certainly can’t see what’s happening behind you.
CCTV cameras can cover anything from a narrow field (45-60 degrees) to their entire surroundings (360 degrees). But there’s a caveat here as well: for a fixed resolution, the wider the field of view is, the fewer details you can observe.
It’s important to consider the field of view when deciding how you place the cameras. But it’s also important to remember that a field of view is only as wide as the obstacles around it. Just like human eyes, cameras cannot see around corners.=
Camera type is an important factor to consider because it has implications that go beyond the realm of technology.
“Camera type” is somewhat of a weasel word – it’s mostly a marketing term, without a specific technical connotation. It mostly refers to the shape of the camera and to how it’s mounted, but other factors are thrown in as well. The most common types you’ll encounter are:
- Bullet CCTV cameras. These are the most commonly deployed type of CCTV camera, make them cheap and instantly recognisable. This contributes both to your customers’ and visitors’ feeling of security, and of your security system’s deterrence effect. They are fixed and have of view comparable to those of a human.
- The point, Tilt and Zoom (PTZ) CCTV cameras are mobile cameras which can turn around and zoom in and out. They can be aimed at specific objects or persons, in order to observe them in greater detail and identify them. Or, they can be programmed to the pan and tilt over a wider area, as part of a pre-programmed surveillance routine.
- 360-degree cameras are exactly what they sound like – panoramic cameras, with a field of view of 360 degrees. They can cover an entire area, but usually at a fairly low level of detail, and they have limited zooming and focus capabilities. Consequently, they are often used in conjunction with one or more PTZ cameras.
- Dome cameras are CCTV cameras housed in a tinted, protective enclosure. Originally, the tinted enclosure was meant to obscure the camera’s objective, so that an intruder can’t tell which way it’s facing. But manufacturers found a lot of additional uses for that housing, including physical and thermal protection.
- Covert and desktop CCTV cameras are cameras designed to be concealed. Generally, this is not something that you can use – you are legally obligated to inform your staff and customers that they are being surveilled. But under specific conditions, and only temporarily, such as during an internal investigation, you are allowed to record certain persons without their knowledge. If you need this, the CCTV industry has your back!
Environmental conditions generally encompass two classes of factors: ambient light level and environmental conditions.
The image sensors in CCTV cameras need light in order to show any picture. Some cameras have embedded IR LEDs, which can illuminate an area up to some specific distance. That way, the camera can still be used at night, or in areas without any ambient lighting, such as windowless basements.
Many (but not all) IR and night-vision cameras can adjust the illumination level automatically, turning on the IR LEDs when it’s dark and turning them off again when they are no longer needed. Manufacturers typically call these “24/7” or “day and night” CCTV cameras.
As for environmental conditions, like most electronic devices, CCTV cameras are meant to be used under specific environmental conditions. Some of them are only for indoors use. Cameras for outdoor use can withstand typical British weather, temperature differences and dust. CCTV cameras that can withstand even more extreme conditions do exist, but they tend to be more expensive.
Image processing features are a matter of increasing importance because they can simplify compliance efforts and strengthen your security response capabilities.
Most CCTV systems today come with software that allows you to play, pause, search and export footage. This is typically sufficient for small businesses. If you need to deal with high volumes of data, a CCTV system with advanced cataloguing and search features may be more suitable.
Advanced features, such as automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) or facial recognition, are useful when integrated with advanced access logging/control and security response systems. They come at a price, and not all of it is obvious and upfront: vehicle access logs, for example, are one more piece of personal data that you process and, thus, one more piece of legal responsibility.
Connectivity is the last aspect to consider. Fortunately, this is very simple – all cameras fall into three classes:
- Wired cameras connect to your network via cables – typically Ethernet or fibre, as most cameras today are digital. Wired connectivity offers very high bandwidth and, thus, allows for very detailed footage – but cables are cumbersome to deploy, and they can be cut!
- Wireless cameras connect to your network via Wi-Fi or other wireless protocols (but note that they may still require a power cable!). This makes a wireless CCTV installation less complex and cheaper to deploy.
- Local-storage cameras do not have any connectivity and instead record on embedded USB sticks or SD cards. This mode of operation is typically employed only by covert cameras.
What You Can Afford
There is one last constraint that will help you choose the right CCTV cameras for your office: your budget.
Budget is something that you have some control over, but as you well know, you can’t always afford everything. Any security system will eventually be a compromise.
What’s important is to make sure you are on the safe side of that compromise – that you choose a solution that fits your budget, but does not jeopardise the safety of your customers and staff.
Oftentimes, the right compromise is reached through well-defined requirements and efficient technical solutions, rather than the newest and most expensive gear.
This is why the process we’ve outlined should be iterative. Finding the right CCTV cameras will occasionally require going back to the drawing board – but there are enough options, and so much flexibility in this market, that there is always a solution.
Conclusions and Recommendations
Choosing the best CCTV camera for an office is primarily a matter of compromise – of finding the right spot between what you need, what’s available, and what you can afford.
The best way to find that spot is to start with your requirements. Every business has a unique combination of assets and concerns. Finding the right CCTV camera is an exercise in recognising these assets and concerns, and matching them against the right technical solutions.
Ideally, you should leave the last part to professionals. In the long run, it will turn up to be not only safer but also, ironically, cheaper to let professionals handle your CCTV system choice and installation. Take a look at our CCTV installation services and let’s talk about keeping your office and your budget safe!
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