The Ultimate Guide To Buy CCTV Cameras

Analog CCTV Camera

Analog cameras have been around for many years and are still the most common CCTV camera installed today. But, they have basic functionality and store video on-site.

IP CCTV Camera

IP (Internet protocol) cameras have the same functions as analog cameras, but with vastly more extraordinary capabilities. IP cameras have higher resolution images, remote zoom and repositioning. You can also view live video footage from anywhere via a computer or smartphone, and receive notifications regarding any peculiar activities your cameras detect, i.e. movement inside your office or warehouse at 2:00 am.

Dome CCTV Camera

A dome CCTV camera gets its name from the dome-shaped housing that the camera is encased in. While these cameras are relatively discreet in appearance, this doesn’t stop them from deterring criminals as the dome-shaped casing makes it difficult for people to see which direction the camera is pointing and creates an air of uncertainty for thieves or vandals approaching from all directions.

Prime benefits:

• An unobtrusive design makes it easy to fit anywhere.
• Highly suitable for indoor and outdoor use.
• The vandal-resistant dome makes it harder to tamper with the camera.
• 360-degree rotation of the camera covers all angles.

Best used for:

Commercial offices, retail shops, restaurants and hotels because the camera is designed to be unobtrusive, but visible. It allows you to monitor a wider angle of your premises and is considered the best indoor CCTV camera as you can place it at a strategic point to cover all angles of the room.

Dome camera units that allow the camera to pan/tilt/zoom and spin quickly within the housing are often called ‘speed domes.’ Speed Dome CCTV cameras give you the ability to turn the camera. Some cameras have automated pan/tilt/zoom functionality where the camera moves on a timed basis covering a wide area with only one camera.

Bullet CCTV Camera

Bullet CCTV Cameras have a cylindrical, tapered shape, similar to that of a ‘rifle bullet’, often used in applications that require long-distance viewing. They are mostly placed outdoors as their casings are weatherproof and are resistant to sunlight, rain, dirt and dust.
A bullet CCTV camera is usually mounted on the wall or ceiling and designed for capturing images from a fixed location, pointing at a particular area.

Prime benefits:

• Easily visible so acts as a deterrent to criminals.
• Resistant to dirt in challenging outdoor environs.
• Provides surveillance over long distances.
• The casing also protects against glare, rain and dirt.

Best used for:

You can use bullet cameras effectively in various industries such as warehouses, manufacturing, parking lots, commercial or residential buildings. They record good quality pictures and send out a message to passers-by that your premises are under surveillance. Traditionally, they are the best CCTV cameras for external operation.

C-Mount CCTV Camera

C-Mount CCTV cameras are a great option if you wish to adapt the field of vision. Equipped with detachable lenses, they can be switched around to monitor varying distances. C-Mount cameras are usually bulky so, like bullet cameras, act as a visible deterrent to criminal activity.

Prime benefits:

• Lenses can be fitted on the camera to extend its range beyond 40 feet.
• Their highly visible appearance helps deter criminals.
• Rugged camera casing can be utilised to protect the camera in hostile environments.
• Weatherproof housing makes it perfect for outdoor applications.

Best used for:

An ideal camera for observing a stretch of road on the approach to your premises and is popular in the warehousing and logistics industries. Those operating in the restaurant, hotels and manufacturing industries may also choose this camera, due to its reliability in extreme temperatures.

C-mount CCTV cameras have detachable lenses to suit different applications. Standard CCTV camera lenses usually cover distances of between 35 – 40 feet. Therefore with C-mount CCTV cameras, you can use special lenses to cover distances greater than 40 feet.

PTZ Pan Tilt & Zoom Cameras

A PTZ (Pan, Tilt & Zoom) camera gives your security team complete control of what is recorded. The camera lens can pan left or right, tilt up and down or zoom in and out, making it the ideal choice for a security guard or team monitoring a live video feed on-site.

Prime benefits:

• Optical zoom on these cameras lets you focus closely on a person or area of interest.
• Pan and tilt feature enables a 360-degree field of vision.
• The image resolution is usually impeccable so that facial features can be distinguished.
• Security teams have total control of recording and can react to situations in real-time.

Best used for:

This is the best option for remote viewing. It is prevalent in large retail environments, airports and banks and regarded as the best CCTV camera for business premises that have something of great value to protect, e.g. a bank could program the camera to pan to the vault when it detects movement. Even when the camera is not controlled remotely, it can cover a much larger area and do the same job of multiple static cameras.

Day & Night CCTV Camera

These cameras were built specifically to operate effectively, regardless of how well lit their environment is. Through their extra sensitive imaging chips, they can record clear video images that will not be obscured by differing light conditions during daytime and nighttime.

Prime benefits:

• Clear recording in low light.
• They can record in both colour and black/white.
• They operate well despite glare, direct sunlight, reflections and low lighting.
• The casing protects the camera against harmful elements and is ideal for external use.

Best used for:

Many CCTV cameras are suited for outdoor use, but the extra sensitive imaging makes this camera unique. The day and night CCTV cameras have the distinct advantage of operating in average or poorly lit environments. While these cameras do not have Infrared illuminators, they can capture clear video images in varying light conditions and the dark.

This camera is ideal for outdoor surveillance applications requiring round-the-clock CCTV monitoring since they function well in direct sunlight, reflections and strong backlight 24/7.

Infrared/Night Vision CCTV Camera

As the name suggests, these cameras were designed to operate optimally in pitch-black conditions using infrared technology, and are more expensive than day/night cameras. Those opting for this camera usually do so because night recording is vital to their business’s security.

Prime benefits:

• Infrared LEDs allow clear recording even in zero visibility environments.
• An infrared cut filter activates during the day for clear images in well-lit conditions.
• It can capture images even in fog, dust or smoke.
• It records colour imagery in the day and black/white at night.

Best used for:

If night vision functionality is your goal, then this is the best camera to choose. Therefore, making it the ideal choice if you need ultra-reliable recording in complete darkness, i.e. banks, vaults, gold loan branches, precious gems retail stores, warehouses, manufacturing plants, defence installations, secure government sites, etc.

These night-vision CCTV cameras can see images in pitch-black conditions using Infrared LEDs and are ideal for external conditions where lighting is low to zero.

Network/IP CCTV Camera

IP cameras share live footage across the internet so you can easily access images from anywhere. The video’s bandwidth is compressed to make the online feed reliable, and archived footage is stored on Network Video Recorders (NVRs) or security software for later access.

Prime benefits:

• View video footage online from anywhere in the world.
• Easily accessible archived video footage.
• Easy setup as coaxial cables and a computer station is not required.
• Low maintenance.

Best used for:

A network or IP CCTV camera is ideal for business owners who are often away from their business sites and on the move. You can view video footage from anywhere in the world, via a desktop, laptop or mobile smartphone.

IP cameras are much easier to install than their analog counterparts as they don’t require a separate cable or power to send images over a longer distance.

Wireless CCTV Camera

Wireless CCTV cameras were created to reduce installation time. If a clean appearance is vital in your industry, wireless CCTV cameras are a great security option.

Prime benefits:

• Easier to install than the average CCTV system.
• Discreet and tidy appearance due to a non-obtrusive fitting.
• Images transmitted over the internet can be viewed anywhere.
• Secure storage and easy access to archived footage.

Best used for:

The camera’s discreet appearance helps them to blend into your interior surroundings and decor. With minimised set up and camera maintenance required, the video footage is transferred via the internet for convenient access.

High-Definition HD CCTV Camera

HD CCTV cameras deliver clear, high-resolution images and unrivalled picture quality. Depending on your budget, they can provide resolutions of 720p, all the way up to 4K. Therefore, there’s no danger that the video recordings will ever appear grainy or distorted.

Prime benefits:

• Capture high definition footage in perfect clarity.
• Extra clarity can be obtained with the zoom function.
• Available on most CCTV models, i.e. domes and bullets.
• Crystal clear imagery provides undeniable criminal identification.

Best used for:

High definition cameras are beneficial for use in environments where there is an increased risk of theft. Businesses such as banks and casinos usually opt for HD cameras, to ensure visitors to their premises are captured in perfect clarity. The footage recorded provides undeniable identification in the event of a crime being committed.

There are various types of CCTV cameras, but most of those are related to the unit’s application vs the kind of camera.

IGZY provides a wide range of CCTV cameras, i.e. IP, infrared, low light, HD, wireless, day/night, c-mount, bullet, dome, waterproof, etc.), which we select to do the right job in the correct location.

Reception or Lobby

The reception area of your commercial property may not seem of great importance, but it is a high-traffic area with unknown people regularly entering and leaving during business hours. If your property is facing a main road or street, it’s also likely to be the most common area for trespassers to attempt forced entry to your premises easily. By installing security cameras, you can keep up to date with customers and staff using the site as a walk-through whilst detecting visitors who are acting unnaturally.

Entrances/Exits

As a business, keeping track of who walks in and walks out of your premises and identifying possible trespassers can be resource-intensive. Security cameras positioned at the entrance/exit/emergency doors offer better tracking of who is entering your premises before exiting, along with a clear view of people’s faces – if you need to identify them later.

Visible CCTV cameras at your business entrance can make people aware they are being monitored, thereby reducing the possibility of theft, vandalism or trespassing on your property. However, when installing CCTV cameras next to any door, you should consider how the available light changes throughout the day. Bright light flooding the cameras’ sensors may cause dull or blacked out images, resulting in the person’s face being partially hidden or unrecognisable. We recommended placing cameras above the door and out of reach of visitors, while pointing away from strong light sources or windows, to ensure the best quality images.

Store rooms

Most companies have storage rooms, whether for sensitive documents, housing the server racks, or storing products ready for distribution. By installing CCTV cameras above the door to this room, you can monitor the restricted area, recording who enters and leaves the room and tracking any unauthorised attempts to access that room.

Warehouses

Businesses usually have storage facilities for their products that can be worth millions, thus, providing the perfect target for break-ins and theft. If you want to protect your stored goods, CCTV cameras are ideal for tracking people entering your warehouse, recognising people who may be trespassing or causing damage. Huge warehouse spaces can be costly to monitor in their entirety with security guards. We recommend IGZY’s warehouse security systems with remote surveillance & AI-based cameras backed by a unified IoT platform to reduce the risk of theft, burglary, and ensuring SOP adherence and savings using energy management.

Higher surveillance image quality

IP cameras offer a higher resolution than analog cameras. Even the best analog cameras cannot deliver the image quality of digital cameras. At IGZY, our IP security cameras have a minimum of 1 megapixel, which is nearly twice the average resolution of the best analog cameras, making it easier to identify intruders’ physical features or vehicle license plates.

Reduced wiring in CCTV system

The hassle of wiring is highly reduced when it comes to using IP camera surveillance. Digital cameras only need to be wired to a network switch or wireless network, which will transfer the signals to the Network Video Recorder (NVR). This enables you to install more CCTV cameras without being restricted by the number of ports available on a Digital Video Recorder (DVR).

IP cameras powered by a Power Over Ethernet (PoE) capable network switch removes the need for a separate power source. Installing digital CCTV systems are much more effortless for these reasons.

Reliable & secure CCTV transmission

Other analog wireless devices do not disrupt digital transmissions. Most digital CCTV systems have in-built encryption, preventing unauthorised access to your video recordings. This data is also usually backed up on a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) system, providing you with back up hard drives in case one fails.

Greater CCTV camera coverage

Digital cameras typically cover areas up to three times more than analog cameras and more likely to have a zoom function. Not requiring as many cameras to cover your entire business may balance out digital cameras’ higher price.

Remote accessibility to the surveillance system

The remote access IP cameras give business owners peace of mind while out of the office or on holiday abroad. Not only can you view the video footage, but you can also control the camera’s position from a remote location via your smartphone or laptop.

Detailed CCTV camera footage video analytics

Digital cameras provide more video analytics than analog cameras, including the ability to identify unusual activity and send alerts to your security team. Their ability to read data makes it possible to search for activity in a specific area on the image.

Digital CCTV cameras are superior on all fronts, while analog CCTV systems are now considered outdated security systems.

CCTV camera with night vision capabilities

The security of your commercial property is of the utmost importance. You need to monitor your premises day and night to ensure its safety.

Night vision CCTV is the ability of security cameras to see in low-light or no-light conditions. By utilising Infra-Red, CCTV cameras allow Night Vision to be useful even in the lowest light conditions whilst still showing clear colour pictures during daylight hours.

Infrared LEDs are positioned around the camera lens’s outer edges, which gives the camera night vision. These CCTV cameras turn on their night vision to record and view surveillance video during low light and complete darkness. Night vision CCTV cameras are available in different shapes, such as dome cameras, bullet cameras and PTZ cameras.

Many attempted break-ins and burglaries happen at night, under cover of darkness. To improve your business’s security at night, you can also install motion-sensitive lighting with night vision CCTV cameras. Modern night vision CCTV cameras are motion-sensitive and send real-time alerts when movement is detected, so you’ll know right away if someone is trying to access your property without your permission. But security cameras without night vision cannot see in the dark, so they won’t always be able to detect motion and send you that critical alert to your phone.

Two-way audio CCTV security cameras

Much like an intercom system, a camera with audio/video (two-way cameras) enables your security team to talk from one point to another. The significant difference is that two-way cameras in 2021 offer high-definition digital video and clear audio.

Two-way cameras can easily be installed into existing security systems and require a power source and strong Wi-Fi for operation. They are easy to use and can be controlled via a smartphone app.

Two-way audio security cameras are now becoming increasingly popular for homeowners and businesses. Most surveillance cameras with audio from online-retailers do not meet expectations due to low audio quality and after-sales service. Many built-in microphones and speakers are cheaply made and produce hard to hear and low-quality sound that can hardly deter a would-be thief or intruder.

Another advantage is the flexibility and customisation that is possible. Since the cameras have RCA audio connectors, you can connect any microphone or speaker, and their mounting location is also flexible. Speakers that have built-in amplifiers are required to have loud and clear audio at the camera. Greater flexibility in the microphone and speaker placement eliminates the need to reinstall the security camera several times to find the perfect spot for audible two-way interaction.

AI-based CCTV camera systems

You may have heard about Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Deep Learning (DL). But what do those terms mean, and how do they apply to Video Surveillance?

Artificial intelligence (AI) gives CCTV surveillance systems the brains to analyse live video with no human intervention.

Surveillance systems that include video analytics analyse video footage in real-time and detect abnormal activities that could threaten an organisation’s security. Video analytics technology helps security software learn what is normal to identify anything strange, and potentially harmful, behaviour that a human alone may miss.

According to Forbes, companies can use existing surveillance technology along with internet-enabled data collection and cloud-based ML processing for a range of uses and applications to enhance situational awareness.

These systems perform real-time monitoring to detect objects, object attributes, movement patterns or behaviour related to the environment. We can also analyse historical data to mine insights and trends. Typically, we can analyse video content in two ways: in real-time (by triggering alerts for specific events and incidents that unfold in the moment) or after processing.

While traditional CCTVs ran the processing locally, an AI-enabled system can embed the processing in the cameras themselves, a strategy known as edge processing. With processing costs coming down in recent years, we’ve seen several cameras with real-time processing capabilities. The industry best practice is, whenever possible, to go with real-time processing on the cameras and the forensic analysis functionalities centrally in the cloud.

AI-based video analytics also create business efficiencies and offers non-security-related insights for companies, e.g. in the retail industry, store owners using surveillance cameras with video analytics can spot shoplifters and alert security personnel to intervene in real-time. AI video analytics can measure hotspots, visitor flow, dwell time and product display activity.

Smart cities are also leveraging intelligent sensors for data capture and organising system response to incidents as they unfold and improve traffic flow processes.

Artificial Intelligence at its best, ultimately, allows human oversight to take a backseat to the fine-tuned capabilities of intelligent video analytics.

Machine Learning in CCTV Video Surveillance

Machine Learning (ML) has changed how surveillance video is viewed and how it can be leveraged to increase security and operational efficiency. ML minimises the need for people to monitor every video surveillance feed and recorded video footage. It allows security teams to respond to situations, review footage, and uncover trends to utilise video footage more effectively. This has wide-ranging, positive impacts on both security and operations for local governments, law enforcement agencies and business institutions, including transit hubs, retail stores, event venues and others.

Behavioural Analytics in CCTV Video Surveillance

Behavioural analytics is a subset of AI. Bringing together emerging technologies, deep learning and the increase of data that make up today’s datasphere, behavioural analytics can recognise dangerous situations based on the detection of specific human postures, i.e. a cashier’s raised arms or a person crouching near an ATM.

You can also use behavioural analytics to ensure workplace productivity and safety, e.g. tracking whether employees are at their workstations during business hours or if a person is sprawled on the floor needing immediate medical attention. Some new-age software can even detect a potential shooter in real-time, transmitting instant alerts to first responders to minimise the public’s risks.

The adoption of behavioural analytics will only grow in the future. In the meantime, behavioural analytics has increased awareness of AI-fortified surveillance systems’ value and their benefits to enterprises across several industries.

Geofencing

Geofencing is a tech feature that utilises your location to trigger actions and is available on modern, high-tech smart home and office security systems. While many government-run facilities and corporations use geofencing to maintain high security, you can also use it to protect your commercial property or home. The technology is intelligent enough to operate on its own, so you can take time to focus on the more important tasks in your life, like work and family.

Using this system, you can choose a location, distance, and various actions set up by security professionals. The distance and location work together to define a perimeter, or fence, around a set point, i.e. home or office. Then, the system’s mobile app continually monitors your location. When you reach the virtual fence, it prompts a transmission. This signal instructs your smart home or office security system to initiate the desired actions. This works for departing an area, such as your workplace, or arriving at a location, such as your home.

Geofencing is generally used for security purposes, but you can also take advantage of the technology to save energy and do various other tasks, e.g. when you leave for work in the morning, you don’t have to go through the hassle of arming it. As soon as you move out of the perimeter, it will activate and lock your home. If anyone steps through that perimeter during the day, it will assume that the person is an intruder and sound the alarm and send you a text message or email. Recent geofencing capabilities can also set your thermostat to a specific degree, turn off the lights and lower the window shades.

Geofencing lets you create an invisible fence around your business or residential property that arms your alarm system to work whenever a person crosses it or steps outside of it.

Control smart devices with geofencing

With the steady rise of connected devices via Internet-of-Things (IoT) globally, geofencing works with various components to make smart home and office automation easy and comprehensive. Some of the most popular smart devices you can control with geofencing include:

• Smart Lighting
• Smart Thermostats & Air Conditioners
• Smart Door Locks
• Smart Alarm Systems
• Smart TVs
• Smart Appliances
• Garage Door Openers
• Smart Sound Systems

These can be controlled together or separately to create maximum flexibility, and ultimately, make your life easier and safer.

Secure mobile app for video surveillance

Suppose you travel often and need to stay connected to your surveillance system while away from the office, you can easily access the IP cameras from your iPhone, iPad or Android devices via a secure mobile app. You can get security alerts on your phone, making it easy to watch live video, review recorded videos, and manage your system’s settings from anywhere.

Whether you’re monitoring your office after hours, getting alerts that motion was detected at your warehouse site, or checking in on your home from across the world, a quick look at the live camera feed lets you know what’s happening in your absence.

What is a DVR?

Digital Video Recorders (DVR) are the modern replacement for analog recorders that used videotapes. DVRs usually capture footage from analog cameras in a digital format at the desired resolution and frames per second (fps). When the hard disk reaches its storage capacity, new images will record over the oldest footage first.

What is an NVR?

Network Video Recorders (NVR) function like DVRs, but they’re compatible with digital or IP cameras. The NVR and cameras connect via a network switch or router and even allow easy access to the footage on an NVR via a web browser or mobile app.

We recommend surveillance-grade hard disks for your DVR or NVR. They are built with more durable components than regular computer hard drives to run 24/7, if necessary.