PTZ Security Cameras.
Do PTZ Security Cameras Mean Better Protection For Home Owners?
For
some years now business and commercial premises have been protected by
surveillance cameras that do not just focus on one spot.
These cameras are capable of panning around a large area, tilting to
view the space underneath them, and zooming in for close ups.
Today these cameras are also being used to protect homes.
Some
home owners are finding that they can cover more of their property with
fewer cameras, and the ability to zoom in means they have more chance of
capturing detailed footage of intruders.
Would these cameras be suitable for protecting your home?
PTZ Security Cameras Under Your Control.
PTZ, as you may have guessed, stands for pan, tilt and zoom.
Some
PTZ cameras are capable of being programmed to observe a number of
locations and to return to those locations at predetermined intervals.
For
an example let’s say you have a camera surveying your back yard.
You
can set the camera to pan from left to right, zoom in onto your right
hand fence, then sweep down to the end of your yard and zoom onto the
back fencing, pan across to your tool shed and back to the left hand
fence. Then the cycle repeats.
This way you can have the whole of your yard covered and get detailed
observation of areas you consider particularly vulnerable.
The number of
predetermined areas that you are able to select depends on the
particular camera.
PTZ security cameras are available that use PIR detectors or
heat/light sensors to operate when motion is detected.
Movement by your
garage? Camera pans across, zooms in and captures footage of a prowler.
For manual control, some PTZ surveillance systems require a
controller.
This enables you to direct your CCTV cameras when they are
not in automatic mode, you see what the camera sees on a monitor or TV
screen.
Other systems are Internet based and are controlled by your desktop or laptop computer’s keyboard.
Internet
systems can offer a lot of useful features to the home owner. You can
check on your home, using your laptop, no matter where you happen to
be.
If you have PTZ security cameras installed at your vacation home use
the system to assure yourself that everything is alright at that
property too.
Another big plus for Internet based systems is that
many of them are able to send alerts to your Internet enabled cell
phone when movement has been detected, and recorded in your home.
Are PTZ Surveillance Cameras Right For You?
Pan, tilt and zoom cameras may not be the right choice for everyone.
Pan tilt zoom cameras are, understandably, somewhat more costly than
fixed surveillance cameras. It may be that your home surveillance needs
can be met just as well with fixed cameras.
Judging from customer
reviews, some PTZ security cameras are a little tricky to set up, the
software being the main point of frustration.
Still, if things
technological are your bag, then you should not have much trouble. If
not, perhaps you have a techie friend who can help you.
Outdoor PTZ Security Cameras.
Outside or inside. It is important that Pan, Tilt and Zoom cameras that are made for inside use only are not installed outside. Indoor models are cheaper but to install them outdoors would be the mother of all false economies.
Firstly, an outdoor surveillance camera whether PTZ or not has to
withstand the elements. It has got to be weather proof. It has to
operate and produce clear footage in rainstorms, gales, snow, frost and
ice as well as the heat of the sun.
It is a good idea for the camera to
be dust proof as well.
The better outdoor cameras have heavy duty casing to protect them from extreme weather.
Several
high end outdoor pan tilt and zoom cameras have their own heaters and
fans, no kidding! These cameras are thermostatically controlled to
prevent the lens from fogging up, a good idea as a fogged up lens
doesn’t produce good images.
How Much Pan? How Much Tilt? How Much Zoom?
How far a camera can pan obviously depends upon the design.
Some are
capable of panning right round in a 360 degree arc. These are usually of
the dome design and are frequently mounted at the middle of a
ceiling and can sweep right around the room.
180 degrees is quite
common for other types of PTZ security cameras and is quite a good
sweep range for home surveillance purposes. Some cameras have less than a
180 degree sweep, you might want to avoid those unless a shorter pan is
enough for your needs.
You will probably want a camera capable of tilting a minimum of 90 degrees.
PTZ security cameras employ optical zoom or digital zoom, or sometimes both. Which is best?
Optical zoom manipulates the lens of the camera to zoom in on the center of the scene.
Digital
zoom does not use the lens at all, it enlarges the center of the image.
This does mean that the pixels in the remaining image are enlarged,
meaning that there could be some loss of clarity.
It may not make
much difference if the camera is zooming 2 or 3 x, but may make a lot of
difference if zooming 15x. Not much use in capturing footage of an
intruder at the end of your drive if the result is an unrecognizable
blur.
Is it best to install static security cameras or PTZ
security cameras? The answer is of course to install the cameras that
best do the job.
Easy
to install pan and tilt night vision surveillance camera. This camera
has a built in microphone and, with an external alarm device, warnings
can be sent to your cell phone or by email.
Find out more – Wireless IP Pan and Tilt Night Vision Internet Surveillance Camera.
You
can preset this compact dome security camera 128 different ways, auto
cruise, right and left limit, 360, auto flip, set it to cover your area
of surveillance with no blind spots. 22x optical and 10x digital zoom,
540 lines. Supplied with wall mount and AC power supply.
More information –CCTV Speed Dome, 1/4″ Sony Super HAD CCD 540TVL
Megapixel day and night camera provides security over a large area.
Adjustable motion detecting area, auto patrol, scheduled recording sessions, email alerts, date and time overlay, mounting kit included.
Home CCTV
>
PTZ Security Cameras.
Related Information.