When selecting the best security camera system feasible for your property or business it is very important to choose the best cameras that suit the unique needs of your situation. There are countless options and products features available.

Many packaged systems come with general purpose security cameras. Most vendors will permit you to replace the general purpose cameras with increased advanced specialized cameras if you need them. For example, you might have a scenario where three entrances into your building need to be monitored with only average quality cameras and you intend to cover the parking lot with a camera that can read a license plate from 50 yards away. You will get 3 of the cameras that include the device then replace the fourth with a camera that's high powered zoom capabilities.

By walking through this security camera selection guide you will be able to spot the special features that the situation requires and decide which cameras best fit your needs. Ultimately this can permit you to most efficiently spend your money while getting the best surveillance coverage.

1) Are you going to need color or black and white cameras? Most packaged systems come with color cameras which are better than black and white cameras at identifying valuable details of a suspect such as for instance clothing or hair color. Typically black and white cameras are less costly and perform better at low light than color cameras. Color cameras actually switch to black and white in low light environments.

2) What sort of night vision capability is necessary? A typical packaged color security camera could have a night vision selection of between 15 and 50 feet. High powered night vision cameras can have a variety of 150 feet. The main factor of determining the night time vision range is the amount of infrared LED's on the camera. Most general purpose security cameras come with 15 to 30 LED's. Remember even color cameras record in black and white in low light situations.

3) What is the cheapest acceptable image quality from each location where cameras are installed? You may have different image quality requirements from each location. Melbourne Security One camera may be installed in front door and then buzz people in once they arrive for appointments. Another camera may be used to recapture license plates of cars driving via a large parking lot. These cameras have much different image quality requirements. Broadly speaking the amount of TV Lines (TVL) per inch can be an indicator of the image quality that is made by the camera. General purpose packaged security cameras commonly have 400 - 420 TVLs. Cameras that have 480 - 520 TVLs gives a much better image quality. Also, CCD cameras generally make a better image than CMOS cameras.

4) Wired vs. wireless? Understand the disadvantages of using wireless security cameras before deciding to buy them. A lot of people fail to understand wireless security cameras still need power using a power cable. Wireless cameras use wireless technology to transmit a signal to a radio that will be attached to a DVR or monitor, but most of them make use of a power cable to plug right into a near by outlet. There are battery operated wireless security cameras, however the batteries need to be replaced quite often.

The image quality of wireless security cameras is frequently inadequate as a result of interference. The farther away a wireless camera is from the receiver and the more obstructions the signal must travel through the more the image quality is going to suffer. That said, there are lots of, many applications where wireless security cameras are ideal. Most of the wired systems available have cabling that supplies both power and video (aka siamese cabling). This implies all the power requirements may be managed from the exact same location as the DVR or monitor.

5) What elements are the security cameras going to be exposed to? Most general purpose security cameras which come in packaged systems can be used outdoors (as well as indoors) under normal conditions. If the cameras are going to be exposed to extreme conditions such as for instance hail or quite high winds or there's a high likelihood of vandalism you might want to upgrade to cameras with heavier and stronger housings and mounting brackets.