3 Important Factors to Consider When Buying a CCTV Camera

CCTV camera or closed-circuit TV camera is a widely used surveillance device these days. These cameras are used in both indoor and outdoor spaces and in domestic as well as commercial establishments for surveillance and safety. These cameras are connected to a central recorder and the images or video footage captured by them are broadcasted to a predefined location, rather than broadcasted to many locations; hence the name closed-circuit.

A CCTV surveillance system requires significant investment and therefore, before purchasing one you need to carefully think about your requirement and then decide on the type of camera that you require. Simply going to the market and picking up a device that looks impressive and which is costly is not the way of purchasing a CCTV. To help you make the right choice while purchasing a CCTV device, we have listed here three important factors that you should consider when buying a best CCTV camera in India:

The Choice of Lens

The choice of the correct type of lens is very important. It is critical to the performance of the camera as a whole because the final output, the image, depends on it greatly. It is the lens that gathers light for the sensor and the quality of the content recorded on the DVR depends on the lens. To simply put it, we can say that the lens determines how clearly the distant objects, such as a vehicle’s number plate or a person’s face, can be recognized. There are two types of zooms available in CCTV cams: digital zoom and optical zoom. You should prefer optical zoom over digital zoom as the former can significantly add to the quality of the recorded image.

The Choice of Sensor

Sensor is another important component to look for in a CCTV camera. There are two important aspects associated with sensor that are worth mentioning, viz., sensor type and sensor size. If we talk about sensor type, there are primarily two types of sensors used in a CCTV: CMOS and CCD. Out of the two, CCD is always better as it is more sensitive than the CMOS. Though CMOS sensors are cheaper than CCD, they may create problem when you are using the camera for identification of a person or thing. This problem is not there with CCD as they deliver crisp images. Now coming to the other aspect, i.e., size of the sensor, a higher size of sensor, preferably 1/3 inch, or 4.8mm by 3.6mm, is always preferable as it allows more light in, which in turn enables the digital signal processor, or DSP, to produce high quality images.

The Choice of Resolution

The resolution of CCTV cams is usually measured in a unit called TVL. This range for CCTVs varies between 380 TVL to 700 TVL; these are basically the lower and higher limits of resolution available in a CCTV. While many experts advocate 420 TVL resolution as a minimum standard, but this is not necessarily the case. A high resolution is good, but there should be the right lens and sensor to support it, otherwise merely high resolution can’t serve the purpose. Practically, a resolution value should be such that it could display an image with a fair degree of clarity; more stress should be given on the lens and sensor because if the input is good, the output is also good. So, you should choose the resolution wisely and don’t just run after a higher figure and waste your money.

We hope that if you take care of the above three factors while buying a CCTV you will be able to make the right choice.

There are many advanced HD Security Surveillance Cameras and HD CCTV Cameras available in the market today that you may opt for. But, do remember to take into consideration the three important factors mentioned here. Good luck!