Chapter 4: Camera Specification Guide

From EZWatch Wiki

Camera Specification Guide

Below you will find operating details on the various aspects of security cameras. If it seems confusing simply refer to the camera flow charts listed below. All the cameras listed meet and exceed the minimum standards for professional surveillance applications. A lot of this information is good to review but you really do not need to memorize it.

Lines of Resolution:

Each cameras performance is based on the number of horizontal lines the chip in the camera provides. The lines of resolution dictate the quality of the video the camera can produce. The higher the lines of resolution, the better the quality.

Performance	Color	Black and White
Standard	330 Lines	380 Lines
Medium	420 Lines	470 Lines
High	480 Lines	580 Lines

Lens:

The lens dictates the field of view the camera provides. Lenses range from 2.8mm to 18mm on an average. The larger the lens size the farther it will view. The draw back to a 12mm or 18mm lens is that the horizontal view narrows to as little as 15'.

Distance Charts

• • As a general rule we recommend standardizing your cameras 3.6mm lens. They are designed to be installed in a corner, provide a 90 degree field of view, and provide effective surveillance in a 30' x 30' area. The number one mistake when designing a camera system is that we all expect one camera to do the work of two or three. Bottom line is, unless you pay the big bucks for a Pan, Tilt, Zoom camera, don't expect a camera to effectively cover more than a 30-50 foot area.

Auto Iris:

Almost all cameras have either a digital or mechanical auto iris. Most cameras have them built in. Do not consider a camera without auto iris. You will constantly be adjusting the camera as the light levels change.

LUX or Minimum Light:

When choosing your cameras pay attention to the amount of light which will be available in the areas you want to see. Most color cameras have a .1 lux minimum which means not a lot, but some light is needed for operation. You can tell if a color camera does not have enough light to operate because the picture will go grainy. If you are not sure you have enough light consider using night vision or black and white cameras. Black and white cameras have a .01 lux minimum and do much better in low light. Night vision cameras can see in complete darkness or 0.0 lux. See the camera section for more detail.

Power:

Cameras are powered with either 12V DC or 24V AC power. It does not matter which you choose as long as you don't connect a 12V camera into a 24V power supply or 24V camera into a 12V power supply. We recommend using 12V DC cameras and power supplies. See our Power Supply section for more detail.

Choosing Your Cameras

Start by making a visual survey of the areas of concern and note the following information for each area. Remember, the number one mistake in designing a video surveillance system is trying to get one camera to do the work of two. For indoor cameras do not expect the camera to provide usable video past 30-40 feet. Outdoor try not to exceed 50-70 for one camera to cover. The cameras will view past these distances but in most cases the detail is so small the video rarely can be used to identify a person.

Once you have completed the table below. Choosing the right camera can be done with the camera flow charts show in Camera Selections Guide pages. Once you locate the camera you want. Enter the part number in the yellow column labeled 'Chosen Part #' in the table below. This will help in the ordering process

Name or Location	Indoor or Outdoor	Color, B & W, or Night Vision	Distance from Camera to Recorder	Area to View 30x30 etc.	Choose part #
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
				TOTAL FEET

---

Back to Chapter 3

Return to Overview

Continue to Chapter 5