A beginnerʼs guide to choosing

CCTV surveillance cameras

6 July 2017

If youʼve ever browsed through CCTV surveillance camera brochures

with their dozens of options, product shots, specifications and
varying prices, you may have been tempted to slap it shut and leave
upgrading your security system for another day.

The vast array of CCTV surveillance cameras and recorders on the

market can be daunting, making it difficult to decide which system
would be best suited to your home or business environment.

Weʼve unpacked some of the basics of CCTV surveillance cameras

to shed light on ten factors to consider before investing in a security
camera system.

1. Cheap is expensive

Try to buy the best value for money CCTV surveillance camera
system within your personal or business budget. Itʼs always wiser to
invest in a good quality, small, entry level system that allows you to
add more cameras later on, than to rush out and buy an unbranded
cheap camera, that could lead to buyerʼs remorse.

A reputable security company will be able to offer you a range of

camera and recorder options made by reliable manufacturers,
including brands such as Hikivision, Axis, Sunell, Secequip,
Visionline, Dahua, Samsung and Honeywell.

2. Check the warranty

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 Some small retailers selling unbranded cameras may only offer a
statutory six month product guarantee at best, which you might find
yourself fighting for, if the camera fails within that time frame. A
reputable security company will sell CCTV surveillance cameras with
a warranty of up to three years and offer either a self-install option,
or a professional installation service.

3. Understand basic camera capabilities

When selecting CCTV cameras itʼs important to consider lens size,

wide angle degree and memory for data storage. For every millimetre
of lens size, the rule of thumb is that this is how far away in meters
the camera will be able to view its subject (focal length). The degree
of a wide angle lens will determine the field of vision and shorten the
focal length as the angle gets wider.

For example a basic 60 degree wide angle, 4 mm lens will effectively

identify a human target at up to 4 meters, but it will not have enough
range to view the neighbourʼs property to the left or right. As the
lens size increases the field of vision to the left and right will
decrease, while the range at which a human target can be identified
will increase.

Cameras come with a range of data storage sizes from 1TB. The
storage capacity can be increased by additional hard drives, or
network attached storage devices to an unlimited capacity.

4. Clarify camera type

There are three types of CCTV surveillance cameras on the market,

from the most affordable entry level analogue cameras to High
Definition (HD) and Internet Protocol (IP) cameras at the top end of
the market. Fortunately, camera prices have dropped significantly

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 with the advance of technology. This has brought entry level HD and
IP cameras into the realm of the home and small to medium sized
business budget.

5. Comparing Analogue, HD or IP cameras

Deciding whether to buy more affordable entry level analogue

cameras, or if you should go with HD or IP cameras instead, depends
on the quality of the image you desire and your present and long
term security needs. A basic analogue camera offers a low resolution
image suitable for detection of people and to monitor areas. An HD
camera provides a crisp high resolution image suitable for identifying
numbers and characters, or for evidential recording for legal
purposes.

A higher resolution offers a far more enhanced picture, which makes

it possible to zoom in digitally and retain image quality to identify
subjects and details such as vehicle number plates. The benefit of
zooming in is that this intelligence can be shared with police
investigators and security companies.

CCTV cameras can be attached to your home or business network to

sound the alarm of a security breach and transmit data such as
images to a security providersʼ control centre via a broadband
connection, such as wireless, GSM or ADSL. Breaches can be picked
up via outdoor passives and beams that have been integrated with
the camera into the home or business alarm system. Small to
medium sized businesses tend to opt for high end Turbo HD
cameras and entry level IP cameras.

6. Decide what you want the camera to see

Do you want the camera to be able to see a vehicle outside the front

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 driveway gate or a pedestrian ringing the bell? We often compare the
ability of our human sight to what we expect cameras to do. While
there is no camera that can perfectly mimic the dynamic range and
depth of vision of the human eye, advances in technology provide
solutions for dynamic range, 360 degree vision and the handling of
different lighting conditions.

7. Select the best camera position

Deciding where to place your first camera will largely depend on the
topography of your home or business property and your security
needs. Usually, the first camera is installed in a position such as near
the front door or gate, to gather information about people or vehicles
entering, followed by additional cameras to cover “weak spots”.

For example, near a back wall that runs parallel to an alley or on the
darkest side of your house. Ideally, covering the entire perimeter of
the property with cameras will offer the security of an early warning
system – if the camera has been connected to outdoor beams – and
of being able to investigate security breaches without peering out of
a window.

8. Consider need for support lighting

CCTV surveillance cameras can record colour during the day but at
night, unless sufficient support lighting has been set up, they switch
to black and white. Itʼs important to provide support outdoor lighting,
such as an LED lamp, for colour definition, so that a meaningful
intelligence report can be written up describing, for example, the
colour of vehicles and clothing of intruders. Low light cameras that
donʼt need support lighting are available but are far more expensive,
making it cost effective to use lighting.

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 9. Consider all installation costs

Selecting the correct type of CCTV surveillance camera is just part

of the process of shopping around. Your research should also
include considering the cost of recorders and peripherals such as
cables, connectors, an uninterrupted power supply and the cost of
labour and commissioning of the unit. It is important to ask questions
about the total costs of purchasing and installing a camera at the
outset, to avoid any surprises later on.

10. Ask a security professional for advice

Before selecting a CCTV surveillance camera for your home or

business, seek the advice of a security professional. They will be
able to assess your property and show you recorded footage from
different types of cameras, that will enable you to get the full picture
on quality and pricing before you commit to a decision.

Grasping the wide range of camera technology on the market can

take some time and there is so much more the latest cameras can do
to enhance security. Would you like to know more about advanced
capabilities or do you have any questions regarding how CCTV
surveillance cameras can enhance your home or businessʼs security
system?

Our sales and technical professionals are available to assist with any
questions related to CCTV surveillance cameras, and can be reached
on 031 717 7000.

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