Which Fixture Fits Your Surveillance Camera Installation Needs?

When you start looking for surveillance cameras, you might be overwhelmed by all the options, especially with all the new technology available today. You’ll see a plethora of camera shapes and models that can get confusing if you don’t understand the unique advantages of each, or where to place them to protect your home.

Fortunately, Symspire is here to help you decode popular types and how to best use them in a surveillance camera installation. We’ll take away the guesswork out of four popular cameras: the dome, bullet, turret, and point-tilt-zoom, and the ideal placement for each. By the time you finish this blog, we expect you’ll think of a place for each type somewhere on your Franklin, TN, property.

SEE ALSO: Why Integrate Your Security System With Smart Home Technology? 

Dome Cameras 

For an wide-angle view of activity around a property, many choose dome cameras. They’ve also been widely used in commercial settings, like parking lots, because they can capture such a broad image scope.

Criminals hate these cameras for two reasons: It’s nearly impossible to tell where dome cameras might be pointing, and it’s even harder to destroy them. For these reasons, installers don’t hesitate to add them closer to eye level than some less-durable models.

One potential downfall of this camera is that its glass casing is prone to night-time infrared reflection, sometimes called IR bounce, if the camera isn’t adequately configured. This pitfall proves why installing a dome camera, or any high-tech surveillance device, should be left to professionals.

Though durable and weatherproof, their sleek shape and unobtrusive look make them popular choices for interiors, too. Many image-conscious homeowners love that their light base blends right into the ceiling.

Bullet Cameras 

As you can see in the image we pictured above, bullet cameras are narrow and cylindrical. Unlike dome cameras, these models lack a wide-angle view, which can help them laser-focus on vulnerable areas such as the driveway, garage, front door, back door, stairway, hallway, entryway and any space you want to monitor closely. You can easily adjust the point of view post-installation, merely by shifting the direction. 

The drawbacks include the less vandal-resistant nature inherent in its longer shape, as it’s easier to grab or strike. Still, many homeowners use them to deter theft crimes such as porch piracy because their overt “security camera” effect serves as a warning to leave the property.

Turret Cameras 

The inconspicuous turret-style camera models are engineered to look and function much like an eyeball, with a central “eye” that rolls around in a socket to change direction. Although they may at first appear to be a dome camera, they lack the dome’s shell-like casing, so criminals will be able to see when the camera points at them.

Growing in popularity, turrets are some of the least intrusive, most affordable cameras and can be installed at nearly any orientation. These cameras are immune to IR bounce because of their open camera face. However, that same exposed camera feature makes them less vandal-proof than the dome, so we prefer placing them somewhat out of reach. 

PTZ Cameras 

Pan-tilt-zoom, or PTZ, cameras offer many benefits rolled up into one device. They have the wide-angle view that users love about dome cameras but can zero in on suspicious activity in seconds. 

As their name suggests, users can scan the area, tilt the camera and zoom in — from one management system. The only complaint centers around the camera’s “blind spots” when capturing footage while zooming in on one area.

Though effective at scoping out criminals, many homeowners also place PTZs inside their home to monitor young children’s (or pet’s) activities because of their comprehensive view. 

The complexity of PTZ cameras make them the most difficult to install, but that’s where we can help! Our certified, award-winning team will help you figure out which cameras to include — and where — to provide optimal protection and peace of mind, no matter how advanced the technology.

Want to learn more about Symspire’s customized approach to protecting your home, including the camera types and placement we recommend for you? Give us a call or contact us here to schedule a no-obligation consultation with us. We look forward to talking to you.