The best outdoor surveillance cameras

In video surveillance, electronic optical devices are used that control and automatically analyze images. A modern closed hardware and television complex uses the best CCTV cameras at local and distributed facilities. Control of the situation at the facility is ensured, property is protected from criminals.

Problem solving with outdoor surveillance

Cameras are divided into digital and analog based on the output signal. The first type of modules is represented by IP cameras, transmits information by wires and without a cable (Wi-Fi radio channel). The wireless view is supplied with a transmitter and antenna.

Division by design and features:

• modular cameras are produced in the form of a single-layer printed circuit board without a case and are placed in hemispheres, thermal housings;
• mini-video cameras are enclosed in small cylindrical or square-shaped bodies, they work inside buildings;
• body devices are not equipped with a lens and fasteners, all the required elements are purchased additionally;
• a circular or hemispherical dome camera is made of metal or plastic.

High-speed control systems combine a zoom lens, a video camera, a camera, and a rotary mechanism. Gyro-stabilized modules are used on moving objects.

Selecting a surveillance camera

There are monofocal and varifocal lenses. The former have a constant focus, the latter transform the focal length manually or using the remote control. Aperture in lenses is fixed and controllable.

You can choose video surveillance according to the working conditions:

• the dome is placed for internal observation;
• the thermal casing protects from cold and precipitation;
• anti-vandal box protects against destruction.

What matters is the means by which the picture is issued. Devices come with a serial video switcher, multiplexer, matrix. The image is recorded by a VCR, digital or other recorder.

Criteria for choosing a camera for the street

It is difficult to select because of the large assortment of equipment with advanced functionality. The outdoor video device provides a high-quality view of the perimeter, while the acquisition and operating costs should be kept to a minimum.

Attention is paid to characteristics:

• the level of protection against frost, sun, precipitation, icing;
• remoteness of the camera from the monitor-receiver;
• the ability to transmit over a distance without degradation of quality.

Outdoor video devices are supplied with thermal imagers, automatic cameras, microphones.

Permissible operating temperature range

The operation of the electronics goes astray when the temperature drops below -10 ° C. Special casings with internal heating and protection against dampness and dust flows are used to ensure that the equipment works effectively at -30 - -35 ° C.

You can choose a CCTV camera for the street with different protection:

• universal heaters, heating of which does not depend on the functional system of the device;
• thermal housing, which is an integral part of the video device.

To choose the right one, you need to evaluate the materials of the insulating body and gaskets for fragility, cracking.Sealed cable entries should be located at the bottom, there should also be a condensate collector. The visor must be selected so that it overlaps the entire body of the follower module.

Vandal resistance

The system protects cameras from mechanical damage, the devices have IK 10 protection standard and work despite attempts to break into. Vision devices must be installed high, while an attempt by a criminal to gain access to the device will attract double attention.

If the device does not have anti-vandal protection, it must be installed in special durable structures. Some owners hide cameras from criminals, but this backfires by encouraging impunity. The way out is that a non-working device is placed in a conspicuous place, which the criminal breaks, and his actions are removed by a hidden working camera.

Resolution

Resolution also determines the choice of a CCTV camera for the street, the characteristic is measured in pixels. The property shows the ability to fix, display the number of points in an inch of the frame surface vertically and horizontally. Reducing the resolution degrades the quality and vice versa.

The best is 4k resolution, but a system with such parameters will be expensive, including hard disk, monitor, DVR, and recordings take up more disk space. Modern video devices use the old D1 and CIF in the form of a substream. This is a stream with a lower resolution for receiving images from multiple cameras, which allows you to work at a low Internet speed. The quality changes in a special menu.

Viewing angle

The characteristic determines the overview of CCTV cameras and the type of picture, which can be portrait, close-up or panoramic. As the angle decreases, the focusing quality increases, so you can see individual people, but the situation in the apartment is poorly visible.

For viewing at a distance of up to 40 meters, a viewing angle of up to 45 ° is selected. For complete coverage of the situation, it is recommended to take an angle over 90 °. Cameras with a variable radius of coverage cost one and a half times more. The angle of view depends on the matrix index and the focal length of the device. There is a special table where this relationship can be traced. The angle of coverage during purchase can be obtained from the seller or viewed in technical documents.

Type of shell

Open-frame cameras have one board and a small lens in their design. They can be installed in decorative elements, embedded in the wall. CCTV cameras for the protection of a private house, the installation of which is done on the street, are enclosed in a warm building. This type is one of the most inexpensive devices for organizing video surveillance.

The advantages include:

• ease of installation and connection;
• can be installed in intercom systems;
• decent video quality.

Electronic devices weigh 20 - 40 g, so they are mounted in any area, for example, on the ceiling, where no one will notice them. There are devices with 1 - 3 boards, open-frame modules differ in the types of slots.

Sensitivity

The indicator depends on the minimum diaphragm opening through which a 1B signal is supplied with an illumination of 2000 lux, a color temperature of 3200K according to the testing table. Camera sensitivity is often mistaken for another parameter - minimum illumination. This index is expressed in lux and indicates the acceptable level of light in the area at which the device outputs a recognizable video signal.

Some OEMs do not specify the level of the output team and use the term in different ways. If the tracking module is operating at night and there are no other lamps, the light sensitivity should be up to 0.01 lux.

Additional functions

Surveillance systems perform several tasks in addition to conventional video recording and playback. The combined schemes include a set of safe measures to protect the site, the records are used in court to confirm the facts.

Additional features:

• local and remote audio-video control;
• approach control schemes, remote access systems, coordination;
• control of the actual working time;
• information about the presence of employees;
• recognition of license plates.

Video surveillance systems are combined with fire alarms, used as protection against radio eavesdropping, for finding fuses, and monitoring the telephone line.

Installation and operation

The efficiency of the work depends on the correct installation. The norms differ for each class, but there is a standard regulation for all types. The location is chosen so that the entire area is covered and there is little exposure.

The connecting wires are laid at least 0.5 m from the power cables. To transmit an analog image at 100 m, not a coaxial wire is used, but a twisted pair. The outdoor signal circuit is protected from electrical line interference.

Rating and review of outdoor CCTV cameras

Devices with an energy resolution of 1 - 2 Mp and low color rendering and sensitivity fall into the category of economy class. The leaders in the rating are products at prices of 2 - 6 thousand rubles from Axilium, Rvi, Novicam, Space Technology, Prime, Fazera, Optimus.

In the business class, products of high light sensitivity and color rendering are presented, with clear illumination and a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels. The cost varies from 6 to 30 thousand rubles. The rating of the leading manufacturers includes Microdigital, Dahua, D-link, Ever Focus, Beward, Falcon Eye, Divitec, Etrovision.

Video surveillance of the premium category includes modules worth more than 1.5 million rubles with impeccable characteristics and a degree of reliability. They have maximum hardware, 360 ° all-round visibility, and intelligent functionality. The rating includes manufacturers Bosch, Beward, AXIS, Hikvision, Dahua, Panasonic, Microdigital, Samsung.