Which Camera do I pick?

With all the different camera types available today it can be confusing as to which one to choose.  To make your purchase a little easier we'll look at types of equipment and the steps necessary in choosing the right components for your need. 

Types of cameras

Lets take a second and explain the key differences between camera types.

Surveillance cameras can be broken down in to roughly 2 groups: Indoor, and Outdoor.

An outdoor camera, or weatherproof camera, can be used indoors but is generally more expensive because of the weatherproofing and sun shielding.  An indoor camera is simply a camera without protection from the elements.

It is important to have an idea where your cameras will be before you even look at types.

Camera Options

Indoor and outdoor cameras each have options designed for particular uses.  These options are generally mounting type, lens, night sensitivity, illumination lights, and vandal proof construction.

1. Mounting type - some cameras are designed to be mounted on a wall, or on a ceiling.  Still some cameras are meant to be hidden or enclosed in housing.  Dome type cameras will generally mount well on either a wall or a ceiling, but some outdoor cameras or specialty cameras have particular mount requirements (i.e. pole mount).   Every camera on our site has information as to which mount is included.
2. Lens - camera lenses can get very confusing very fast.  It is best to keep things simple and to understand the basics.  All surveillance lenses are measured in millimeters (mm).  The smaller the number the wider the view and the higher the number the closer the zoom.  (see our lens comparison guide for pictures) The human Eye sees the equivalent of 2.5mm which includes peripheral vision.  Understand that wider is not always better due to the limits of imaging technology.  A 2.5mm lens on a security camera starts to take on a "fish eye" appearance.  3.6mm is about the lowest you can go without diminishing the perspective of the image.  Most cameras have a fixed lens with a default standard size if you don't specify, but you can have another size mounted before shipping if you wish.  The fixed lens size is with the camera information and is generally 3.6mm-4mm.  Other cameras have a variable lens (varifocal) that allows you to make adjustments to zoom at the camera; these are not powered zoom cameras, but manual adjustments.  Different varifocal ranges are available for instance 8mm-25mm or 5mm-50mm.  See the camera information for options.
3. Night sensitivity - Ambient light is measured in lux.  All cameras have a lux rating that identifies the lowest light that the camera can reasonably be expected to work.