As a business owner or manager in ANY industry, you’re probably already well aware of the value of having a CCTV system installed. This is why it’s important to understand your options and select the right CCTV camera / system for your specific needs.

There are many different types of CCTV cameras to choose from, all have different options, styles, configurations, and features. The result can be an overwhelming array of choices. That’s why we’ve taken the time to lay out some of the most popular types of cameras and what they are best for:

Dome & Speed Dome CCTV Cameras

Dome CCTV Cameras are most commonly used for indoor security and surveillance applications, often retail spaces that have a local security team watch video.  They offer the local monitoring staff the ability to watch subjects as they move about the facility of property. They get their name from their shape, and are designed to make the CCTV cameras less intrusive & intimidating… while still remaining visible. The shape of the enclosure can obscure which direction the camera is actually facing, which can play a part in deterring criminal activity. Thieves will be deterred from theft, and customers/ guests will feel safer knowing the premises is protected. Units that allow the camera to pan/tilt/zoom and spin quickly within the housing are often referred to as “speed domes.”

Speed Dome CCTV cameras give the local surveillance operator the ability to move the camera. There are cameras that have automated pan/tilt/zoom functionality where the camera is moving on a timed basis. These are used to cover a wide area with only one camera, or to avoid poor light conditions at certain times of day.

Bullet CCTV Camera

Bullet CCTV Cameras have a long, cylindrical, and tapered shape, similar to that of a "rifle bullet", often used in applications that require long distance viewing. The camera is not typically designed to have pan/tilt/zoom control but instead to capture images from a fixed location, pointing at a particular area.

A bullet CCTV camera is a wall-mount or ceiling-mounted unit that is typically designed for outdoor use, but can also be used for indoor applications. By being installed inside protective casings, the camera is protected against dust, dirt, rain, hail and other harmful elements.  

C-Mount CCTV Camera

C-mount CCTV cameras have detachable lenses to fit different applications. Standard CCTV camera lenses can only cover distances of between 35 and 40ft, therefore with C-mount CCTV cameras, it is possible to use special lenses, which can cover distances greater than 40ft.

Infrared/Night Vision CCTV Camera

These night-vision CCTV (dome and bullet) cameras have the ability to see images in pitch black conditions using Infrared LEDs and are ideal in outside and inside conditions where lighting is poor to zero. 

Day/Night CCTV Camera

The day/night CCTV cameras have the distinct advantage of operating well in both normal (well-lit) and dim/low light environments. These cameras do not have Infrared illuminators because they can capture clear video images in varying light conditions and in the low light. 

This option is ideal for outdoor surveillance applications, where Infrared CCTV cameras cannot function optimally. These CCTV cameras are primarily used in outdoor applications and they can have a wide dynamic range to function in glare, direct sunlight, reflections and strong back light 24/7.

Network/IPCCTV Camera

These cameras, both hardwired and wireless, transmit images over the Internet, often compressing the bandwidth so as not to overwhelm the web. IP cameras are easier to install than analog cameras because they do not require a separate cable run or power boost to send images over a longer distance.

Wireless/ WI-FI CCTV Camera

Not all wireless cameras are IP-based. Some wireless cameras can use alternative modes of wireless transmission. But no matter what the transmission method, the primary benefit to these units is still the same: extreme flexibility in installation.

High-Definition HD CCTV Camera

Ultra high-definition cameras are often relegated to niche markets, such as casinos and banks. These give the operators the ability to zoom in with extreme clarity (to look at a poker player who might have something up their sleeve).

Beyond this list, there are many other types of CCTV cameras, but most of those are more related to the application in which the unit will be used vs. the type of camera.

CCTV isn't a solution by itself!

Keep in mind that while installing a couple of CCTV cameras on your premises seems like a good solution, it is not ideal.  Regular CCTV cameras that just record the comings and goings of traffic are not a deterrent for theft, nor are they a serious security system designed to protect the safety of your employees.

 In the event of a robbery, theft, or vandalism, CCTV won’t do much to stop the crime from occurring. Criminals are becoming smarter and smarter, they have ways to bypass this kind of security ranging from disguising their identity to modifying/damaging the CCTV cameras. Many will even know how to break in without being caught on the cameras at all.

The Sonitrol Solution

If you have a need for CCTV, you need a camera surveillance system that gives you all the operational management and recording benefits of a regular CCTV surveillance system with the addition of one crucial feature – Monitoring .

Our Sonitrol SonaVision verified security solution allows you to view in real-time, your business operations, fenced compound, or construction site, and when armed or tripped by a panic alarm can send live video to our 24/7 Central Monitoring Station.

We  work closely with Hundreds of Police departments across North America for many years, so they know us and our Sonitrol brand very well - so they will respond to Sonitrol alarms because they know the criminal activity has been VERIFIED, and that there is a crime in progress when the alarm call comes in.

Sonitrol Western Canada provides a range of CCTV cameras, which we select to do the right job in the right location. We offer full service CCTV design, installation, support, monitoring services, and integration with audio and access management security systems, including all key CCTV camera system types, components, accessories and concepts such as:

• Sonitrol will install the right CCTV camera for your business (including IP, infrared, low-light, HD, verified, wireless, day/night, c-mount, bullet, dome, waterproof)
• 24/7 CCTV camera monitoring at our remote monitoring station
• DVRs (digital video recorders)
• CCTV camera towers and columns
• CCTV telemetry systems
• Deterrent CCTV systems
• Covert CCTV systems
• Motion detection systems
• Integrated audio / CCTV systems
• Video Analytics/Predictive software
• CCTV camera lenses
• CCTV monitors
• CCTV multiplexers
• CCTV illumination
• CCTV switchers
• Fibre optic CCTV transmission
• Networked CCTV transmission (IP CCTV transmission)
• Wireless CCTV camera systems
• Software systems for CCTV camera control, CCTV management & CCTV diagnostics

Sonitrol Western Canada can provide CCTV video surveillance support for interior and exterior video surveillance solutions that range in size from centrally monitored, total corporate systems (fully-networked with dedicated fibre optic backbones) to PC-controlled, IP-based, stand-alone remote access verifiers.

Whether stand-alone or part of an integrated security system, CCTV cameras can be called upon to perform a number of functions for the organizations which use them, detection, deterrence, reassurance, evidence, access control and facility management. Utilizing our in-house security consultants, we have embraced verified security CCTV technologies, video transmission technology and network/IP communications as part of our core CCTV service; so ensuring we can meet customer requirements to provide CCTV system installation and CCTV system support for our high reliability, multi-functional, tailor-made CCTV solutions.