Security in the commercial world is becoming complex with each decade that passes by. Surveillance cameras used in the 90s are rarely used anywhere these days. In the 2000s, bullet cameras were all the rage. Dome-shaped cameras later became dominant before PTZ cameras were introduced.
What are PTZ Cameras?
PTZ refers to pan tilt and zoom cameras. They are dome-shaped and encased with shells that protect them from damage. Compared to regular dome-shaped cameras, PTZ cameras are technologically advanced.
You can’t change the camera’s direction in a regular camera but you can with a PTZ. Most dome-shaped cameras aren’t digitized but PTZ cameras are Internet-enabled to send their feeds to apps. With their tilt and zoom features, PTZ cameras also help you view images several hundred feet away, including at night.
A good PTZ camera pans 360 degrees. It tilts up to 90 degrees and zooms objects 20 times or more. All these features can be adjusted at one point remotely. If the camera has movement-detecting features, you don’t even need to employ a surveillance guy.
Key Features of PTZ Cameras
As the most advanced surveillance cameras in the industry, PTZ cameras stack plenty of great features.
- Real-time Control
When installed properly, PTZ cameras do all the hard work and transmit data to your preferred smartphone in real-time. When someone is detected trespassing your premises, the cameras alert you instantly.
When not using your smartphone, the cameras allow you to make all manner of configurations at one point. Tilt the cameras to your liking. Change the field of view, zoom images from specific angles or change the security controls.
With PTZ cameras, the premise owner gets total control of how they work. Their Internet Protocol feature that enables Internet communication is probably the best thing about them. No matter how many cameras are located in your business, you can manage everything on a single web app.
- Powerful Zoom Features
PTZ cameras are mainly designed for commercial purposes. They achieve their duties diligently, helping owners zoom objects hundreds of meters away. Zooming in PTZ cameras work in two main ways. Optical zooming lets you adjust the camera’s field of depth to bring an entire image closer. Digital zoom lets you pick a specific area of the image and zoom that part alone.
Optical zooming is certainly better when you want to view large areas located some distance away. Digital zooming, on the other hand, is useful when you want to single out specific objects in an image. The best PTZ cameras have optical zoom capabilities of between 20 and 30 times and digital zooms up to 20 times.
- All-weather Purpose and Night Vision
Although not all PTZ cameras are designed to work outdoors, most PTZ cameras withstand rough weather conditions. They will work during a snow storm and stream feed during hurricanes. At night, the cameras have better vision than humans.
Of course, image clarity during bad weather conditions isn’t always reliable but that differs from one brand to another. Full HD, 4K and 8K cameras support crystal clear images irrespective of the weather conditions around your premises.
Benefits of PTZ Cameras
- Cover Wider Areas
With their pan, tilt and zoom features, PTZ cameras cover much larger areas than any alternatives. Bullet cameras, for instance, cover between 90 and 150 degrees. Dome-shaped cameras can cover 360 degrees but lack zooming features.
With good PTZ cameras, every part of your premise can be under surveillance. Of course, shriveling behind doors and other blocked areas is never easy for any camera, but PTZ cameras give you the control to do it. With proper configuration, the cameras cover much wider areas than all other cameras.
- Can Zoom Distant Images
One of the biggest benefits of PTZ cameras is that they can zoom distant images to help you view smaller images clearly. Without zooming features, IP cameras would not be helpful for commercial uses. Zooming helps you officials identify car number plates or the faces of suspects in the streets.
A good PTZ camera will usually have both optical and digital zooming. That way, you don’t have to edge out any objects in your feeds. Keep in mind that the quality of zoomed images differs from one camera to another. HD cameras produce clear images even when the objects zoomed are hundreds of feet away.
- Unique Preset Features
In addition to remote control, IP cameras allow you to preset your cameras to focus on certain areas more than others. If you have multiple cameras and are more interested in what’s going on at the entrance, set systems to deliver feeds mostly from the entrance areas.
Another unique feature of IP cameras is the ability to define their paths. Instead of manually tilting angles and directions, pre-set them to follow certain paths. They can start recording feeds at the entrance door, cover the areas around windows and other rooms before getting back to where they started. You can also set the speeds at which your cameras cover specific points and for how long the rotations should happen.
- Better value for Money
One PTZ camera covers a wider area than several bullet or dome-shaped cameras. With the help of sleek control features, PTZ cameras help you detect images most bullet cameras can never detect. Their night vision capabilities and weatherproof features mean your business’ security is always covered.
Again, PTZ cameras are no longer expensive. Some HD PTZ cameras cost well below $200 while full HD and 4K cameras cost between $300 and $800. You don’t have to hire a surveillance guy to man them. They have motion detectors and alert you of any unwarranted movements in real-time.
To Conclude
The technology of surveillance keeps improving. Twenty years ago, surveillance cameras could only help you identify images within a small area. Today, PTZ cameras man whole business enterprises. They detect motions, survey outdoors and indoors at night all while streaming feeds digitally.
If you’ve ever wanted to install surveillance cameras in your home or at the workplace, PTZ cameras offer the most benefits. They are inexpensive, easy to install and offer great value for your investment.
