Domes vs Bullets

[Optimus Prime]

When I started reading the forum, I thought I had noticed a preference towards domes for outside cameras due to spider webs and keeping the lens clean. Lately I'm reading posts were people seem to prefer the bullets for outside instead.

May I have your opinions and considerations one way or the other?

 

[nayr]

Depends on the location, let the environment choose the camera.. not the other way around.

Domes have some serious disadvantages outside tho, more for use indoors.

• Plastics loose clarity with exposure to UV, a dome with sun exposure will age and degrade poorly.
• Domes bleed light, IR or whatever comes in at an off angle and it fogs up the dome.
• Domes dont work well at harsh angles.. the closer they get to the edge of the dome the more problems you encounter.

most folks here prefer to run Turrets outdoors over domes.. then it comes down to Turrets vs Bullets, and thats mostly preference.. If your installing it on a skinny pole or something a bullet [typically] is the only option, and bullets work better at 90 degree angles from the mount point.. but thats about all that separates them.

 

[Optimus Prime]

Thank you for that explanation.

 

[MOPARFAN58]

Bravo! That was very well stated. I don't think I could have said it any better. My hats off to you nayr

 

[xman111]

I think I will go turret for outdoors, dome for indoors. thanks for the explanation.

 

[randyth]

Very interesting info.
One thing I wonder though: why is in an indoor situation a dome prefered over a turret?
Is it because of size and cost?

 

[nayr]

the major advantage is vandal protection, indoors they are often well within reach.. and indoors the criminals have more time to try to disable the cameras, plenty of video captures of even the police trying to knock cameras down.. a turret for example someone can just reach up and turn it so it faces the wall.. a dome your going to have to knock completely off the mounts and its going to record your attempt much longer.. if you can continue recording while someone is trying to disable the camera, you often get the best evidence.. because they get so up close and personal with it.

the only dome I have is in my kids room, and im glad its a dome because he's made contact with the camera more than once tossing stuffties and toys around.. anything other than the dome he would have changed the FOV with a small impact.

 

[tangent]

the major advantage is vandal protection, indoors they are often well within reach.. and indoors the criminals have more time to try to disable the cameras, plenty of video captures of even the police trying to knock cameras down.. a turret for example someone can just reach up and turn it so it faces the wall.. a dome your going to have to knock completely off the mounts and its going to record your attempt much longer.. if you can continue recording while someone is trying to disable the camera, you often get the best evidence.. because they get so up close and personal with it.

the only dome I have is in my kids room, and im glad its a dome because he's made contact with the camera more than once tossing stuffties and toys around.. anything other than the dome he would have changed the FOV with a small impact.

paintball and bb guns notwithstanding but they're a bigger threat outdoors.

Do you actually have any turrets or are they all box, bullet, ptz, or dome. I have mixed feelings on turrets and bullets, in some cases I think a small bullet actually looks better but the bullets with better IR are kind of ugly and have a bunch of screw holes on the face perfect for spiders to nest.

 

[MOPARFAN58]

paintball and bb guns notwithstanding but they're a bigger threat outdoors.

Do you actually have any turrets or are they all box, bullet, ptz, or dome. I have mixed feelings on turrets and bullets, in some cases I think a small bullet actually looks better but the bullets with better IR are kind of ugly and have a bunch of screw holes on the face perfect for spiders to nest.

I have only the 0ne Camera. IT's One of the IP Cams Indoor usage. It does have good site at he front of the House. My Home is gated. I also have floodlights at all perimeters the front set that cast the driveway and yard are timer controlled. The others are motion sensors. We also have a good alarm system, and a 150 pound Rottweiler. I have glass breakage sensors in every room. Plus motion sensors if no one is Home. I would like to purchase another camera for my back yard. I would like a better one than I have. It is important for me to be able to get the live feed on my PC. it is connected to my big screen in the den. You make some real valid points about the different styles and their weaknesses. You have given me something to think about when I purchase another unit, I thank you for that.

 

[nayr]

both of my outdoor PTZ's are turrets.. they are more discrete overall.

my LXIR Bullet i think looks better than my normal bullets, the ring of IR is not only fugly and creates a halo glow but its def a bigger spider magnet of the two.

attached some pix of my cams, most taken durring install so all the wiring is not completely cleaned up.

 

[MOPARFAN58]

Your not paranoid my Friend. They, Big Brother if you will. They keep a close eye on us. We don't know when they are looking or listening. I caution folks to watch what the write, or say. You have a nice set up. I just have the one that allows me too observe the front of the House. My driveway is gated along with the rest of the yard. so I have a good pan zone. The camera is a crappy little one. The odd thing with the flood lights in the front. I get a more clear picture. I always tell my Wife, anything to slow an intruder down. The camera does offer a nice feature for a cheap one. It senses motion. So anything larger than my Rottie, I get an audible alarm.