Outdoor camera form factors

rdagger

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From reading this forum, it seems like dome cameras are often not recommended for outdoor use. Yet, it seems like many of the higher end outdoor cameras are dome (not including box cameras).

I’m in a hot sunny climate. I wanted to use a PTZ pendant and another vandal proof fixed dome on a wall in front of my home. Any recommendations on how to mitigate any adverse effects?
 

nayr

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Turret style cameras; Dahua offers PTZ's and Fixed cameras in the format.. we call the PTZ's the Black Face format because they use a uniform shape to disguise its orientation from a distance.

Domes are only recommended if you have a valid need for the vandal resistance; ie multi-family dwellings, public places like elevators/parks/etc.. then you need to avoid installing them in direct sunlight or they wont last the long haul.
 

rdagger

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So the trick is to avoid any plastic over the lens?
Assuming no PTZ, when would you use a turret over a bullet or vice versa?
 

nayr

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yeah glass wont get sunburnt and look like old car headlamps; and the curvature catches stray light from the side and lights up and screws with the images, the tiniest amount of dirt/water spots just makes em go haywire.. any time you have a dome over the lens you have to spend an absurd amount of time testing it under all possible lighting conditions to ensure its not going to blind its self.. Indoors domes are much easier to work with since all the light-sources are static and the environment is controllable.

turrets often have less lens choices and external alarm/audio inputs than bullets, and bullets have a smaller install footprint so if your putting multiples on a post or junction box its easier to accomplish with bullets.. lots of bullets still have rings of round diode IR LEDs surrounding the lens and that creates a halo effect on the image and attracts bugs to the front like nobody's business.. but you can get those with eyeball turrets too.. Surface mount LXIR lighting is so much better on both Turrets and Bullets.

Head to head, 2 of the same cameras with same lenses and IR capabilities Bullet vs Turret usually comes down to: turret looks better installed, especially in residental applications.
 

rdagger

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What do you think about an outdoor fisheye for a front gate camera? I'm thinking of placing it above the buzzer so it will be at eye level. It would show me who's at the gate and might also provide good vehicle identifications.
 

nayr

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fisheyes are horrible outdoors; you have like 6ft of ID capabilities.. dont use anything wider than 3.6mm outside unless you know what your doing.
 
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