10 Most Important Tools and Technologies in Web Design

         How Decision-making in Purchase of Cameras Influence Surveillance and Intruder Detection

Surveillance goes in tandem with security especially where the protection of valuable assets is of prime importance to security professionals and risk managers. As indispensable tools in monitoring, searching and recording routine and irregular activities, Surveillance Cameras are integral part of any security and surveillance management. Intruder Detection and Remote Monitoring have been amazingly made possible and cost effective by advance technological improvements in design and production of security equipment providing reliable and user-friendly uses. When to comes to purchasing and installing Surveillance Cameras, a plethora of products makes it a notorious job to pick the right tool that will satisfy the clients requirements while maintaining the overall security posture. Different Cameras provide different capabilities, functionalities and specialties, but most client do not know that. They also don’t know how the cost implication could affect the type camera they get and its capabilities, which sometimes is a point of friction between client and the installation engineer. The geographical layout of the premises, the architectural make-up of the perimeter also plays in determining which type/category of Camera that will be most appropriate and effective.  I hope to elucidate readers on how to make through out of this maze for enlightenment purposes.

There are basically 5 types of Surveillance Cameras

                          I.            Hidden Surveillance Cams: These are covert cameras, made specifically for monitoring people and perimeter covertly. They are usually concealed and inconspicuously made to fit-in or look like ordinary home/office appliances.

                        II.            Trail Surveillance Cams: These are outdoor that are used for observing animals, person’s or objects on the move. They are often stealth, purposefully designed to track and identify specific objects or environments.

                     III.            Dome Cams: As their name implies, they are domed shaped, installed inside and hanged on the wall. They are aesthetically appealing and blend into home/office décor.

                     IV.            Bullet Cams: These cams are mounted on the side of the wall to capture the intended field of interest, which is usually outdoor.

                       V.            Simulated Cams: These cams simulated webcams, with features for video chat or instant messengers. Besides webcam simulation, features such as webcam recording, webcam splitting makes it possible to use it on windows.

Categories of Surveillance Cameras:

                                I.            Analogue

                              II.            IP

                           III.            Thermal

                           IV.            Specialty

Resolution and Pixel:

Surveillance Cams are also of different resolutions and ranges; this is an important specification when choosing a CCTV product, because if you don’t get the resolution right you might end up with blurry signal and poor transmission. The resolution of analog CCTV cams is quoted in Television Lines (TVL), these refers to the number of horizontal pixels a camera can produce along a distance equal to the height of the screen. Resolution is also affected by many factors, which makes it difficult to make assumptions about the quality of the picture, even when the system has been manufactured using high-specification equipment throughout. Changing lighting and weather conditions can have a dramatic effect on system performance, as can other changes in the environment in which the cameras are operating.

IP cams are now the latest trend, luring customers by offering better resolution, remote monitoring and high image quality which is measured in Pixels. A pixel is a single element of picture information – the greater the number of pixels, the greater the picture resolution. With promising advances in CCTV systems and industry standardization, resolution is no longer a problem, selected only for applicability.

Lens and Light Density:

The performance of any Surveillance Camera is dependent on the quality and type of lens used. The quality of the lens, the format size and the spectral response are all important factors relating to lens performance influencing image quality. The Field of view is one of the more critical factors in CCTV system specification and design because it determines how large an image will appear on the monitor screen for a given distance from the camera. The performance of a lens is decreased if the glass is highly reflective because a considerable amount of light simply bounces off the front face, these can be corrected if the lens is coated with a filter material. Some lenses can be adjusted to offer zoom effects, and before the appropriate lens for any application is chosen, then the Lens format, Focal length, Angle of view, Aperture, F-number and Depth of field. A good understanding of these principles is pertinent to Surveillance Cameras installation and maintenance.

Lighting is fundamental to any Surveillance system, with the light source, quantity, quality and distribution of available light all pertinent in producing accurate image and video. White light and Infra-Red are illuminators for CCTV and general lighting applications, with differing effects and functionalities either covert or overt. At different wavelengths, light produces spectrum colors depending on its intensity and frequency. The angle of illumination of the cameras field of view and beam patterns affects image quality and visibility. Modern Surveillance cameras have in-built software to regulate illumination.

Camera Positioning and Image Distance:

With PTZ (Panning, Tilting, and Zooming) capabilities, modern Surveillance cameras can be easily manipulated so to serve user requirements and system specifications. Although this might not be a major issue, since technology aims to correct some of this faults, the cameras accessories could also influence how effective a surveillance cam is in security management.  There is no need for a Surveillance system that fails to achieve its primary purpose which is Intruder Detection, Recognition, Monitoring and Identification, to that effect, a camera must be positioned to meet these standards.

The distance between the image device and the back of the lens is also important to noted when mounting the Surveillance cam

Conclusion and Recommendation:

  When setting up a Surveillance system or purchasing a camera, some points are very important to note. These are:

        i.       

        I.            Image quality and Functionality

      II.            Area of Interest and Building architecture

   III.            Length and Width of Area of Capture

   IV.            Camera Position (Indoor or Outdoor)

     V.            Illumination/Light source

   VI.            Location (Office/Residential/Open air) and Intended use

VII.            Overall system requirements

Making sense of a camera's specifications is basic to choosing the right equipment for Surveillance applications. An in-depth knowledge of physics, installation and project management is also very important so as to get the most effective and reliable Surveillance Cameras within budget limits to clients satisfaction.