Although buying a CCTV camera was an expensive affair a few years ago, now that the price is within the reach of the common man, many have started using it for their personal and institutional needs. You can buy CCTV cameras whenever you want, but how sure is it that it will give you the performance you want? So before buying it you should think about some things that will save you from regretting later. Let's see what those considerations are.

Let's take a look at the things that are important to know before buying a CCTV camera.

How do CCTV cameras work?

Most of the CCTV cameras used for home security are solid-state electronic devices that are connected to a central recorder. It is also known as a closed circuit camera because it transmits video within a certain range.

The main parts of a CC camera are lenses, sensors and DSP or digital signal processors. Basically the main function of the lens is to focus on the light which is then captured as a sensor image. It then moves from the sensor to the DSP and that DSP converts it into the TV signal that we see on the screen. Note that the signal is stored wirelessly at a designated location for later inspection.

Consideration when buying CCTV cameras

Now let's talk about some important things that will help you choose the right model.

Determine what kind of needs you have

At the beginning of buying CCTV cameras, you should think about why you should buy a camera. Suppose someone needs to monitor his home and someone needs someone for his organization. Whatever it is, you need to specify your need first. It will be very easy to buy your camera if you can identify it.

Basically knowing the demand, a buyer can make the right decision and choose the best camera model accordingly. This is why you need to know enough about your CCTV camera in the beginning.

Learn about existing lenses

The job of the camera lens is to collect light for the sensor. Everything the user sees or records on the DVR is through the lens. The lens determines how far an object can be seen because the lens controls the focus.

Again you will also find zoom lenses in the market. Some CCTV camera models have digital zoom and others have optical zoom which is controlled by a lens. A buyer's optical zoom should take precedence over digital zoom. In digital zoom it cannot basically add any theory to the image on the other hand optical zoom can add new theory to the original image.

Selecting the right sensor

Not all digital sensors are the same. There are two things to consider when verifying the specifications of a CCTV camera sensor: sensor type and sensor size. Most sensors are not CMOS but CCD. CMOS performance and sensitivity are both relatively lower than CCD. As a result, it cannot capture clear images. Therefore, CMOS should not be used for identification. However, the advantage of CMOS is that its price is lower than CCD. The CMOS-based sensor has to process much more signals to capture clear images.

Selecting the correct output resolution

A common specification for CCTV cameras is the number of flat lines in the TV resolution or TVL. Its range is up to 600 TVL. Different cameras of 360 TVL and 540 TVL are also available. Although experts consider 420 TVL to be the minimum, it does not apply in all cases. The output depends on the input.

So if the lens and the sensor cannot match the output resolution (determined by the DSP) then the whole of the extra resolution goes in vain. So the important thing is to have enough resolution by which the image captured in the camera can be clearly displayed.