The value of CCTV equipment

When purchasing and installing CCTV equipment, it’s easy to assume that the only thing you need to worry about is the camera. This is far from the truth, because other equipment will act in supporting roles. Choosing the wrong equipment could make your entire surveillance system fail.

Selecting CCTV equipment

There are two primary ways to shop for the CCTV equipment you need for your surveillance system. The first is to buy each piece of equipment separately, which takes quite a bit of time and research. You'll have to ensure that each piece is compatible with the other components although this method is often less expensive.

The second method is to purchase surveillance equipment directly from the manufacturer. Although these are rarely complete, you can get most of the CCTV products you need from the same place, ensuring compatibility. You may have to pay a higher price for the convenience, but this method could mean fewer headaches since you don’t have to track down certain components.

What are the most important CCTV products?

Four pieces of CCTV equipment are the most important: cameras, lenses, recorders (DVR), and monitors. These devices are the central components that make your system work and needs to be compatible with the rest of the system. Cameras record footage, the lens determines your focus and clarity, DVRs store the footage for future playback, and the monitor displays the footage at your security or monitoring center.

Of course, you can also purchase add-ons for your CCTV system, depending on your system needs and budget. For example, camera housings and mounts can be used to hang and conceal cameras in specific places, while protecting them from the elements if they are installed outside. Make sure you don’t ignore secondary components like keypads, batteries, and time-delay recorders.

Choosing CCTV monitors

The monitors you purchase for your CCTV system will depend on your specific business needs. You'll want a monitor that will not overheat or malfunction when running 24 hours a day, and they also need to be large enough to support the footage. For example, if you plan on running multiple feeds in display quadrants, a small monitor will not provide sufficient clarity to view all four pictures.

Many business owners choose flat-screen monitors to complement their CCTV equipment. A flat-screen device will take up less space in your monitoring area and will provide better clarity and resolution.

Choosing CCTV lenses

The lenses you select for your CCTV system will depend on several factors. First, the focal length will play a large role in the angle of view provided by your cameras: the larger the size, the narrower the angle of view. For example, a 16mm lens will have a narrower view than a 12mm lens.

The focal length directly impacts the depth of field, which is the second consideration. When you have a high depth of field, most of the area your camera covers will be in good focus for viewing. CCTV lenses with a low depth of field produce poorer image quality which will make much of your picture appear to be out of focus.

As you consider CCTV equipment, request quotes from multiple vendors so you know exactly what the market has to offer. BuyerZone can help with a free request for CCTV quotes form. Once you complete it, we can match you to multiple providers in your area.