How CCTV “Sees”
When you hear the term video surveillance your mind might transport you back to a scene from an old Hollywood film. The underdog and unlikely nighttime security guard happens to be watching the video monitors at just the right time to see the bank robbers go by. The CCTV (Closed-Circuit Television) camera footage is remarkably clear, allowing the robbers to be caught, and making our unlikely security guard the victorious hero.
It seems too good to be true. Right?
For many business owners, past experiences with video surveillance have left us frustrated with inconsistent results, unusable footage, and out-of-date equipment; that perhaps hasn’t been working for years.
What if we said it can do more? That there actually is a camera with such high-quality features that shoddy old analog surveillance equipment could finally be a thing of the past. That the underdog really could become the hero and your collected footage could be used to grow your business.
It’s achievable, with the right technology and the right partner. But we don’t expect you to just take our word for it - we want you to know the How’s behind these incredible tools.
How a Security Camera Sees
Much like the human eye, a camera lens functions in a similar way. In the human eye, light passes through our pupils. Our iris controls the size of the pupil and the amount of light that is let in. The light hits our retina, and based on the amount of light received, our photo-receptor cells send a signal to the sensor in our brain. Thus creating an image - our vision.
The camera lens replicates the function of the human eye in many ways. Like the pupil, the aperture lets light in. The camera's iris controls the amount of light that is let into the lens. The light then hits a sensor, made up of an array of pixels, and creates a signal based on the amount of light received. The signal is then sent to the camera's brain, the processor. Where the raw image from the sensor will be processed into the final image that will be presented to us, the viewer.
What a Security Camera Sees
There are three types of surveillance cameras: Visible, IR (Infrared), and Thermal Radiation. Each CCTV camera sees in a different way, offering many options and features for a wide variety of environments and customer needs.
Visible Cameras
Creates an image from light through a sensors
The size and resolution of the camera dictate the size of the pixels.
-Higher the resolution the smaller the pixels and the clearer the image will be
Works best in well-lit areas from artificial and natural light.
Infrared (IR)
Illuminates scenes with insufficient light
Optimized IR filter automatically adjusts to block colors at night for clear images
LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) kick on in lens to increase light and visibility in images
More powerful with WDR (Wide Dynamic Range) Forensic Capture
SafeCity cameras utilize Axis LightFinder Technology (think nocturnal)
Thermal Radiation
Sees by gathering heat, not light
Excels in detection over great distances and hard conditions
Impervious to light, smoke, shadows and light fog
There is plenty to be said about these sophisticated, eye-like machines, but for now, we wanted to leave you with just a few key takeaways. When researching CCTV surveillance cameras, be sure to work with an expert and vendor you can trust. Rest assured that their guidance will point you down the right path to meet all your specific requirements, budget, and needs.