PTZ Security Cameras

Read more about PTZ security camera solutions

Written by Eric Fleming

When businesses look to protect their operations, one of the first options is a security camera system. And although fixed multicamera setups are fantastic, they have one problem: eventually a criminal will figure out where the gaps in coverage are, and will be able to move undetected. A PTZ security camera solves this problem.

What are PTZ Security Cameras?

PTZ stands for pan tilt zoom. A pan-tilt-zoom camera is able to pan across a field of vision, tilt up and down, and zoom in or out. The three features allow it to cover a wider field of view than a fixed camera, giving the camera operator more flexibility.

Pan-tilt-zoom Technology

If you have watched a television program or movie recently, you are familiar with the three camera moves a PTZ security camera makes. To understand panning, imagine a sporting event (a car race is a good example), where the object you want to focus on is moving extremely quickly from side to side. To enable the viewer to watch the object, the camera is turned horizontally on a vertical axis. In a PTZ camera, it is not the camera lens itself but the mounting that pans. Tilt can be considered the 90-degree cousin of pan. Instead of moving in a left-right manner, tilt causes the camera to adjust up or down. Again, the mounting bracket is typically in charge of any tilting. Zoom is a function of the lens assembly changing its focal length, which allows the camera to effectively move in closer to the object.

Comparisons

A traditional security camera has a fixed mounting bracket as well as a fixed focal length. Thus, the PTZ security camera has much greater flexibility. It will tend to be a bit more expensive, as the mounting for one is much more complex, but this cost is often offset by needing fewer cameras. With a PTZ security camera, the camera operator can pan, tilt or zoom the camera for a closer look or to follow a subject. With software, a PTZ camera can also be programmed to sweep an area in a preset or random pattern, lessening the need for a full-time human operator.

Outdoor PTZ Cameras

Although PTZ cameras can be used indoors, they're even more effective outdoors. An outdoor pan-tilt-zoom camera, however, has a few needs its indoor relative does not. First, it must be housed in a weather-protective housing. It may need to be wireless if it's in a remote location. In addition, protection from the criminal element is necessary, so dome cameras (where the camera is hidden behind a protective dome), have come into use as well. Regardless of its many forms, an outdoor PTZ camera can save money and add to security in the long run.

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