While it is true that a PTZ camera has the advantage of being able to pan, tilt and zoom and can thus maneuver itself to focus in on particular targets, the fact of the matter is that these cameras generally cost more.

Not only does that increased cost apply to the cost of purchasing the camera, but the cost of installation is also generally higher because it requires an interface that allows the user to manipulate its movement.

Although the technology used in these cameras is ever improving, the fact of the matter is that a PTZ camera is still best when operated manually. After all – you’re going to need security personnel to be monitoring the video feeds anyway, and so providing that person with the ability to use the pan, tilt, and zoom functions to focus on any suspicious activity is the main advantage of this type of camera.

One of the common misconceptions that people have about pan, tilt and zoom cameras is that they assume that just because it has the ability to cover a wider area that means that they needn’t install additional cameras to cover those views.

The reason why this is a mistake is the fact that despite a PTZ camera’s ability to move around and scan over a wider vision area, it still can only point at a single place at a single time. So what if while it is pointing in one direction an intruder is passing by the opposite direction?

More often than not the assumption that PTZ cameras will allow you to install less cameras than if you opted for fixed cameras can lead to gaping holes in your security. When you factor in the additional cost of such cameras as well, you may very well find that your security would be tighter if you purchased more fixed cameras for the same cost as it took to purchase a few PTZ cameras.

All said and done, your choice of the type of camera that you install should be based on your needs. Bear in mind that just because a camera has additional capabilities it does not necessarily mean that it is the best option – and you should evaluate how all the cameras you’re installing link up to provide a good coverage of access points into the building that you’re attempting to secure.

Protecting Access Points

One of the first things that you need to take under consideration is what sort of area you’re trying to monitor with your security cameras and where the access points to that area are.

For example if you’re protecting an office building with just a single main door then obviously your primary access point will be that door. Of course, if it is a ground office and there are several windows located on each side then those windows are access points as well.

Ideally your security cameras should cover those access points so that you can see if intruders are trying to enter via those locations. In most cases a PTZ camera is not needed for such purposes since the camera that you’re using will be pointing at the area surrounding the access point only and will not need to maneuver. The only reason why you might want to consider a PTZ camera is if you want to allow for the option of moving the camera if anything suspicious is spotted.

It is of the utmost importance to make sure that your cameras are positioned to provide a clear view of the access point. Sometimes multiple views of important access points may be used just so that even if one camera can’t provide a clear view of the intruder and their features then another may be able to.

Scanning Areas of Potential Interest

Another method of positioning security cameras is to set them to scan areas of potential interest, such as the exterior or interior of a building. Generally PTZ cameras are used for this purpose since they can pan and tilt.

Needless to say the weakness of ‘scanning’ areas with a camera is that when it is pointing in one direction then it is not observing what is going on in the other, which is why it is not used for access points but rather used to observe a general area. Alternatively if you want to be thorough then multiple cameras set to scan with overlapping fields of vision could be positioned.

As you can see, the positioning of fixed and PTZ cameras is a lot more involved than you probably imagined, and if you want to secure a location and make sure that it is monitored from all angles then you have a lot of work ahead of you. That being said, from what you know about protecting access points and scanning areas of potential interest you should be able to position a few cameras and know that you’re going to be reasonably well protected.

As you should already know, PTZ cameras are security cameras that have the ability to pan, tilt, and zoom. There are many different types of these cameras, but they all need to have those core functions. Because they are able to pan, tilt, and zoom, these cameras can cover a wide range of vision and possibly focus on specific targets if it is desired.

On the other hand, IP cameras are security cameras that transmit their images digitally over a network. The exact manner in which this is accomplished varies nowadays, which is why you have some IP cameras that use Ethernet cables to connect them to the network (and possibly even draw power from those cables) while others are wireless.

Also it is worth noting that some IP cameras are connected to a server that makes their images accessible over the internet.

As you can well imagine, a PTZ IP camera is a camera that has both of these capabilities, i.e. the ability to pan, tilt, and zoom, as well as transmit its images digitally over a network.

The advantage of using an IP camera is simple: Where analog signals can deteriorate when transmitted over long distances – the quality of digital transmissions remain the same no matter what distance they are transmitted over.

Also, digitally transmitted images are easier to store and retrieve as they can be saved into files that are viewable on PCs and stored in hard drives, flash drives or other conventional mediums. Analog signals on the other hand need to be stored in specific storage devices such as video tapes and sometimes DVDs – but the equipment needed to do so is often prohibitive.

Because most homes nowadays have wireless networks, integrating PTZ IP cameras into existing networks is easy, and so installation becomes much simpler. Of course, in the interest of security you might want to set up an independent network – but even that isn’t too hard to do and the equipment required is relatively cheap.

In short, these cameras provide for a flexible, easy, and high quality solution that has very few drawbacks. Nowadays, they are become more and more widely used – and newer versions have various additional features that are slowly catching on, such as ‘roam’ modes, and so on.

Now that you know what a PTZ IP camera is, it should be easy enough for you to determine whether or not you want to install one, or opt for one of the more conventional analog cameras instead.

To cut a long story short, the acronym stands for Pan, Tilt and Zoom – and any camera that can perform all 3 of these tasks is technically a PTZ camera. If however it can pan and tilt but not zoom, or zoom and pan but not tilt, then it isn’t one.

Many people may be confused by the terms ‘pan’ and ‘tilt’ however, and the easiest way to understand them is this:

• Panning refers to moving horizontally (i.e. side to side)
• Tilting refers to moving vertically (i.e. up and down)

Effectively this sort of camera should have an entire hemisphere of vision (being only blocked by the ceiling), and can point itself at any location within that hemisphere. Furthermore, it can zoom in and out to focus on particular targets within that field of vision.

Traditional security cameras of the past did not have these functions. Matter of fact, most tended to be fixed cameras, and some could pan slightly to the right and left. Nowadays there are ‘PT heads’ that can be used to allow these cameras to pan and tilt, but they still aren’t going to be able to zoom unless the camera itself is changed.

One of the most common and iconic types of PTZ cameras has got to be the ‘dome’ cameras that you will probably see in banks, casinos, and other places where security is tight. These cameras can pan, tilt, and zoom – but they are not ‘domed’ for that reason. Instead, the dome provides them with a larger field of vision, which is not going to be strictly true of all other PTZ cameras.

Although cameras of this type can move to point at any target within their field of vision, it should be noted that for a complete security system to be effective it cannot rely on blind chance that the camera is going to be pointing in the right direction at the right time. That is why a single camera cannot be expected to ‘watch’ an entire hemisphere, and more than one camera may be needed to do so.

The advantage of these cameras being able to pan, tilt, and zoom however lies in the fact that if something of interest is spotted then these cameras can track and focus on it.

Think you have a solid grasp of what PTZ cameras are and how they work? Installing a few of these at the right locations in your home or office could really help with the security of the building and ensure that you’re better protected.

Image and Zoom Quality

One of the main areas that has seen a lot of improvement in recent times is in the quality of the image provided by the camera. Nowadays HD video recording and other technologies are readily available, though for storage purposes it is unlikely that any security camera will be set to record at such high quality.

Still, higher resolutions have become more of a norm today and that results in clearer video images.

On top of that, this clarity means that higher levels of zoom can be achieved without the image becoming blurry. Being able to zoom in to many times the original image size while still retaining clarity is one of the most useful advancements that has been made in recent times, and it increases the range and effectiveness of PTZ cameras overall.

Tracking Technology

Another area of technology that is being implemented into this type of security camera is the ability to track targets. Because they can pan and tilt to cover a wide field of vision, PTZ cameras nowadays can be programmed to ‘track’ targets and move to match them as they travel across that field of vision.

This actually uses various combinations of technology. Some cameras may be set to track objects in motion – which is useful when there is meant to be no movement as it means anything moving will instantly be focused on and tracked.

On the other hand, other cameras nowadays use facial recognition technology to focus on faces and track them the minute they cross the field of vision. Although facial recognition technology isn’t perfect, it is still a fairly useful addition as it ensures that random motion won’t end up being tracked.

In general, these are the two areas that have been undergoing heavy improvement in recent times. There are other areas that have shown some improvement as well, such as the speed at which these cameras can pan and tilt.

As time goes by it is reasonable to assume that the technology going into these types of cameras will improve them further. Considering the fact that security is an area that companies and individuals invest heavily in, there will always be a demand for better solutions as to how to secure a premises from intruders, and PTZ cameras are set to feature prominently considering their wide field of vision and ability to track and focus on targets.

An automatic system would mean that the software controls the cameras automatically, and uses motion tracking and facial recognition technology to identify targets and then track their motion. However this technology is far from perfect, which is why many people feel that manual systems where an actual person is present monitoring the video feeds is still preferable.

Furthermore it is also worth noting that although an automatic system can be programmed to trigger an alarm there is little else it can do. Because the technology isn’t perfect, this could mean that you have a lot of false alarms being set off – which could end up causing more work.

On the flipside, with someone present actually making the right call and investigating suspicious activity there should be very few or no false alarms.

How do Manual PTZ Camera Systems Work

Most manual PTZ camera systems consist of multiple cameras that are set to monitor a certain area. Some may have a small degree of automatic motion, i.e. they may be set to pan a couple of degrees over a set period of time.

The reason why it is known as a manual system however is because most of the movement will be controlled by security personnel who are monitoring the video feeds. When anything suspicious is noted, the personnel can focus in on it by zooming, panning and tilting using a joystick or some other control interface.

Some of the more modern systems may even use ‘point and click’ systems that use a mouse.

Unfortunately the downside of these systems is that the person monitoring them needs to be alert – otherwise potential threats may go unnoticed. For systems with multiple video feeds this is even more likely to happen as the security personnel may be looking at Camera 1 while someone crosses through Camera 8, or something like that.

Semi-Automatic Solutions

One way to overcome the weakness in manual systems is to use semi-automatic solutions. By using the technology in automatic systems (i.e. face and motion detection), it is possible for these systems to trigger an internal alarm when something is detected and the security personnel will then be alerted to focus on it and determine whether or not it is a threat.

In this way, the weaknesses of both manual and automatic security systems can be overcome.

As you can see, there are some marked differences between manual and automatic PTZ camera systems, and both do have their weak points. However, with the combination of the two a high level of security can be attained that really does solve most of the common issues.