Dome security cameras are perhaps the most recognizable types of security cameras in use today. You see them as a standard fixture in department stores and many other retail businesses.

These gray domes hang from the ceilings as a very visible reminder to shoppers that they are being watched. The domes conceal the cameras inside, making it virtually impossible for shoppers to detect where the cameras are currently pointed as they tilt and pan to scan their surroundings according to a preprogrammed pattern. And the vandal-proof domes make them almost impossible to disable.

Their appeal is in their ability to be both highly visible as a deterrent to theft, yet covert enough to make it extremely difficult for someone to defeat them.

Picture quality is excellent despite the dome that conceals the camera. Built-in image enhancement technology negates the effect of the plastic. There is much more to dome cameras, though, than just the familiar department store models.

D-Link DCS-70 INET CAMERA DOME OUTDOOR ENCLO D-Link DCS-70 INET CAMERA DOME OUTDOOR ENCLO

Popular for use outdoors

Although most people associate dome cameras with stores indoors, their top-mounting setup makes them a good fit for mounting under eaves or on light poles outdoors, too. From there, they provide the same discrete, yet noticeable surveillance ability.

You can even get dome cameras with infrared capability. This gives you clear and distinct video output of outdoors areas even in total darkness.

If you plan to get a dome camera with infrared capability, though, you might consider getting one with a partially enclosed dome instead of a fully enclosed dome. In a partially enclosed dome, a slit in the dome moves with the lens to ensure that the lens always has a view unobstructed by the dome.

Having this slit negates some of the covert scanning ability of a dome camera. Viewers can see where the lens is pointed through the opening. It ensures, however, that the infrared illuminators positioned around the lens will not reflect off the inside of the dome.

Some buyers of fully enclosed infrared dome security cameras have been disappointed with picture quality when their camera is in infrared mode. Infrared illuminators can create a glare that reflects back off the inside of the plastic dome and interferes with the picture.

Available in a variety of sizes

You can get dome cameras in whatever size fits your need. You’re not limited to the large, department store sizes. You can obtain covert dome security cameras even less than 2 inches in diameter if your want your dome camera to be virtually undetectable.

Ultimately, dome cameras have many more options than you might otherwise think. As always when shopping for surveillance equipment, make sure you are clear on your needs before you start shopping. It’s much easier to find something that fits what you know you need than it is to force a poorly thought out purchase to fit a situation for which it wasn’t designed.
 

Choosing the Right Dome Security Cameras for Your Needs is a post from: Security Camera Review