What is a dome security camera?
Everyone has seen dome cameras in businesses and
grocery stores. While they may not be considered the most popular type of
camera available, they are very clearly one of the most interesting, and a
great security addition to your business – especially if theft is a common
security threat.
As implied by the name, Dome cameras have a dome
shape. They are most often black, and usually do not appear to be cameras at
first glance.
Benefits of the Dome Camera Design
There are actually two major benefits to the dome
camera:
·
No one can see where the camera is
pointing.
·
Everyone can see that there is a dome
camera there.
Dome cameras are very easy to see. Often jet black,
the dome camera can easily catch the eye of someone searching a store for
some form of security. They are somewhat large, noticeable even in dim
light, and are the only large, dome shaped item that will ever be found on
the top of a ceiling.
This obviously has some great advantages. Dome
cameras allow intruders to easily see that there is a security camera
available – they are almost always kept in plain view in the middle of a
store or building. This, alone, will help reduce theft, as it serves as an
obvious deterrent for potential robbers.
Yet it also has the additional benefit of being
difficult to avoid. With these dome cameras, the camera itself is nearly
impossible to see with the naked eye. No one can tell which direction the
camera is pointing in order to try to keep from being seen.
One of the problems with bullet and c-mount cameras
is that if you can see which direction the camera is pointing, you can avoid
the view of the camera and, ultimately, avoid getting caught on film. But
with dome cameras, without inside information there is no way to tell which
direction the dome is pointing, so you cannot avoid it. Should someone want
to steal from a store with a dome camera in the center, they would have to
simply be hoping that the camera is not pointing at them at the time.
Disadvantages of Dome Cameras
Due to their size, and the plastic that often
covers the dome, great detail with dome cameras can be difficult. Dome
cameras do come with several large millimeter lens sizes – often ranging to
as high as 22 mm, but seeing detail in great distances is not as easy as
with other cameras. These cameras are also much less useful outdoors, and
may not be a good deterrent to those that do not recognize its purpose.
Still dome cameras continue to act as a great
security tool for businesses – especially businesses that receive a high
amount of traffic. Grocery stores, retail outlets, and often several IT
companies use dome cameras to keep an eye on the surroundings, let those in
the building know that they are being watched, and deter anyone from
breaking any rules within the building.
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