Explanation of Lens Size in Security Cameras
Security camera lens size determines how wide a field of view a camera will have, as well as the details the camera will pick up. Lens size is critical when determining if a camera will perform as needed.
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Wide Angle
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To cover a large area, the lens needs to have a wide field of view. This would be considered a wide-angle lens. However, a wide-angle lens will not allow you to pick up much detail, such as a license plate number or the details of a person's face.
Telephoto
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A telephoto lens will allow you to see details, but the field of view will be very narrow.
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Millimeters
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Lenses sizes are measured in millimeters (mm). Lower mm lenses are wide angle lenses, and high mm lenses are telephoto lenses.
CCD
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The CCD (charged coupled device) is what allows the camera to pick up an image; it is like the retina of the camera. The size of the CCD must be taken into account when determining the correct lens size.
Calculator
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To understand exactly how lens size affects what a camera will see, you must know the CCD size and use a lens calculator. Roughly estimated, a 2.8 to 4 mm lens is considered wide angle, and 12 mm and higher would be considered a telephoto lens.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit surveillance image by timur1970 from Fotolia.com
