Brand A selling for @ £79.95
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Brand B sold by us for @ £99.00
 |
So which one are you going to choose? The first thing you need to realise, is that camera cases are sourced separately from the internal circuits, lenses etc. Also many cheap camera models say SONY CCD, as if to imply that the whole camera is made by Sony. Not true, if there is no Sony brand logo on the casing. ( fitting a V8 engine into a family car does not give Formula One performance.!)
We can supply genuine Sony cameras, (or many other international brands), from approved UK distributors. They are a little dearer, but are clearly marked as Sony, and have an engineering pedigree and reputation to match.
There are also several pedigree manufacturers who use the latest Sony modules, under licence, in their equipment. eg: Videoswitch, COP CCTV (nothing to do with the police!) Computar to name a few.
THE BASICS
1) Resolution: A decent resolution camera is now around 500 lines or more. Cameras can be sold with as little as 330 or 420 lines. 420 line cameras can still be satisfactory, in the right place. 480 line cameras are acceptably decent.
2) Lens: A professional photographer will spend a lot of money on these- hundreds or even thousands of pounds. Cheap, unbranded, CCTV lenses are poor performers. We use branded lenses even on our 'all-in-one units' The difference is very noticeable especially in extremes of strong sunlight or night conditions.
3) Infra-Red lighting: The 'built-in-the-camera type don't really do it that well. The range is poor, and long term performance is poor (often only a year or two before failures)
4) Low Light Performance: Following on from 3) You will do better to choose a camera with inherently better 'low light' performance. You will pay more to start with, but you should expect a much longer lifespan. We have models that work in almost zero light conditions with little or no lighting!
THE MORE SERIOUS
1) A quality camera need more than just 'High Resolution' The CCD needs to be matched to the processor for optimal colour rendition. We often see a SONY CCD matched to a different manufacturer's Processor. If done badly, it results in pale colours, poor realism and lack of contrast (On paper this is not described, as it only shows the (Sony) CCD specification!). This is to achieve a competitive price!
2) Lenses, especially on outdoor cameras need motorised IRISES on the optics and GLASS elements (NOT PLASTIC!!)
Cheap cameras try to use crude techniques (electronic shuttering) to try to cut the light down going into the camera. This often manifests itself as bright vertical streaks on images in strong sunlight. This is not so great a problem indoors.
We can supply genuine Sony cameras, (or many other international brands), from approved UK distributors. They are a little dearer, but are clearly marked as Sony, and have an engineering pedigree and reputation to match.
There are also several pedigree manufacturers who use the latest Sony modules, under licence, in their equipment. eg: Videoswitch, COP CCTV (nothing to do with the police!) Computar to name a few.
THE BASICS
1) Resolution: A decent resolution camera is now around 500 lines or more. Cameras can be sold with as little as 330 or 420 lines. 420 line cameras can still be satisfactory, in the right place. 480 line cameras are acceptably decent.
2) Lens: A professional photographer will spend a lot of money on these- hundreds or even thousands of pounds. Cheap, unbranded, CCTV lenses are poor performers. We use branded lenses even on our 'all-in-one units' The difference is very noticeable especially in extremes of strong sunlight or night conditions.
3) Infra-Red lighting: The 'built-in-the-camera type don't really do it that well. The range is poor, and long term performance is poor (often only a year or two before failures)
4) Low Light Performance: Following on from 3) You will do better to choose a camera with inherently better 'low light' performance. You will pay more to start with, but you should expect a much longer lifespan. We have models that work in almost zero light conditions with little or no lighting!
THE MORE SERIOUS
1) A quality camera need more than just 'High Resolution' The CCD needs to be matched to the processor for optimal colour rendition. We often see a SONY CCD matched to a different manufacturer's Processor. If done badly, it results in pale colours, poor realism and lack of contrast (On paper this is not described, as it only shows the (Sony) CCD specification!). This is to achieve a competitive price!
2) Lenses, especially on outdoor cameras need motorised IRISES on the optics and GLASS elements (NOT PLASTIC!!)
Cheap cameras try to use crude techniques (electronic shuttering) to try to cut the light down going into the camera. This often manifests itself as bright vertical streaks on images in strong sunlight. This is not so great a problem indoors.
