Occasionally, people asked us "why should I pay $150. $200. or more for a CCTV surveillance camera when I see some cameras selling for $49.00 even $29.00?"

This is an excellent question; unfortunately, numerous reasons affect the cost of one surveillance camera over another. Some of the major factors are; the type of Lens, Resolution, CCD vs. imaging element rating, B/W vs. color and construction all contribute significantly to the cost and quality of your camera.

We have listed some of the most common components that play a part in the cost and behavior of a CCTV surveillance camera. We have also included how they may affect your decision when selecting a CCTV Surveillance System. Be sure to think about your particular situation.

LENSES

If you look at our CCTV lens page you'll see three pages of diverse lenses ranging from $19.00 to $319.00. The reason for this is quality of the lens, auto focus, and auto Iris and milometer. The best way to explain milometer is if you need to see an entire room, go with a smaller milometer , if you need to see the numbers on a license plate, go with a higher milometer. Other considerations are, .

Vari-Focal Lenses: Manually adjust focal length. Allows wide or narrow view.

Manual Iris Lenses: Use when the light conditions remain constant.

Auto Iris Lenses: Use when light conditions vary.

Your selection depends on how the camera is used, versatility needed and your overall expatiations of the outcome.

RESOLUTION TOP

This is the number of horizontal TV lines. The term "resolution" refers to the amount of detail you see in an image. Cable TV delivers about 300 and VHS tapes have 250. The more horizontal TV lines the sharper the picture. The average CCTV camera is 300 ~ 400 lines. Normally, B&W cameras have a sharper resolution.

ESLI offers a color camera with 470 Lines of resolution.

CCD vs. CMOS

The imaging element is what converts light into electrical images. CCD "Charge Coupled Device"  and CMOS "Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor" are two critical components that act as the camera's "digital film." CMOS is normally used in less expensive cameras. Since the 1970s, CCD is the preferred technology and is normally found in professional cameras. Advantages of each are...

If you require quality, we suggest CCD.

LUX RATING TOP

LUX or light sensitivity is the amount of light from a candle calculated from one meter away. The lower the LUX, the lower the light needed. Most B&W camera have a lower LUX rating then color cameras.

Also, some models come with Infrared Illuminators to help the user see in complete darkness. This is very useful for observing rooms or using outdoors without a light source.

BLACK & WHITE vs. COLOR

This is one of the major factures in cost. Color is a more expensive form of surveillance then B&W, and we all know the advantages of color, but B&W has many advantages as well.

B&W has more lines of resolution, lower light requirement and lower cost. Normally you use a B&W camera with infrared technology, but today you can get what is called a "Day & Night" camera offering the best of both worlds.

CONSTRUCTION TOP

Most professional models (excluding dome cameras for obvious reasons) are made either from aluminum or steel while most "inexpensive" models are made out of plastic. Using plastic cuts down the cost and outdoor plastic cameras has a tendency to fade, crack and will not hold up as well as metal.