This document provides information on IP security camera techniques for video surveillance. It discusses choosing the right cameras by looking at camera types (IP vs analog, indoor vs outdoor), sensors, resolutions, and lenses. It also covers determining camera settings such as frame rates, compression, and light sensitivity. The goals are to help select cameras and settings that meet surveillance needs. It includes poll questions to gauge attendee knowledge.

1. IP Security Camera Techniques
For Video Surveillance

2. Today’s
Moderator
David Martin
Physical Security
Technical Specialist
LENSEC

3. Webinar
Sponsor
Based in Houston, TX
Since 1998
IP Video Management
System Design
Installation
Project Management
LENSEC is committed to empowering our clients and partners to prevent or mitigate physical
security risks. We want to help protect people and assets as well as improve operations through
our evolutionary and intuitive technology. We can do this by providing expertise in security and
software development.
Our Mission

4. Webinar
Logistics
Q&A at the end
Questions for the panelist
Audio from attendees muted
Poll questions
Survey

5. Keith Harris
Marketing Manager
LENSEC
Today’s
Panelist
Degree in Broadcasting & Photojournalism
27 Years Working in Photography & Video Production
6 Years in Physical Security Market
Expertise in Training Law Enforcement Investigators in
Video Surveillance Techniques

6. Training
Goal
IP Security Camera Techniques
for Video Surveillance
Our goals are …
Choosing the Right Cameras
Determining Camera Settings
Selecting the Right Lens

7. Camera Types
IP Cameras
Analog Cameras
Choosing The Right Cameras

8. Poll
Question
Poll Question #1
Do you know the difference between
NTSC and PAL?
#1

9. Camera Types
NTSC (National Television Standard Committee)
North America & Other Countries
30 Frames per Second
Video frame: 525 Scan Lines
Caps Resolution at 720X480
PAL (Phase Alternating Line)
Europe & parts of Asia
25 Frames per Second
Video Frame: 625 Scan Lines
Caps Resolution at 720X576
SECAM (Sequential Couleur Avec Memoire)
Choosing The Right Cameras

10. Camera Types
Analog vs. IP
Coaxial vs. Ethernet
Choosing The Right Cameras

11. Choosing The Right Cameras
Camera Types
IP Cameras
Ethernet Cable
PoE – Power over Ethernet

12. Camera Types
Advanced Features
Edge Storage
Corridor View
Choosing The Right Cameras
SD / SDHC Card Slot

13. Choosing The Right Cameras
Camera Types
Advanced Features
360° & Quad Camera Views
180° Panoramic View

14. Camera Types
Indoor/Outdoor
Camera Enclosure
Heater / Blower
Power
Choosing The Right Cameras
Box Camera
Dome
Camera

15. Choosing The Right Cameras
Camera Types
IP Rating
Ingress Protection

16. Choosing The Right Cameras
Camera Types
Body Style
CS Mount Box Cameras
Bullet Cameras
Dome Cameras
PTZ Cameras

17. Poll
Question
Poll Question #2
What is helpful in order to capture a
useable license plate image?
#1

18. Choosing The Right Cameras
Camera Types
Alternative Camera Choices
License Plate Cameras
Covert Cameras
Thermal Cameras
Audio Enabled Cameras

19. Choosing The Right Cameras
Camera Sensors
CCD – Charge Coupled Device
CMOS – Complementary Metal-Oxide
Semiconductor

20. Choosing The Right Cameras
Camera Sensors
Image Scanning
Interlaced Scanning
Progressive Scanning

21. Choosing The Right Cameras
Wide Dynamic Range
Camera Sensors
Image Processing
Backlight Compensation (BLC)
Exposure Zones
Wide Dynamic Range (WDR)

22. Choosing The Right Cameras
Camera Sensors
Image Processing
Digital Noise Reduction (DNR)

23. Choosing The Right Cameras
Megapixel Resolution

24. Choosing The Right Cameras
Megapixel Resolution

25. Analog Resolutions
Megapixel Resolutions

26. 720x480

27. Choosing The Right Cameras
ROWS
P
1080p
2160p
COLUMNS
K
2k
4k
TOTAL AREA
MP
2.1 MP
8.3 MP
4K Resolution
Columns - 4K
Rows - 2106P
Total - 8.3 MP
4K Resolution
Naming Convention

28. Choosing The Right Cameras
4K Resolution
1080p Size Doubled

29. Determining Cameras Settings
Light Sensitivity
Lux – Luminous Flux
Color Camera
B&W Camera
Day/Night Camera

30. Night ModeDay Mode
Determining Cameras Settings
White Light
Use It Whenever Possible
Add It When Necessary & Where Needed

31. Determining Cameras Settings
Infrared Light
Slightly Visible: 880 nm
Invisible: 940 nm

32. Considering Your Lighting Conditions
Night Mode Enhanced Light in Day Mode
Advanced Technology
Enhanced Low Light Technology

33. Determining Cameras Settings
Gain
Automatic Gain Control
(AGC)
Shutter
Digital Slow Shutter (DSS)
Sense-Up

34. Frames Per Second (FPS)
5 fps – jerky
10 fps – less jerky
15 fps – relatively
smooth, industry default
30 fps – very smooth
Determining Cameras Settings

35. Video Compression
Formats
M-JPEG
MPEG-4
H.264
CODECS
Bitrate
Determining Cameras Settings
Video Compression – MPEG4 & H.264
Image Compression – Motion JPEG

36. Selecting the Right Lens
Focal Length

37. Selecting the Right Lens
Focal Length – 12MM at 100’

38. Selecting the Right Lens
Focal Length – 60mm at 100’

39. Selecting the Right Lens
Lens Elements

40. Selecting the Right Lens
Iris Control
Manual Iris
Auto-Iris

41. Selecting the Right Lens
Day/Night Camera – Aspherical Lens

42. Poll
Question
Poll Question #3
How does f-stop affect an image?
#1

43. Selecting the Right Lens
F-Stop
In optics, the f-number (sometimes called focal ratio, f-ratio, f-stop, or relative
aperture) of an optical system is the ratio of the lens’s focal length to the diameter
of the entrance pupil. It is a dimensionless number that is a quantitative measure of
lens speed, an important concept in photography. (source Wikipedia)

44. Selecting the Right Lens
Low F-Stop
High F-Stop
=
=
Low Yield
High Yield

45. Selecting the Right Lens
Zoom
Field of View (FOV)
http://www.lensec.com/tutorial/calculator.html

46. Learning Proper Power Techniques
Volts & Amps
Volt - The rate at which energy is drawn from a
source that produces a flow of electricity in a
circuit.
Amp -A unit of electric current. One ampere
corresponds to a certain number of electrons
passing a fixed point each second.
Volts & Amps
120 volts AC (power outlet)
24 volts AC (wall transformer)
12 volts DC (wall transformer or battery)
Amps (power draw)

47. Recording
How Much Is Enough?
1GB per hour (analog)
Security DVR Storage Calculator
Bandwidth Calculator
http://www.lensec.com/tutorial/calculator.html

48. Questions
Q&A

49. Contacts
Keith Harris
LENSEC
(512) 913-3907
kharris@lensec.com
David Martin
LENSEC
(512) 318-3829
dmartin@lensec.com

50. Thanks for Attending
Today’s Webinar

51. SIS6 - Camera Techniques for Video Surveillance
• Choosing the Right Cameras
• Determining Camera Settings
• Selecting the Right Lens
• Placing Cameras Properly
Poll Questions
1) Do you know the difference between NTSC and PAL?
a. NTSC is a video format & PAL is a power format.
b. They are interchangeable.
c. NTSC is a video standard developed in the US & PAL is a video standard developed
overseas.
d. I have no idea.
2) What is helpful in order to capture a useable license plate image?
a. Illuminating the plate at a correct angle to avoid glare.
b. Zooming to a 10 ft horizontal field of view.
c. Use a camera designed stop action at vehicle speed.
d. All the above.
3) How does f-stop affect an image?
a. It tells the recording when to stop.
b. It indicates how many frames of video fill 1 second.
c. It tells how much light will pass through the lens aperture.
Questions & Answers
Questions & Answers
How do you run a power budget on a PoE switch or camera power supply?
When you are running a power budget, you need two numbers.
How much power is available?
The PoE switch will have a certain rating for the amount of power it will supply to connected
equipment.
How much power do your connected devices draw from the switch?
Each camera will have a power draw that they require.
This number may vary from time to time, meaning the camera may draw a little under one
scenario and a lot under another.
You want to plan for a conservative figure.
So, when you are calculating, use the largest power draw the device will need.

52. You will total the power draw of all the connected devices to determine the overall power
draw.
Compare the two numbers and make sure your overall power draw from connected
equipment is lower than the power output of the PoE switch.
What is an IR cut filter?
True day/night cameras change modes using a mechanical Cut Filter.
This is a filter that will moves between the camera lens and the image sensor.
A photo sensor that measures light levels will indicate when the cut filter should activate.
During daylight hours, the filter is in place.
This blocks infrared light and only allows visible light to reach the image sensor.
When light levels drop at dusk, the filter is removed changing the camera from day mode to
night mode.
Infrared light can now reach the image sensor.
And, the camera switches to black and white mode which is more sensitive to infrared light.
A camera using an IR cut filter is considered a True Day/Night Camera.
Today a lot of cameras use digital day/night instead of a mechanical cut filter.
This means when the light level changes above or below a preset lighting threshold, the
firmware the camera directs the camera to change modes digitally.
Is it overkill to use an outdoor camera in an indoor camera position?
-Not always. Sometimes you just don’t need that much camera.
But outdoor cameras are often more advanced and provide you better options for a scene
whether it’s indoors or outdoors.
An example would be vandal and impact protection – you could easily see how these may
be valuable indoors in places with public access.
Those features are usually available on outdoor cameras.
Why would an IP camera have a BNC connection on it?
-Some IP cameras use the analog BNC connection for spot monitors to make it easier to setup
the camera during installation. Another use would be connecting a public view monitor or
nearby guard station monitor.
The IP data signal would still be transmitted by the network to the server in these cases.
I have an Infrared Illuminator on a camera. It doesn’t reach the specified range. Why is that?
-Most of the time, the useful range of infrared illuminators is less distance than may be
specified in the devices documents.
The specs often include the maximum detectable range.
The useable range may fall significantly short for your needs.
It’s better to buy a longer range illuminator than you think you might need.
Is it better to have a proprietary video compression or an open format?
-That depends on your uses of the video once it is extracted.
Some law enforcement prefer a proprietary format because it ensures the video hasn’t been
tampered with.

53. In these cases, the VMS usually provides a way to convert the video to an open format.
Most people prefer the open format because it ensures the ability to play the video anywhere
for the foreseeable future.
I’ve heard some fields of view referred to by degrees, such as a 25° FOV. You didn’t cover that,
why?
-Most people that use that terminology are estimating the degree based on the angle from
the camera position.
I find this to be subjective and hard to explain to others if needed.
If you determine the horizontal by vertical area of the target area and calculate the distance
(even if it’s approximate), the measurement you get from the FOV calculator will be more
helpful to decide which lens focal length you need for that camera position.
What kind of problems will you see if the voltage drops too low for the camera?
-The most notable problem you’ll see will be in a camera that has infrared installed.
The camera may operate fine during the day, but you may notice the camera doesn’t have
enough power at night when the IR lights turn on.
The IR may not reach an appropriate range, or the IR may not kick on at all.
Other cameras may give an intermittent or poor quality picture.
Over time, the camera may stop working altogether.
What is the best way to determine MP/ lens when you need both wide overall view, but also be
able to digitally or optically zoom in close in high resolution?
-There are varying levels of quality.
You may determine in some areas that you only need general video.
You just need to see movement.
You may not need to see extreme detail covering a forensic level of quality.
For example, in a police interview room you may want to capture a scar on somebody’s face
or a tattoo on their arm.
A Megapixel camera in a higher rating would help there.
You may only need to use a 1.3 or 2 MP camera for this scenario.
But, if you are trying to capture that high level of detail outside in a parking lot, you may need
a very high megapixel camera to capture that kind of detail covering a wide area.
The same level of detail may require a 5 MP or 10MP camera.
Another important thing to consider is a Megapixel lens.
If you have a high grade MP camera and put a standard lens on it, you are limiting the MP
ability of the camera.
The image is only as good as the quality of glass that the light passes through.
If you are using a 3 MP camera, make sure your lens is also rated for up to 3 MP quality.
Otherwise, you are limiting your resolution that the camera can capture.
I’m including a Pixels Per Foot attachment that helps to detail the MP camera rating need for
certain levels of image detail (General, Forensic, High detail).