Max. memory card size
The largest capacity of a memory card with which a video surveillance camera can work correctly.
High-capacity drives require fairly high processing power and may use special technologies that are not supported by all cameras. This is the reason for the limitation on the volume of supported media.
Illumination range
Operating range of the backlight (see "Design and capabilities") installed in the surveillance camera. This term usually means the maximum distance from the camera to the observed object, at which it is able to provide a relatively high-quality and legible image in the complete absence of other light sources. Of course, the actual backlight range may differ from the claimed one, and these differences are most often in the direction of increase (for example, due to the presence of the same additional light sources). However, if the possibility of shooting with backlight is important for you, you should focus on the claimed range.
Smart home system integration
Smart home systems that the camera is compatible with.
The general principle of all such systems is to combine various home electronics and household electrical appliances into a single complex so that all these devices can interact with each other and jointly respond to various events. As for surveillance cameras specifically, their functions in a “smart home” are mainly related to reacting to movement in the frame and broadcasting video. For example, a compatible camera can send a notification to the user’s smartphone when a motion sensor is triggered, or transmit video to a TV integrated into the home network.
Nowadays you can find different smart home platforms, the most popular are Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Amazon Alexa. However, there are other options for branded systems - as a rule, they are sold by manufacturers for their smart home and video surveillance devices. To fully work in a particular system, it is worth using cameras that have expressly stated appropriate compatibility. Also, when purchasing a compatible model, it would not hurt to clarify its specific functionality related to the “smart home”.
Matrix size
The size of the matrix installed in the surveillance camera (diagonally).
In general, larger sensors (with the same resolution and sensor type) are considered more advanced: they get more light, which has a positive effect on image quality (especially in low light). On the other hand, increasing the size affects the cost of the entire device; and in some cases (for example, if the camera is not planned to be used in twilight and darkness), a relatively small sensor may be quite suitable.
As for specific dimensions, the most modest cameras in terms of this indicator have matrices of
1/4 "or less. Models with sensors of
1/3.8" - 1/3" and
1/2.9" - 1/2" are very popular, these values can be called average. And in advanced devices, diagonals and
more than 1/2 "(up to 1/1.7") are found.
Number of megapixels
Camera sensor resolution in megapixels (millions of pixels).
The higher the resolution of the matrix, the higher the video resolution can be (see below), the more detailed the image is capable of providing the camera. At the same time, note that as the number of megapixels increases (without changing the size of the matrix), the size of each individual pixel decreases, which increases the likelihood of noise and deterioration in the overall image quality. Therefore, high resolution in itself is not necessarily a sign of high quality — a lot depends on other things, for example, on the size of the matrix (see above).
As for specific values, in the most modest matrices it does not exceed 1.3 MP, which corresponds to the maximum
HD resolution.
2 MP sensors allow for already Full HD resolution (usually 1920x1080 or 1600x1200),
3 MP,
4 MP,
5 MP and
6 MP are capable of better resolution, but still do not reach
4K, which is typical for 8 MP.
Video resolution
The maximum video resolution that the camera can capture.
The higher the resolution of the video, the more details you can see on it, the less details will be blurry. On the other hand, high resolution means large volumes of video materials, which, accordingly, requires capacious media for their storage and fast communication channels for broadcasting video in real time. Yes, and this indicator significantly affects the cost of the camera.
Horizontal viewing angle
Horizontal viewing angle of the surveillance camera. For models with a variable value, the maximum value is indicated, since it is the width of the image that is important, and when zooming in, the zoom factor is more important than the angle. This paragraph also indicates the general angle of view for models with a circular field of view – in particular, cameras with a fisheye lens (see above)
The wider the viewing angle, the more space the camera captures and at the same time, the smaller the images of individual objects in the frame are obtained. Therefore, when choosing by this parameter, it is worth deciding what is more important – the ability to view a large scene or the visibility of small details in a relatively narrow field of view. Also note that with a wide field of view (100° or more), characteristic distortions can be observed at the edges of the frame, and the wider the angle, the more pronounced they are. This phenomenon can be eliminated by panoramic shooting (see "Design and features"), but this feature, in turn, complicates and increases the cost of the camera.
Material
The main material used in the construction of the camera body.
— Plastic. Inexpensive and at the same time quite practical material. Plastic is light, quite strong (not as strong as metal, but still quite sufficient for most cases), chemically inert (and therefore not susceptible to corrosion and insensitive to moisture), and also has a relatively low thermal conductivity (which provides additional protection for extreme temperature fluctuations). Due to all this, this material is very popular in indoor chambers (see "Usage"). At the same time, it is somewhat less suitable for outdoor work.
— Metal. The main advantage of metal, in comparison with plastic, in the case of surveillance cameras is high strength and reliability. This allows you to use it even for street models that work in difficult conditions and must have a certain anti-vandal resistance (at least not immediately “give up” when trying to break or break). At the same time, such material is much more expensive, and therefore less common.
