Using CCTV to protect Parked cars, vans & lorries

A lot of people who buy CCTV cameras and systems from us do so to protect their vehicle when it is parked at their home either overnight or during the day. There are a few things to consider if you are thinking of using CCTV to protect parked vehicles either at home or in the workplace.

Try to zoom in as much as you can on the vehicle. As you will know from elsewhere on the site we are big fans of varifocal or zoom lens cameras because they allow you to zoom in or out during installation. The more you zoom in the more detail you capture. In most cases, people fit a wide-angle camera thinking it will cover the whole of their driveway. The problem is as you move away from the camera you quickly lose detail to the point where the images are useless if an incident takes place.

Vehicles are quite large objects, particularly commercial vehicles such as vans and you can't see through them. This means someone on the far side of the vehicle from the camera will be shielded from view. Consider using 2 cameras, one on either side.

In terms of which type of CCTV camera to use you have a number of options.

Traditional Vandal dome CCTV camera

These offer the most protection in vulnerable areas but there are some downsides. They are a bit little tricky to position once installed particularly if wall-mounted and the infrared illumination is less powerful than some other styles because the I/R LEDs are located behind a clear dome cover. They also suffer more from an internal reflection of the infrared light and light pollution from sources to one side of the camera.

Open-Faced Vandal dome CCTV camera

These cameras offer most of the protection of a Traditional Vandal dome camera, they have a tough metal body, they can not easily be moved, infrared performance is good and they are easy to install.  They can be fitted to a wall or overhead surface. Open-faced vandal dome cameras can be mounted low down, under the guttering of a single-story garage for instance. The only downside is you are limited in terms of how powerful the lens can be. Fitting HD 1080P high definition equipment extends the effective range.

Normal day & night CCTV cameras

These are the cameras you immediately think of when picturing a CCTV camera. Fitting is simple, particularly our premium body day - night CCTV cameras which can be mounted to any angle surface. Like the open-faced vandal dome cameras, infrared illumination is very efficient. The disadvantage of an open-faced vandal dome camera is its position can be altered relatively easily so they need to be mounted out of reach. The big advantage is they come with a wider range of lenses particularly if the subject you are trying to film is some distance away. Our B8 6-60mm camera has an effective optical range of up to 50 metres.

Feel free to call us during office hours and we can talk through your requirements whilst looking at your property on an internet mapping system. This will allow us to recommend specific equipment to suit your particular needs.