If you are looking into a CCTV system or thinking of upgrading your current systems, you may be wondering what the difference is between camera lens sizes and what some of the other camera features can do for you. Typically, the lens size of cameras come in a range of 2.5mm to 100mm. The larger the lens size, means the narrower and more zoomed in the field of view will be. So, for example, a 2.5 mm lens offers quite a wide view, but does not offer the best picture definition. With the same positioning, a 100mm will show a much smaller area, but very clearly.

If you feel like you would need to be able to adjust the field to a very precise angle and point of view, there is also a varifocal lens camera that offers multiple fields of view sizes and focus. For example, there are 2.8-12mm, 6-60mm and 5-100mm vari-focal camera lenses. There are also different picture qualities you can chose from such as the standard analogue, High Definition (HD) and the high-end Internet protocol (IP). Other, more unique, camera types are the 108 Degree Fisheye Lens for an ultra-wide view of an area.

Choosing the type of cameras that you need for your security system can be tricky, but by having a greater understanding of what these camera features offer, will help you to decide which camera lens size and type best suits your needs. The important thing to remember is that the bigger the camera lens size, the smaller and more focused the viewing area will be and if you need varying degrees of focus or a precision view, you may want to look into a vari-focal lens. There is also several qualities of picture that you will receive with different types of cameras. Whilst the bog-standard analogue camera may be less expensive, it may not be affective for the area you need it for.