IP Camera

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Why choose IP Cameras?
How does an IP Camera work?
Choosing the right IP Camera
Top IP Camera products

The IP Camera Difference: HD, POE, Networked

An IP camera, or Internet Protocol camera, is a digital video camera that operates via an IP network. IP cameras are digital and connect via Cat5 (Networking) Cable. Our IP Cameras can shoot in HD at 1080p, 4MP, and 4K.

Explore IP Camera Range

Why choose an IP Camera?

Better Resolution

1080P to 4K

The main selling point of IP cameras is the increased resolution. HD quality recording makes identifying faces and license plates much easier than standard definition.

Although IP cameras are slightly more expensive than outdated analog cameras, HD recording means that you don't need to purchase as many cameras to properly secure an area. You can record at a wider angle and still get footage that can identify suspects and be used in court.

Easy to use

One cable set up

With our line of Admiral and Admiral Pro POE (power over ethernet) NVRs and our SCW IP Cameras, you'll have no trouble installing and configuring the cameras.

Simply plug the single Cat5 cable into the NVR's POE ports, and the NVR will set up, manage, and power the Admiral line cameras for you. POE means that you run one cable and you're done!

Video Analytics

Line-crossing, face, and intrusion detection

Video analytics is a series of technologies that automatically analyzes video to detect and determine events not based on a single image but upon the changes in the video stream.

Even our most basic cameras have video content analysis including Line-Crossing, Intrusion Detection, and Face Detection that can switch on recording or trigger Snapshot. The Snapshot feature can either automatically upload images to your FTP server or send those same images to you as an Email Alert. PC, Mac, Android, and iOS software is also included free.

Choosing the Right IP Camera How does an IP Camera Work?

Choosing the right IP Camera for you

Resolution Lens Type Body Shape

Choosing the Right Resolution: Resolution Matters Most

Resolution is going to have the most impact on how far you can identify a face, the most quality bang for your buck, and you won't have to sacrifice a wide-angle view to be able to identify someone at distance.

Choosing the Right IP Camera Lens Type: Fixed, Vari-focal, and PTZ

IP cameras come with one of three lens types and this is how our product lines are differentiated. Fixed lens cameras have a focal point and angle of view that are not able to be modified.

A Varifocal Zoom Lens can Help You Zoom In on Long Distance Targets

If you need to recognize a face at a further distance than a fixed wide angle camera allows, you can get more distance by going with a camera with a optical zoom lens.

The second line of images in this example are from our motorized varifocal zoom series.

Varifocal zoom cameras have lenses that allow you to optically adjust (manually or by motor) the viewing angle and focus of a camera. The most common form of vari-focal is wide angle 2.8mm to telephoto 12mm. The terms sound complicated, but you've actually done this a ton of times already. Every time you twist the lens of a DSLR camera or push the zoom button on a digital camera, you are changing the focal length and viewing angle. In photography, we call this "zooming," but in surveillance we call these types of cameras "varifocal."

Both vari-focal and Pan Tilt Zoom (PTZ) Cameras have the ability for you to choose your viewing angle and level of zoom, but PTZ cameras are more expensive and can Pan and Tilt as well as Zoom (that's where we get PTZ). PTZ can be controlled remotely via a joystick. The viewing angle and level of zoom for a vari-focal camera must be changed in person.

Choosing the Camera Body Shape: Dome and Bullets

For the vast majority of our camera models, the only difference between a dome camera and a bullet camera is the body style. You can usually find bullet and dome cameras that have identical specs - although some specialty cameras only come in one shape style.

Bullet or turret dome cameras are easier to install in almost all circumstances. In many situations, glass dome cameras require you to drill upwards to mount them (as they are most often mounted to the ceiling/soffit). You also don't have to remove the glass dome to mount a bullet or turret camera, which means you don't ever expose them to humidity, risk getting your fingerprints on the inside of the lens, or forget to fully tighten the glass dome back on again.

Unless you're facing a lot of vandalism and you want a protective glass dome, a bullet or turret camera is the way to go.

How does an IP Camera work?

Cat5 Cable

IP cameras are digital, network cameras.

Cat5 Cable, as shown in the image to the left, is the cable used in creating computer networks. With an IP camera system, this one wire caries both your video data and your power. The power is added by the NVR (if you made a home run and are using our Networker Pro POE models, which has built-in POE ports) or you can use a POE injector or POE switch to power your cameras at convenient locations.

Megapixel Resolution in High Definition

Because IP cameras are digital cameras you measure their resolution in megapixels rather than TV Lines. TV Lines is the measurement of old 1980's-TV quality cameras.

Our IP cameras come in four resolution options: 2.0MP which shoots at 1080P, 4.0 MP (which is 2x 1080P), and 4K (which is 4x 1080P).

You record an IP camera with a NVR. Some NVRs on the market are really terrible (and can't record even 1080P HD footage on every channel), but all of ours can record at least 4K at 30 FPS without any framerate or camera limitations.