In the days before HD and colour CCTV cameras, selecting the ideal security camera was easy. You bought one, had it installed, connected it to a recording device and that was it.
Sadly, what you got was very often nothing better than a grainy black-and-white picture of an intruder that was almost impossible for anyone to identify.
How many times have you seen “intruder footage” on TV and been totally unable to make out the features of the said intruder?
Read about how CCTV identifies supermarket thieves who watch you enter your pin number and then steal your card!
Technology has improved
Today, technology has moved on and we have much better options available.
For example, you can now have colour CCTV cameras. While they provide better identification – for instance, hair colour, clothing, and the colour of a car, for example – they may not always be the right choice.
Why? It all comes down to what you want to achieve and where you want to achieve it.
Colour CCTV Cameras Provide Better Images
Colour CCTV will give you a much better image. The human eye finds it easier to take in a colour image than a black-and-white one.
For instance, it is easier to remember a person with blonde hair, wearing a yellow sweater and blue jeans than a person with white hair, a slightly darker sweater and grey jeans.
Colour CCTV cameras work best indoors, where there is sufficient light. If you need to cover an outdoor area, particularly in the evening or at night time, then you will get better resolution from a black and white camera. It sounds counterintuitive and you probably don’t want us to go into the technicalities, but it’s a fact.
So, in short, colour CCTV indoors, black and white outside.
The Best Of Both Worlds – Colour AND B&W cameras
Now here is the good news. CCTV manufacturers now produce colour CCTV cameras for outside use that can switch over to black and white automatically when daylight conditions begin to fail.
Not only that, they can return to colour functioning when day breaks and the available light increases.
These cameras are more expensive than plain old black and white ones, but if you want the best of both worlds, now you can have it.
Obviously, what you need depends on what you want to achieve. You might want a camera that can automatically detect movement, focus on suspicious activity, and zoom in on it.
Consider Your Objectives
When considering whether you need a colour CCTV camera or not, you really do need to think about your objectives. Do you simply want to scare an intruder away, or do you want to be able to identify him so that he can be prosecuted? Do you just need indoor coverage, or outdoors? Perhaps a combination of both?
As NSI (National Security Inspectorate) Gold Alarm installers, our job is to help you make the right choice for your particular needs. No two security requirements are ever the same, but with our years of experience, we can advise you on the best way to proceed.
PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS
Whether you own a corner shop or a factory, CCTV can help protect you, your staff, your customers and your business.
Fill out our form and submit your details so that we can give you a free security evaluation, offering you a personalised package that’s tailored to your needs.