Product Categories >> CCTV Cameras >> PTZ Cameras / Controllers / Turning Devices / Accessories

What do I need to use a PTZ camera?

To use a PTZ camera you will need 2 things.

1. A display device. This is what will display the video of the PTZ camera. This is often times a monitor, TV, or computer monitor.
2. A device to control the Pan, Tilt, and Zoom of your camera. This is normally 1 of 2 things. 1) The joystick controller that is sold along side of the PTZ camera. 2) You use your computer's DVR card software to control the PTZ camera. We also sell DVR card and software.

The wires coming out of the PTZ camera consist of the power wires (+) & (-), the video cable (BNC), and a the DATA wires (+) & (-) to control the PTZ functions.

The power cable connects to a power adapter. The video cable connects to your display device. It does not necessarily have to run to the same place the controls go. The PTZ wires connect to either your joystick controller or Computer if you're using a DVR or DVR card that supports PTZ functions.

PTZ Cameras are cameras that can be moved via a computer, DVR, or PTZ joystick. PTZ stands for Pan, Tilt, and Zoom. These cameras can be controlled to move left to right, up and down, and zoom in and out. All of this is done through the controller. These types of cameras are often found at gas stations and large retail stores. Typically the dome-type cameras you see either hanging from the ceiling or attached to the ceiling at a store is a PTZ camera. They can easily be used to follow an event or person as they move about. One distinct advantage PTZ cameras have is the ability to zoom. You can zoom in on someone's face, a license plate, a cash register, or virtually anything else.

We offer indoor, outdoor PTZ cameras and can make any of them into IP cameras simply by adding one of our H.264 Ip encoders, adding one of our IP encoders allows you to use analog PTZ cameras as they have much more functionality than a straight up IP camera, and will allow better bandwidth useage. All of our PTZ cameras are color. PTZ cameras can connect to your local network via a Rj45 connection comming from our H.264 IP encoder. You then can view and control the camera from anywhere else on the internet. Usernames and passwords can be set if desired to prevent unauthorized usage, you may use either IE explorer or our Concert Software with our H.264 IP encoders.

PTZ cameras have a zoom rating. This value may be 360x, 270x, 220x, 100x, or another value. The higher the zoom level, the better the zoom capabilities on that particular camera. You can use multiple PTZ cameras if you wish and control them with the same hardware. If you are using a Joystick / Keyboard type controller, then simply connect the 2 PTZ DATA control wires to the joystick. If you are using a computer / DVR to control the camera, you will need DVR software that allows control of PTZ cameras, and RS232-485 converter. This converter allows the 2 PTZ DATA control wires to interface with a computer via the RS232 serial port.

We have a broad range of PTZ cameras that are able to operate in some of the worst conditions imaginable, not all of our PTZ cameras are listed here, if you require something special we can design and build it for you.

Tracking PTZ cameras - Good or Bad?

We have quite a few people call us looking for Tracking PTZ cameras, so what are they?

Tracking PTZ cameras are a PTZ camera with intelligence built right into them, it is really cool to watch them in action zooming around, moving back and forth following you when you walk in to their (FOV) Field of View.

The Tracking PTZ cameras intelligence is at this time limited, for instance if you have a Tracking PTZ camera mounted in your office to watch the door and when someone walks in it follows the person, but what does the Tracking PTZ camera do when 2 or more people walk in the room?

Here is where the trouble lies now that there is more than one target to follow whether it be cars / trucks or people the Tracking PTZ camera now has to make a quick decision on which car / truck or person to follow and track, which one does the Tracking PTZ camera follow, hopefully the right target but not always as it cannot tell the difference like a human can.

A human can generall tell the intentions of a person by their behaviour and actions, if 2 people walk in the room and one person is acting strange you can watch and follow this person with your eyes or a PTZ camera that your controlling, but a Tracking PTZ camera cannot distinguish between behaviors, it only tracks motion.

How ever we have a handy little device that is used mainly for high security areas, it's called ADAT/IVS, Automatic Detection and Tracking / Intelligent Video Systems.

In the last few years, various intelligent video solutions claim to be the best solution. The fact is that many of these solutions don’t handle uncontrollable exterior environments or are insufficient for everyday use. Many solutions being sold today still have debilitating problems with their systems, making them less than viable solutions.

Why? They're still known to miss running or crawling intruders, false alarm 10 to 150 times a day, cannot detect in low-light, require on-going time-consuming configuration (e.g. day cycle, seasonal, and weather adjustments), are too basic to fit real-life scenarios, cannot detect in all directions and distances, fail to provide flexibility in detection areas (shape, size), are software based on a network PC, are limited to only stationary cameras and have no Pan/Tilt/Zoom (PTZ) support to zoom-in and track the intruder beyond the stationary camera Field Of View (FOV).