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OUTDOOR SECURITY CAMERAS
Outdoor security cameras serve as the first line of defense against potential intrusions that can endanger your family, your possessions, or your business.
What are outdoor security cameras?
Outdoor security cameras are designed to be installed on the exterior of houses, buildings, or other structures in order to monitor important outdoor areas. Usual placement options include entranceways, driveways, backyards, side walkways, and large windows. Lorex offers plenty of options when it comes to outdoor cameras, such as wired, wireless, or even wire-free and stand-alone Wi-Fi models.
Outdoor security camera benefits
Besides the assurance that you will have video evidence should an incident occur, and the fact that having an outdoor security camera can be a powerful deterrent, the foremost benefit of having an outdoor camera is that it can provide advanced warning of motion activity. All Lorex security camera systems and stand-alone Wi-Fi security cameras can offer this forewarning, which can provide you with a few extra minutes to prepare and alert authorities.
Weatherproof Security Cameras
Outdoor security cameras need to be weatherproof. They should be able to withstand both rain and snow, as well as freezing cold and scorching hot temperatures.
Weatherproof Security Cameras
Outdoor security cameras need to be weatherproof. They should be able to withstand both rain and snow, as well as freezing cold and scorching hot temperatures.
What is an IP rating?
Every camera sold by Lorex comes with an IP environmental rating. This rating is an international standard for how effective an electrical enclosure seals off external contaminants, such as dirt and moisture. IP stands for "Ingress Protection," and is followed by two numerical digits. The first digit represents the intrusion protection (dirt, dust, etc.), while the second digit represents the moisture protection.
What IP rating is weatherproof?
Lorex outdoor security cameras either come with an IP65, IP66, or IP67 environmental rating. All security cameras with one of these ratings are suitable for outdoor use. The higher the second digit, however, the better the security camera enclosure is at keeping moisture out. So if you plan on an outdoor installation that will be directly exposed to the elements an IP66 or IP67 rated security camera is recommended.
Night Vision Security Cameras
The frightening thing about nighttime break-ins is that there is usually somebody home at the time. This is why having an outdoor security camera with night vision capabilities is so important. With the ability to see at night you can help protect yourself and your family from the unexpected.
Night Vision Security Cameras
The frightening thing about nighttime break-ins is that there is usually somebody home at the time. This is why having an outdoor security camera with night vision capabilities is so important. With the ability to see at night you can help protect yourself and your family from the unexpected.
How do security cameras see at night?
Lorex outdoor security cameras typically use infrared illumination in order to see at night. Most cameras have infrared LEDs around their lens. These LEDs essentially flood the scene in front of the camera in infrared light. Although this type of light is completely invisible to the naked eye, it can be detected by the security camera's image sensor, which allows it to construct an image from the reflected light on the scenery. The image only comes through as black and white, however, because infrared light is outside of the visible light range on the electromagnetic spectrum. So the camera is only measuring the intensity of the infrared light reflected off of objects.
What is Color Night Vision?
Newer outdoor security camera models from Lorex are able to see in full color at night with the help of some ambient lighting. These cameras contain image sensors that are especially sensitive to light. This essentially means that they can absorb the light provided by the ambient light in order to still see within the visible light portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, which means it can still see the colors of objects. Color Night Vision cameras also typically include infrared LEDs as well. So if there is no ambient light available, the camera will use the infrared lights to still see at night. The video, however, will remain in black and white.
Vandal-Resistant Security Cameras
Understandably, having your security cameras in outdoor locations opens them up to potential vandalism and tampering. This is why it is always recommended to install outdoor security cameras up high so they can't be easily reached. A true outdoor security camera, though, will still have extra features that will help protect it from being easily vandalized or tampered with.
Vandal-Resistant Security Cameras
Understandably, having your security cameras in outdoor locations opens them up to potential vandalism and tampering. This is why it is always recommended to install outdoor security cameras up high so they can't be easily reached. A true outdoor security camera, though, will still have extra features that will help protect it from being easily vandalized or tampered with.
What makes a camera vandal resistant?
Outdoor security cameras typically have a sturdy polycarbonate or metal housing that helps protect the camera from violent impacts. Lorex security cameras also have a cable pass-through mounting bracket which hides the cables so they can't be cut or tampered with. Weatherproof conjunction boxes are also available to help hide cables if needed.
What is an IK10 rating?
Some Lorex cameras come with an IK10 Vandal Resistant Rating. This rating is an international classification for the amount of protection offered by an enclosure of electrical equipment against impacts. An IK10 vandal rating, for example, offers protection from a 5kg object dropped from 40cm. Security cameras with an IK10 offer the highest vandal-resistance available.
Where to Install Outdoor Security Cameras?
Outdoor security cameras can serve as a powerful deterrent. In fact, it is well documented that criminals are much more likely to simply 'move on' then to try and target a house with outdoor security cameras. This is why installing security cameras that are easily visible can be a good idea. When installing outdoor security cameras, try to make sure a few of them are visible from the street or from off of your property. Another strategy to think about is to combine highly visible security cameras with hidden ones. So if a trespasser intentionally avoids the visible cameras, the hidden ones will still capture them in the act.
What are important areas to monitor?
Securing points of entry are essential. This means that any doorways, large windows, or any other means by which an intruder could gain access to your home should have an outdoor camera monitoring it. You may also want to monitor any areas that contain expensive or irreplaceable items, such as a shed or garage. Wide angle security cameras are also ideal for monitoring large areas like a backyard.
Bullet or Dome Security Cameras?
There is no right answer when it comes to choosing a bullet camera or a dome camera. Historically, bullet cameras have generally been installed outdoors, while domes are used for indoor locations. Today, however, there is no real fundamental differences in basic functionality, and are both well equipped for outdoor installations. So ultimately it is more about the aesthetic you desire and the features (such as audio) that a particular camera offers.
Security Camera Motion Detection
A major benefit of having outdoor security cameras monitoring your property is their ability to spot potential threats. This feature is especially valuable when you connect your system / camera to a mobile device or computer. With options to send push notifications or email alerts with snapshot attachments the moment the motion is detected, you can prevent potential events before they happen. Without a doubt, these valuable extra moments can make all the difference.
How do security cameras sense motion?
In most cases, it is not the outdoor camera itself that senses motion activity. Instead, it is the DVR or NVR that is constantly keeping tabs on every pixel being recorded. So the moment something moving enters the camera's field of view, the recorder will note the difference in pixels and a motion event will be created. An email or a push notification will then immediately be sent to your computer or mobile device to make you aware as the event is happening. These events are also saved in easy-to-read event timelines so you can easily review all motion events directly from your smartphone. This also means that there will be no need to ever scroll through hours and hours of video.
Can motion detection be customized?
Within your DVR or NVR you can customize the motion detection for each camera into four different regional zones. This means that you can adjust the sensitivity (the amount of movement required to register that movement) and threshold (how much movement is required before creating a motion "event") of the camera. In other words, you can select more important areas, such as an entranceway, to have a high sensitivity and high threshold so you can know of any movement at all in the section. Or you can select less important areas, like a tree, and choose a low sensitivity and threshold, to make sure you don't receive motion notifications for minimal movements, like blowing leaves.
Specialty Outdoor Cameras
Lorex offers a wide variety of specialty security cameras designed for outdoor installations: