OUTDOOR SECURITY CAMERAS

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.