Lens Guide for CCTV Cameras
One of the difficult problems when setting up a CCTV system, is choosing the right lens for your cameras as different lenses give different fields of view, and different levels of zoom. Some of the higher-end lenses also offer features such as Auto-Iris, and manual zoom/focus adjustment. Choosing the wrong lens can lead to a camera monitoring too small an area, or conversely not having enough zoom to capture events with clarity.
Lens size samples
The following images demonstrate the differences in lens sizes. We set up a tripod 10 metres from the office door, and mounted 5 High Definition Weatherproof Day/Night cameras, using one of each of the available 4.3, 6, 8, 12, and 16mm lenses. Aside from the lens size, the cameras are all identical, and the position of the camera does not change. This guide can also be used for comparing with lens sizes for body camera lenses
Adjustable lenses are marked with their maximum and minimum sizes. Examples are 3.5 – 8mm lenses (of which the 6mm sample above would be roughly in the middle of this range), and telephoto lenses that range from around 5 to 50mm.
