PTZ Vs. Stationary Industrial Cameras

When given the option of stationary cameras and pan tilt zoom cameras one has to take into consideration a couple of variables.

• Is this camera going to be the only camera in the system or will there be multiples?
• Another option to take into consideration is what type of application this camera will be used in.

Stationary cameras are exactly that, cameras that are fixed into a set position within a certain perimeter to work in. Fixed on a conveyor, they will monitor parts as they pass. Placed on a wall or atop of a building, they will cover the set area with 24/7 surveillance. Stationary cameras are either programmed in correlation with software that applies to the job they are doing or they are plugged into a DVR which records and stores everything that camera sees. Stationary cameras need no operator on hand and can be placed in a dome or fixture for outdoor use and mounted straight to a wall or ceiling for indoor use.

Stationary Camera

Pan/tilt/zoom cameras or PTZ are camera heads that are mounted on top of a motorized base. The motor in the base drives gears which are connected to shafts that turn all of the joints on the camera. The pivot points on a PTZ camera are the pan and tilt. Zoom is controlled electronically by the controller. Pan is the side to side motion most PTZ camera can pan almost 360 degrees. Tilt is the up and down motion. PTZ cameras can be used as a single camera panning around a large area or in a system to offer a larger are of video feed.

PTZ Camera

-BRADLEY FRY