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(Blog) The Guide To Choosing a PTZ
Posted:
November 20, 2024
Categories:
Blogs
Connor Lindley
Technical Support
connor@mastdigital.co.uk
What is a PTZ?
A PTZ stands for Pan, Tilt, Zoom. It means the camera can move left, right, up, down and zoom in on a target. They are the perfect camera where you need to monitor multiple points at once as you can set presets to quickly monitor the different scenes or set up tours to automatically monitor specific scenes at set intervals
Breaking The Code
It can be hard to see how PTZ codes break down, let's take the SD5A445GB-HNR as an example. Hover over a section of the code below to see what each section relates to
SD
5A
4
45
G
B
-
H
N
R
Content to be shown when hovered
PTZ Functionality
PTZ's are capable of multiple functions depending on how you want the camera to behave:
Presets - Presets allow you to set positions on the camera so that you can quickly go back to them eg. Preset 1 is pointed towards a gate. If you move the camera around, you can call preset 1 to go back to the gate.
Tour - Tours are made of presets and will cycle through the list of presets repeatedly eg. If you have 3 presets, the camera will go to preset 1 for 15 seconds then move to preset 2 for 15 seconds and then move to preset 3 for 15 seconds. The duration and presets can be altered but when the camera has finished the tour, it will cycle through the presets again.
Scan - allows you to set a "Left limit" and a "Right Limit". The camera will then horizontally scan between these two points.
Pattern - Lets you record PTZ movements which the camera will then copy and repeat.
Scheduled Task - If the PTZ is idle and you haven't given the PTZ a command, scheduled tasks allow you to set what the PTZ should be doing in this time. eg. Go to preset 1 or start tour 1.
PTZ Scenarios
PTZ's are mostly seen on commercial scenarios such as construction, car parks or landfill sites to deter intruders and make sure their movements are captured through auto tracking technology to capture as much evidence as possible for any incidents that may occur. For a complete security solution, PTZ-recorded events can be seamlessly integrated with Monitoring Centres, such as those operated by our partners Omnivision, as well as rapid response technology such as AURA.
Style By Scenario
Residential
There are PTZ's which are designed with residential scenarios in mind, these are the small form factor PTZ's which still allow you to track targets and move the camera around when a human has been detected. A 3 series PTZ would be recommended here
- SD3E405DB-GNY-A-PV1
- SDT3E410-8P-MB-A-PV1
Commercial - Medium
From the internal SD4A425DB-HNY which is designed for use in large indoor spaces such as casinos or theatres to the SDT6C432-4P-GB-APV with it's panoramic camera to ensure nothing is missed while it's x32 optical zoom detail camera tracks the target, there is a PTZ to cover any commercial requirement. 4/5/6 series PTZ's are recommended depending on the A.I required
- PTZ1A225-HNR-GB
- SDT6C432-4P-GB-APV
- SD6C3425XB1-HNR-A-PV1
- SD5A432GB-HNR
Commercial - Large
Larges scenarios like airports or public spaces often require high zoom or a large amount of coverage. For 360 degree coverage of a scenario a PSDW81642SP-A360-D425 can be used to ensure all angles are captured and PTZ's such as the SD8A840WA-HNF can be used for their x40 zoom to cover vast distances. 6/8 series PTZ's are recommended here
- PSDW81642SP-A360-D425
- SD6CE445GB-HNR
- SD6AL445XA-HNR
Latest PTZ Technology: X-Spans
The most recent entry to the PTZ family is the X-Spans range. The benefits of the X-spans is that there is a large panoramic camera capturing the original monitoring area while the detail camera tracks a target that is picked up on the panoramic camera. Previously you would need 2 cameras to provide an overview while the PTZ tracks a target, this can now be done with only one camera through one cable. 2 channel of the recorder will be required to film both channels
Two Modes
X-Spans PTZ's have two operating modes - Independent and Panoramic Linkage mode. These modes are important as they affect how the detail camera and panoramic camera work together
Panoramic Linkage Mode - IVS rules are set on the panoramic cameras view, when a rule is triggered the detail camera will start following the target that was captured on the panoramic view
Independent Mode - IVS rules are applied to the detail camera and when a target is picked up in the detail camera, the detail camera will then start to track the target. Rules set on the panoramic camera do not trigger the detail camera to start tracking and the panoramic camera is used as an overview camera. This is used when you require PTZ linkages from static cameras and you still require an overview
PTZ Styles
PTZ's range from compact TiOC models to large Hubble cameras. Below is a list of our current selection with brief use cases and model details.
SD (Speed Dome) 4/5 Series
The Speed Dome style PTZ is the most recognisable style of modern PTZ. The dome at the bottom of the unit allows high speed movement for reliable observation of any scene. 4 Series will give you the basic PTZ functionailtiies and the 5 Series will also give you autotracking. SD models that we offer can be found below:
Key features of this range include:
SD ( Speed Dome) 6/8 Series
These are the premium Speed Dome choice. Featuring higher optical zoom and I.R distances than their 4/5 series counter parts, they are for the jobs where you need an extra bit of oomph.
Key features of this range include:
TiOC PTZ
TiOC PTZ's contain all the features of a SD dome style PTZ with TiOC features added on top. This means that you could set up a tour and if if the IVS rule triggers on any tour preset then the active deterrents will go off and auto tracking will also follow the target. We offer the SD3E which is a small form PTZ for residential scenarios or the SD6C3425XB1 which is perfect for commercial.
Key features of this range include:
X-Span PTZ
The X-Span PTZ is designed to look for humans/vehicles on the panoramic sensor. When a human/vehicle is detected on the panoramic lens, the detail camera then starts to track this target until it either leaves the panoramic view, the detail cameras view or for a set tracking duration.
Key features of this range include:
Internal Dome PTZ
The Internal Dome style PTZ is designed for internal use where active monitoring is required. Perfect for use in commercial scenarios where you need to be able to zoom in on the details and monitor different entrances/exits.
Key features of this range include:
Positioning System PTZ
The most flexible style of PTZ allowing you to view all angles. A full 360 degree pan range and a -90 to +90 degree tilt range, this particular PTZ is a great choice for when you need complete monitoring of a scene. In addition to this flexibility, this PTZ is richly packed with features.
Key features of this range include:
Hunter PTZ
The premium version of the panoramic PTZ. It has high-end A.I features such as metadata and face detection/recognition while also having a panoramic lens which can be moved 360 degrees horizontally or 30 degrees vertically. To top it all off it also has 1/1.8 inch sensors for the best night time vision
Key features of this range include:
Hubble PTZ
The hubble PTZ is the ultimate PTZ. Much like the Hunter PTZ it has facial recognition/detection and meta data functionality with 1/1.8" sensors. Where it truly shines are it's panoramic view. Coming in both a 180 degree or 360 degree version, this PTZ ensures that nothing will be missed.
Key features of this range include:
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