Finding the right security camera for every application is a challenge for system integrators, installers, end users, and even manufacturers.

The Challenge for System Integrators:
Integrators have to be experts on hundreds of different kinds of cameras by dozens (or more!) of manufacturers. To make things more complicated, integrators may not, because of purchase requirements, even have access to the best cameras for a particular job.

The Challenge for Installers:
Installers have to set up cameras to solve specific problems. They have to be familiar with many different camera models and the set up procedures for all of them. This requirement could translate to more installation time costing the integrator money.

The Challenge for End Users:
End users have to select the right cameras. They can't pick a single type of camera and expect it to work in each area covered by the security system. Compounding this problem, end users commonly do not have the domain expertise to know specifically what cameras they need.

The Challenge for Manufacturers:
In order not to lose sales, manufacturers attempt to create cameras specific to each vertical market and for every type of video problem. However, this is an impossible task, so a manufacturer may find that they offer cameras that work in one corner of a retail store, but only a high resolution camera produced by their competitor works in another area.

Looking for a One-size-fits-all Solution
In today's market, no camera is a one-size-fits-all solution. Different scenarios create the need for a wide range of cameras:

• An environment that is backlit -such as the inside of a building or vehicle looking outside, on a loading dock, or in a lobby - requires a camera that offers wide dynamic range (WDR). Dynamic range is the ratio of the brightest image that can be captured by the imaging system to the darkest image that can be captured simultaneously in the same video frame. Light intensity greater than the brightest possible image will cause the sensor to saturate to white, while light intensity less than the darkest possible image will not register on the camera's image sensor.

  Both of these conditions distort the image, hiding potentially vital information that lies outside the dynamic range of the sensor. WDR cameras are capable of capturing highlight and shadow detail - including backlit images - in the same scene. The greater dynamic range, the more significant improvement in image quality in scenes consisting of both bright and dark areas.

• Some situations need cameras that are capable of capturing natural color in any lighting. For instance, security personnel watching monitors in casinos need to be able to distinguish between red and black playing cards as well as the color of the chips in both well-lit and lowlight areas. Natural color is also important in identifying people where subtle differences in skin tone and clothing shades can make a difference when capturing and prosecuting a suspect in a crime.
• Video is often used for license plate identification, facial recognition, and in transit applications where reading the markings on train cars or buses is essential. These scenes require high resolution cameras which make it easy to distinguish image features and details.
• Additional challenges for security cameras include lighting issues such as glare and reflections. These problems can cause image artifacts including vertical smear and pixel blooming which make the video unusable for identification or prosecution. A security system that cannot produce actionable images is a waste of money. Period.
• And when and if an integrator or end user gets a handle on all of the situations above, they are often faced with a new challenge - lowlight! Envision a warehouse with an indoor camera aimed at its loading dock door. The integrator recommended and the end user purchased a camera capable of producing clear, noise-free video during daytime hours. The camera's WDR allows it to get clean images of both the inside of the warehouse and the outside dock. However, at night, only emergency lights are kept on. Unfortunately, for most cameras low light equals no color, limited wide dynamic range, high levels of noise, or in the worst case, no image at all (black). One solution is to add more light, which is expensive and bad for the environment, and another is to use true day night (TDN) cameras. TDN cameras can produce an image in lowlight, but without color due to their reliance on infrared light. A security guard, the police, or a prosecuting attorney won't be able to tell the bad guy in the red shirt from the good guy in the blue. Many integrators and end users are forced to settle for a third option - less than ideal video.

Retail Store Scenario
Leon, an integrator, does a walk through for a retail store. He notes the location's all-glass store front. The daylight streaming through the windows wrecks havoc on the store's traditional CCD cameras. The analog CCD cameras can't adjust to both the bright light coming in the window and the shadowy areas around the displays. The retailer mentions to Leon that employee theft at the registers is a huge problem for the store and becoming worse. The current cameras capture the point of sale transactions, but the store's security personnel can't distinguish between the money denominations - the orange 50 euro bill looks distressingly like the yellow 200 euro bill.