When choosing a CCTV camera home for outdoor applications, there are various factors to take into contemplation. How you enclose your camera determines how protected it is from the elements and vandals, and can be critical if you have extreme hot or cold conditions, or if there is a lot of precipitation.

You can find a variety of housings for cameras. Some factors to think when you are selecting a housing for your camera:

1) What are the hotness variations you expect? Aluminum housing in the hot sun can get much hotter then ambient temperature.

2) What is the size of the camera you are going to mount in the housing?

3) Some housing have temperature control - will there be a power provide close by?

4) Is the camera to be concealed? How will it be secured?

5) What type of rising options will your purpose require?

The first point above is critical to answer as soon as possible. What extremes of temperature or moisture will the housing have to endure?
CCTV Camera Housings for Exterior Use

When using a camera outside, you will need to consider how to mount it, what the lighting will be at night, where the closest power outlet is, and what the field of view of the camera is.

Temperature regulation is key because of various reasons. The price tag of the camera itself can be kept lower if it does not have to last high temperature variations, and if it does not have to resist humidity. Having the exact camera housing, with wetness barriers and temperature control, can keep the total system cost lower than if you had to gain cameras rated for great outdoor use.

Housings for outside CCTV cameras are accessible with built in heater and blower combinations to regulate temperature in hot or cold weather. They mechanically switch to the proper regulation method, and run on AC or DC power. These housings are large enough for most CCTV cameras used today.

Housings are rated by North American (NEMA) and International (IEC) standards bodies. For example, housing with an IP56 rating can withstand moisture jetting from any direction, and is protected from dust and other very small particles.

These are the major considerations when selecting an exterior CCTV camera housing. The security scheme itself is only as strong as its weakest link. Don't overlook your camera housings. Keep all these factors in mind as you review these dangerous components to your surveillance system.