Fisheye technology in a video surveillance system

Conventional cameras are not always suitable for the tasks of monitoring territories and objects. Therefore, the owners resort to a unique technology. This article will tell you what fisheye video surveillance is and where it is better to mount it.

Camera with a “fishy” look. What’s this?

Fisheye optics are wide-angle optics that create a convex image, thereby capturing large areas.

This name is given to video surveillance because this is how fish see the surface world from under the water.

Application areas

Fisheye camcorders, due to their peculiarity, are used for:

• control of the general state of affairs. Due to the geometric distortion of the picture, the technology cannot be used where detailed shooting is needed. But, for example, in offices where it is necessary to monitor the overall situation, the option is excellent;
• counting visitors. The camera has a wide field of view, and there is no way to provide high details of the picture. This is ideal for counting the flow of people entering and leaving, for example in shops;
• observation of large areas. Conventional cameras cannot capture all corners of the premises, but the fisheye does an excellent job with this.

But  Faceter service can improve even this versatile system. By purchasing an IP camera with a fisheye view, you add video analytics to your surveillance, read what is happening, save the data to the cloud and get notifications if an abnormal situation is detected.

Equipment Features

In addition to the convex image, the equipment differs in other technical capabilities.

Viewing angle

Thanks to a 180-degree viewing angle, there are no blind spots. A lot of helpful information is in the article “Intelligent choice of the focal length of a camcorder. 6 tips“.

Panoramic lens

The lens with modified lens geometry used in the camera can visually zoom in on distant parts of the image from the center.

Panoramic optics do not produce a spherical picture but an ordinary one, divided into several parts. This is possible thanks to the built-in software inside the device.

And if you have not yet decided on the camera, then read our article “Looking for a panoramic camera. 4 variations available”.

Flow rate

When installing a monitoring system, it is essential to consider the flow, depending on the shooting resolution.

Fisheye surveillance cameras should have a lower image resolution than standard equipment and the size of the archive for storing recordings.

Additional modes

Devices, depending on the models, can be supplemented with different functions, for example:

• viewing images in a convex form located in a rectangle. This is not always convenient, but overall situational awareness is high;
• replacement of 4 cameras with one. The device creates the effect of 4 independent cameras looking in different directions. Then the software literally glues the pictures together and produces one even frame without distortion.

Instead of a conclusion

A camera with a good viewing angle, selected individually for the object and the assigned observation tasks, will provide the maximum level of protection and control. But do not forget to use additional technologies that can turn an ordinary camera into a “smart” employee.