Photography Blog

The security industry has been doing quite well in the past decade due to awareness of the products to ensure safety.

Many business entrepreneurs, who want to start on their own face many hurdles because of the extreme competition online and not enough technical knowledge on the products.

The security camera industry is constantly evolving with the addition of latest cameras and cutting-edge technology. This has propelled many technical terms associated with every device such as “frames per second”, “horizontal lines”, “images per second”, etc.

It is very important to understand the technical know-how of the terms.

This helps you be aware of the compatibility of a product and its features with your system to make an informed decision on a purchase.

So to help you out we have put together a quick guide of all the major terms you will hear within the industry.

PAL PAL or Phase Alternating Lines, is a standard video system used in the Eastern countries, which transmits 25 frames in each second. 625 individual scan lines make up one frame.

NTSC NTSC or National Television System Committee, used mostly in North and South America, transmits 30 frames each second. 525 individual scan lines make a single frame.

CCD sensor CCD or Charged Coupled Device sensors in security cameras capture images that have better quality and less noise as compared to CMOS sensors.

CMOS sensor A CMOS sensor captures images & uses less power as compared to a CCD sensor and is cheaper. It works well for wireless or for battery-powered cameras

Pinhole Camera In pinhole cameras, one of the oldest types of cameras, you can capture high-quality still images but blurred moving images.

CCTV Security Camera System In CCTV security camera technology, images can be captured & stored without using tape and can be wireless. It also records action and responds by setting off alarms, call the police and more.

720p 720p is the resolution, or quality, of the picture displayed on a monitor with high-definition resulting in sharp images. “720″ represents the number of horizontal scan lines (720) of resolution. The “p” is the progressive scanning that gives a smoother picture with 720 lines being refreshed 30 times in a second.

1080i Here “1080″ is the number of horizontal scan lines. “i” stands for interlaced scanning, a process where frames are mixed to form a smoother picture with less flicker.

LUX LUX is a method to measure the amount of light that is needed for the security camera to capture images. A lower LUX means the camera has the ability to see images more clearly in the dark. E.g. 1 LUX – good quality images in late evening, 0.5 LUX – dim lit areas at night, .05 LUX – captures images better than humans at night.

DVR A Digital Video Recorder or DVR is a general term for a device that records television data in digital format. It encodes video data in MPEG-1/ MPEG-2 formats and stores data in a hard drive and the capability to pause “live” TV and continue without missing any part of a program.

Wired Security Camera A “wired” camera is hard-wired to the monitor and recording systems. The image cables are needed to transfer the camera images, then changed to a signal and sent to monitors, where signals are decoded in to live pictures.

Wireless Security Camera Wireless cameras as the name suggests are “wire-free” and use electronic signals to relay images to the monitor/receivers and are converted to pictures.

IP Security Camera IP security cameras use Internet Protocol to transmit images and control signals over an Ethernet link. Also known as network cameras, they are primarily used for surveillance similar to analog closed-circuit television.

Super HAD CCD sensor Super HAD CCD sensor, a Sony product, provides twice the results than traditional CCD. Used in security cameras, these sensors allow cameras to be in environments for long periods of intensely bright ambient light or darkness.

RF RF stands for Radio Frequency and for security cameras; video signals must be modulated into a RF signal to be transmitted across a wireless network.

Interline CCD sensor Interline CCDs are used mainly in image sensors used for capturing moving images like security cameras. They avoid image smear because light cannot affect the masked pixel storage area and these security cameras are inexpensive.

Horizontal Definition It is the highest amount of individual picture elements recognizable in a single scanning line. The clarity and sharpness of an image produced by the camera depends on higher number of lines resulting in greater definition of images.

Angular Field of View In security cameras, AOV is defined by the field of view that the camera covers which is a few degrees above and below the angle it is pointed at. The images captured depend on the size and area covered by the camera.

Effective Distance It is measurement of how far the camera can “see”. There 2 types of effective distance: day distance and night distance. Security cameras use infrared technologies to capture details of images at a distance.

BNC Connector A BNC is a video connector usually used in a wireless security camera system. It makes use of RF to broadcast images captured by the security cameras to monitors and recording equipment.

Using the above glossary, you can educate yourself on the technical dictionary of security cameras.

You can also post it on your site to make it easier for the customer to choose the right security camera based on their needs.

Each glossary term can be a separate page with recommendations of your products with that capability alongside.

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Learning to use new technology is always a confusing experience. They are often full of complex jargon and you may feel lost without some kind of reference. If you’re interested in trying your hand at editing photos in order to share them online, then read on for some definitions of common terms you might find.

Cloning Tool

A cloning tool is a basic copying tool that allows you to copy a part of an image to essentially create a “brush.” Once you’ve copied the part of the image that you want, you can just use your mouse to paint that same like you would draw a line in a basic paint program. This is most useful when you have a specific texture that somehow ended up with some sort of blemish. You can simply paint over the blemish and, if done correctly, it will look like the natural texture. Some software programs have a feature that can automatically do this for you.

Fill-Flash

Fill-flash is sometimes referred to as a highlight or shadow adjustment tool. This tool can help you fix a photo in which the background is too dark, or the subject of the photo is too light (or vice versa). As with the cloning tool, many software programs have an option to perform this automatically for your convenience.

Adjustment Layers

Adjustment layers are a fairly advanced feature that allows you to edit a photo with affects without actually altering the photo itself. That is, instead of making changes to the picture itself, you create additional layers that are superimposed on top of the standard picture. You can edit the main photo or any of the additional layers at any point, or even delete the extra layers without affecting the main picture. Depending on what software you’re using, you may even be able to adjust the transparency of the extra layers to whatever level you desire.

Type Effects

This term refers to effects that can be placed on text entered on your image. Depending on the type of software you’re using, you may have to use a text tool to input your text, or you may be able to add text directly onto the image. In either case, type effects allow you to add effects like shadows, 3D effects, warped text, and many more.

Selection Tools

Selection tools are the tools that you use to select a part of an image that you want to manipulate. For instance, basic selection tools might commonly come in shapes like squares or circles. However, there are also advanced selection tools that allow for more unique interactions with the image you’re editing. For instance, one type of selection tool might allow you to select all parts of an image that have the same color. Or, for maximum flexibility, you can use a lasso type tool to select exactly which parts of the image you want to work with.

Obviously the world of photo editing is very complex and these are just a few basic terms. If you run across other terms that you don’t understand, you should just make a backup of your picture and experiment to find out what they do. You may be able to really improve the quality of some pictures and make your online photo sharing experience all the better.

The use of wireless cameras is quickly turning into normal for security and surveillance camera installations. Previously, wired CCTV cameras were the only options available for you but the development of PC and wireless technologies now made it viable for better quality and more effective cameras minus the awkward wires and cables to be provided and reasonable for users like you.

Wireless cameras have more advantages and broader coverage to be used than wired cameras, making them perfect for use in home, office and business installations. Here are a few of these applications that wireless cameras can be employed that are outside the capabilities of wired systems.

* Mobile applications wireless cameras can be moved from one location to another while wired cameras would need intensive installations / dismantling before any movement can be done.

* Temporary Use wireless cameras can be used in circumstances where there is no need for constant surveillance

* Appearance / Concealment wireless cameras are the best for use when you would like the units hid or does not want unpleasant wires seen around your home or offices

Wireless Camera Parts And Parts You Need To Know

There is a big variety of types, sizes, and shapes for wireless cameras. As an entrepreneur planning to retail these devices online or through a physical store, it is important that you know and are familiarized with all of the diverse parts and parts of the wireless camera products you’re selling. Data in these areas is crucial whenever an investigation is made by a potential client. Answering any investigations relating to parts accurately will raise your potential client’s trust on your business, especially if you are on online retailer.

To put you in the right road towards wireless camera online retailing success, the following listing is provided giving you some of the most basic, and most important parts and components you need to know as a web retailer.

* Camera Sensor

Simply put, the camera sensor is the center of the camera as it processes and records the photographs that are passed thru the cameras lenses. Wireless cameras now use sensors in electronic or digital form, and this includes the digital CCD ( Charge-Coupled Device ) image sensor, the CMOS or Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor sensor, and the back-illuminated CMOS sensors which are now used extensively in modern digital cameras.

* Lens

If the sensor is the center of the camera, the lens is the eye. Pictures and light are caught by the assembly of lenses that forms this part and passes these on to the sensor for electronic processing and storing.

* Bracket

Cameras are installed on location thru mounting brackets, permitting the camera assembly to be directed to the area it is monitoring. Using the right brackets is significant in giving the wireless camera a good vantage point in capturing the needed pictures or video feeds.

* Transmitter

Wireless cameras employ radio waves to broadcast image or video info and other info to a receiving video processor or computer. So as to do this, the signals are sent thru a transmitter built into the camera itself. There are various transmitters for wireless cameras and would rely on the particular connectivity or compatibility it was designed for such as infrared, Bluetooth, GSM, 3G or WiFi.

* Receiver

The receiver is the counterpart of the wireless camera at the opposite end, receiving the captured image and video signals for processing and recording. The receiver will also depend on what kind of video signals and compatibility that the camera has. The wireless camera also has an included receiver alongside its transmitter to get and process instructions from the user by remote.

* LED Light

L. E. Ds or LEDs are fast becoming the norm for low-energy lighting systems for nearly any applications including the illumination utilized for wireless cameras. These LED lamps give off trusty on-camera video illumination without consuming much space in the camera’s framework.

* IR Light

The night vision capacities of wireless cameras are made feasible with the use of infrared lighting and illuminators. Using infrared radiation, light waves the eyes can’t see, the wireless cameras can record images even when there’s little or no perceivable light.

* Processor

The camera’s processor is the mind of the wireless cameras which controls the image processing and other mechanical and electronic functions of the wireless cameras. The sort of processor in the camera defines its video and wireless capabilities, much like the CPU of a PC

* Electronic Shutter

An electronic shutter is the digital replacement for the normal mechanical window shutters letting in light and images to the camera’s sensor. The differences in design will depend on the design of the camera’s sensor, if it is’s a CCD or a CMOS image sensor.

* Antenna

Video signals broadcast by the wireless camera are increased, sent and received thru the antenna of the receiver. The camera also has a built-in antenna that receives the digital instructions from the user or controller that sets the functions of the camera and its mechanisms.

* Sunshield

Wireless cameras, dependent on the requirement and application, can be installed outside a multinational and exposed to the environment. A sunshield is required to protect the camera’s lenses and stops the sun’s glare from twisting the captured photographs. Sunshields are typically made of sturdy plastic or metal that protects and insulates the camera from the environment.

The newer and most modern wireless camera brands and models are coming up with extra features, parts and elements that will make the user’s experience much more effective, and exciting. As an online retailer, it’d be to your most lucrative advantage to know more about these components and set yourself up as a trustworthy source of information as well as products by your potential clients.

The best place to search for wireless cameras is on the world wibe web, so search for them today and find the best value and best quality wireless cameras.

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Learning to use new technology is always a confusing experience. They are often full of complex jargon and you may feel lost without some kind of reference. If you’re interested in trying your hand at editing photos in order to share them online, then read on for some definitions of common terms you might find.
Cloning Tool
A cloning tool is a basic copying tool that allows you to copy a part of an image to essentially create a “brush.” Once you’ve copied the part of the image that you want, you can just use your mouse to paint that same like you would draw a line in a basic paint program. This is most useful when you have a specific texture that somehow ended up with some sort of blemish. You can simply paint over the blemish and, if done correctly, it will look like the natural texture. Some software programs have a feature that can automatically do this for you.
Fill-Flash
Fill-flash is sometimes referred to as a highlight or shadow adjustment tool. This tool can help you fix a photo in which the background is too dark, or the subject of the photo is too light (or vice versa). As with the cloning tool, many software programs have an option to perform this automatically for your convenience.
Adjustment Layers
Adjustment layers are a fairly advanced feature that allows you to edit a photo with affects without actually altering the photo itself. That is, instead of making changes to the picture itself, you create additional layers that are superimposed on top of the standard picture. You can edit the main photo or any of the additional layers at any point, or even delete the extra layers without affecting the main picture. Depending on what software you’re using, you may even be able to adjust the transparency of the extra layers to whatever level you desire.
Type Effects
This term refers to effects that can be placed on text entered on your image. Depending on the type of software you’re using, you may have to use a text tool to input your text, or you may be able to add text directly onto the image. In either case, type effects allow you to add effects like shadows, 3D effects, warped text, and many more.
Selection Tools
Selection tools are the tools that you use to select a part of an image that you want to manipulate. For instance, basic selection tools might commonly come in shapes like squares or circles. However, there are also advanced selection tools that allow for more unique interactions with the image you’re editing. For instance, one type of selection tool might allow you to select all parts of an image that have the same color. Or, for maximum flexibility, you can use a lasso type tool to select exactly which parts of the image you want to work with.
Obviously the world of photo editing is very complex and these are just a few basic terms. If you run across other terms that you don’t understand, you should just make a backup of your picture and experiment to find out what they do. You may be able to really improve the quality of some pictures and make your online photo sharing experience all the better.