The camera is where every recording begins, and choosing the right type matters more than the megapixel count on the box. Bullet cameras are the long-range outdoor workhorses; dome cameras suit indoor and vandal-prone areas; turret (eyeball) cameras avoid the dome's IR-reflection problems and are our default recommendation for homes; PTZ cameras pan, tilt and zoom to follow activity across large sites; fisheye cameras capture 360° from a single ceiling point; and ANPR/LPR cameras are tuned specifically to read vehicle number plates at gates and driveways.
Resolution runs from 2MP (1080p) through 4MP, 5MP and 8MP (4K) and beyond. More pixels help you identify rather than merely observe — but only if the lens, mounting position and night-time lighting are right. Modern cameras add smart features worth having: AI human and vehicle detection, line-crossing and intrusion detection, full-colour night vision, two-way audio, and built-in sirens and strobes that turn a passive camera into an active deterrent.
Placement is the craft: height that captures faces rather than scalps, sight-lines that cover approaches rather than just the front door, and night performance verified after dark — not assumed from the datasheet.
Brands we fit and service
The cctv camera market splits into hardware built for South African conditions and lookalikes that fail at the first hard season. These are the manufacturers we trust on our installations:
- Hikvision
- Dahua
- Uniview
- HiLook
- Axis
- Bosch
- Hanwha Vision
- Reolink
See our brand guides for how these manufacturers compare.
When the cctv camera goes wrong
These are the failures we're called to most often — each with its symptoms, causes and our fix on the dedicated problems page:
- Camera shows no videoVideo Loss — A black screen or "Video Loss" tile where the camera picture should be — on one camera or several at once.
- Blurry or soft image — Footage looks smeared or out of focus; number plates and faces never render sharply even in daylight.
- Water inside the camera — Droplets or fog behind the lens glass, corrosion streaks from the housing, image degrading after every rain.
- Night vision not working — Perfect picture by day, black or unusably dark by night; or a milky white-out glow instead of a clean IR image.
- Flickering image — The picture pulses, rolls or flickers — often worse at night or when certain equipment nearby switches on.
- Camera offlineOffline / Net Disconnect — An IP camera drops off the NVR intermittently or permanently; the app shows the channel as offline.
- Image too dark or too bright — Faces silhouetted against bright backgrounds, blown-out driveways at noon, or a permanently murky picture.
Need this fixed or installed?
Our CCTV Repairs service covers cctv camera work — quoted upfront and backed by our 12-month workmanship warranty.