Best Camera Lens for Remote Monitoring and Security

When it comes to purchasing cameras for remote monitoring and security, you’re often left with having to choose between two different lens types: Standard Angle or Wide Angle. It can be difficult to understand which is the best camera lens for your needs so we’ve created this guide to help make your decision easier.

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image comparing wide angle vs standard angle lenses

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Remote Monitoring: Wide Angle Lens

If your primary user case for the camera is monitoring, we recommend a wide angle lens. Wide Angle Lenses are great for inside interiors such as barns and maintenance facilities. Wide angle lenses are also ideal for situations where you want to be able to see more of the surrounding area around a specific asset. A good example are water tanks. Using a wide angle lens around your water tank would provide enough coverage to be able to conduct basic spot checks of the number of cattle and other livestock around the tank.

‍Wide Angle Lens: Benefits

Wider field of view to capture more of the surrounding area
Easily monitor interior spaces such as Barns and Maintenance Facilities with fewer cameras

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Remote Security: Standard Angle Lens

If your primary use case is security, then a standard lens is likely the more appropriate camera lens for you. What you lose in field of view (width), you make up for with clarity and details on specific objects. A standard lens can also detect motion from much further away. Oftentimes, we recommend that a user install a standard lens camera and wide angle lens camera side-by-side for optimal monitoring and security coverage.

‍Standard Angle Lens: Benefits

Capture more detail from further distance
Motion Detection from further distance

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When considering which camera lens option to go with, you should also consider the DORI Principles. DORI stands for: Detection, Observation, Recognition, and Identification. DORI is a general proximity measurement that provides an easy way to select the best wireless camera for the objects or areas you wish to observe at the level of detail you need. The Image above illustrates what the image will capture within each stage of the DORI measurements.

‍What does DORI stand for?

[D] Detection: At the detection level, an image provides just enough detail to determine if a person, vehicle, or animal is present.
[O] Observation: At the observation level, an image provides some characteristics or details of an animal, individual, or vehicle. Details can include the color of clothing with some details around specific styles of clothing. The Image will also provide some of the surrounding details surrounding the focal area.
[R] Recognition: At the recognition level, an image will provide a high degree of detail. Though not perfect, the details provided at the recognition level will allow a viewer to determine, with confidence, whether or not certain individuals or animals or vehicles have been seen or identified before.
[I] Identify: The identification level is the most accurate, most detailed of the levels. At the identification level, a viewer can easily identify an individual or animal or vehicle beyond a reasonable doubt.

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Without going into detail regarding how DORI is calculated, we’ve created the charts below to illustrate how the Barn Owl Cameras align with the DORI measurements. By using this chart, you can find the camera and camera lens that is right for you. To learn more about DORI including understanding wireless camera photos and what impacts photo quality, follow this link.

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Click here to view the chart at full size.

Wide Angle Cameras from Barn Owl: