A Pan tilt zoom camera (PTZ Camera) is a closed-circuit television camera with remote directional and zoom control.
The phrase PTZ Camera has two meanings within the video security and surveillance products industries.
First, PTZ is an acronym for pan, tilt, and zoom and may refer merely to features of specific surveillance cameras.
Second, PTZ Camera may also be used to describe an entire category of devices where a combination of sound and/or motion and/or change in heat signature may enable the camera to activate, focus and track suspected changes in the video field.
By activating only during times of change, systems can notify human monitors and minimize storage requirements.
When comparing the PTZ options be aware of the difference between digital zoom and optical zoom.
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Digital zoom
Digital zoom is basically a digital crop within the camera. It is not a true magnification. When you use digital zoom you are effectively only capturing part of an image, with lower resolution than the full frame image would have.
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Optical zoom
Optical zoom is magnification created by a lens. This type of magnification is a "true zoom" and should not adversely affect image quality. Optical zoom should be your first choice for magnification whenever possible.
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