While bullet and dome cameras have a lot of similarity in terms of specifications, there are subtle differences between them. This article will discuss the differences between a dome and a bullet camera, helping you to pick the right one to meet your CCTV needs.
The major difference between the two types of CCTV cameras are their shapes. The Dome camera as the name suggests have a rounded dome like shape where, the camera lens, image sensor and other components are enclosed in a dome shaped glass. The bullet camera on the other hand is cylindrical in shape like the barrel of a gun.
While both dome and bullet cameras can be used for indoor purpose, dome camera is more common in indoors due to their aesthetic look. They are less intrusive and blend well with the surroundings and room décor. Bullet cameras are more obvious in design and is a good deterrent for vandals and thieves. They are also weatherproof. This makes them ideal for outdoor usage.
When it comes to installation, bullet cameras are much easier to install. They have a mounting handle which you need to attach to the wall. Once it is done, you can point the bullet camera, fixed to the handle, at any direction you intend to monitor. Dome cameras are much harder to install than bullet cameras. You need to remove the glass casing and fix the base with the lens and other components to the ceiling or soffit. Then you must fix the glass dome. This increases the chances of human error. Also dome cameras may be exposed to moisture while installation which could precipitate on the lens. So installing dome cameras on a humid day isn’t the right thing to do. Turret cameras which are shaped like dome cameras but don’t need the casing to be removed during installation can be used in place of dome cameras.
The range of a CCTV camera, whether it is dome or bullet depends on a lot of specifications like type of image sensor, type of lens, Wide range Dynamic feature, lines of resolution, etc. There is no general rule that one type of camera has larger range than others. But the range also depends on the distance between the lens and the sensor. Due to the shape of the bullet camera, in most of the cases it offers a larger range than dome cameras. However, exceptions are there where a dome camera has larger range than bullet cameras.
Based on these differences we can safely assume that when you need to monitor a large open space like your backyard or the front and entrance, it is best to use bullet cameras, while, when you need to monitor the indoors you can use the dome cameras.