What's the difference between a 360° panoramic camera and a 180° model?
A 360° camera captures a full circle from one mounting point, ideal for open warehouses, parking lots, or atriums. A 180° unit covers a half-circle (typically the space in front of the mounting surface) and is better suited to hallways and linear retail floors. 180° cameras usually have lower distortion and higher per-pixel definition in the captured area.
Do panoramic cameras replace traditional fixed surveillance entirely?
Panoramic cameras are excellent for wide-area coverage reduction but less optimal for high-DORI tasks (facial ID, license-plate recognition) due to pixel-density trade-offs. Best practice is a hybrid: one or two panoramic units for situational awareness and coverage consolidation, paired with fixed high-resolution cameras at critical entry points for identification-grade detail.
What's the typical bitrate for a 4K panoramic camera, and how does it affect storage?
A 4K (4MP) panoramic camera typically ranges from 15–35 Mbps depending on codec (H.264 vs. H.265) and frame rate. H.265 halves bitrate compared to H.264. At 20 Mbps and 7-day retention, you'll need approximately 12 TB of storage. See retention math for bitrate and storage to plan accurately.
Can a panoramic fisheye camera provide multiple independent video streams?
Yes. Many fisheye models (especially Axis and Hikvision units) support virtual PTZ (vPTZ) and quad-view modes, allowing the VMS to extract up to four independent dewarped rectangular feeds from one sensor. This effectively replaces 2–3 fixed cameras, but requires sufficient NVR decoding capacity and network bandwidth.
What PoE power budget should I allocate for panoramic cameras?
Most panoramic domes consume 10–25W under normal operation; add 5–10W if heating, IR, or intensive dewarping is active. A single heated outdoor panoramic unit can draw 30–40W at peak. Plan PoE+ (95W) per camera and confirm your switch total budget; see PoE budget planning to avoid mid-deployment power failures.
Which brands offer the best panoramic camera options for integrators?
Leading choices include Axis (Lightfinder low-light, excellent dewarping), Hikvision (cost-effective, broad model range), Hanwha (strong PNM management), Pelco (enterprise support, resilience), and Vivotek (compact, modular designs). Choose based on your VMS ecosystem, PoE infrastructure, and DORI requirements.
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