Bullet or a Dome Camera

Dome vs Bullet Camera (vs. Turrets)

For many organizations, the choice of a dome vs bullet camera often comes down to installation ease and the intended use. Bullet cameras are typically preferred for outdoor use due to the fact that you mount them on the wall and can support longer range lenses, while dome cameras are ideal for indoor settings due to hanging from the ceiling and often having wider viewing angles.

There's Not a Lot of Difference Between Bullet and Turret Dome Cameras

Use Bullet Cameras Outdoors and Turret Dome Cameras Indoors

We recommend using bullet cameras outdoors because Bullet Security Cameras are easier to install on a wall (which is usually how you install an outdoor camera). Bullet cameras tend to have a bit more distance as well, usually.

Use turret dome security cameras indoors as they are easier to install on the ceiling (which are usually inside) and usually have more of a wide viewing angle.

Avoid Dome Cameras with Glass Domes, Unless...

Unless you're facing a lot of vandalism and you need a protective glass dome, a bullet or a turret dome camera is just easier to install. Dome cameras have a much higher rate of installation mistakes.

Let's Start with Where You're Going to Install the Bullet, Dome or Turret Camera:

If you know you're going to install it on a wall, odds are that you want a bullet camera. If you know you want the camera on the ceiling or soffit, you probably want a dome or a turret.*

So, what exactly makes dome and bullet cameras so different? The two main differences between a dome vs. bullet camera are (1) where the mounting screws are and (2) the shape of the housing. The placement of the screws changes where the camera is most easily installed.

In General, Bullet Cameras are for Outdoors and Domes & Turret Domes are for Indoors

If a camera is mounted on a wall, it is probably outside. If a camera is mounted on the ceiling, it is probably inside.

Manufacturers often design IP dome cameras with wider viewing angles compared to bullet cameras. This wider angle makes dome cameras perfect for indoor settings where a broad field of view is needed. In contrast, bullet cameras, with their narrower angles, provide greater clarity at longer distances, much like how binoculars work. This makes them ideal for outdoor use where pinpoint accuracy and distance vision are crucial.

Because dome or turret cameras are usually installed indoors from the ceiling, they tend to have wider angles of view. In general, you almost always need to cover 90 degrees indoors and you don't often need to narrow the FOV to get more distance.

Bullet security cameras, because they are usually installed outdoors, have a slightly more narrow angle of view than dome or turret cameras. This is because outdoor cameras usually have more camera range as they are able to cover more distance than width.

The Pros and Cons of Bullet, Dome, and Turret Domes

Pros

Easiest to Install
More Obvious
Easy to Reposition
Can usually recognize people and license plates at greater distances
Better Night Vision, Less IR Bounce Back
Greater number of Long Range Camera Options

Cons

Camera Shape Can Support Spider Webs or Bird Nests

Pros

Hard for Vandals to Change Direction of Camera
Harder to see where the Camera is pointed
Usually has a wider field of view

Cons

Harder to Install
Harder to Reposition
Harder to Keep Glass Dome Clean
Glass attracts Dust and Fingerprints
More IR Bounce Back
More Discreet
Some People Forget to Tighten the Glass Dome and Moisture Gets In
Dome can Trap Condensation, Even When Properly Tightened
Can usually recognize people and license plates at shorter distances

Pros

Easier to Install than a Glass Dome
Won't Trap Condensation
No Glass Dome To Get Dirty or Dusty
No Glass Dome to Attract Fingerprints on
Better Night Vision, Less IR Bounce Back
Usually has a wider field of view

Cons

Camera Shape Less Likely than Bullet but Can Support Spider Webs

More Discreet
Can usually recognize people and license plates at shorter distances

Some Specialized Cameras only Come in one Shape.

Some Bullet Camera Models Have More Optical Zoom

Long range cameras like our Archer or Sharpshooter models, allow you to zoom out further than a dome camera ever could. The level of optical zoom that a camera has is related to the distance the lens is from the image sensor. This means that some bullet cameras (usually ones with longer barrels) will have the ability to zoom out farther than dome cameras. Long-range cameras are really only useful outdoors.

Some (All of SCW's) Dome Camera Models Have Vandal Proof Glass

Colleges and universities almost always buy dome cameras even for outdoors. Why? A reinforced glass dome can cut down on a significant amount of camera vandalism.

Not all domes have strong, reinforced glass, but all our dome models do.

IK10 vandal-proof glass (the highest rating possible) for physical damage is usually exclusive to dome cameras. Bullet or turret cameras are much easier to adjust, but that means that vandals can adjust them too. Cameras like The Sheriff have IK10 protection.

The Problem with Domes:

Why Turret Dome Cameras are more Popular than Glass Dome Cameras:

Glass dome cameras are just harder to install. Period. Turret Dome Cameras just remove one complicating factor: the glass.

Forgetting to Tighten The Dome Enough

A significant number of people just forget to tighten the dome down and end up destroying their products. This can happen to anyone. This camera was accidentally destroyed by a commercial security camera installer.

With bullet or turret cameras, there's no possibility of making this mistake, as there's no way to expose the internal components to moisture.

Losing the Silica Packet

Every camera has a silica packet that is designed to absorb moisture from condensation.

Condensation occurs on the warm side of the glass. For example, in summer there may be condensation in the morning on the outside of the camera lens. On a cool night or in wintertime, the air starts to get warmer than the dome, and the camera lens will fog up on the inside.

Another common mistake for dome cameras is losing or removing the silica packet. For turrets or bullet cameras, you never open the camera up, so you don't have the possibility of losing the silica packet.

Domes are NOT PTZs

Just in case you read this whole guide and then said to yourself, "Even if they are harder to install, I still want a dome camera because I want to be able to move it," don't worry. That's a common misconception.

People sometimes confuse dome cameras and PTZ cameras since they have similar dome-like shapes.

PTZ cameras are cameras that can Pan, Tilt, and Zoom (move around) with an app or joystick or computer program. Dome cameras are not PTZ cameras even if they look similar. Only specifically labeled PTZ cameras can pan, tilt, and zoom. That being said, there are very, very few PTZ cameras in the bullet shape. PTZ are by-and-large dome-like in shape.

Still Not Sure If You Want a Bullet or a Dome Camera?

If you don't know where you want to mount it, and none of the special features or pros and cons that we have listed here matter to you, consider this one last factor:

No One Likes Drilling Up

If you can't decide between bullet and dome cameras, go with a bullet camera

The vast majority of our returns are people who bought a dome camera and realized later how much easier a bullet is to install.