Choosing NicoShop lenses There are two main features related to camera lenses: Focal distance and Iris. Focal distance It determines the angle of view of the lens and it's measured in millimeters. Lower the lens focal (e.g. 3 mm), higher its wide-angle; higher the lens focal (e.g. 12 mm), higher its capability to provide a focused picture. There are lenses with fixed focal, lenses with predefined angle of view, and lenses with variable focal (named VARIFOCAL), in which the angle of view can be adjusted within a predefined range. Iris It's the aperture that allows the light to reach the lens. Its dimension is related to a number named F-Stop. If the F-Stop is low (e.g. F:1,2) the Iris is wide and more light will pass through the lens, if the F-Stop is high (e.g. F:2) the Iris is narrower and less light will pass through the lens. A lens with low F-Stop is suitable for use with normal or low light, a lens with high F-Stop is not suitable for use with low light, but it will be suitable for outdoor usage under sunlight conditions. There are lenses with fixed Iris, with a precise value of F-Stop, lenses with manually adjustable Iris, and lenses with automatic Iris (named AUTOIRIS) able to automatically adjust to light exposure. FIXED LENSES - Fixed focal and Iris They are the most common used in the CCTV systems. They have an excellent image quality and brightness. The focal, that determines the angle of view, is fixed; many different focal lengths are available in order to allow wide-angle or focused shots. The Iris aperture is fixed and it's adjusted on an average value to shot under conditions of average brightness (offices, shops). VARIFOCAL LENSES - Focal and Iris manually adjustable With these lenses, the focal (angle of view) and Iris aperture (exposure) are manually adjustable using two metal rings. One metal ring is used to adjust the angle of view, from wide-angle to zoom. The other metal ring opens and closes the Iris to adapt the ambient exposure. The main advantage is related to its versatility that allows the same results of using different lenses for indoor shots in full light and penumbra conditions.  AUTOIRIS LENSES - Fixed Focal and automatic Iris These lenses have a fixed focal, as for standard lenses; the Iris is automatically adjusted by means of an internal motor that opens and closes depending to the ambient light exposure. This allows the camera to shot under low and full light conditions, avoiding shots too dark or clear. Auto-Iris lenses are essential for outdoor shots. VARIFOCAL AUTOIRIS LENSES - Focal adjustable and automatic Iris These lenses inherit the advantages of auto-Iris and VARIFOCAL lenses. The automatic Iris adapts to the light and shots well under full light and penumbra conditions, allowing outdoor usage or under variable light conditions. The variable focal allows perfect adjustment of the area to be viewed. Certainly, they are the most complete lenses, but also the most expensive. THREE MOTORS ZOOM - Remote control of Focal, Iris and Focus These lenses have 3 built-in motors used to adjust the focal, Iris and focus. The focal range is very wide, and with the highest zoom can reach a value of 60 mm for use at long distances. These lenses are controlled by means of 6 wires to be connected to a console, where the user can operate in real-time looking at the monitor screen. MINILENSES - Lowest volume, fixed Focal and Iris These are very small lenses, originally developed for mini-cameras, predefined for a small socket named "type S". The main advantages of mini-lenses are their small dimensions that allow the use in very small volumes for hidden cameras applications. Mini-lenses are generally mounted on small cameras, but may also be installed on standard cameras (C or CS socket) using an adapter (always included in the package). PIN-HOLE MINI-LENSES - Miniaturized for hidden cameras These lenses have to be used with totally hidden cameras, being able to shot through an aperture of 1 mm diameter. PIN-HOLE lenses have a fixed focal of 3.6 mm that offers a wide-angle view. They are included by default in the special hidden cameras with refined electronic Iris. We suggest you to avoid their installation on standard cameras, even if technically feasible, due to their lower brightness. OBIETTIVI IR - To be used with infrared illuminators Using infrared illuminators with standard lenses might encounter the FOCUS-SHIFT phenomenon (i.e. a perfectly focused image in daylight will become slightly unfocused at infrared light. IR lenses are specifically made to concentrate both infrared light and natural light on the same focal plan, thus allowing a precise focusing under daylight and darkness conditions. NSH range of lenses includes varifocal IR lenses both manual iris and auto-iris.

CCTV CAMERA LENSES