180-Degree Security Camera:
A Buyers Guide

Outdoor security makes it easy to know who is at your door, even when you’re not home. From helping stop package thieves to knowing when a guest has arrived, doorbell cameras not only help provide protection but also offer peace of mind for many of life’s daily activities.

Doorbells have come a long way since Joseph Henry’s electrical design in the 1800s. Nowadays, doorbells often offer customizable options from the design to the doorbell chime. As home surveillance continues to advance, these technological features only increase the potential for safety.

What is a 180-degree security camera?

A traditional 180-degree outdoor security camera is often associated with a particular dome camera shape, with a fisheye lens that provides a dynamic angle for viewing. But you can also take advantage of that wide view to keep an eye on your front yard and even your driveway when it’s inside of a doorbell.

The wide-angle, fisheye camera captures video at a 180-degree viewing angle, allowing for an expansive view of your surroundings. This lens is often slightly warped, hence the fisheye effect. These cameras can provide a greater view of your front porch, helping to reduce blind spots and increase video surveillance camera coverage.

7 Advantages of a 180-Degree Video Doorbell Camera

Many doorbell cameras come equipped with high-resolution HD video quality lenses that help you capture potential thieves, but doorbell cameras also offer other advantages. 

Here are a few of our favorite features:

1. Robust Recording Capabilities: Capture suspicious activity on video that you can give to the police.

2. Smart Home Connectivity: Connect to other devices for effortless smart home integration, like your smart lock.

3. Professional or DIY Installation: DIY option makes many doorbell cameras easy to install yourself.

4. Help Deter Package Thieves: Not only can you keep an eye on when packages arrive, but you can potentially deter porch pirates from stealing when they see that you have a video doorbell.

5. Live Screening: See if there’s a visitor at your door, whether that’s a babysitter, date, pet sitter, or guest.

6. Peace of Mind: Keep an eye on your kids playing in the front yard.

7. Video Capabilities: Know who is at your door, even if you’re not home.

Do doorbell security cameras have night vision?

Many doorbells offer night vision or built-in infrared lights (IR LEDs). These infrared lights make it easy to see in low- or no-light once it gets dark.

A sensor on the camera detects the light level, and when it gets low enough, it automatically switches the camera into night vision mode.

How far can a doorbell camera see?

180-degree security cameras see everything in front of the camera. A 90-degree angle has a viewpoint of anything directly in front of the camera. A comprehensive video doorbell with a 180-degree angle provides a more complete, clear picture of your surroundings for better visibility.

The doorbell cameras offering the widest range are 180 degrees, meaning they can see everything in front of you. More limited cameras will offer 90-degree views, allowing you to only see what is directly in front of the camera (may allow for further straight distance). Users prefer the wider angle as it gives a clearer picture of what is happening at the door. 

What hardware should you look for in a doorbell camera?

Doorbell cameras are often the first defense against burglars. As many as 25% of thieves gain access from the open front or back door.

• Resolution: Resolution determines how sharp your image or video is and is one of the most essential elements of a doorbell camera. Resolutions vary from up to 1080p HD to as low as 480p.

• Viewing Angle: This determines the view of the camera. A 180-degree camera sees almost everything in front of and to the sides of the camera. A 90° angle view mainly covers the front and a little to each side. A wider perspective is preferred for security systems because it captures more.

• Weatherproofing: You don’t want your camera to stop functioning because it’s raining or snowing. A quality camera will have some weatherproofing and is usually waterproof, but may also be dustproof, snowproof, or sand proof.

• Battery-operated vs. Hardwired: Hardwired doorbells tend to be more complicated to set up than wireless systems, so it’s essential to know your limitations when looking to make a purchase.

What technical features should you look for in a doorbell camera?

When making a doorbell purchase, technical specs are just another layer you should consider. Many doorbells allow you to integrate smart security with your doorbell, so it’s easier than ever to do anything from watching live footage on your smartphone to controlling other security equipment around your home.

• Night Vision: Night vision ensures a seamless viewing experience from dawn to dusk, making it easy to see who is at your door all day.

• Motion Detection: This is a feature that is more and more common in doorbells. Once the camera senses movement, it automatically sends a notification to your phone so that you can view the footage.

• Two-way Audio: 2-way audio makes it easy to communicate with the person at your door. Tell someone to drop a package off at the top of the stairs, respond to solicitors, or tell the babysitter where the extra key is hidden.

• Facial Recognition: Believe it or not, facial recognition technology has started cropping up in many doorbell cameras, like the Blue by ADT doorbell. Get notified every time the pet sitter comes by to let Fido out or when your partner comes home late from work.

• App Support: App support is a massive advantage to a smart video doorbell. Apps allow you to remotely access, manage, and monitor your doorbell alerts, keeping you up to date on important software changes.

• Cloud Storage: Keep your footage secure and easily accessible in the cloud. If a break-in occurs and you need to show the police footage, cloud storage makes it easy to access this information.

• Home Automation: Sync your doorbell camera with your existing home security system for seamless smart home integration. If you want your video doorbell to be compatible with Google Assistant or Alexa, you should make sure to purchase a doorbell camera that offers smart capabilities. 

What are some things to consider when placing a doorbell camera?

Now that you’ve purchased your video doorbell camera, it’s time to figure out where you should place it. By installing it at the proper height, you ensure the most optimum placement for viewing your front porch, even with a wide-angle lens.

Some things to consider include:

• Avoid placing it evenly with bushes or trees. Not only do these items obscure the camera, but shadows they cause may make the image appear strange or grainy—even with night vision.

• Install the camera chest-high or around 45 inches from the ground. This is an optimum height for capturing people’s faces as they approach your door.

• Purchase the best maximum video quality possible, so you have clear images and video with sharp resolution.

Do you want a wireless or hardwired system? A wireless system may be easier to install, but you must remember to change the battery out every few months. A hardwired system sometimes requires more technical knowledge to set up, but you don’t need to remember to change the batteries.

ADT Doorbell Camera Specs:

ADT offers two excellent solutions for doorbell monitoring via Blue by ADT or their traditional smart doorbell option. 

Both ADT and Blue by ADT can help you protect your home. Are you looking for superior video with a 180° diagonal viewing angle and exceptional night range? We’ve got you covered!

Whether you want professional monitoring, DIY installation, or the flexibility of yearly pricing or month-to-month payments, ADT is here for you with options that fit your needs.

The ADT doorbell camera offers 180-degrees of better protection.

Video doorbells make your life easier by alerting you when someone crosses near the sensors, even if you’re not home. This outdoor security camera is a wise investment in helping to protect your home from anything from package thieves to unwelcome guests. 

A 180 camera can help deter unwelcome visitors thanks to anything from built-in motion detection to handy infrared night vision. And when someone crosses your pre-charted motion threshold, you automatically get a mobile alert straight to your smartphone for optimum convenience.  

Find out how to get the 180-degree doorbell camera from ADT.