An IP camera can have a fixed lens or an adjustable lens. The value is indicated in millimeters. This value determines the field of view (Field of View, FoV). A lower value means a wider field of view. The field of view is the angle expressed in degrees: horizontal, vertical and diagonal. The lens is positioned in a fixed viewing direction when the camera is mounted. A PTZ camera has the ability to remotely change this viewing direction.

The field of view cannot be changed with a fixed lens camera. So it is not possible to zoom in and out optically. Many cameras are available in multiple fixed lens versions, such as 2.8mm, 3.6mm and 6mm. In our WebStore4 we usually offer the 2.8mm version. If a different lens value is desired and available we can also supply it on request. A low(er) lens value and a very large field of view is found in so-called fisheye IP cameras that have a 180 or 360 degree field of view. The image is often digitally processed in the camera so that one or more rectangular images can be displayed.

The lens of an IP camera can also be adjustable: a varifocal lens. A common varifocal value is 2.7mm to 13.5mm. The field of view can be adjusted: it is possible to optically zoom in and out. This can be practical when for example the desired field of view at the mounting location cannot be properly determined in advance. After mounting the camera can be set with exactly the right field of view so that the desired scene is maximized and there is no over view. Some IP cameras have a varifocal lens that must be set manually on the camera itself. Most IP cameras however have a motorized varifocal lens so that the setting can be made remotely via software or a mobile app. The motorized varifocal lens does not move by itself and is primarily intended for efficient installation. Many IP cameras can also zoom in and out digitally. Because digital zoom is achieved by software and not optically the digital zoom reduces the resolution and thus image quality.

An IP camera can have different shapes (form factor). Most common shapes are the dome, eyeball (also called turret), bullet, cube and PTZ (also called speed dome). Cameras can be mounted in different ways and sometimes with the use of optional brackets. The viewing direction of the lens is determined during installation. Most cameras have the ability to set the viewing direction of the lens in 3 axes. A camera can therefore be mounted both vertically or horizontally while the viewing direction can still be set correctly.

Setting the viewing direction when mounting the camera is not necessary when a PTZ camera is used. PTZ stands for Pan, Tilt and Zoom. With a PTZ camera the lens can rotate (horizontal), tilt (vertical) and zoom in and out motorized. The lens can often be rotated 360 degrees. The viewing direction can be set downwards by tilting. Some PTZ cameras can (also) be pointed upwards: so-called positioning cameras.

The viewing direction and degree of zoom can be determined manually or automatically via a special keyboard with joystick, software or a mobile app. A large area can be monitored with a PTZ camera. Most PTZ can take a preset tour. Some PTZ have Auto Tracking which allows a moving object or person to be automatically tracked. PTZ cameras can often also rotate and zoom to a preset position based on an alarm signal input. The disadvantage of a PTZ camera is that (standard) motion detection based on a change in image is not practical because the camera itself moves and thus causes a motion detection. Some remote adjustable viewing direction cameras have no zoom and are therefore referred to as a PT camera. Professional PTZ cameras (speed domes) with a large zoom and infrared range have a large size.

An IP camera sometimes has ePTZ. Cameras with a wide field of view, such as the fisheye cameras mentioned above, often have ePTZ. With ePTZ it is possible to digitally zoom, pan and tilt. The camera does not move physically but moves software based over the wide angle image.