CCTV, Surveillance & Physical Security
Bullet, dome or turret? The shape of a CCTV camera affects where it can go, how easy it is to aim, how it behaves at night, how often it needs cleaning and how hard it is to tamper with. This guide compares all three and recommends a mix for each type of property.
What you will learn
Applies to
Tools Required
No tools needed.
Before you start
Important
Step-by-Step Guide
1 / 8 steps
Step 1
Bullet: long body and sunshade
The tube-shaped housing holds a larger lens and a sunshade that keeps rain and glare off the glass.
Expected result: You see why bullets suit long views at gates and driveways.
The infrared LEDs sit around the lens and shine straight out, so little light reflects back into the camera at night.
Expected result: Bullet night images rarely suffer from glare, though spider webs can blur them.
The lens and IR lights sit behind one clear or tinted cover. From a distance nobody can tell where it points.
Expected result: You see why domes are discreet and suit ceilings and tills.
To re-aim a dome, the installer loosens the cover screws, rotates the lens module and refits the cover.
Expected result: Domes take longer to adjust, which also makes them harder to knock out of position.
At night, IR light passes through the same cover as the lens. Dust, rain spots or scratches reflect it back and haze the picture.
Expected result: You know to clean dome covers with a microfibre cloth and check the lens seal.
The lens and IR lights face out directly, like a bullet, but the camera sits close to the surface like a dome.
Expected result: Turrets give clean night images and are easy to aim on walls and eaves.
Outdoors, the cable joint is the weak point whatever the shape. Use the waterproof kit and a junction box rated IP66 or better.
Expected result: Water and salt air stay out of the connector.
A typical layout: a bullet on the gate, a turret above the door, and domes over the till and in the corridor, all on one PoE switch and recorder.
Expected result: Each position gets the shape that suits it.
Troubleshooting
Likely cause IR reflecting off a dirty, wet or scratched cover, or a lens seal not seated.
Solution Clean the cover with a microfibre cloth, reseat the foam or rubber ring and replace a scratched cover.
Likely cause Spiders and insects drawn to the warm housing and IR light.
Solution Remove webs regularly, adjust detection areas and consider a turret in that position.
Likely cause IR light reflecting off a surface close to the camera.
Solution Move or re-aim the camera so nothing sits close in front of it, then check a night recording.
Likely cause A bullet or turret mounted within reach.
Solution Mount it higher, or use an IK10 vandal dome where people can reach.
Likely cause Unsealed cable joint or a camera without an outdoor IP rating.
Solution Check the datasheet for IP66 or better, use the waterproof kit and a sealed junction box with a drip loop.
Likely cause Salt air on plain steel fixings.
Solution Replace with stainless fixings and corrosion-resistant brackets, and inspect once or twice a year.
In Depth
Bullet, dome or turret? The shape of a CCTV camera affects where it can go, how easy it is to aim, how it behaves at night, how often it needs cleaning and how hard it is to tamper with. This guide compares all three and recommends a mix for each type of property.
New to CCTV? Start with CCTV cameras explained.
A bullet camera is a cylindrical camera on an arm-style bracket. The lens sits at the front of the tube, usually under a small built-in sunshade, and the bracket lets you point it in almost any direction. The long body has room for a larger lens, which is why many long-range and number-plate cameras are bullets. Everyone recognises the shape, which is part of the appeal.
A dome camera has its lens and electronics inside a round housing with a clear or tinted cover (the "bubble"). It mounts flat against a ceiling or wall, and you usually remove the cover to adjust the angle. Domes are compact and discreet, and from a distance it is hard to tell which way the lens points. Vandal-resistant domes are built to survive blows and are hard to knock out of position.
A turret camera looks like a dome without the bubble: a ball-shaped camera sitting in a round base. The lens and infrared (IR) lights are exposed at the front, as on a bullet, but the camera mounts close to the surface like a dome. Turrets avoid the night-time glare some domes suffer, and the ball-and-socket mount is easy to aim. In this guide, "dome" means the bubble type.
| Bullet | Dome | Turret | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shape | Tube on an arm bracket | Low profile under a cover | Ball in a round base, no cover |
| How obvious it is | Very visible | Discreet | Moderately visible |
| Aiming | Easy, adjust the bracket | Remove the cover, rotate the module | Easy, rotate the ball |
| Typical lens | Wide to long-range zoom | Wide to medium | Wide to medium |
| Night-time IR | Lights outside the lens path | Can reflect off a dirty or scratched cover | Lights outside the lens path |
| Cleaning | Lens glass and sunshade; spider webs | Whole cover; scratches easily | Small front glass |
| Tamper resistance | Easier to knock or redirect if in reach | Often best, if the model is IK rated | In between |
| Typical places | Gates, driveways, perimeters, car parks | Ceilings, reception, tills, corridors | Walls and eaves, entrances, indoors or out |
These are typical traits, not rules. The specification of the actual model always decides.
Whatever the shape, mount the camera where it cannot easily be reached, ideally about 2.5 to 3 metres up, then check that the angle still shows faces, not just the tops of heads.
A visible camera tells people they are being recorded, and that alone deters some opportunistic theft. Bullets do this best because everyone recognises the shape. The cost of visibility is that a bullet within reach can be knocked, sprayed or turned away. A dome blends in and hides where it is looking, which suits hotel lobbies, offices and premium shops.
Tip You don't have to choose one. Many properties use a visible bullet or turret at the gate and discreet domes inside.
How much a camera sees depends on its lens and sensor, not its shape:
Bullets suit long, narrow views, such as a face or number plate at a distant gate, because they can house bigger lenses. Domes and turrets usually cover wider, closer areas: a room, a till or a doorway.
This is where the shapes really differ.
Near the coast, salt spray dries into a film on any glass and corrodes cheap screws and brackets. Dusty roads and building sites coat lenses quickly. Plan a cleaning visit every few months and check the brackets at the same time.
Shape tells you little about toughness. Two international ratings do, and they should be on the datasheet.
IP rating (ingress protection, IEC 60529). The first digit is protection against solids and dust, the second against water:
| Rating | What it means |
|---|---|
| IP6x | Dust-tight |
| IPx5 | Protected against water jets |
| IPx6 | Protected against powerful water jets |
| IPx7 | Protected against temporary immersion (tested at about 1 m for 30 minutes) |
IP66 (dust-tight and protected against powerful water jets) is a common choice for an exposed outdoor camera. IP67 is not automatically "better" than IP66: jets and immersion are different tests, which is why many cameras state both, written "IP66/IP67".
IK rating (impact protection, IEC 62262). This measures how hard a blow the housing survives, from IK00 (no protection) up to IK10 (20 joules), with IK11 (50 joules) added by Amendment 1 in 2021. For cameras within reach of the public, look for IK10.
Warning Not every bullet is rated for outdoor use, and not every dome is vandal-resistant. Cheap indoor domes have thin covers that crack easily. Check the IP and IK figures for the exact model.
Plays from YouTube when you press play.
By day, image quality depends on the sensor, lens, resolution and settings, not the shape. At night the shape does matter:
Higher resolution also means bigger recordings. See how much CCTV storage you need and try the CCTV storage calculator.
Choose a bullet when you need distance (a long driveway, fence line, car park or number plates), you want an obvious deterrent, and the camera can be mounted out of reach.
Choose a dome when the camera is indoors on a ceiling, people can reach it or vandalism is a real risk (choose an IK10 model), or you want it discreet.
Choose a turret when you want clean night images without dome glare, the camera goes under eaves or above a door, or you want one camera type for most positions.
| Property | Usual mix | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Home | Turrets or bullets outside; one or two small indoor domes if needed | Clear night images at gate and doors; easy to aim |
| Shop | Domes over tills and aisles; a turret or bullet at the entrance | Discreet inside, tamper-resistant within reach, faces at the door |
| Office | Domes in reception and corridors; turrets at entrances and car park | Professional look; covers who comes and goes |
| Hotel / guesthouse | Discreet domes in lobby and corridors; turrets or bullets at gate, car park and service areas | Guests stay comfortable; perimeter well covered. Never place cameras where guests expect privacy |
| Outdoor entrance or gate | Varifocal bullet or turret, IP66 or better; IK10 if reachable | Distance for faces and plates; weather and tamper protection |
For a whole-business plan, read how to choose a CCTV system for a business in Zanzibar and security for shops and offices.
Plays from YouTube when you press play.
All three shapes can produce excellent footage; the right choice depends on where each camera goes, what it must see, who can reach it and how often it will be cleaned. If you would like a layout for your property, see our CCTV installation service, request a quote or contact us.
This guide is general information. Procedures, product features and firmware change, so check your own equipment's documentation before you start.
FAQs
Neither is better overall. Domes are discreet and often more tamper-resistant; bullets are easier to aim, more visible and better for long distances. Choose by location and the model's specification.
Yes, if the datasheet shows an outdoor IP rating, usually IP66 or better. Mounting it under a roof overhang also keeps rain and sun off the cover, which reduces cleaning and glare.
Bullets and turrets, because their IR lights sit outside the lens path. A clean, well-fitted dome can be just as good, but a dirty or scratched cover reflects IR back into the lens.
Usually a dirty, wet or scratched cover reflecting the camera's own IR light. Clean it with a microfibre cloth, check that the foam or rubber ring around the lens sits properly, and look for nearby walls or eaves reflecting light.
Many are, but check the datasheet for IP66 or better. Because the lens is exposed, a turret within reach can be redirected more easily than a vandal dome.
It means the housing withstands a 20 joule impact under IEC 62262, the highest rating in common use on cameras. It is worth having for any camera within reach.
Shape matters less than build quality. Choose IP66 or better, check that brackets and screws resist corrosion, mount under shelter where possible and plan regular cleaning to remove salt film.
Our engineers survey the site, choose the right cameras and recorder, install them neatly and set up safe remote viewing.
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