smoked bubble dome or clear for IP camera outdoors

[camera-newbie 0]

some of these cams come with the option of smoked vs clear dome.. when used outside what are the pros/cons of each if any.. In my case they'd be outside (IP66 rated) and would need to handle low-light well.. I've currently got two existing analog cameras (CNB's) that have smoked domes and appear to work OK (not great at night mind you without serious IR help) but wondering if clear dome's would cause the picture to be more washed out during bright lighting situations..

 

comments?

[MaxIcon 0]

Smoked domes are usually for not letting people see where the cam is pointed. You definitely pick up more low-light sensitivity with clear domes. The rule of thumb is you lose 1/2 f-stop with a smoked dome.

 

There shouldn't be any extra problems with glare or washout, but that can depend on the dome.

[camera-newbie 0]

Thanks.. I don't care whether people see where the camera is pointed.. I'll specify clear for my next camera purchase then.. Thx!

[jhonovich 0]

We've tested the low light performance difference between smoked and clear domes. Here's an example of image quality difference: