– CCTV FUNDAMENTALS · LEVEL 1 · STUDY LEARNING
Camera-side fundamentals for security integrators BETA
The camera side of physical security work without the vendor marketing. Resolution and frame rate, codecs, optics and DORI, IP and IK ratings, PoE, ONVIF, and storage math. Read a spec sheet without flinching. Vendor-neutral. Animated demos throughout. Free.
What you will learn
By the end of this course you can read a camera spec sheet without flinching, pick the right resolution and frame rate for a scene, decode an IP rating in three seconds, recognize the PoE class your camera needs, specify the right ONVIF profile in a purchase document, and size storage against retention requirements with confidence.
Every product brand named in the lessons (Axis, Hanwha, Avigilon, Bosch, Hikvision, Pelco, etc.) is for illustration. The principles apply across every brand on the market. DORI is taught against IEC 62676-4:2014/2015 because that is still the dominant industry reference in 2026 design tools and spec sheets; the 2025 OODPCVS update is acknowledged in Lesson 09.
Course outline
Video Fundamentals
Resolution, frame rate, codecs (H.264, H.265, smart codec families), and bitrate math (CBR vs VBR) the way it shows up on a spec sheet.
Camera Form Factors
Bullet, dome, turret, PTZ, multisensor, fisheye. What each is for and where the others fall short. Includes a checkpoint.
Optics and Coverage
Focal length and field of view, DORI distances (IEC 62676-4:2014/2015, with a note on the 2025 OODPCVS update), low-light sensitivity, WDR, and IR.
Environmental Ratings
IP code (IEC 60529), IK code (IEC 62262), temperature and humidity, hazardous locations. Reading a rating in three seconds. Includes a checkpoint.
Network and Power
PoE classes (802.3af, at, bt), bandwidth per camera, ONVIF profiles (T, G, M) and the October 2025 Profile S deprecation news.
Storage and Recording
Recording modes, retention math, RAID and edge storage, the VMS touch point. Final assessment closes the course.
Who this is for
- New security integrators getting their first project where camera selection is on them.
- IT generalists being asked to support a camera network and wanting the vocabulary.
- Junior camera technicians filling gaps in the foundation knowledge their vendor courses skipped.
- Anyone who has read three camera spec sheets and still cannot tell why one is twice the price of another.
Course details
- Level, Level 1 (beginner)
- Length, ~80 minutes
- Lessons, 20 across 6 parts
- Knowledge checks, 8 total (2 per checkpoint, 4 in the final)
- Format, single-page interactive site, runs in any modern browser
- Cost, Free
- Author, Hans Study
- Status, BETA
Ready to start?
The course opens at lesson 01 and steps through all 20 lessons in order. Use the prev / next buttons or arrow keys to move between lessons. Score is tracked on the bottom bar and a completion certificate appears at the end.
Open the course →