Outdoor CCTV camera: what to look at

A camera outdoors gets rain, dust, sun and other people's hands. So the requirements differ from those for an indoor camera.

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Choosing

Five requirements for an outdoor camera

Protection from water and dustOn the camera's data sheet it is shown as an IP rating. For outdoors IP66 or IP67 is the usual choice.
Operating temperatureThe data sheet gives a temperature range. In direct summer sun the housing gets hotter than the air, so the camera is placed under an eave or in the shade where possible.
Night footageInfrared illumination gives a black-and-white picture in the dark. Cameras with colour night vision show the colour of clothes and cars.
Impact protectionWhere the camera can be reached, a vandal-resistant housing is used.
A sealed connectionThe cable connector is hidden in a junction box: in the open air contacts oxidise and the picture starts dropping out.

Questions

Can an indoor camera be put outdoors?

No. Without protection from moisture and dust it will fail quickly.

How high should the camera be mounted?

High enough that it cannot be reached from the ground, but not so high that a visitor's face becomes a view of the top of their head.

What does a large area need?

Fixed cameras cover the gate, the entrance and the overview; a pan-tilt-zoom camera is added where an operator needs to zoom in on distant areas.