Guides
Camera resolution: how much is actually enough
For most shops 2MP covers general scene recording and 4MP suits entrances where you need to identify a face. Beyond 4MP the gain is real but storage and cost rise sharply. Resolution matters less than placement — a well-positioned 2MP camera beats a badly aimed 8MP one every time.
What each step buys you
2MP gives a clear scene and recognisable people at short range. 4MP lets you crop into a face at an entrance. 8MP is for wide scenes you intend to zoom into afterwards, like a forecourt or a yard.
The storage cost
Doubling resolution roughly doubles the storage for the same retention. A 4MP system recording 30 days needs about twice the drive of a 2MP system, and that cost is often forgotten in the quote.
Where it genuinely matters
Entrances and tills. Those are the two positions where you may need to identify a specific person rather than describe what happened, and they are worth spending the extra on.
Where it does not
A corridor, a stock room or a wide shop-floor view. You are recording activity, not identifying strangers, and 2MP is plenty.
How many megapixels do I need for CCTV?
Is 8MP worth it for a small shop?
Rarely. You will pay for the cameras twice — once for the units and again in storage — for detail you will not use. Spend the difference on a better entrance camera and more storage instead.
Does higher resolution help at night?
Not necessarily. More pixels on a dark scene means more noise, and some 2MP cameras with larger sensors give a cleaner night image than a cheap 4MP. Low-light performance is a sensor question, not a megapixel one.
Need this doing?
CCTV installation covers surveying your premises, choosing camera positions that actually cover your entrances and till, running cable in conduit, fitting the recorder with enough storage for your retention needs, and setting up phone viewing before we leave. A four-camera system typically costs PKR 45,000 to 70,000 installed.
CCTV installation — what it costsRelated pages
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