WTI's Sidewinder VS. a dome camera

Sidewinder VS. Dome Camera

WTI’s Sidewinder camera is more versatile than any dome camera in the industry. It is the best Pan / Tilt / Zoom camera I’ve ever seen! There are so many Dome cameras out there, many are very good and many… well you get what you paid for. The Sidewinder is dollar-for-dollar the best value in a P/T/Z camera over a Dome. Don’t get me wrong, Domes are good but their view is quite limited. The Sidewinder camera’s view is UNLIMITED!!!

1.) WTI’s Sidewinder has continuous 360 degree rotation on both pan and tilt axis; however, while a dome camera has a 360 degree pan it only a 90 degree tilt.

2.) The Sidewinder’s view is not limited to the horizon of its mount level while a dome is. The dome actually cuts off when the camera tilts up and hits the top of the dome. Therefore, you can mount the Sidewinder on a shorter pole than a dome because it can see higher than a dome.

3.) Most dome covers will warp or crack after being exposed to the heat or sun for long periods of time – distorting the video picture. They also accumulate dirt so the dome needs to be cleaned periodically.

4.) The Sidewinder has a Hydrophilic self cleaning glass window and an ITO coating on the inside of the lens which conducts electricity through the lens so it will never fog up. No more wipers or periodical cleaning here.

5.) The Sidewinder supports up to 64 presets, 8 tours with 32 presets each. Domes usually support up to 128 presets but tours range from 4 to 8 with as many as 16 presets per tour.

6.) Sidewinder has 520 horizontal TV lines and most Domes have as much as 480 horizontal TV lines a few have 540 TV lines depending on the dome and who makes it.

7.) Domes are a very popular camera. They are priced from very inexpensive to very expensive for a camera with the same specs. They are a dime a dozen and most if not all out there are made outside of the United States.

8.) The Sidewinder is made here in the USA!

9.) The Sidewinder also comes in a High-Definition version while Domes do not. This means the Sidewinder can be used by Television Stations and News vans to broadcast in HD. You just can’t do that with a Dome.

10.) The Sidewinder can operate at extreme temperatures of -29ºF to 165ºF. The best Dome camera I’ve seen can operate at -50ºF to 113ºF. Depending on where you are at, your dome camera will not function in real cold or real hot weather for an extended period of time. The Sidewinder will.

11.) Domes are typically made out of plastic which makes them subject to being scratched, cracked and warped.

12.) The Sidewinder has a 35X optical and a 140X digital zoom with the clearest picture I have ever seen. Most domes don’t have 35X optical and 140 digital zoom capabilities, they usually have up to 30X and most of the time; they are more around 16X to 20X optical zoom with very little to no digital zoom capabilities.

13.) Depending on what color dome you have, you will experience light loss (except clear domes) which can affect the quality of your video. The Sidewinder does not have any loss of light.

14.) The Sidewinder has great low light sensitivity. It can see at 0.05 Lux to 0.01 Lux in IR mode.

15.) Sidewinder has 0.05 degree preset repeatability; while domes aren’t nearly as accurate.

16.) Domes are very limited on where they can be mounted, as they must be mounted pointed down and attached to an arm to hold it in place (indoor domes can be mounted in ceilings). Sidewinders are a lot more flexible to mount because they are mounted upright. They can go on top of and side of poles, on top of buildings or structures without long arms.

17.) The Sidewinder is more cost effective due to a lot less maintenance, it doesn’t have to be mounted in a real high location and one Sidewinder can do the job of multiple domes.

Domes are primarily a security surveillance camera. The Sidewinder is so much more!!

~Lester Miyasaki, National Sales Manager