Which Security Cameras Fit Your Home? Turret, Dome, Bullet or PTZ
Camera shopping gets confusing fast. The good news is that for most homes the choice comes down to four shapes and a handful of features. Here is what each one is good at, and where it belongs on your house.
By Ilan Nahum , Blaze Alarms Updated October 13, 2026 6 min read
- Turret cameras are the best all-round choice for most homes: easy to aim, no glare at night.
- Bullet cameras suit long views like driveways. Domes suit spots where you want them harder to tamper with.
- PTZ cameras that pan and zoom are mostly for large properties and businesses.
- Placement and night vision matter more than megapixels.
The four camera shapes, in plain English
| Type | What it looks like | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Turret | A ball in a round base, like an eyeball | Front doors, porches, backyards. Our usual pick for homes. |
| Dome | Camera hidden under a smoked or clear dome | Spots within reach, garages, inside stores. Harder to see which way it points. |
| Bullet | A long tube on an arm | Long driveways, laneways and parking areas. Very visible, which deters. |
| PTZ | A larger dome that pans, tilts and zooms | Big lots, warehouses and commercial yards. Rarely needed at home. |
Turret cameras: the home favourite
Turret cameras are what we install most on houses. The lens sits in a ball you can point in any direction, so they work under soffits, on walls and on porch ceilings. Because there is no dome over the lens, there is no glare or reflection at night, and spiders and rain have less to stick to.
Dome cameras: discreet and tough
Domes are a good choice where a camera is within arm's reach, such as a garage, a low porch ceiling or inside a store. People cannot easily tell which way the lens is pointing, and the housing is hard to knock out of position. The trade-off is that the dome cover can catch reflections from nearby lights.
Bullet cameras: for the long view
A bullet camera is easy to spot from the street, which is part of the point. Its shape makes it good at looking down a long driveway or a laneway behind a Toronto semi. It also usually has a stronger lens for reading details further away.
PTZ cameras: for large spaces
Pan-tilt-zoom cameras can turn and zoom in from a phone or follow movement. They are great for a big parking lot or a construction yard. For a house, two or three fixed cameras usually cover more and cost less, because a PTZ only sees where it is pointing at that moment.
Features that actually matter
- Night vision. Most incidents happen at night. Colour night vision cameras use very sensitive sensors, and some models add a small built-in light, so you see colours of clothing and cars after dark instead of a grey image.
- Resolution that fits the job. A good 5MP to 8MP (4K) camera is plenty for most homes. Placement matters more than megapixels. A 4K camera aimed at the sky still will not show a face.
- Wide or zoom lens. A wide lens covers a whole backyard. A narrower lens shows more detail at the end of a long driveway.
- Two-way audio and a built-in siren. Some cameras let you talk through them from your phone, and some can sound a siren or flash a light when someone enters a zone at night.
- Smart detection. Cameras that can tell a person or a car from a swaying branch send far fewer false alerts.
We visit, look at your home, and give you a written quote. No pressure, no obligation.
Wired or wireless?
We install hardwired cameras. One cable carries both power and video to a recorder inside your home, so there are no batteries to charge and nothing depends on your Wi-Fi. Battery and Wi-Fi cameras are easy to put up yourself, but they can miss events, need charging and often come with a monthly cloud fee. Our sister site has a longer wired vs. wireless comparison.
Where each camera goes on a typical home
- Front door and porch A turret close enough to see faces, ideally at about the height of the door frame or just above.
- Driveway A bullet or turret that covers the cars and the walkway up to the house.
- Back door and yard A wide-angle turret under the back soffit.
- Side of the house A turret looking down the path and at the side gate, a common way into backyards.
Most houses end up with four to six cameras. Our full guide on how many cameras you need walks through it by type of home. You can also see the systems we install on our security cameras page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best type of security camera for a house?
For most homes, a turret camera. It is easy to aim, works under soffits and on walls, and has no dome cover to cause glare at night.
Is 4K worth it for home cameras?
It helps for wide views and long driveways where you want to zoom into a recording. For a front door, a well-placed 5MP camera often shows faces just as clearly.
Do security cameras work in the dark?
Yes. Most cameras switch to night vision. Colour night vision models keep showing colour in low light, and some have a built-in light for total darkness.
Do I pay a monthly fee for cameras?
Not for the systems we install. Video is recorded on a recorder in your home and you watch it on your phone for free.
Ilan Nahum runs Blaze Alarms, a Toronto security company installing alarm systems and security cameras across the GTA since 1990. Rated stars from 178 Google reviews.
Blaze Alarms has protected Toronto and GTA homes since 1990. Tell us about your home and we will give you a clear written quote.