5 criteria for choosing cameras for areas near the sea

NGÀY ĐĂNG 18/09/2025

Admin

After just a few months, salt air from the sea can corrode the metal casing of surveillance cameras, causing damage, reducing the life of the device and disrupting the entire security system. In harsh environments such as seaports and coastal industrial zones, choosing the wrong type of camera is like "throwing money out the window". So what is the solution? What are the criteria for choosing cameras for areas near the sea? Let's explore with KPS in the article below!

Saltwater corrosion resistance

Why is corrosion resistance necessary in coastal environments?

Coastal environments offer many economic and landscape advantages, but they are silent enemies for electronic equipment and outdoor surveillance systems. Here are some reasons why it is necessary to equip cameras with anti-corrosion housings in this area:

Sea breezes carry salt vapor and tiny salt particles that adhere to the surface of the device. When combined with humidity and oxygen in the air, they cause metal oxidation, causing the device housing to: Rust, corrode quickly, or damage the physical structure.

Coastal areas often have humidity >80%, even close to 100% at night, which increases the rate of corrosion and causes short circuits, directly affecting the electronic components inside the camera.

Strong solar radiation at the coast not only heats up the equipment quickly but also makes the protective paint, plastic, rubber brittle, cracked, peeling - opening the way for corrosion to penetrate deeper.

Strong winds at the coast easily carry salt dust, sand and water vapor deep into the gaps of the equipment. In stormy or sandstorm conditions, equipment that is not resistant will be damaged quickly.

When the camera is damaged due to corrosion, it not only costs a lot of money to replace it but also leads to: Loss of monitoring data, creating security gaps, causing disruptions in operations at seaports, factories, and coastal resorts.

The "shield" cover protects the camera

In harsh coastal environments, the outer cover not only plays an aesthetic role but also acts as a "vital shield" to help the camera withstand harmful elements from nature. Choosing the right type of cover is a decisive factor in the lifespan and performance of the monitoring device.

Main functions of the camera cover:

• Prevent environmental impacts: salt spray, sea dust, rainwater, UV rays, strong winds, etc.
• Limit oxidation and corrosion: protect metal parts and internal microcircuits.
• Increase mechanical durability: resist impact, vibration from strong winds or physical impact.
• Stabilize temperature and humidity: help the device operate more stably for a long time.

Specialized anti-corrosion cover material:

• 316L stainless steel (stainless steel): Optimal anti-corrosion, especially in environments with salt and chemicals.
• Powder-coated aluminum alloy: Light, durable, can be painted with multiple layers to resist UV rays and salt spray.
• High-grade ABS, PC engineering plastics: UV resistant, heat resistant, light and non-oxidizing.
• Anti-salt coating (fluoropolymer, epoxy): Strengthens the outer protective layer, reduces the possibility of peeling and cracking.

Standards required on outdoor coastal camera housings

Specialized cameras are often designed to meet the following standards:

• NEMA 4X: anti-corrosion, rain, mist, sea dust.
• IP66 or IP67: strong water, completely dustproof - minimum standard for outdoor cameras.
• IK10: strong impact resistance, protects equipment from physical damage.
• ASTM B117 (Salt Spray Test): verifies corrosion resistance in salt spray environments.

If using a camera without a built-in specialized housing, you can equip an additional external housing with the following features: anti-rust aluminum housing, glass heating, automatic glass cleaning, waterproof sealed cable, high-pressure tower installation, wharf.

Ability to withstand harsh weather

Not only facing corrosive salt spray, the coastal environment is also particularly harsh in terms of weather. Surveillance cameras installed at seaports, factories near the sea, industrial parks or coastal resorts must withstand strong winds, storms, UV rays and large temperature fluctuations - so weather resistance is an indispensable criterion when choosing equipment.

UV rays and strong sunlight

• Ultraviolet rays on the coast make the outer shell susceptible to cracking, brittleness and fading without a UV protection layer.
• The shell and coating material must be highly resistant to UV rays, ensuring that it does not affect the operation of the camera and the durability of the device.

Temperature and humidity change continuously

• During the day, the sun is strong, at night it is cold or foggy, causing large temperature fluctuations.
• The camera needs to be able to dissipate heat quickly, prevent fogging and operate stably in a wide temperature range (usually from -40°C to +60°C).
• Some cameras also have an automatic heating feature, ensuring operation in cold weather or snow and rain.

Strong winds and storms all year round

• In coastal areas, especially during the rainy season, winds can reach 100–150 km/h or more.
• Outdoor cameras must be designed to be sturdy, withstand high winds, and not be displaced or broken.
• Must have a sealed housing that is resistant to water ingress even in heavy rain or when sprayed from multiple directions.

Image quality & night vision

High resolution allows the camera to clearly identify people and vehicles, digitally enlarge the image without distortion, and easily compare and extract evidence when needed.

Coastal areas have constantly changing light during the day: harsh dawn, backlit dusk, ship lights at night... The camera needs to integrate:

• WDR (Wide Dynamic Range): handles well the bright and dark areas in the same frame
• BLC/HLC: balances the background light, reduces glare
• Low-light mode: optimizes recording in low light conditions

The camera should have IR infrared with a range of 30m to 100m+, or more advanced technology such as:

• Starlight / Super Starlight: provides color images in very low light conditions
• Color Night Vision: maintains color even at night, making it easier to distinguish objects

Some high-end cameras have the following functions:

• Auto Defog / Digital Defog: processes blurry images due to fog
• Smart infrared filter: limits glare and blurring when there is dust/water vapor
• Anti-condensation on the lens thanks to anti-fog nano coating

Smart features (integrated AI)

In coastal areas, seaports, and industrial parks near the sea, simply recording is not enough. AI-integrated cameras are becoming an inevitable trend to help upgrade security systems from passive to active, from manual monitoring to intelligent automation.

AI cameras not only record images but also have the ability to clearly distinguish people, cars, motorbikes, boats, containers, etc., helping to reduce false alarms from the movement of ocean waves, flying birds, shaking tree branches, etc.

Cameras can recognize faces in real time and compare them with stored data. Effective applications in locations such as:

• Entrance gates of seaports, industrial parks
• Identifying strangers entering after hours
• Human resource management, smart access control

AI helps warn of intrusions & unusual behaviors such as:

• Illegal intrusion into restricted areas
• Loitering, going in the opposite direction, leaving strange objects
• Unusual gathering of people in a short period of time

-> The system immediately issues warnings via sound, flashing lights, or sends notifications to the operation center.

Auto-tracking & Virtual Area Analysis (VCA)

• When detecting a suspicious object, the camera can automatically rotate, zoom, and follow without manual control.
• Set up virtual warning zones (limit lines, virtual fence areas) for more accurate monitoring.

Smart recording - save bandwidth & storage

• With AI, the system only records scenes with important events, not saving the entire time as traditional.
• Optimize storage capacity, reduce operating costs and easily retrieve data later.

Flexibility in installation and maintenance

Installing and maintaining cameras in coastal areas, wharves, and factories near the sea is always a difficult problem due to the characteristics of large terrain, harsh environments, and equipment that is often corroded or degraded quickly. Therefore, flexibility in design, construction and maintenance is a key factor when choosing an outdoor surveillance camera system.

Optimal design for many installation locations

• Easy to mount on high pillars, walls, electric poles, wharf railings or boats.
• Some cameras support flexible rotation, wide viewing angle, and limited blind spots, helping to reduce the number of cameras required.
• Bullet, dome or PTZ (multi-directional rotation) camera lines all have weather and corrosion resistant versions, suitable for marine environments.

Convenient structure for technicians

• The camera has a modular design, easy to disassemble and replace separate modules (lens, sensor, control board) to save maintenance time.
• Some lines also support remote setup - remote configuration over the network, no need to go to the site.

Built-in mounting accessories

Many specialized camera models integrate:

• Sturdy base, salt-resistant, UV-resistant
• NEMA 4X / IP66/IP67 standard protective housing

Automatic cooling/heat dissipation or heating system, helping to operate durably in all weather conditions

Optimized for inspection and cleaning

With salt dust, fog, water adhesion... the camera needs to be cleaned periodically.

Choose the lines with:

• Water, dust, grease resistant glass
• Automatic cleaning or integrated wiper (for high-end PTZ cameras)
• Remote error notification when the device shows abnormal signs

Suggest suitable cameras

WV-S15500-V3LN

Meets standards such as: Anti-salt corrosion, NEMA 4X standard, IK10, IP66, FIPS 140-2 level 3

Type: Bullet camera AI outdoor

Resolution: 5MP

Outstanding features:

• Aluminum shell coated with anti-corrosion, anti-salt
• Color night vision (Color Night Vision)
• AI classifies people, vehicles
• Withstands temperatures from -40°C to 60°C
• High security standards, suitable for outdoor installation by the sea

Suitable for applications such as: Wharfs, industrial parks near the sea, fences of protected areas

WV-S85402-V2L

Multi-sensor camera 360°

Meeting standards such as: Anti-corrosion nano coating, IP66, IK10

Type: 4-lens multi-sensor camera (4x4K)

Outstanding features:

• Panorama monitoring, replace 4 cameras
• Durable cover, salt-resistant design
• Advanced AI analysis: recognize direction of movement, count people
• Flexible ceiling or wall mounting

Suitable for applications such as: Port monitoring, container yards, large coastal yards

WV-S4576LA

Dome AI camera

Weather-resistant & light-resistant design

Type: AI mini dome camera

Resolution: 4MP

Outstanding features:

• Compact size, easy to install
• AI behavior recognition, object classification
• 40m night IR, anti-glare, anti-backlight
• Suitable for applications such as: In factories, coastal resorts, roofed areas cover

WV-S66600-Z3L / WV-S66600-Z3LN

Outdoor PTZ

Heavy-duty anti-corrosion housing

360° rotation, 40x optical zoom

Type: high-end PTZ camera

Outstanding features:

• Auto-tracking, auto-zoom capability
• Withstands strong winds, weather harsh weather (80 m/s windproof model available)
• High-standard anti-corrosion housing
• Long-range infrared IR

Suitable for applications such as: Mounting on high masts, wharves, ships, marine radars.

WV-U85402-V2L

Multi-sensor 4x 4MP

AI support

With IP66, IK10 standard design, Salt-resistant housing

Type: Mid-range Multi-sensor

Outstanding features:

• Ideal for: Factories near the sea, resorts with multiple viewing directions
• Installed at intersections, 360° monitoring
• Supports integrated AI analysis from the server
• The housing material is resistant to light corrosion

Contact for advice

With more than 15 years of experience in the field of distributing security solutions, surveillance and low-voltage electrical systems, KPS is proud to be the distributor of i-PRO (Panasonic). When choosing KPS, you not only receive genuine products, but also enjoy in-depth technical support services, comprehensive solution consulting, as well as clear and transparent after-sales policies.

KPS is committed to accompanying construction units, contractors and investors throughout the project life cycle - from consulting, equipment demo, technical support to warranty and maintenance after installation. We understand that, for projects with high requirements for durability, stability and long-term operation such as at seaports, factories, industrial parks, choosing the right equipment and the right partner is the deciding factor.