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Foscam FI9803P
Bullet Camera with 0.9MP (1280×720) resolution, 69° field of view, and 20m IR night vision range.
SPECIFICATIONS · FI9803P
Specifications
About the Foscam FI9803P
The Foscam FI9803P is a rugged outdoor-grade bullet form factor designed to withstand exposure to weather, vandalism, and direct sunlight. Sub-megapixel resolution is suitable only for general overview footage — useful for movement detection but insufficient for facial recognition or license-plate reading. A short-range IR illuminator (≤20 m) handles entrance vestibules, indoor corridors, and small enclosed spaces. Beyond 20 meters the IR fall-off causes faces to lose detail in pure darkness. A standard 50–80° horizontal FOV mimics how a person sees a scene and works well for general-purpose monitoring of rooms, parking spaces, and perimeter walls without distortion.
Best use cases for this camera
General surveillance
Suited to general-purpose monitoring tasks within 30 meters of the mounting point with 69° of horizontal coverage.
Strengths
- •30m effective range supports outdoor perimeter and parking-lot deployments
Considerations
- •Resolution limits forensic digital zoom — recorded faces beyond ~12m may not be identifiable
- •Short IR range limits night usability to indoor or close-proximity scenarios
Coverage at Different Distances
| Distance | Coverage Width | Coverage Area | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5m | 6.9m | 34 m² | Entrance, corridor |
| 10m | 13.7m | 137 m² | Room, retail aisle |
| 15m | 20.6m | 309 m² | Warehouse, parking row |
| 20m | 27.5m | 550 m² | Parking row, courtyard |
| 30m | 41.2m | 1237 m² | Parking lot, yard |
| 50m | 68.7m | 3436 m² | Perimeter, large area |
Field of View Visualization
Night Vision Performance
Daytime
Full 0.9MP (1280×720) resolution at 69° field of view. Effective identification range up to 30m in good lighting conditions.
Nighttime (IR)
Built-in IR LEDs illuminate up to 20m in complete darkness. Switches to B/W mode for clear night footage.
Installation tips for the FI9803P
Mount at 4–6 m height angled 10–20° downward — high enough to deter tampering, low enough to preserve face detail at 21m.
Pair with low-cost ambient lighting (motion-triggered LED floods) to extend usable identification distance beyond the IR limit.
Coverage geometry & DORI distances
At a 5-metre standoff the Foscam FI9803P covers about 6.9 m of scene width; at 10 m that grows to 13.7 m, and at 20 m to 27.5 m. Translating those numbers through EN 62676-4 pixel-density thresholds, the camera can detect a person up to 37 m, observe up to 15 m, recognise up to 7 m, and produce identification-grade detail (the ≥250 px/m bar used by Polish and EU courts as evidentiary) up to 4 m. Effective range above the identify threshold relies on supplementary lighting or a longer-focal-length optic — the geometry above assumes the 2.8mm lens declared by the manufacturer.
Power & cabling
The Foscam FI9803P draws an estimated 7.5 W under typical load (with the IR illuminator engaged where applicable), placing it in the 802.3af (Class 3, ≤15.4 W) budget. A single switch port supplies enough power without an injector. Cabling: stick to Cat6 STP for runs up to 100 m end-to-end — beyond that, add an inline PoE extender or move to fibre with a media converter at the camera end. On outdoor runs, route through ø25 PVC or PE conduit to keep the cable shielded from UV and rodents.
Privacy & legal (GDPR / RODO)
Any camera operating in a publicly accessible area falls under GDPR (RODO in Poland) — Art. 13 obliges the data controller to post an information sign at every entry point with controller name, DPO contact, lawful basis (typically Art. 6(1)(f) legitimate interest for property protection), purpose, and retention period. Even a narrowly-aimed bullet camera can incidentally record passers-by, so the Art. 13 sign at the entry point applies regardless of how tightly the lens is framed.
Installer time & cost (rough estimate)
A typical EU installer quotes 3–4 h of labour per bullet camera of this class (approximately €135–€185 excluding hardware), broken down as bracket mounting, cable termination at both ends, on-site commissioning, and a brief operator handover. Allow extra time for high mounts (>4 m), exterior installations requiring scaffolding, or sites where cable routing demands wall penetrations or conduit work.
Indicative EU 2024-2025 pricing — actual quotes vary by region, mounting height, and site conditions. Excludes hardware, transport, permits, and VAT.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Foscam FI9803P suitable for outdoor installation?
Yes for the IP66/IP67-rated variant of this model. Bullet and dome bodies in the Foscam range survive direct rain, snow and UV; check the IP / IK rating against your environment (IP66 for rain/dust, IK10 for vandal-prone locations).
What PoE class powers the Foscam FI9803P?
The camera draws roughly 7.5 W in steady-state operation, requiring a 802.3af (Class 3, ≤15.4 W) switch port. A single Cat6 STP cable carries both data and power up to 100 m — beyond that, add an inline extender or convert to fibre near the camera.
How much storage does the Foscam FI9803P consume per day?
At 0.9MP (1280×720) resolution, 15 fps H.265 continuous recording, the FI9803P produces approximately 4 GB per day — about 120 GB per month. Motion-only or event-triggered recording typically cuts that by 40–70 % depending on scene activity. Plan NVR HDD capacity for the longest retention period required by your privacy policy or insurance contract.
Up to what distance can the Foscam FI9803P identify a person?
Per EN 62676-4:2025 pixel-density thresholds, this camera identifies (≥ 250 px/m on the target) up to about 4 m, recognises a person up to 7 m, observes general activity up to 15 m, and detects motion up to 37 m. Identification distance assumes daylight or full IR illumination on the target — at the limits of the IR cone the effective identify distance shrinks roughly 30 %.
What network bandwidth does Foscam FI9803P use?
Typical ingest is 2 Mbps for the main stream (H.265, medium scene complexity, 15 fps) plus ~0.5 Mbps for a low-resolution sub-stream used by mobile clients. For a 16-camera installation of this class, plan a 50–100 Mbps NVR uplink and a dedicated VLAN for camera traffic.
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Helpful Tools & Resources
FOV Calculator
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Storage Calculator
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Camera Quantity Calculator
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Field of View Explained
Understand HFOV, VFOV, and lens selection
Camera Placement Guide
Best practices for positioning cameras
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