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Foscam FI9826P
PTZ Camera with 0.9MP (1280×720) resolution, 30° field of view, and 8m IR night vision range.
SPECIFICATIONS · FI9826P
Specifications
About the Foscam FI9826P
The Foscam FI9826P is a high-speed dome PTZ that can patrol preset positions on a schedule and react to motion or analytics events. 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 narrow field of view trades coverage area for pixel density at distance — the right choice when you need to read faces or plates far from the camera, e.g., long corridors, gate approaches, ANPR installations.
Best use cases for this camera
Long corridor & aisle monitoring
The 30° narrow angle is intentionally tuned for corridor work — it concentrates pixel density along the length of the hallway rather than wasting resolution on the side walls. Mount at the far end facing along the corridor.
Large area patrol & target tracking
PTZ control enables operator-initiated tracking of suspicious activity, scheduled tours of preset positions overnight, and forensic zoom into recorded footage. Best paired with a wide-angle "overview" camera that triggers the PTZ via analytics.
Strengths
- •PTZ control enables operator-driven tracking and pre-set tours
- •50m 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
- •Narrow angle requires more cameras to cover wide areas — plan camera count accordingly
- •PTZ cameras only see one direction at a time — pair with a fixed overview camera to avoid blind spots
Coverage at Different Distances
| Distance | Coverage Width | Coverage Area | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5m | 2.7m | 13 m² | Entrance, corridor |
| 10m | 5.4m | 54 m² | Room, retail aisle |
| 15m | 8.0m | 121 m² | Warehouse, parking row |
| 20m | 10.7m | 214 m² | Parking row, courtyard |
| 30m | 16.1m | 482 m² | Parking lot, yard |
| 50m | 26.8m | 1340 m² | Perimeter, large area |
Field of View Visualization
Night Vision Performance
Daytime
Full 0.9MP (1280×720) resolution at 30° field of view. Effective identification range up to 50m in good lighting conditions.
Nighttime (IR)
Built-in IR LEDs illuminate up to 8m in complete darkness. Switches to B/W mode for clear night footage.
Installation tips for the FI9826P
Mount above 4 m on a rigid pole or wall bracket — PTZ vibrations are amplified at low mounting heights and degrade image quality during pan operations.
Pair with low-cost ambient lighting (motion-triggered LED floods) to extend usable identification distance beyond the IR limit.
Plan cabling for multiple cameras to cover wide areas — at 30° you cover roughly 5 m of width per camera at 10 m distance.
Coverage geometry & DORI distances
At a 5-metre standoff the Foscam FI9826P covers about 2.7 m of scene width; at 10 m that grows to 5.4 m, and at 20 m to 10.7 m. Translating those numbers through EN 62676-4 pixel-density thresholds, the camera can detect a person up to 94 m, observe up to 38 m, recognise up to 19 m, and produce identification-grade detail (the ≥250 px/m bar used by Polish and EU courts as evidentiary) up to 9 m. Effective range above the identify threshold relies on supplementary lighting or a longer-focal-length optic — the geometry above assumes the 3mm lens declared by the manufacturer.
Power & cabling
The Foscam FI9826P draws an estimated 30.0 W under typical load (with the IR illuminator engaged where applicable), placing it in the 802.3at (Class 4, ≤30 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. The Foscam FI9826P's PTZ pan range can sweep into neighbouring properties or public roads; document allowed pan limits in the installation record and configure privacy masks (see Foscam's web-UI under "Privacy Mask") for any window or doorway you cannot legally surveil.
Installer time & cost (rough estimate)
A typical EU installer quotes 5–6 h of labour per ptz camera of this class (approximately €225–€275 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 FI9826P suitable for outdoor installation?
Foscam PTZ models are generally designed for outdoor use with IP66 ingress rating and -30°C to +60°C operating range. Mount on a rigid pole at ≥ 4 m to dampen wind-driven vibration that would degrade the live image during pan operations.
What PoE class powers the Foscam FI9826P?
The camera draws roughly 30.0 W in steady-state operation, requiring a 802.3at (Class 4, ≤30 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 FI9826P consume per day?
At 0.9MP (1280×720) resolution, 15 fps H.265 continuous recording, the FI9826P 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 FI9826P identify a person?
Per EN 62676-4:2025 pixel-density thresholds, this camera identifies (≥ 250 px/m on the target) up to about 9 m, recognises a person up to 19 m, observes general activity up to 38 m, and detects motion up to 94 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 FI9826P 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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