PTZ vs fixed cameras for construction sites
Direct answer: Fixed cameras provide constant, reliable coverage of defined zones — they never look the wrong way. PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) cameras add zoom and movement for inspecting activity at distance, but a PTZ alone can miss events happening off-frame. The strongest configuration is both: fixed cameras for detection and recording, PTZ for inspection and tracking — which is exactly how the SiteFortress PTZ Pro is built.
The core trade-off
A fixed camera is a promise: this zone is watched, always. Detection zones, recording and AI classification all build on that constancy. A PTZ is a capability: it can look anywhere — which also means at any moment it is only looking somewhere. Systems that rely on a single PTZ patrolling a tour inevitably have the incident happen where the camera wasn’t.
What the PTZ is actually for
Distance and detail. On a large site, a fixed wide-angle at 20 ft tells you a person is at the far fence; the PTZ reads what they’re wearing, what they’re carrying, and the plate on the truck idling behind them. Where supported, tracking follows the activity as it moves. For evidence quality on big-acreage sites — logistics yards, dealerships, major construction — that detail is the difference between an incident report and an identification.
When to pay for it
Choose fixed-only (SiteFortress Mini or 360) when the site is compact enough that 4 cameras at height cover it with usable detail — most small and mid-size sites. Step up to the PTZ Pro when sight distances are long (200+ ft to the far fence), asset value is high, or incident detail matters enough to justify $700/month over the 360. The fixed cameras on the PTZ Pro keep continuous quadrant coverage regardless — the PTZ is additive, never a substitute.