CCTV Camera for Office: Best Options by Room (2026)

For most offices, a fixed 4MP turret or mini bullet camera covers reception and corridor positions well, so choose by room rather than looking for one "best" model. The camera is only half the job, though. Passwords, remote access, retention periods and who is allowed to view footage matter just as much, particularly in a multi-tenant building where UK GDPR applies. The guide below sets out camera type, resolution and lens for reception, corridors, stairwells, comms rooms and entrances.

Which CCTV camera is best for an office?

Choose by position, not by a single "best" model: a 4MP turret for reception and the server room, fixed mini bullets for corridors and inside doors, a 3MP mini bullet for stairwells, and a higher-resolution camera outside.

Position	Camera type	Resolution	Lens approach
Reception	Turret	4MP	Wider view to cover desk and door
Corridor	Fixed mini bullet	3-4MP	Narrower view down the run
Stairwell	Fixed mini bullet	3MP	Wide, to cover the landing
Server/comms room	Turret	4MP	Aimed at the door and racks
Entrances	Mini bullet inside, turret or bullet outside	4MP or higher	Fixed view of the door

Check the focal length on each datasheet before ordering, because the right lens depends on room width and mounting height.

The Hilook THC-T240-M-R is a 4MP turret with 40 m infrared and an IP66 housing, so it suits reception and the server room, and it copes with an exterior door. The Hilook THC-B140-R is a 4MP mini bullet with a fixed view for entrances and corridors. The 3MP THC-B230-R is a compact bullet for entrances and corridors, and it is the 3MP option in the table for stairwells.

One camera everywhere does not work because the jobs differ. Securitas advises tailoring a small-business system rather than buying off the shelf, starting from why you want cameras.

The trade-off

The Hilook models above are Turbo HD cameras, and the Hikvision 8MP turret is the same coax type. All of them run on coaxial cable into a DVR, not network cable into an NVR. That suits an office with existing coax or a tight budget. If you want a PoE network system, you need IP cameras and an NVR instead, so settle the recorder type before choosing cameras.

What suits a staff-facing reception area?

An indoor varifocal dome or turret covering the door and desk, with strong WDR for glass entrances, suits a staff-facing reception. Aim it at faces coming through the entrance, not at the people working behind the desk.

Camera type. A varifocal lens lets you set the field of view on site rather than guessing from the plan. These are reference specs from manufacturer pages, not products we sell:

• CD63-F dome: 5.9–13.3 mm varifocal, 1/1.2″ sensor, 4K.
• Hanwha XNO-C7083R: 2.8–10 mm motorised varifocal, 0.038 lux colour.

If a fixed lens will do, the Hilook THC-T240-M-R is a 4 MP turret. Check its datasheet for WDR before choosing it for a glazed entrance.

Backlight. Glass doors turn arrivals into silhouettes because the camera exposes for bright daylight. Wide dynamic range (WDR) balances the bright and dark parts of one frame. The Hanwha XNO-C7083R lists extremeWDR at 120 dB. A figure in that range earns its keep on a full-height glazed frontage, while a small glazed panel may not need it. Treat dB figures as a guide, since makers state them on their own terms.

Staff sensitivities. Frame the entrance and visitor route, and keep workstations out of shot where you can. Our CCTV Law and Signage guides cover the rules, so they aren't restated here.

Mounting height. I have no verified figure to give. Follow the installation guide for your chosen model, then check the live view for usable faces before fixing.

How do you cover corridors, stairwells and shared hallways?

Put a fixed mini bullet at one end of a corridor and a turret or dome on each stairwell landing, and keep every view to your own space.

Corridors

A bullet looking down the length of the run gives the narrow, deep view a corridor needs. The Hilook THC-B140-R is a 4MP fixed mini bullet described for entrances and corridors, and the 3MP Hilook THC-B230-R is pitched at the same kind of space. Hanwha's QNO-8010R is a 5 MP IR bullet with a 2.8mm lens, a short focal length that suits a wide field of view.

Stairwells and landings

A turret or dome on the landing, aimed at the door and the base of the stairs, covers the points people actually pass through. Indoors, IR range barely matters: the Hilook THC-T240-M-R quotes 40 m, far more than a landing needs. Compare lens width and WDR instead, because glazed doors and stairwell windows create harsh contrast. Axis lists Forensic WDR on its indoor AXIS P3275-LV dome for exactly that kind of mixed lighting.

Multi-tenant buildings

• Cover your own door and approach, not the neighbouring tenant's.
• Agree with the landlord or managing agent who controls cameras in shared areas. Shared spaces deserve extra privacy thought, and a camera you install there may not be yours to run alone.
• Signage and controller responsibility are covered in the law and signage guides.

Areas to rule out

Keep cameras out of toilets and changing rooms. The expectation of privacy there is so high that no security argument is likely to justify it.

Which cameras for the server room, comms cupboard and back entrances?

Fix one camera on the door and rack aisle indoors, and use IP66 or IP67 rated cameras on rear and fire exits. The two areas need different hardware.

Server and comms room

A fixed-view camera, not a pan-tilt unit, should cover the door and the aisle in front of the racks. Fixed cameras don't wander off the one thing you need to see. Pair it with the RFID/access control guide so badge-in times and video timestamps match when you review an incident.

Rear and fire exits

• Hilook THC-T240-M-R: 4MP turret, IP66 housing, 40 m infrared.
• Hikvision 8MP turret: IP67 weather protection, 60 m infrared. It outputs analogue signals over coax, so it needs a DVR.

Resolution and camera count

More megapixels is not automatically better. Higher resolution raises storage and bandwidth demand, and a doorway rarely needs 8MP. The Business CCTV cost guide covers the cost side.

For scale, SIYA, an Indian vendor, describes a typical office as 6–12 4MP cameras on a 16-channel NVR. That is one vendor's example, not a UK standard.

How do you keep office CCTV footage secure and compliant?

Change every default password at commissioning, keep remote access encrypted, and keep footage no longer than your stated purpose needs. Complete these setup steps before the system goes live, not after.

Passwords

As general best practice, replace the factory login on every camera and on the recorder, and give each device its own credentials. A shared password means one leaked login opens the whole system. Record the credentials somewhere your office manager can reach, not on a sticky note beside the recorder.

Remote access

Use the recorder's encrypted app connection or an authenticated VPN, and avoid forwarding ports from your router to the internet.

Coax Turbo HD cameras, such as the Hilook THC-T240-M-R, are not network devices themselves. In that setup the recorder is likely the one device to lock down, though you should confirm this against your own wiring. IP cameras are each a network device, so check the datasheet of any model you shortlist for the security features it offers.

Retention

Keep footage only as long as the purpose you documented requires, then let it overwrite. The disk you need follows this formula:

days retained × daily storage per camera × number of cameras

Daily storage per camera depends on resolution, compression and how much motion the scene has, so use the figure from your recorder's own calculator. The ICO's CCTV guidance covers retention and signage, so read it before you settle on a retention period.

Related products

Related products from our own range:

• Hilook THC-T240-M-R 4MP Turret Camera, 40 m IR — 4 MP Turbo HD turret camera with 40 metres infrared night vision, IP66 housing and switchable video output. Prices include VAT. Free UK delivery over £100.
• Hikvision 8MP Turret Camera, 4K HD-TVI for Coax CCTV — 8MP 4K analogue turret camera for coaxial CCTV: HD-TVI, AHD, CVI or CVBS output, 60 m infrared night vision and IP67 weather protection. Needs a DVR.
• Hilook 4 MP Fixed Mini Bullet Camera THC-B140-R — 4MP Turbo HD mini bullet camera for home and business CCTV, with a fixed view for entrances and corridors. Prices include VAT. Free UK delivery over £100.
• Hilook 3 MP Fixed Mini Bullet Camera — The HiLook THC-B230-R is a compact 3MP Turbo HD bullet camera for home and business CCTV installations. Its bullet design makes it suitable for monitoring entrances, corridors and other areas where a