Bullet, Turret, Or Dome —
Which Goes Where?
Three camera shapes, endless confusion. The good news: with a quality line they're the same camera inside. The choice is about shape and placement — and here's how to make it.
Shopping for cameras, you hit three words immediately — bullet, turret, dome — usually with no explanation of which you want. People assume they're quality tiers. They're not. They're shapes, each suited to a different spot on the building. Pick by placement, not by guessing.
Here's the honest rundown, and the one fact that makes the choice simple.
The Three Shapes
What Each One Is For
Bullet — $379
A long cylinder that clearly points somewhere. Its visibility is the feature — a BulletCam announces itself, which deters. Best for driveways, fence lines, and perimeters where you want range and want it seen.
Turret — $379
An "eyeball" in a socket. The TurretCam aims easily and, because the lens sits outside the housing, avoids the infrared glare domes can get at night. The safe default for eaves and walls.
And the third:
- Dome — $379. A low half-sphere that mounts flush to a ceiling or soffit. It's discreet — hard to tell which way it's looking — and the tough housing resists tampering, which is why you see domes in shops and commercial spaces. Best for indoor ceilings, retail, and anywhere you want it subtle or vandal-resistant.
The Thing Nobody Says
They're The Same Camera Inside
Here's what cuts through the confusion: on the Ajax HL line, the bullet, turret, and dome share the same 8MP 4K sensor and the same AI object detection. Same picture, same night vision, same smarts. The only real difference is the housing — how visible it is, how it mounts, how tamper-resistant it is.
So you're not trading image quality when you choose a shape. You're choosing deterrence vs. discretion vs. placement. That makes the decision refreshingly simple:
- Want it seen, to deter? Bullet.
- Want a reliable all-rounder on the eaves? Turret.
- Want it discreet or vandal-resistant? Dome.
Most homes end up with a mix — bullets on the driveway and perimeter for deterrence, turrets under the eaves, a dome or two indoors. That's exactly the kind of layout we map when we design how many cameras a house needs.
Keep Reading
Related Guides
- How many cameras you need — and where each shape goes
- Do you need an NVR? — the recorder behind the cameras
- PoE vs Wi-Fi cameras — how they connect and power
Not Sure Which Shape
Goes Where?
Tell us the spots you want covered and we'll pick the right mix — bullets where you want deterrence, turrets where you want coverage, domes where you want discretion. Same great image, right housing.