Quick answer: −40 °F (−40 °C) is the one point where both scales meet, and it is the printed low limit on a specific set of CASE cameras: seven fixed models (six outdoor and one indoor) including CS-I8WS S-2.8mm and CS-I4SV S-2.8mm (−40 °F to 149 °F, −40 °C to 65 °C) and the CS-P48 63X, CS-P88 44X and CS-P58 T-44X PTZs (−40 °F to 158 °F, −40 °C to 70 °C, IR off). The white-light domes CS-I5KS SD-2.8mm and CS-I8KS SD-2.8mm print −31 °F (−35 °C). The rating is half the job; the other half is condensation control, outdoor-rated cable, a switch kept indoors and a mount above the snow and plow line.
Operating temperature vs storage temperature: which figure do you spec against?
Operating temperature is the ambient range in which the powered camera is rated to work; storage (or transport) temperature is what the unpowered unit tolerates in a box. CASE spec pages print one row, “Operating Conditions”, with the range in Celsius and the humidity range, and no storage or cold-start figure. The rule for a proposal: quote the printed operating range, converted (−40 °F to 149 °F, −40 °C to 65 °C), and nothing that is not printed. If a consultant asks for a storage or cold-start figure, request the SKU specification sheet from Anabon rather than inferring one.
Three practical points. The range is an ambient figure around the housing: wind chill is an index for human skin, not equipment, but wind does strip the small amount of heat a powered camera generates, so a windy −31 °F (−35 °C) pole is harder on the camera than a still soffit. A camera that runs continuously through the winter is better placed than one powered up cold after an outage, so keep surveillance circuits off switched power. And compare the printed range with the site’s design low temperature, the figure a mechanical engineer would use for the building, not a record low from decades ago; the upper limit matters too on a sun-exposed south wall.
Which CASE cameras are rated to −40 °F (−40 °C) and which to −31 °F (−35 °C)?
The table lists the operating conditions as printed in the CASE Catalog 2027 Q1, converted; every row also prints 0 to 95% RH. Website product pages have shown different temperature values on several SKUs; the catalog and the SKU specification sheet govern.
| SKU | Form | Operating temperature | Protection |
|---|---|---|---|
| CS-I5PS S-2.8mm | 5MP dome, IR 98 ft (30 m) | −40 °F to 149 °F (−40 °C to 65 °C) | IP66, IK08 |
| CS-I4SV S-2.8mm | 4MP PhotonX turret, no IR, white light 33 ft (10 m) | −40 °F to 149 °F (−40 °C to 65 °C) | IP67 |
| CS-I8SS I-2.7-13.5mm | 8MP varifocal turret, IR 164 ft (50 m) | −40 °F to 149 °F (−40 °C to 65 °C) | IP66 |
| CS-I8WS S-2.8mm | 8MP bullet, IR 164 ft (50 m) | −40 °F to 149 °F (−40 °C to 65 °C) | IP67 |
| CS-I8WQ I-2.8mm | 8MP bullet, IR 164 ft (50 m), white light 49 ft (15 m) | −40 °F to 149 °F (−40 °C to 65 °C) | IP67 |
| CS-I82V I-180 | 8MP (4+4) stitched 180° bullet, PhotonX | −40 °F to 149 °F (−40 °C to 65 °C) | IP67 |
| CS-I5VN S-1.4mm | 5MP indoor camera, 1.4 mm lens | −40 °F to 149 °F (−40 °C to 65 °C) | Indoor Usage |
| CS-P48 63X | 4MP 63x PTZ, IR 984 ft (300 m) | −40 °F to 158 °F (−40 °C to 70 °C) IR off; −40 °F to 104 °F (−40 °C to 40 °C) IR on | IP66 |
| CS-P88 44X | 8MP 44x PTZ | Same two ranges as CS-P48 63X | IP66 |
| CS-P58 T-44X | Thermal 384×288 + optical 44x PTZ | Same two ranges as CS-P48 63X | IP66 |
| CS-I5KS SD-2.8mm | 5MP dome, white light 33 ft (10 m) | −31 °F to 149 °F (−35 °C to 65 °C) | IP67, IK10 |
| CS-I8KS SD-2.8mm | 8MP dome, white light 33 ft (10 m) | −31 °F to 149 °F (−35 °C to 65 °C) | IP67, IK10 |
Reading notes. CS-I5VN S-1.4mm prints “Indoor Usage” in its Protection row: its −40 °F (−40 °C) rating is for unheated interiors such as cold storage or an unconditioned warehouse, not an exterior wall. One letter moves the rating: CS-I8WS S-2.8mm prints −40 °F (−40 °C), while the white-light variant CS-I8WS SD-2.8mm prints −31 °F (−35 °C). CS-I8XQ II-2.8mm prints no operating-temperature row, so quote none without the spec sheet. Several further Sharp and Intelligent SKUs print −31 °F (−35 °C); ask Anabon for the cold-rated list for your state or province before building the camera schedule. Warranty is by category: CASE cameras carry a 6-year warranty and CASE PTZ cameras carry a 3-year warranty, handled through the installer or dealer.
PTZ in winter: why do the sheets print two ranges?
The three PTZs above print two ranges: −40 °F to 158 °F (−40 °C to 70 °C) with IR off and −40 °F to 104 °F (−40 °C to 40 °C) with IR on. The second range exists because a 984 ft (300 m) IR array adds heat inside the housing, so the hot-end limit drops when the illuminator runs. The cold end is −40 °F (−40 °C) in both states, the figure that matters for a northern-US or Canadian winter; the IR-on limit is what you check against a sun-exposed pole in summer.
Power is the second winter question. CS-P48 63X and CS-P88 44X print DC36V±25% and PoE++ (IEEE 802.3bt); the CASE catalog PoE switches are 802.3af/at, 30 W per port, so these units need their own power supply or an 802.3bt injector sized from the spec sheet. CS-P58 T-44X prints no Power row (it does print an automatic wiper); confirm its supply per spec sheet. A PTZ that is marginally powered at room temperature stalls on the first −31 °F (−35 °C) night, because motors draw more at start-up when lubricants thicken. CASE PTZ cameras carry a 3-year warranty.
Winter installation practices: condensation, cable, PoE and mounting
Condensation
Water forms on any surface colder than the dew point of the air touching it. The usual failure is not the housing: it is humid air sealed inside the back box or dome on a mild, damp afternoon, condensing on the inside of the window the first cold night. Open and close housings in dry conditions, keep the gasket clean, fit the desiccant pack if one is supplied, and seal the cable entry so the box does not breathe humid air with every temperature swing. If frost keeps forming on a window, check the entry and the overhang before blaming the camera.
Cable
Use outdoor-rated category cable (UV-resistant jacket; gel-filled or direct-burial type in the ground) installed per NEC Chapter 8; in Canada, CEC Section 60; verify the local code. PVC jackets stiffen below freezing, so pull cable on days above 32 °F (0 °C) where the schedule allows, respect the bend radius, and form a drip loop at every entry. Keep the run under 328 ft (100 m) unless the switch prints an extend mode (CS-H1108PLS prints 328 ft (100 m) standard and 820 ft (250 m) in extend mode; see PoE max distance and extenders).
PoE and the switch
Cold does not reduce the power a PoE port delivers; copper resistance falls slightly as temperature drops. The weak point is the switch: CS-H1108PLS prints −4 °F to 131 °F (−20 °C to 55 °C), an indoor figure, so switches go inside the building or in a heated, ventilated enclosure. At the camera end the problem is moisture at the RJ45; use the cable boot or a junction box so the connector is never exposed.
Mounting
- Mount above the expected snow depth plus drift and outside the arc of plow blades; add bollards where a plow turns.
- Avoid roof edges where ice dams and icicles form; an eave with an overhang is the best position for a winter camera.
- Match the housing rating to the water load: thaw cycles leave standing water in soffits, so IP67 matters there (see IP66 vs IP67 vs IK10).
- Record each SKU’s printed operating range in the camera schedule next to the site design low.
Dome vs turret vs bullet in snow: which housing stays clear?
A dome mounted flat under a soffit keeps its bubble out of direct snowfall, but a dome on a wall or pole collects snow and ice on the upper half of the bubble and melts it across the lens area. A turret has a flat window and no bubble; snow sits on top of the housing and the lens stays clear unless it points upward. A bullet’s hood catches snow and sheds icicles in front of the lens, so mount bullets under an overhang or tilt them slightly downward. Full comparison: turret vs dome vs bullet.
Falling snow in front of an IR or white-light illuminator sparkles in the image and triggers plain motion detection all night. The fixed outdoor cameras in the table print Tripwire, Perimeter and Human & Vehicle Classification on their AI rows (PTZ rows differ; CS-P48 63X does not print the classification line, so read each row); configuring those rules instead of pixel-motion is what keeps a winter alarm log usable. Behavior is confirmed per model, firmware, software version and project configuration.
What to tell your customer
“The cameras on your system are rated on the manufacturer’s specification sheet to −40 °F (−40 °C), which covers the design low for this site. We sealed the cable entries, kept the network switch inside the heated space, and mounted the cameras above the snow line and clear of the plow route. Warranty and service run through us as your installer.”
FAQ
Do CASE cameras have built-in heaters for cold weather?
The CASE Catalog 2027 Q1 prints an operating-conditions row per SKU and no heater row, so do not claim one. Spec against the printed range: −40 °F to 149 °F (−40 °C to 65 °C) on the SKUs listed above, −31 °F (−35 °C) on others. Where a consultant requires a heater statement, request the SKU specification sheet from Anabon.
Why does the camera fog on the inside after a cold night?
Humid air was sealed inside the housing or back box when it was closed, and it condensed on the coldest surface, the window, once the temperature fell below the dew point. Open the housing in dry conditions, dry the interior, reseat the gasket, fit a desiccant pack if supplied, and seal the cable entry so the box stops breathing.
Does PoE work at −31 °F (−35 °C)?
The port delivers the same power; cold slightly lowers copper resistance. The limits are the switch and the connector: CS-H1108PLS prints −4 °F to 131 °F (−20 °C to 55 °C), an indoor figure, so switches stay inside or in a heated enclosure, and the RJ45 at the camera sits in a boot or junction box, never in open air.
Can a PTZ run its IR illuminator at −40 °F (−40 °C)?
Yes, as printed. CS-P48 63X, CS-P88 44X and CS-P58 T-44X print −40 °F to 158 °F (−40 °C to 70 °C) with IR off and −40 °F to 104 °F (−40 °C to 40 °C) with IR on; the IR-on range only lowers the hot-end limit. The winter concern is power: CS-P48 63X and CS-P88 44X print PoE++ (IEEE 802.3bt) or DC36V, so size the supply from the spec sheet.
