Quick answer: A dealership is three sites in one: the open lot, the service department and the showroom. Cover the rows with stitched 180° cameras on the light poles and one auto-tracking PTZ for detail, put varifocal IK10 domes in the bays and on the service drive for damage disputes, and arm Early Warning cameras on the back rows after close. A 300-vehicle store with 12 bays lands at about 25 cameras on a 40-channel NVR.
Lot rows: how do you cover 300 vehicles with panoramic cameras and one PTZ?
Inventory sits in rows 60–200 ft (18–61 m) long with 25 ft (7.6 m) drive aisles, under lot lighting poles 20–30 ft (6–9 m) high. The evidence question is who walked the row and which vehicle they stopped at. A fixed 2.8 mm camera on a pole shows two rows and a lot of sky.
The CS-I86V I-180 is the row camera: two 4MP sensors stitched into one 4640×1728@25fps image, 2.8 mm lenses, IR 98 ft (30 m) and white light 98 ft (30 m), PhotonX low light printed at 0.0009 Lux, a built-in mic and loudspeaker, audio 1/1 and alarm 1/1, IP67, Metal housing, and printed operating conditions of −31 °F to 149 °F (−35 °C to 65 °C). One unit on a pole at 14–16 ft (4.3–4.9 m), below the luminaire, sees the rows on both sides of the aisle in one image with no seam to explain in court. For stitched versus non-stitched panoramic units, see 180° Panoramic Cameras.
Detail at the far rows comes from a PTZ, not from more megapixels. The CS-P44S 25XA prints 4MP 2560×1440@30fps, a 4.8–120 mm lens (25X), IR 492 ft (150 m), Auto Tracking, 0.001 Lux, IP66, audio 1/1 and alarm 1/1, power DC12V or PoE+ (IEEE802.3 at), and −22 °F to 149 °F (−30 °C to 65 °C). Mount it on the showroom roof corner at 25–30 ft (7.6–9 m) with a preset on each row and a tour after close. CASE PTZ cameras carry a 3-year warranty.
| Lot zone | Example CASE SKU | Mount and height | What it must show |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front line and main rows | CS-I86V I-180 | Light pole, 14–16 ft (4.3–4.9 m), below the luminaire | Both sides of the aisle, who stopped at which vehicle |
| Far rows and fence line | CS-P44S 25XA | Roof corner, 25–30 ft (7.6–9 m) | Zoomed detail on presets; tracked target after close |
| Back rows and used-car lot | CS-I8XQ II-2.8mm | Pole or fence post, 12–14 ft (3.7–4.3 m) | Person on the row at night, lit and warned |
Pole cameras often sit beyond 328 ft (100 m) of the building, so plan fiber or an extender early and give every pole drop surge protection and bonding per NEC (CEC in Canada); see PoE Max Distance and PoE Extenders.
Entrances, exits and plates: where does LPR belong?
A camera at 12 ft (3.7 m) on the nearest post, looking down the entry lane, records the vehicle, its color, its direction and the driver window; the CS-I8WS SD-2.8mm (8MP 3840×2160@20fps, IR 164 ft (50 m), white light 49 ft (15 m), 120dB WDR, IP67) does that at night in color. A readable plate on a slow vehicle in daylight is a side effect of that camera, not plate recognition. When the general manager wants plates read automatically or searched by number, that is a dedicated LPR camera with a matching recorder or software, confirmed per project; Parking Lot Security Cameras explains the geometry.
Service bays, parts and showroom: which camera settles a damage dispute?
The service drive is where the money is lost: a customer collects a car and reports a scratch that was there at drop-off. The write-up lane needs a camera on each side of the vehicle at 12 ft (3.7 m), angled along the body, recording the advisor’s walk-around with the bay door open behind it; that calls for 120dB WDR and a varifocal lens set to the lane. The CS-I8MS SD-2.7-13.5mm fits: 8MP 3840×2160@20fps, 2.7–13.5 mm, IR 164 ft (50 m), white light 49 ft (15 m), IP67 and IK10, Metal housing, audio 1/1 and alarm 1/1.
- Bays. One CS-I8MS SD-2.7-13.5mm per two bays on the back wall at 14 ft (4.3 m), lens set so both lifts fill the frame; IK10 matters where hoses, lift arms and tire carts pass.
- Parts counter, parts receiving and the key cabinet. One fixed dome each; the CS-I5KS SD-2.8mm (5MP, IR 98 ft (30 m), white light 33 ft (10 m), IP67, IK10) at 9 ft (2.7 m) sees hands, parts and keys.
- Showroom. A dome at each entrance facing the door, one over the floor, one on the cashier window. Glass walls mean WDR on every showroom camera.
- Finance offices. No cameras inside without the dealer principal’s written instruction and counsel review.
Night deterrence: what makes the back row look watched after close?
Theft on the back rows usually happens late at night, behind the building, where the lighting is weakest. Recording it is the minimum; the owner’s question is whether anything happens while the person is still at the wheel well. The CS-I8XQ II-2.8mm is a second-generation Early Warning turret: EW answers a detected person with light and audio while the event is happening, with red and blue light, a built-in mic and speaker, IR 164 ft (50 m), white light 98 ft (30 m), 8MP 3840×2160@30fps, 120dB True WDR (TWDR), IP66, Metal housing and a 1 TB memory slot. Its printed AI row includes Human / Vehicle / Non-motor Vehicle / Pet Classification (Dog, Cat), Perimeter and Loitering. EW and AEW are deterrence features. Availability is confirmed per SKU.
- Arm EW from close to open only; sales staff moving inventory at 8 pm are not intruders.
- Draw Perimeter lines on the rows, inside the property line, never across the public sidewalk.
- Push events to the general manager’s phone through CASE Connect. App features and remote access options should be confirmed by model, software version, and project configuration.
The recording-only versus deterrence decision is covered in Active Deterrence Cameras.
NVR, network and retention: what does a 25-camera store need in the rack?
Twenty-five cameras with nine pole or fence positions is a switch-fed design. The CS-N440 P16H-AI prints 40 channels, 16 PoE ports, bandwidth of 400Mbps / 400Mbps (200Mbps / 200Mbps with AI on), 4x10TB HDD storage, 16 alarm inputs and 4 outputs, independent HDMI and VGA, and a 10/100/1000 Mbps network port. Put the 15 building cameras on its PoE ports and the lot cameras on a CS-POE33024PF (24 Gigabit PoE ports, IEEE 802.3af/at, 30W per port, 400W or 600W total budget) in the same rack; the PTZ’s printed PoE+ (IEEE802.3 at) draw belongs on that switch, not on an NVR port whose class is not printed. CASE accessories carry unlimited warranty.
Retention: 30 days on the lot, 60–90 days on the service drive, bays and key cabinet because disputes surface at the next visit. Size the drives with the NVR Storage Calculator. Hard drives are supported through back-to-back manufacturer warranty. Employee and customer notice follow state laws (provincial laws and PIPEDA in Canada); the dealer posts the signage.
Sample schedule: a 300-vehicle store with 12 service bays
The sample is a single-brand store on a corner lot: a front line along the street, eight inventory rows, a fenced used-car lot behind the service building, a showroom with two entrances and a cashier window, a two-lane service drive, 12 bays, a parts counter with a receiving door, and a key cabinet in the sales office.
| ID | Position | CASE SKU | Mount and height | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D01–D04 | Inventory rows, light poles | CS-I86V I-180 | Pole, 14–16 ft (4.3–4.9 m) | Stitched 180°; fiber or extender to the rack |
| D05 | Main lot PTZ | CS-P44S 25XA | Showroom roof corner, 25–30 ft (7.6–9 m) | Presets per row; tour after close; PoE+ from the switch |
| D06–D07 | Vehicle entrance and exit | CS-I8WS SD-2.8mm | Post, 12 ft (3.7 m) | Driver window and vehicle; white light |
| D08–D10 | Showroom entrances and cashier | CS-I5KS SD-2.8mm | Ceiling, 9 ft (2.7 m) | WDR for glass walls |
| D11–D12 | Service drive write-up lanes | CS-I8MS SD-2.7-13.5mm | Wall, 12 ft (3.7 m), along the body | Walk-around evidence; 90 days |
| D13–D18 | Bays 1–12, one per two bays | CS-I8MS SD-2.7-13.5mm | Back wall, 14 ft (4.3 m) | IK10; lens set to both lifts |
| D19–D21 | Parts counter, receiving door, key cabinet | CS-I5KS SD-2.8mm | Ceiling, 9 ft (2.7 m) | Hands, parts, keys; 90 days on the cabinet |
| D22–D24 | Back rows and used-car lot fence | CS-I8XQ II-2.8mm | Fence post, 12–14 ft (3.7–4.3 m) | EW armed close to open; event push |
| D25 | Used-car lot overview | CS-I86V I-180 | Service building corner, 16 ft (4.9 m) | Stitched 180° over the fenced lot |
| NVR | Sales office rack | CS-N440 P16H-AI + CS-POE33024PF | Lockable rack | 15 building cameras on NVR PoE; 9 lot cameras and the PTZ on the switch |
Printed incoming bandwidth with AI on is 200Mbps on this NVR; check the sum of the configured bitrates before quoting, and enable only the AI by NVR functions the dealer asked for, confirmed per model and firmware.
What to tell your customer
“The rows get panoramic cameras on your light poles so both sides of every aisle are in one image, and a zoom camera on the roof. The service drive and every pair of bays get cameras that record the walk-around and the work, kept 90 days for disputes. The back rows get cameras that light up and speak when a person is detected at night. CASE cameras and CASE NVRs carry a 6-year warranty, CASE PTZ cameras carry a 3-year warranty, and support comes through us.”
FAQ
How many cameras does an auto dealership need?
For a 300-vehicle store with a showroom, a two-lane service drive, 12 bays and a fenced used-car lot, plan on about 25: four stitched 180° cameras on the lot poles, one PTZ, two at the vehicle openings, three in the showroom, two on the service drive, six in the bays, three on parts and keys, three deterrence cameras on the back rows and one over the used-car lot.
Which camera covers rows of inventory vehicles?
A stitched 180° camera on the light pole between rows, with a PTZ for detail. The CS-I86V I-180 prints an 8MP (4+4) stitched 4640×1728@25fps image, IR 98 ft (30 m), white light 98 ft (30 m) and PhotonX low light at 0.0009 Lux; the CS-P44S 25XA adds a 25X zoom, IR 492 ft (150 m) and Auto Tracking.
Can dealership cameras read license plates at the entrance?
An entrance camera records the vehicle, its color and the driver window, and a plate on a slow vehicle in daylight is often readable in the clip. Automatic plate reading or search by plate number is a dedicated LPR camera with a matching recorder or software, confirmed per project; it is not a feature of the overview camera.
What deters wheel and catalytic converter theft on the back row?
An Early Warning camera armed after close. The CS-I8XQ II-2.8mm answers a detected person with light and audio while the event is happening, with Human / Vehicle / Non-motor Vehicle / Pet Classification printed in its AI row, so it can be set to trigger on people and vehicles; test it on site. EW and AEW are deterrence features. Availability is confirmed per SKU. It is a deterrent, not a guard service.
