A larger lens for the same money, an integrated sun shield, flat front glass with no reflection problem, and obvious visible deterrence.

The cylindrical body accommodates longer lenses, which matters when the subject is tens of metres away.

The sun shield keeps direct sun off the glass and sheds rain, both of which ruin an image on an unshaded camera.

Flat glass avoids the internal infrared reflection that dome installations have to design around.

Being obviously aimed changes behaviour by itself, and on an external boundary that is usually wanted rather than avoided.

Against that, a bullet is easy to see, easy to assess and, if it can be reached, easy to knock out of aim.

Spiders - webs across the front glass and in front of the illuminators, catching infrared light and moving in the wind.

External camera installers hear this more than any other complaint, and it has nothing to do with the camera's quality.

Infrared illuminators attract insects, insects attract spiders, and the web sits exactly where the light is brightest.

Motion detection and analytics fire constantly on the moving web, which is often how the problem is discovered.

Cleaning is the immediate fix, and it needs scheduling rather than waiting for complaints.

External illuminators mounted away from the camera remove the cause, because the web is then no longer in the light path.

Rigidly, to solid structure, out of reach - the bracket is a lever and the camera is easy to move.

A bullet stands off its mounting on an arm, so wind and vibration act on it far more than on a flush dome.

A camera on a flexible surface such as thin cladding or a fence panel will drift out of aim and produce a shaking image.

Mounting height should put it beyond reach, because the simplest attack is to push it so it points at the sky.

Security fixings and a lockable bracket adjustment prevent casual re-aiming.

Record the intended field of view at commissioning with a screenshot, so a drifted camera can be recognised and corrected.

Yes - it should be set from the actual sun path, not left in the position it arrived in.

The shield slides forward and back on most models, and its default position is a compromise.

Direct sun on the front glass produces flare and can wash out a whole image for part of the day.

Low sun in the early morning and late afternoon is the worst case, and it varies with the season.

The camera direction should be chosen at survey to avoid pointing into the sun where possible, which is more effective than any shield.

Check the image at the times of day the sun is lowest rather than at commissioning noon.

Through a sealed gland, with the cable in containment, and with the network connection not exposed at the camera.

Water tracking down a cable into the camera body is a common cause of failure, and a drip loop below the entry prevents it.

Some models pass the cable through the mounting bracket so no cable is exposed at all, which is the better arrangement.

An accessible network cable is a security exposure as well as a physical one - it can be unplugged, or used to reach the network.

Where the connection must be outside, use a weatherproof junction box rated for the environment.

Ultraviolet-stable cable and containment matter on long external runs, since ordinary sheathing becomes brittle within a few years.