Security Camera PTZ Preset Positions: Automated Patrol and Quick Access

Volume I  ·  May 2026  ·  224 words

PTZ cameras can store preset positions — specific pan, tilt, and zoom coordinates — to which the camera returns on command or on a schedule. A camera monitoring a driveway might have presets for the garage door, the street approach, and the front walkway. The Reolink PTZ cameras support 8-20 presets depending on model. Preset patrol (also called scan or tour) cycles the camera through a sequence of presets with a configurable dwell time at each position — the camera pans to position 1, dwells for 10-30 seconds, pans to position 2, and so on. During the transition and dwell at one preset, the other positions are unmonitored. This is the fundamental limitation of PTZ preset patrol as a substitute for multiple fixed cameras: at any given moment, the camera is looking at only one position. For applications where the camera is supplementing fixed cameras — scanning between presets to get a closer look at areas already covered by wide-angle fixed cameras — preset patrol adds detail without the coverage gap of relying on the PTZ alone.