CCTV SPY CAMERAS GUIDE
When buying CCTV spy cameras or hidden CCTV camera systems it is important to think first about the application the equipment is being used for and the conditions in which the CCTV system will be operating. This will determine what type of product is most suitable for you.
CAMERAS:
With spy cameras you should think about how far the cameras need to see and in what detail – this will dictate the lens type. For close range monitoring a wide angle lens (3.6mm giving c.78 degrees coverage) would be sufficient. At other times a bigger lens is required to allow the spy cameras to see further and in greater detail.
The resolution of spy cameras dictates how sharp the image will be. Colour spy cameras are generally lower resolution than monochrome cmaeras. Camera resolution is measured in TV Lines (TVL). 300-380TVL being entry level, 380-420 being medium level and 420+ being high level resolution.
The light conditions will also affect the choice of spy cameras as some cameras will see better than others in different light conditions.
Day/night spy cameras:
Very popular in domestic and small commercial CCTV applications, day night CCTV cameras allow great quality, colour recording during daylight hours. When light levels drop below a certain level the camera’s infra red LEDs allow the CCTV camera to continue recording good quality footage even in complete darkness. The distance the cameras will see at night is dependent on the strength of the LED’s.
Monochrome Cameras:
Black and white hidden CCTV cameras cope with low light conditions much better than colour CCTV cameras but not as good as day/night CCTV cameras that can see in extremely low light.
Colour Cameras:
Colour CCTV cameras give a great image during normal lighting conditions but will suffer in low light. Colour CCTV cameras can be more popular as you can regonsie the colour of a person's clothes and will aid in recognition of an individual also.
Consider the choice between wired or wireless hidden CCTV spy camera systems:
WIRELESS
Wireless hidden CCTV spy cameras are great for many covert monitoring situations as there is no tell tale cabling and no time consuming and awkward cable runs. Wireless hidden CCTV cameras transmit on 2.4Ghz with a maximum of 4 CCTV cameras being able to transmit at the same time in one area.
Wireless transmission is limited to 100m line of sight and 30m through any obstruction (bear in mind that the more obstructions there are between CCTV cameras and receivers, the shoret the transmission distance becomes). Thick walls, microwave and steel can all impair the wireless signal.
WIRED
Wired hidden CCTV spy cameras offer the advantage of no interference. Cabling the cameras to your recording device ensures a steady signal continuously but does require running cables from cameras to recorders.
Having wired hidden CCTV spy cameras means you do not have to power your cameras locally. The cable will allow you to power the camera from the recorder end along the entire length of the cable.
RECORDING:
Digital Video Recorders are very popular due to the consistent quality recording a digital hard drive can give. They also can have additional features such as motion detection recording, built in CD writers and remote viewing. As stand alone units they are the professionals choice.
PC Surveillance Software is the cost effective way of creating a digital CCTV system. Simply insert the PCI capture card into your PC, run the software provided and connect your cameras. The software allows recording (continuously or on motion), time and date stamping, remote viewing and much more.
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