Security Camera buying guide

 

 

 

It’s time to choose a security camera. Protecting from breaking ins, surveilance of stores, children, elderly people and many other reasons lead to seeking the best choice.

As there are lots of cameras in the market with different features each, we present a guide with the main characteristics you should take into consideration to make the right choise. Let’s see what these are:

 

Internal/External use

The most important thing is the space where the camera will be installed. In case the camera is installed externally, we should check the manufacturing material and the Ingress Protection Rating (IPXX) given by the manufacturer, to remain untouched by weather conditions.

 

Resolution

Resolution defines how clear the image from your camera will be. A clearly visible image is very helpful when trying to identify faces or items in the images your camera records.

 

Night Vision

The distance to which your camera can record images in low to no light situations can have a great impact on its effectiveness because often criminal activity can happen at night.

 

Field of View

Field of View refers to the width of area a camera can record. This is important because it will affect how many cameras you’ll need and where you should place them.

 

Cost

Obviously, if a camera costs so much that you can no longer afford the valuables you’re trying to protect with it, then it doesn’t serve a purpose. Cost is a factor for every purchasing decision.

 

Motion Detection

Cameras with motion detection can send you notifications when the camera observes motion within its field of view. These notifications can alert you to suspicious activity, so you can monitor the situation.

 

Sound

The sound feature can refer to your camera receiving sound via a microphone, emitting sound via a speaker, or both. Cameras with both can double as an intercom.

 

WiFi Capability

A camera with WiFi can communicate with your home network wirelessly which can be very handy for installation, but is also less susceptible to being disabled, because it doesn’t have wires which could be cut.

 

Movement

A camera that can pan and/or tilt may be able to record a larger area than a static camera and therefor reduce the total number of cameras needed to observe a particular area.

 

 

Below we suggest some from our best products:

 

Zmodo IP Wi-Fi Camera HD 720P for external use

 

BMC Fish-eye IP Wi-Fi Camera 4MP with panoramic view 360°

 

Zmodo Pivot Cloud 350° IP Wi-Fi Camera FullHD 1080P with 4 door/window sensors

 

BMC IP Camera Vandal proof 3MP for external use

 

Zmodo IP mini Wi-Fi Camera HD 720P with audio