Everything you ever wanted to know about home security cameras and how to install them.
Get the Options You Desire
If you Google “surveillance cameras,” you’ll discover a bewildering assortment of goods and possibilities at a wide range of prices. Before proceeding, you must determine how many security cameras you need, your budget, and if you require a security camera installation. Several cameras may seem the same and have the same features, but not all are the same in terms of performance and longevity. Before purchasing, we recommend speaking with a security camera sales representative or security camera installer and considering the features that would meet your camera demands as well as security camera installation.
Security Camera Types
Pan, Tilt and Zoom: Some cameras allow you to remotely alter the direction they’re pointed in, which might be useful depending on how vast an area you wish to monitor. Most will spin up to 350 degrees, include auto-tracking, a deterrent, lights and sound, and a dual lens, which is like having eyes in the back of your head!
Wide-Angle Lenses: If you want to watch a vast area but don’t want your camera attracting attention by moving around, go for a camera with a wide-angle lens. These cameras are often smaller in size than their pan-and-tilt counterparts, making them simpler to conceal. We have cameras with 180-degree views and long-range lenses.
High-Definition Video and Photos: Most cameras allow you to capture and save high-quality video and photographs on an SD card, a cloud service (remote server), a DVR (digital video recorder), an NVR (Network Video Recorder), or your smartphone or tablet.
Motion Detection: When motion is detected, many cameras begin recording, send an email or app alert to your mobile device, or both.
Night Vision: All of the cameras we looked at can spot intruders after dark thanks to infrared technology.
Apps: Downloadable programs allow you to view live video, record video and photographs, and remotely operate pan-and-tilt functionalities on your camera through the Internet.
Two-Way Audio: This feature allows you to converse with the person you’re viewing, enabling some security cameras to also function as baby monitors.
Durability: Water-resistant and outdoor-rated: Certain cameras are water-resistant and/or certified for outdoor usage. When installing a camera outside, you want the greatest rating available; commercial-grade cameras are IP67, waterproof, and can withstand being submerged in water for an extended amount of time, as seen in the video below.
Partially wired (Wireless)
Consider a totally wireless security camera as a last resort if you don’t want to snake cables through walls or be constrained by the position of electrical outlets. Security is greatest when it’s firmly wired. A security camera installation may assist you in routing cables in unexpected places. Wireless security cameras are the most convenient to install. This little camera is packed with functions! It features a built-in magnet, so you can connect it to a metal ball mount or adhere it to the side of a metal item (included). Motion-activated video recordings are saved on an SD card or NVR, and the camera gives you app notifications or emails with links to the footage. Live video may also be seen on your smartphone, tablet, or computer.
Security cameras that are hardwired
These full-featured “security systems” are about as good as it gets, but they need some effort to set up. Since they’re hardwired, you’ll have to run power and video cables through walls and ceilings to get the cameras precisely where you want them.
Any of these packages, like as the Corporate Security Camera or Home Security Camera System displayed above, contain numerous high-resolution, full-color weatherproof cameras that can be installed inside or outside, as well as a dedicated NVR that can record several days’ worth of footage. You can also see live footage from any or all of the cameras on a high-definition television or remotely through your smartphone or tablet.
Hunting Security Cameras
Game cameras, often known as “trail” or “scouting” cameras, are mainly intended for hunters and wildlife photographers. It unquestionably belongs to the category of security cameras that are simple to install. Although it won’t give you warnings or transmit live video over the Internet, this camera, which you just attach to a tree, will take high-quality photographs and video anytime a person or animal passes by, even at night. This type of camera is powered by standard batteries or an external battery box and stores images on a removable SD card with a storage capacity. To see what the camera captured, just connect it to your computer using a USB wire (or plug the SD card directly into your computer or card reader).
