Reviews

There are many types of security cameras in the market, for all types environments and budgets.  This article will focus on security cameras that can be used outdoors.  On this site you will learn what are the key points to consider to acquire the right camera for your environment, what to look for in a security camera, and how to decipher the technical jargon to determine what sets apart one security camera from another.  Here are some important things to consider before choosing a security camera:

Have you considered what is it that you want to monitor? It may seem obvious at first, but it is worth thinking about a little bit.  Are you concerned only about the front entrance?  What about any rear entrances?  Is it possible to access the inside of the location via a broken window?  Any entrances to the building from the roof?  Depending on what you want to do, you might need more than one camera for what you want to accomplish.  For example, one camera pointing to the front entrance may not be enough if the intruder can easily jump from an adjoining building, onto your building, and enter through a roof access door.

Another point to consider is your camera’s viewing angle.  The wider the ‘shot’, the more your camera can capture, as well as additional details in the periphery of the camera.  A wider viewing angle is generally preferred, as it will record more detail.

Something that can drive the cost of the camera up is its picture quality or its resolution.  This is the difference between a grainy, blurry picture, and a sharp, high-quality image.  The higher the resolution, the better the picture (and higher the price).  Keep in mind that if you’ll be recording the images to save for posterity, higher resolution cameras will require more storage space.  More on this in another article.

Will the layout of your location allow for wired cameras, or will it require wireless cameras?  This is an important point to keep in mind.  Wired cameras will cost more to set up depending on what location the cables have to be run to.  Wireless cameras offer flexibility because you can place them virtually anywhere, as long as they’re within range of the transmitter/receiver.  Remember though, wireless range is affected by walls and other obstacles, which can severely reduce the advertised range for the camera you’re considering.

Another camera feature that you should consider is whether the camera has the option to be motion-activated or not.  Keep in mind that if a camera is continually

recording, demands for video storage will increase.  This might require you to store less in the way of recorded footage in order to have enough storage space.  A camera with a motion-sensor won’t record all the time, which can be a storage-space saver during periods of low activity.

Additional features that might help you narrow down your choices are:  ability to zoom, sound-recording capability, night-vision capability, among others.

As you can see, there are many things to consider when choosing a security camera.  Research well and gather all the information you can in order to compare cameras.  Note what cameras security companies choose to install, as this can be an indicator of reliability.  Check out the resource links above and below and feel free to leave your questions in the comment sections.