How to choose the best-hidden spy camera
Are you looking forward to spy on someone through spy camera?
Is it the nanny of the house for whom you are about to buy the spy camera?
Or is it for your office that you need one to keep an eye on the activities going on in there?
Whatever be the case for you to need the hidden camera, we are here to help.
The spy camera or the hidden cameras are of great importance as they are essential for the spying purposes and they are needed for everyday use in the streets, stores, shops, malls, offices and homes. The uses of the hidden cameras are also varied and one can use them according to their needs either for spying on the nanny of the house, keeping an eye on your child, for security, surveillance and much more.
There are so many different types of the hidden cameras that choosing the one that is perfect for your needs could be something very confusing. Therefore it is important to understand that there are several factors that need to be considered when picking a camera. Knowing the basic of the cameras will help you a lot in making the right choice at the right time. Helping you with making your choice is what we are here for and this post is definitely going to help you with it.
Things to consider before getting on to buy the camera
First thing you need to understand about the hidden cameras is that there is no perfect hidden camera that we can pick and call it to be perfect and according to your needs. Every camera has different specifications, is used in different circumstances and asks for different level of maintenance. So we cannot declare any one brand or model to be the perfect one for you. Rather we can provide you with some useful and handy tips that are going to help you determine which one suits you according to your needs.
Secondly, the needs for a business environment and that of a home are also different as the requirement for the specs of the camera changes according to the demand and use of the camera. So the first thing you need to do is to understand what you want and then go further to get it.
Thirdly, the budget also accounts for choosing the best camera for spying purposes which is why you are advised to first know all the factors that govern the perfect working of the spy cameras and then move on to making the purchase.
Type of disguise
The first thing to ask yourself is which type of camera is going to suit you and your need. Since there are so many types of the cameras and there are numerous size options in hem as well that it gets easier as well as confusing to decide on the best. If you plan ahead and short list the features that you are looking for, it would become easier for you to go for the best choice. Since the purpose of a hidden camera is to stay concealed so it is not visible to others so they could get alert, therefore the hidden cameras are usually attached to the things that are of daily use and they cannot be suspected easily for hiding the camera.
Here we are going to describe some disguise types for the hidden cameras that is going to help you choose the best for you.
- [easyazon_link identifier=”B076HG3FMM” locale=”US” tag=”norco0a-20″]Nanny cameras[/easyazon_link]
As the name suggest, these types of the cameras are used to spy on the people who are coming into your house when you are not present. It can be the nanny or some babysitter who is coming to take care of your child. It is important to keep an eye on such people to make sure that the kid is well taken care of and there is nothing happening beyond the limits. Today the nanny cameras come disguised into teddy bears and dolls as well so the nanny cannot suspect its presence around. The nanny cameras have the option for being wired or wireless so you can choose the one you need according to the requirement and placement of the camera.
Spy clocks
[easyazon_link identifier=”B075N2YBWX” locale=”US” tag=”norco0a-20″]INRIGOROUS Hidden Camera Alarm Clock Portable Spy Camera DVR Motion Detection Remote Control with 16GB Micro SD Card[/easyazon_link]If you are looking forward to purchase a camera that goes unnoticed by the people in the house then the spy clocks are the best option. A clock is the mandatory feature of every room so you can make use of the spy clock and keep an eye on the activities of the inmates of your house, or it could be for the pets that are left alone in the house while you are away. Whatever be the case, a spy clock and the cameras hidden in the alarm clocks are a very suitable option for spying.
Smoke detector camera spy camera
[easyazon_link identifier=”B0771NY4KR” locale=”US” tag=”norco0a-20″]Heymoko Wi-Fi Smoke Detector Camera Motion Detection Night Vision 1080P Wireless IP Indoor Baby Pet Monitor Remote Real Time Video Free App View Nanny Cam Home Security Camera SD Card Storage to 128GB[/easyazon_link]
If you want to get the need of the spy camera and smoke detector to be fulfilled by a single object, then you would be delighted to know about the smoke detector camera. This is the camera that is being used widely in the commercial buildings as no one is going to think that the smoke detector on their heads is keeping an eye on their activities as well.
Pen camera
[easyazon_link identifier=”B078KQYV13″ locale=”US” tag=”norco0a-20″]Pen Camera – Bysameyee Wireless Covert Camera Mini PenCam HD 1080P, Portable Meeting Video Pen Recorders DVR[/easyazon_link]A pen camera is something that helps you a lot in offices, it is used by the press people as well to conduct the interviews that are not to be announced to the person. This camera is just a normal pen that can even write if you want it to but when you wish it to work as a spy camera, it can do so very easily. This camera is capable of capturing the live video as well as it can take the still shots.
Wearable hidden cameras
[easyazon_link identifier=”B075SFMJH9″ locale=”US” tag=”norco0a-20″]Smart Bracelet Hidden Camera,ESROVER 1080P HD Bracelet Mini Video Camera with Track Steps,Sleep Quality Monitoring,Surveillance Recorder Camcorder Suitable for iPhone & Android phones[/easyazon_link]- Wearable hidden cameras are the ones that you can attach to any wearable object such as the sunglasses, mobile phones, and tie knots. They disguise easily and they cannot be detected by the other people. These cameras can be best used if you want to spy on some individual.
Standalone hidden camera
[easyazon_link identifier=”B00JKUKWG8″ locale=”US” tag=”norco0a-20″]Jumbl Mini Hidden Spy Camera Radio Clock wih Motion Detection and Infrared Night Vision – Built-In Screen, Speaker, Micro SD Slot and AUX Line In – Black[/easyazon_link]This spy camera is a rather economical version of the disguised camera as it is just the camera that needs to be attached to the object by the buyer himself. The buyer can easily place this camera with some everyday object that cannot be suspected easily. This is good for those people who are not in a position to afford the disguised cameras.
Now that you know that there are several types of the disguises available for the hidden cameras, it would become easier for you to decide which one you want according to the situation you are in.
Type of technology used for connection
The next factor to consider when determining which camera you want to have for spying the technology used for connection of the camera. Whichever the technology you have easily available at your place, you can get that for the camera. The better the technology for the connectivity of the camera is, the better would be the results from the camera. Here we are going to mention some common types of the cameras used.
Hardwired
This is one of the most secure types of the connection used for the hidden cameras where the camera is connected to the recording device by a hard wire. This is the most reliable type of the connection as the chances for the loss of data or signal is minimum. The only disadvantage of this type of hidden camera is that it is easy to be caught as the whole setup becomes large in size and can be seen due to the wire attached to it. Otherwise, in term of reliability, this type of connection is the best.
Wireless
[easyazon_link identifier=”B017SD8RWO” locale=”US” tag=”norco0a-20″]Zmodo Wireless Security Camera System (4 pack) Smart HD Outdoor WiFi IP Cameras with Night Vision[/easyazon_link]The wireless cameras are very popular in the world of spying as they serve the purpose of hiding at the best. They cannot be detected easily as they do not have any wires. Rather they have a transmitter and a receiver that can be kept separately into some other object to hide them. Since the wireless camera uses the transmitter-receiver assembly to send the visuals, therefore the chances of reliability are low as the signal strength can vary from time to time.
Internet accessible or IP
In this type of the camera, the camera is especially designed so that it works as a wireless camera and serves the purpose best for capturing and saving the videos. The camera is directly connected to a USB hard drive and the signal is continuously transmitted through wireless that keeps getting recorded into the hard drive. These cameras are best used for surveillance and security but they come with a drawback which says that the data is not hidden at all since it can be taken by anyone form the hard drive.
4G wireless
[easyazon_link identifier=”B017ISY9GC” locale=”US” tag=”norco0a-20″]ZOSI 4CH 1080P HD WiFi NVR with (4) 1.0MP 720P HD Wireless Outdoor Indoor Home Security Camera System Support Smartphone Remote View NO Hard Drive, 100′ Night Vision[/easyazon_link]The 4G wireless cameras are the most advanced in technology cameras that come with a 4G wireless technology. It serves the purpose of security and surveillance at best but it has the drawback that it cannot operate everywhere freely. It needs a specific are to operate so that it can work properly and it needs the 4G availability all the time.
Now that you have got the idea of the connectivity options for the hidden spy cameras, you are in a position to short list the most suitable option for you from here. If you have 4G in the area where you want to install the spy cam, then you can use that since it is the best choice amongst all. If not, then you can opt for the most suitable from the rest.
Resolution
Once you have gone through the details of the disguise and connection technology to be sued, you must have made your mind for the requirement from both. However there is another important thing that you need to consider along the above two and it is called resolution. You surely want the images or the videos you are capturing to be clear, bright and sharp and for this the best thing you can do is to choose a camera that provides the best results. Normally there are three factors that are considered while checking the resolution of the camera
- Real High Quality
- Super High Resolution
- High Definition
By far, among these three, the best one to be considered is the high definition or HD. Cameras with good output results for the videos are the ones that provide very crisp clear images, the ones that have a visible difference between lighter and darker shades, provide accurate color and have sharp resolution.
Lux rating is another factor that needs your attention when you are out to buy the best security cameras. The lux rating is defined as a factor that helps capture the image in better quality even when the light is minimal. The lower the lux rating will be, the better will be the results that the camera will provide even in the darkness.
Then there are some camera that work on the principal use of the infrared radiation. These are meant for nigh vision and such cameras are capable of capturing the good quality images even in the pitch darkness. The only factor for these night vision cameras that make them less useful is the fact that they are expensive which is why people are often being hesitant to buy them. However, if you have a good budget to purchase a spy camera, you are advised to go for the one that has night vision as well.
Storage Space
The next factor to consider when buying a spy camera is the storage space. When a camera records some footage, it has to store and save it into some memory. In most of the cases, the cameras used the SD card to store the data. The SD cards are available in different sizes and you can have the card with the size that suits your requirements. Typically the spy cameras support the SD cards from 2GB to 64GB. Then there are some cameras that have the built in storage in them and the video recorded by the camera goes straight to this storage. If you have to view the recorded video, all you have to do is to plug the camera to a viewing device and you can have a look at what your little spy guy has recorded.
The major difference between the SD card and the internal storage is that you can vary the size of the card according to your need for the cameras that support SD card. While for the other cameras that have internal memory, the memory storage space is fixed and you cannot change it. While in case of the SD card, the chances for the data loss are quite high since the card could get damaged at any time, therefore it is highly recommended for the SD card users to save the data to some reliable memory as soon as they retrieve it from the device.
Considering the storage space of the spy camera you are about to purchase, you must keep in mind that as much as the quality of the video gets better, so does the size of the video increases and thus it needs larger space for longer videos. Now you have to make the decision that which thing you want to have as a priority. Whether you want the picture quality to be perfect or is it the long length of the video that you desire. If you are looking for the good results in both cases, then for sure you would have to spend more to get the camera that can give you the best results.
Viewing options
Next thing to consider when it comes to determining the best kind of the spy cameras is the viewing options that the camera offers. For most of the cameras that are used for spying purposes the video can be seen only after the recording has been made. That is to say that you have to first retrieve the data from the camera, once the recording is over, and only then you can see what the camera did. It goes fine with most of the application of the spy cam since people who need post recorded videos have no trouble with that.
But if you require to see the live footage of the recording from the camera, you are going to need an IP cam. An IP cam is the one that has the ability to transmit the data and send it via the internet to the viewer to see as soon as it is captured. So you can remotely see the video while you are quite far away from the cam. There is only a delay of a few or milliseconds depending upon the technology of the camera.
So you need to make the decision about the purchase of the spy camera depending upon the need and where you want to place it.
Power source
Another factor that asks for your attention when you are in the process of purchasing the spy camera is the fact that what power source are you applying to gear up the spy cam. Most of the spy camera operate on the batteries that are chargeable. So you need to first keep the battery charged and then but the camera to work but if the camera has to work continuously for weeks and months, it is definitely going to need a power supply that can work better. So you will have to choose the power options as well.
Sometimes when the spy cameras are provided with the AC power source, that is continuous, the camera is revealed due to the wiring, killing all the purpose of spying. In such cases battery operated cameras work best.
Colored or B/W
Now that we have talked well about the resolution of the video that the camera is going to record, the next thing to consider is the colorization of the picture. Most of the spy camera record the videos in black and white mode so the details are not as clear as a colored video could reveal. Still if the resolution is better and the camera records in HD, the quality of the video gets better and you can get a lot of detail from it as well.
If you still wish to improve the quality of the video captured and you need even more details of the scene, then you can opt for the colored video recording camera. The colored video reveals more details of the scene but as we switch from the B/W to colored, price of the camera keep getting high. But since the quality gets better, so paying more seems like worth it.
Another factor to consider can be the warranty of the camera that gives you the satisfaction that it is not going to get you in trouble in future.
Conclusion
In the modern world, where security and surveillance have become almost a basic need not only for the commercial areas but also for the domestic ones, the hidden and spy cameras are becoming very popular. There is a huge variety of the leading edge technology available for the cameras and people are getting eager to buy them. If you too are looking forward to purchase one, you need to understand the basics of the hidden camera, how and where to use them and then make a decision based on the required feature and available budget. The article above enlightens the reader about all the necessary factors to take into consideration when you are about to make the decision for purchase of the camera. You can have a look at the reviews and comparison charts of different hidden cameras from various manufacturers and then make a decision based on this analysis.
You can order the spy camera that you need from any of the online stores or just go to a store and shop for the camera that you wish to have.