Security Cameras for the Home

Home security is becoming more affordable and as a result more people are interested in installing home surveillance cameras for safety and security. Trying to decide what kind of camera to purchase can seem overwhelming. Take some time to think about what it is you want to secure with your surveillance system. Here are some things to consider when determining what type of security camera is right for your needs.
If you want to protect your house from the outside, then outdoor spy cams would be your best option. They are obvious because of their size and people will see that your house is secured. That is actually a good reason to put a security camera on the outside of your home. It will let burglars know that your house is protected and they will be less likely to attempt a break in. If you decide to install an outdoor camera, then you will want to make sure that it is weatherproof and waterproof. You also want to be sure that rough weather won’t damage or break it. Decide if you need night time surveillance. Outdoor cameras with infrared are available for capturing images at night.
Spy cameras inside the house are also used for security purposes. In case burglars do break into your house, your home spy cams will detect the burglars and record their moves. There are even home security systems that have alarm functions built-in. These security systems have motion detection devices. Once armed these systems trigger an alarm if movement is detected. The type of alarm triggered can vary from sound signals, flashing light, an automatic phone call to you or your neighbours if you are away, or even an email sent to your PC or laptop.
You may have the need for a home spy cam that is not for security, but for spy and surveillance purposes. People use hidden cameras in their houses to spy on their nannies, spouses, or kids. You will want cameras that can easily be hidden for this type of surveillance. There are mini spy cameras or pin-hole cameras used for this purpose. These small cameras can be hidden anywhere, in stuffed animals, behind the book shelf, or near the computer. They can also be wired or wireless. Another alternative would be ready made hidden cameras, meaning that they are already stuffed into some regular everyday objects such as lamps, fake plants, or books.
Once you have decided if you need outside or inside security, visible or hidden surveillance, you can now begin to shop around for the best camera for your investment.


About the Author: Mike Ward is the owner and operator of Protection Depot, a leading online provider of security cameras and hidden cameras. For more information about security cameras, please visit Protection Depot.

Home Security Cameras with Night Vision

It is obvious that business or home security cameras are most useful at night. The darkness enables intruders to easily break into homes and business without being noticed, and a security camera without any night vision capability will be of little use during these hours unless the surveillance area is extremely well lit. However, by utilizing some type of night vision technology, intruders will have a very difficult time accomplishing their goal without being recorded and identified. The basic installation and monitoring is exactly the same as most other security cameras, but with night vision cameras you can always keep a watchful eye, day or night.

There are two most common types of technology used to record images in a dark environment. Both methods make use of the infrared spectrum, but utilize it in different ways. Infrared is basically a form of electromagnetic radiation, which has a longer wavelength than the light that is visible to the human eye. The color red has the longest wavelength of any visible color, and infrared has a wavelength that is even longer. Because infrared has a variable wavelength of 750 nm to 1mm, there is large spectrum of infrared light that can be used in different ways.

One way infrared is used is known as image enhancement. This night vision technology gathers small amounts of infrared light from the lower portion of the spectrum and amplifies it by many times. This makes the infrared light visible, thus revealing any objects or people. This is the same night vision method used on most night vision goggles, and it appears on the monitor to be a black and white type of image with a greenish tent.

Thermal imaging is another method of utilizing infrared light. Instead of amplifying the lower part of the infrared spectrum, it actually monitors the upper portion of the spectrum, which reveals something entirely different. The upper part of the infrared spectrum is produced by the emission of heat. Warmer things actually give off these higher spectrum infrared rays, and when amplified, they can reveal the human body by the heat it is putting out. The image produced from thermal imaging has a larger color spectrum, but the colors are associated with the amount of heat rather than the actual colors of the person or object. The warmer areas are recorded as “warmer colors” or yellows and reds, while colder areas show purples and blues. For this reason, sometimes the images can be more difficult to interpret.

Both of these technologies have been used for surveillance and home security cameras very successfully, providing security footage in the darkest of environments. If you have a dark area that poses some security concern consider installing a camera with night vision capabilities.

About the Author: Mike Ward is the owner and operator of Protection Depot, a leading online supplier of home security cameras and mini security cameras. For more information about security cameras, please visit Protection Depot.