These days locked doors won’t go far in keeping your home or business secure. Thieves have become smarter and are more skilled in overcoming basic security measures. If the only thing you do is lock the doors and windows to be safe, it’s time to look at a better line of defense.
Burglars tend to avoid houses and buildings that have security cameras because they have higher chances of getting caught. Security cameras do not just keep criminals at bay, but help to catch them while they are breaking in, through facial identification after a break in and will show your weakest security points on your property.
It’s important to know which type of security cameras are suited for residential or business applications, which cameras are best for which purposes and where you should install them.
The Different Types of Security Cameras
Bullet Cameras
As the name suggests, it has a bullet shape and should be mounted on a wall or ceiling. This can be used for outdoor and indoor applications. These cameras are installed in entrance areas, like a porch where they work best when pointed in a specific direction. Many bullet cameras are waterproof.
Hidden Cameras
A clock, motion sensor, or a smoker detector are some of the popular disguises for hidden cameras. These cameras are placed in the most discreet locations for home and office surveillance. They can be hidden anywhere from a mirror to a flower planter.
Dome Cameras
These cameras are very obvious in their purpose and mounted in the entryways so they are visible to everyone. It is difficult to tell where a dome camera is directly pointed, making it a good deterrent. There are speed dome variations on the market that spins quickly to capture wider range of images.
Pan, Tilt, Zoom (PTZ) Cameras
They have their own bracket or pole where they should be mounted or on a rail to zoom across places where you expect trouble. These are ideal for outdoor and large areas as they can pan, tilt, or zoom to capture images at different angles. They can also be controlled or pre-programmed from a remote location.
Infrared or Night Vision Cameras
These cameras can capture videos and images in shadows, low light and dark areas using infrared LEDs. They are best for outdoor security at night when we want to feel secure and when intruders think they can easily escape.
Wired Cameras
Professional installation is necessary for these cameras. Although the surveillance is obvious to the intruder and they are not easily hidden, they can provide clear pictures and more reliable recording and streaming.
Wireless Cameras
Convenient cameras without visible wires, reliance on a power source and very easy to shift locations. Ideal for DIY installs without having to worry about any of the messy wiring of a hardwired security camera system.
Security experts are saying wireless cameras are the way of the future in surveillance with low equipment / installation costs, increased data storage via high capacity memory cards and improved recording resolution.
With the recent availability of wireless cameras that are able to record/backup direct to the cloud, home and business owners are now able to choose to get rid of those expensive and bulky DVRs entirely.
Day and Night Cameras
These cameras can compensate for the varying light conditions and capture images with good quality. Primarily, they are for larger outdoor locations like parking lots. They have a wide powerful range to function in direct sunlight, glare, strong backlight, and reflections.
Weather Resistant Cameras
It’s important for security cameras to be protected against the outdoors and different weather conditions. There are security camera models that suit different types of climate whether heavy winds, high temperature, rain and ice.
Dummy Cameras
These are fake cameras that make the area look like it’s under surveillance. Although they do not do anything at all, they help prevent crime and an inexpensive way to deter burglars.
Security cameras are an important aspect of security and increasingly necessary to keep your home and business safe. Team them up with a quality monitored security alarm and you have a strong burglar deterrent. Should you still get a break in, the duration of the robbery will be greatly reduced and your losses minimized.
With prices coming down on quality security cameras and professional CCTV monitoring services. There’s no reason not to look at upgrading your properties security system.
