Surveillance Cameras
Video camera surveillance, CCTV or whatever you like to call it, is becoming more common in people’s homes today. The main use is for security, of course, to record the activities of anyone trying to break into your home, vandalize your property, steal your car etc.
But there is another form of surveillance. And that is the hidden camera. These are normally designed only for use inside and the primary purpose is that they cannot be seen. They are used to record any sort of suspicious activity - do you suspect that your Nanny is stealing from you, or that she might be hurting your child? Or just for piece of mind - is your child safe asleep in the cot upstairs? Wouldn’t you like to know? The hidden camera gives you that peace of mind.
Because they are designed to be easily concealed they are very small and can be placed almost anywhere you wish – the only limit is your imagination. The smaller the camera is, the more expensive it’s likely to be, so make sure you’ve worked out what you want it for and where you’re going to conceal it before you purchase one.
To give you an idea, here are some examples - they can be hidden in lights, books, children’s toys, lamps etc. Some can be bought already installed within such items. These are very useful if they need to be moved around within the home but still remain inconspicuous. But what if you need to take one with you? Where are you going to conceal it? Well, it is becoming much more common for them to be integrated into pieces of clothing – ties, belt buckles, even shirt buttons. Cigarette lighters and mobile phones are favourites too. So you should be able to find the exact one for your needs.
Ther are two different types of these cameras - CMOS and CCD. CMOS is a name adopted by manufactureers to differntiate it from the more poular CCD option. It derives form chip manufacturing technology, and all you really need to know is that CMOS is digital, where as CCD is analogue
You also need to bear in mind that CMOS systems do not offer as good a quality image as their analogue counterparts, however CMOS cameras are generally a lot cheaper, do not consume as much power and can be smaller.
As with everything, the advances in technology have made these sorts of camera, once the domain of the CIA and James Bond, now available to everyone. However, they also bring a sense of responsibility. Please, do not use these for any kind of illegal activity. They are only to be used to protect you and your family. They should not be used to invade anybodys privacy.