When choosing a camera(s) for home and/or business we here at Pro Security Products have provided you with some security camera tips to make your purchase a little easier. Also here below is a list of the many types of cameras and their descriptions so that you get the best camera, at the best price, and most importantly one that is custom to your needs.

SECURITY CAMERA TIPS:

1. Sketch out a Floor Plan: Put in all camera locations. Consider  the distance to your surveillance zone:How many feet are you away from your surveillance target area? It is best to locate your camera as close to the surveillance area first, then choose how much zoom you need. Do you need 4mm, 8mm, or 12mm, etc. lens?

2. Field of view or area of surveillance: Take photos of areas you want to cover from the proposed camera locations.What lens you need depends what you want to see and how far away and how wide a viewing area.

3. Resolution: Do you want to capture a persons face or a car license plate? Each camera location will determine which lenses would maximize your surveillance potential.

4. Vandalism potential: Will your camera be subject to damage? Damage resistant cameras are available.

5. Lighting: Is the space well lit or dimly lit. Are the lighting conditions simply unpredictable due to an outdoor influence? Are the lights turned off at night? Do you want to monitor the area with the lights turned off?  Do you need infrared or low light cameras?

6. Budget: Just like any technology, the more you spend, the better the system you get. Keep in mind a low cost camera is better than no camera.

TYPES OF CAMERAS & DESCRIPTIONS:

Bullet Cameras

These cameras are One of the most cost effective solutions for CCTV monitoring. Bullet cameras provide great quality at low cost. They are also compact and discrete, coming in sizes slightly over 2 inches long. Also designed for versatility, bullet cameras can function both indoors and outdoors, and can also perform in both normal and low-light conditions making them very flexible. All of these advantages make the Bullet Security Camera ideal for situations in which space is limited, you wish to remain discrete, and when you need to keep costs at a minimum.

IR cameras

Infrared (I.R.) is a good fit for areas with virtually no light that only need coverage in a limited or confined area. Think of the analogy that using an I.R. camera is like walking around into the pitch dark with a flashlight: The smaller the flashlight the smaller the visible area. It’s this simple concept that makes I.R a good fit for a limited area as it allows for respectable coverage without a big “I.R. flashlight”.

Dome cameras

Ceiling mounted Dome Security Cameras truly are the 'EYE in THE SKY' because they can point in any direction up to 360°. No one really knows which way the camera is looking. Dome Security Cameras can be manually adjusted at any time to monitor other directions.

PTZ dome cameras

Pan Tilt Zoom Cameras also known as PTZ cameras are excellent devices to use when you want to 'look around' your surveillance area.PTZ cameras allow you to pan a factory floor, tilt up and down and zoom in on anything or anyone within the sight of the camera. They make a great supplement to your standard fixed cameras that should be dedicated to areas such as entry and exit points.They can give management an extra level of information in live time that can be an invaluable tool for your business.

Mini Case spy cameras

Mini Case spy cameras can be put in a variety of places.  Some people put them in everyday household objects like clocks or pictures where they are invisible.  Depending on your reason for using it you could put it in a doll or stuffed animal.  They can be secured inside a pair of glasses, sewed into a coat or hat.  Some spy cameras come in such tiny sizes that they can fit on a button. The small size of these mini cameras makes them ideal to put almost anywhere. They are easy to keep out of the way and they do not invade space.  The uses are only limited by the imagination of the use.

Dummy cameras

Is a security camera that is made to look just like its real counterpart but which actually is not able to record anything at all. There are both advantages and disadvantages to using a dummy security camera, all of which you should be well aware of before you go ahead and buy one to use inside or outside of your own home or office.

One of the major advantages to choosing a dummy security camera is that you will not have to spend nearly as much money as you will if you go for the real thing. So not only are you able to save more to begin with, but you also are freer to get more cameras, so that you can give the idea that more of your home or business is safeguarded. The disadvantage is that they are often very easy to spot. For the experienced criminal, spotting a dummy security camera is a very easy, especially if it is a particularly cheap model. Dummy cameras really do nothing but provide a false sense of security. You would have no form of proof and no way of finding out who was at fault.

IMPORTANT FACT about Dummy Cameras: Once a dummy security camera has been discovered, criminal activity actually tends to increase even more than what it was before. It is believed that this is because a weakness in your security system has been exploited, and so criminals are only going to be that much more willing to take a chance on the rest of your security system as well.