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Spy Cameras Buyers Guide

    Spy Cameras Buyers Guide

    Spy Cameras

    You can buy spy cameras ranging from a $5 eBay item to a $4k 5G remote surveillance system.

    When choosing a spy camera, think to yourself. Is it a mission critical recording? Will you get just one chance to get the evidence, and will it have to be used as evidence? If you answer yes to either then you should really research what you need and choose wisely. If the camera is detected or fails to record you may never get another chance.

    There are cameras built into many things from pens to clocks, light bulbs to picture frames. We also build them into existing furniture and items available from large retailers in Australia making them harder to research. If you need one in your premises you can bring in something and we will build a camera into it. This makes spotting the spy camera much harder as they are impossible to research online.

    People also refer to them in different ways now, an example is a Nanny cam. You may think it’s a camera for nannies, but it just means a hidden camera that blends into a home. There are other specific terms like clock cameras, watch cameras, smoke detector cameras, etc. Basically they just refer to the case it is mounted in. The electronics inside hardly changes between cases, but between suppliers it can vary a lot.

    Spy Cameras Night Vision

    Normally spy cameras don’t have IR night vision and even when they do it is not that good. Don’t expect it to see more than a few meters, as Spy Cameras have poor night vision. Remember any mobile phone camera will detect night vision so it is often better not to have it.

    If it is as big as a matchbox, you can put a camera in it.

    What makes a great spy camera?

    Reliability, clear picture, ease of use and quality so it works when you need it to. It is also vital to consider power/battery life and recording times as there vary considerably.

    It is important that the spy camera blends in well and isn’t identified. The last thing anyone wants is the perpetrator noticing the spy camera. They then makes themselves look like they are totally innocent in front of the camera or even steal the camera.

    Keep in mind that a quick search can educate people on what the mass produced spy cameras look like. Rendering the Spy Camera useless,and allowing them to modify their actions in front of the camera to cloud the facts.

    If you are serious, the best method is to build your own or a custom camera. OzSpy has been building custom cameras for over 24 years. Custom Spy Cameras are more expensive due to the time it takes to build them manually but harder to detect. They are usually the only choice for many situations where the collection of evidence is critical.

    You can easily build your own with one of our Mini Spy Camera modules.

    Generally we look for:

    • 1080p (or above) resolution for clear recording
    • Wi-Fi connectivity for stationary units for remote view and notification
    • The ability to run permanently on power as many cannot do this and batteries go flat
    • True colours in most lighting as many low cost units can distort colours
    • Reliability so for a mission critical job you can be confident the system will get the evidence
    • Unique appearance that does not look like a hidden camera and is not searchable on the internet

    What features are important when choosing a spy camera?

    For a nanny camera just needed to record the actions of a baby sitter a self recoding unit is perfect. You can remove the SD card and play it back in your phone, tablet or PC when you get home.

    If you are away and need to monitor an empty house or your home. A unit with an app or email so you get notified as soon as it happens would be better.

    For an investigator you may need something more suited. Perhaps a rock camera you can place into a garden and watch from the comfort of your car or office.

    Maybe you think a friend of the family is sneaking into the bedroom and stealing while you are either at home or away then a spy camera with email or an app will let you know as soon as they enter the room without them being alerted at all.

    Or perhaps you are worried about your teenager sneaking out at night through the window or sneaking people in through the window you would place an outdoor camera outside thus still protecting the teenager’s privacy whilst gathering the evidence you need to confront them.

    We can gear cameras for any situation and connect through your internet or create a private 3G/4G network so our cameras can be accessed from anywhere in the world and our cameras can be pretty much placed anywhere.

    So what we hope you get from this article is that whether you buy from us or any other reputable supplier, ensure your spy camera will get the results you need at evidence level without the embarrassment of getting caught out yourself by placing an easily detectable spy camera…