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Security Cameras--Purchasing Tips

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Review the types and features of security cameras and determine exactly what type of camera best fits your security goals. How many cameras do you want to purchase? Do you want analog and digital CCTV? How many cameras do you want to purchase? Do you want fixed or movable cameras? Will you use cameras outdoors, where they will need weatherproof housing, or indoors? Do you want to record in color or in black and white? Do you have a monitor to playback material? If you need to buy a lens separately, think about the amount of detail you want in your recorded images. With each additional camera and with each additional feature, the price of your security cameras will go up, so be careful not to go overboard.

Next, begin contacting surveillance vendors. Ask neighbors, friends, or, if you are shopping for your business, other companies, if they recommend a specific vendor. When talking with the vendors, make sure you understand how much you are paying and what you will receive for your payment. Are service and installation included, for example?

Finally, remember that security cameras are a major piece of a business’s security, but are likely not the only piece; make sure that your security camera fits with the rest of your security—both the technical aspects and the human aspects. On the technical side, do you have the monitoring and recording equipment necessary to support your security cameras? With digital cameras, for example, you can stream footage onto the Internet, but you will need the right computer equipment. Then, consider who in your family or business will have access, whether live or recorded, to the security camera footage. Security cameras provide the observer with a sort of power, so be careful how you use them.

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