Several tips on what to consider when purchasing and hidden camera for your business. http://www.supercircuits.com/resources/blog/5-essential-tips-for-choosing-a-hidden-camera-for-your-business

1. 5 Essential Tips for Choosing a Hidden Camera for Your Business
Besides choosing the best locations to install a hidden camera at your business, it’s important to
choose one with the right features and capabilities for your application.
These tips will help you choose the right hidden camera for the job. When choosing the right
hidden camera to help secure your office, there are a few other things to consider. Assessing your
needs and selecting a hidden camera with the right enclosure, features and capabilities, will ensure
that you’ll end up with a camera that meets your specific surveillance requirements for your
application.
1. Choose a hidden camera that blends in well in your environment
Consider where you’ll be putting your hidden camera. Is the location indoors or outdoors?
Choosing a concealment that won't attract suspicion inside an office environment such as an
adapter, smoke detector, picture frame, wall clock or thermostat, is key to a successful covert
operation.
For tackling outdoor surveillance a floodlight or emergency light can provide the perfect covert
surveillance solution to monitor loading docks, the building perimeter and other outdoor areas.
Choosing a hidden camera that blends in well in your specific environment provides an additional
layer of security.
People act according to their true nature when they do not know they are being watched, and a
hidden camera that is well-hidden will capture those actions and provide needed video evidence of
any unwanted activity or crime.

2. 2. Capture the right level of detail
How detailed of an image do you need to capture for your surveillance needs? In order to produce
detailed video that provides facial identification, you need a hidden camera that produces high-resolution
images.
A hidden camera that offers at least 600 TV lines or 700 TV lines of high-resolution video will
provide the level of detail needed for most surveillance applications. When considering camera
resolution, it’s also necessary to consider the DVR’s recording resolution to ensure the recorded
video will provide enough detail for making a positive identification.
The hidden camera’s focal length is something else to consider. Does the camera have the desired
focal length to capture the right level of detail for your application? The camera’s focal length is the
distance from the center of the camera lens to the subject or area being monitored.
The focal length determines the size of the image and angle of field of view seen by the camera
through the lens. Choosing a hidden camera with the right focal length for producing the level of
detail you need for your surveillance application is essential.
The camera’s focal length and angle of the field of view determines how much of the scene will be
captured by the camera—along with how large individual elements in the scene will be. The angle
of the field of view is equally important for producing the detail you need for your surveillance
video.
A camera that produces a longer focal length will provide a narrow angle of view and the image
produced will be larger with more detail. A hidden camera with a shorter focal length will produce a
wider the angle of view and the image produced will be smaller with less detail.

3. 3. Consider your lighting conditions
Do you need to capture images in the dark or in constantly-changing lighting conditions? Choosing
a day/night hidden camera with features such as digital day/night capabilities, a built-In IR array or
wide dynamic range will help you capture a clear image in various lighting conditions and
environments.
For example, a hidden camera equipped with digital day/night improves the camera’s low light
sensitivity to capture clear images in low light conditions. Choosing a hidden camera with digital
day/night will enable you to capture video in low light environments.
Another feature that improves image quality is wide dynamic range. Choosing a hidden camera
with WDR will enable the camera to produce clear images in diverse lighting conditions. WDR
balances the contrast of light and shadow and enables the camera to deliver clear video with near
perfect exposure in harsh lighting conditions such as in extremely bright, dark or backlit areas
within a scene, including doorways.
If you need to capture high quality images at night, a night vision hidden camera with Smart IR or
built-in IR LEDs is the ideal choice. The camera’s smart IR or built-in IR LEDs will offer an IR range
specific to the camera (anywhere from a 30 ft. IR range or longer).
The IR camera will provide nighttime surveillance, along with the level of detail needed for
capturing clear images at night and in total darkness.

4. 4. Choose your video recording solution
If you want to record video with your hidden camera, there are several options:
 Connect your hidden camera to a compatible security system DVR for recording video.
 Purchase a separate DVR or micro DVR that is compatible with the hidden camera.
 Purchase a hidden camera with a built-in DVR.
If you have a video security system already in place that include a DVR, then all you need is to add
a hidden camera that is compatible with your system to provide covert surveillance.
If the hidden camera you purchase does not come with a built-in DVR, you can purchase a
separate compatible DVR or a micro DVR to record video. Micro DVRs are about the size of a
pocket camera and are easy to conceal.
Finally, purchasing a hidden camera with a built-in DVR provides an all-in-one solution for covert
surveillance. With a built-in DVR you don’t have to worry about camera compatibility, and you are
ensured that video recording will be seamless for your application.
5. Select your power source
When choosing a hidden camera for your covert surveillance application, don’t forget about power.
You can choose from a wired or wireless hidden camera that is powered by an AC power cable or
battery-powered.
For non-permanent surveillance applications, wireless battery-powered covert cameras are ideal
for providing the flexibility needed to move your hidden camera to another location. A wireless
battery-powered solution provides the flexibility needed. A battery-powered hidden camera with
motion detection recording will provide recording based on motion, which will prolong battery life.

5. For permanent covert installations, a wired hidden camera with a constant supply of power (from
an AC power cable) is a good choice. A covert camera with a constant power supply ensures you
have constant power and eliminates the problem of having to worry about changing the battery.
http://www.supercircuits.com/resources/blog/5-essential-tips-for-choosing-a-hidden-camera-for-your-business