When to use an Infrared Security Camera in your Security System Setup

By Chad Buie

If you need to capture security video in the dark, you need an infrared security camera. Infrared security cameras have advantages and disadvantages that must be considered when designing a security system.

Let's start out by acknowledging a infrared security camera's obvious drawback: they capture black and white video. With that said, we can begin to speak about the benefits of having an infrared security camera in your security setup and the different types of infrared cameras.

An infrared security camera has the ability to capture video in conditions where other cameras cannot capture anything. Faced between having black and white video is better than having none.

Many closed caption television security system cameras hinge on having good available lighting. Often times this means that a thousand dollar setup can many times be rendered useless and ineffective by simply removing the light source, by either destroying or disabling the light. In this situation a infrared security camera would make an excellent failsafe. Secondly, many times the lighting necessary to properly secure an outside location would be overwhelming to nearby residents or businesses, draw unwelcome attention, or otherwise be undesirable. This is another situation where a infrared security camera would be very beneficial.

How do Infrared security cameras work? Infrared Sensors (or IR) detect infrared radiation, which is essentially the byproduct of heat. Specifically, electromagnetic radiation has a wavelength longer than visible light but shorter than a microwave, which means that people cannot see it or be damaged by it. Infrared (or thermal) imaging is used in many devises such as smart missiles, night vision goggles, and television remotes. Other scientific uses involve using infrared light to predict the weather or study the formation of stars. Obviously, visible light is not necessary to produce heat, which is why infrared cameras work so well at night.

Infrared cameras come with many different numbers of infrared lights built into the lens. Some have as many as 64 or as few as 6 bulbs, but the number of bulbs is not the only thing to consider. The size of the infrared bulb is important as well. Generally the more infrared light, in both size and number, that a infrared security camera has the farther that you will be able to see with the camera.

When it comes infrared cameras if the cameras has 12 or more bulbs, it was not meant to be used indoors. This is because many flat glossy surfaces can reflect the light back and overwhelm the sensors. A few examples of these types of surfaces include windows, doors, coffee tables, even walls painted with "glossy" paint finishes can wash out an infrared sensor if it has too much light. It is better to know where you will install the camera rather than just assuming that more lights equal a better picture.

About the Author:

In general, an infrared security camera has a specific application in a security system setup: to see in total darkness and thus be a failsafe to your other devices. For more infrared security cameras please see www.security-camera-warehouse.com

Explore Why Video Surveillance Systems Are Growing in Popularity

By George Friston

Video surveillance systems can be used in many instances and they provide an accurate record of activity going on under their watch. Video surveillance is a great idea for a business owner who is not at their business at all times of the day to watch what is going on in their business during the hours when they are open. Anything can happen while the owner of a business is in the store or when they are not there. If there is a store front business, video surveillance systems can be extremely helpful in the case that someone shoplifts from the store. Video surveillance will catch the shoplifter stealing from the store, and can be watched by security at the time of the act, which allows them to catch that person before they leave the store.

Anything can happen in an establishment, either a store or a building for businesses, even if the owner is present .For that reason, it is essential to install video surveillance system in case someone shoplifts from the store. Video surveillance will record the shoplifter which will be simultaneously monitored by security personnel whom will be able to take action accordingly depending on the situation. Video surveillance systems can be used in many conditions and provides exact proof of everything that happens under their watch.

Though the primarily the purpose of having surveillance cameras is anti-shoplifting, it can also be a good tactic to watch employees during working hours .Camera surveillance will help you identify whose among your employees doing there job. Video surveillance will also tell you who among your employees are going out and who is doing the whole business operation. Video surveillance will also tell who among your employees (cashiers) are secretly getting money from the stores cash drawers. Its always good to know who your honest employees are. This is a great advantage for the part of the business owners.

You should not easily trust anybody especially nannys or babysitters that are left in house with your kids. There have been many cases that nannies have been caught on spy cams hurting children. Nanny cams help to make sure your children are well taken care of and also to ensure the safety of the whole house. Nannies will be afraid to steal or devastate your properties knowing that they are being recorded. These cameras will help prevent crimes such as child abuse and theft. The violators will then be identified thus preventing them from being hired again and wreak havoc to unsuspecting victims.

Parking lots located are also criminals best hang outs which happens to have plenty of car napping and other petty crimes .Putting video surveillance in this kind of area like any businesses require, is of great concern, protects your costumers too. Identifying the culprit and the involved persons to a vehicle theft is the main purpose of these hi-tech video surveillance systems. This camera surveillance keeps the front like parking lots of your business safe. Having these kinds of surveillance systems creates an atmosphere of safety for clients, when they know that your place is secured by a surveillance camera.

Home or business is best with a video camera surveillance; keeping you safe and informed. Video surveillance drops the crime levels in businesses and even in the parking spaces .It also prevents employees from stealing as well as shoplifters. You can now be assured that the people you hire on taking care of your children are of good records. Lastly, the video surveillance camera system is your trusted tool to know the events within your home and in your business. You can now be relaxed and peaceful "minded with surveillance that gives your 24/7 protection.

About the Author:

Video surveillance can be a capable tool and is used across the world. Using video surveillance systems can have many very good effects.

Top 3 Best Underwater Camera: Review

By Patrik G. Moore

Cameras had reached new horizons and the depth in the field of photography. It has evolved tremendously catering to consumer demands and desires. As of today, the cameras not only take photos but also videos with varying depth, resolution and image size. To our great surprise, there are already underwater cameras that are perfect for water memories. This has completely revolutionized the technology and by far extends its usual limitations.

Since the initial launch of a company to publicize its own underwater camera, camera giants and several colleagues made their own brands as well. For each year, countless underwater cameras have been added, changed or improved making a new mark for each. In fact, if you do a Google search for a specific camera, including the waterproof ones, it will issue over a million hits and hundreds of brands. With this, it occurred to me to give you an initial resolution to solve consumer dilemma and make your choosing much easier. Let me give you the top three underwater cameras and what they can do and what they have.

First on our list would be the SeaLife DC1000. This brand has carved its niche in underwater photography and since then has been setting high standards specifically dedicated to water-based gadgets. Its magic in this latest installment of their wide array of camera is generating vibrant colors irregardless of water origin. Some specifications of this camera includes its sharp 10-megapixel, high-resolution images, a large 2.7"LCD screen, up to 200 feet deep, optical and 5X digital zoom, 4 UW color correction settings perfect for shallow and deep waters, the automatic mode for easy exposure settings, snorkel mode, user-friendly buttons and options coupled with land and sea modes. You can even buy additional accessories to enhance your photography experience.

The second underwater camera that I would suggest for camera enthusiasts would be the Canon Powershot D10. This is the first waterproof camera under the said brand giant. This contains 12.1-megapixel and can cater up to 10 meters of water depth. In addition, this is even shockproof and freeze proof catering up to -10oC. It allows up to 3X optical zoom, smart auto mode with scene detection, image stabiliser, motion and face detection with self timer and auto red-eye correction. Furthermore, it allows a range of shooting and special underwater scene modes.

Third on our list and probably not the least is the Olympus Stylus TOUGH-8000. This is 12-megapixel underwater camera with 3.6X wide zoom lenses. The lens start at 28mm and ends at 102mm. This camera line is shockproof up to 2m, waterproof till 10m, crushproof at 100kg and freeze proof up to -10 oC. Other wonderful technicalities included are its TAP control menu for convenience, face detection, intelligent auto mode that adjusts settings, focus and exposure instantly, easy checking of air and water pressure that can be readily seen on its screen, LED illuminator for underwater lighting purposes and some macro sceneries and even movie and sound recording.

These underwater cameras are the best there is in the market, according to its specifications and image quality. So if you happened to be looking at a probable underwater camera, then it would be best to consult on these cameras first in your local stores and that I'm sure they can do what you want fitting your budget too. So have fun in the water with these exciting underwater cameras and it will surely change your photography experience.

About the Author:

Still in doubt which underwater camera to buy? Check out on our Best Underwater Cameras where we give suggestions on our Underwater Camera Reviews.

Digital Camera Binoculars Best Of Both Worlds

By Riz Goodman

The big burden of carrying all the things on a hunting expedition can be a pain and that is why it is better to have a few things combined. One such thing is the digital camera binoculars. These are the binoculars as well as the digital camera combined. This helps as you can easily click a picture of the object that you are about to hunt. In fact another major thing that is going to happen here is the fact that you have that special video camera feature built in for instant replay which helps in capturing the video footage easily.

There are a couple of things that you should know when you are selecting the binoculars with an in built digital camera. The first and foremost thing that you should be worried about is the resolution. Now be aware that this resolution will be different than the resolution of the binoculars. Always go for more 1 mega pixel resolution. Also check if the binoculars have the play back facility of small videos. A lot of binoculars come with the instant replay feature.

The digital cameras generally have a memory which is not capable of storing many pictures and it would be better to have some sort of the external memory and the best thing to do in that case is that to buy external memory. The way to buy external memory is to buy the SD memory card.

The general view is that binoculars with digital cameras are not that worth the price but with recent technological advancements all good manufacturers have come up with a variety of better features and styles.

It is generally a very good practice to go into a nearby binocular retailer shop and check the quality of the binoculars and also check how it adjusts in your hand. These binoculars are very heavy and need a good grip.

Make sure that if you are a photo enthusiast then you should go only with digital camera binoculars.

About the Author:

Bushnell Imageview digital camera binoculars are the best digital camera binoculars in the market

What You Should Know Before Buying a Digital Camera

By Daniel Henderlei

The key technical component of digital photography is the semiconductor. Light is focused onto a semiconductor, creating a digital image. Digital images have let us enter a new paperless age of photography as images can be stored on computers instead of printed.

Talk to those you know who own digital cameras before buying one. Friends and family can offer the best advice, and tell you which brands and models they favor or are disinclined towards. You can make a sound purchase when combining their experience with what you read on the Internet.

For nature lovers who take photos of the great outdoors, a large zoom lens is very helpful. For those of you want to shoot photos of their kids involved in an activity, a fast response time is key, as children move around quickly. For set photos where family and friends are posing, you'll probably want a model that takes pictures in dim light.

For digital cameras, you've got the Point-and-Shoot and the Digital SLR. If you're a novice stick a simple model that's well-rounded - resist the temptation to splurge your money on a super-advanced camera, because you'll be paying for a lot that you'll never use. By the time you learn to use it, you'll probably be wanting another camera with even more cool features.

The Point-and-Shoot camera

Beginners will like the point-and-shoot. It lives up to its name as most settings are automatic, and will adjust itself for you based on the environment and lighting. Customization can still be available as many cameras offer presets for environments like sunny, outdoors, indoors, etc.

Use automatic settings when you want the light sensitivity (ISO) and focal length calculated for you. Read around to find which cameras are best at this.

The Compact is slim, and ranges in size from pocket cameras to ones than fit in a purse. Most compacts have wide-angle and zoom lenses, blur reduction, image stabilization, scene mode pre-sets, and face detection. They can also have LCD displays that are large despite the smallness of the camera.

For distant subjects, check out Optical Zoom cameras. They capture small details, and can crop a scene easily. Optical Zooms have a feature where the camera lens is physically adjusted to improve image quality, with a natural-looking image. Digital Zoom crops the image and then enlarges it to fill the frame - this affects the quality and clarity of the image. Cropping can also be done easily on your PC.

Digital SLR Cameras (Single Lens Reflex)

Digital SLR cameras are for advanced users - those who want to manage and control what the camera does, rather than just point and shoot. SLRs can offer interchangeable lenses, and have a myriad of manual controls. Many settings can still be automatic, but an SLR is best for those who want hands-on control instead of automatic settings.

About the Author:

About the author - you can shop for the best prices on digital cameras at Daniel Henderlei's site, dhome.net.