Tips To Help You Choose The Best Outdoor Security Camera

If you are concerned about home break-ins and burglaries, then you should know that a residential burglary happens about once every 15 seconds. Research suggests that criminals will look for security systems and leave homes alone that have alarms. This means you can protect your home by investing in a security system and making sure it is apparent to burglars that you have one installed. Some of the best systems are ones that include outdoor security cameras. There are a wide variety of considerations that need to be made when choosing the cameras.

Consider Light Levels

If you want an outdoor security camera that will capture a criminal in the act if a break-in does occur, then you will need to make sure that the light is sufficient for the camera to do its job at night. If you want to illuminate your yard so that images can be captured with a traditional security camera, then invest in outdoor LED lights.

LED lights produce concentrated and pinpointed light to provide adequate illumination for your security camera. LEDs are best used in situations where your camera will capture images within a relatively small area. A single LED will create enough light for clear images to be captured within several meters. If you want to extend the viewing area, then you can add four LED lights to double the distance of the illuminated space.

If you do not want to add lights to outdoor areas, then you can choose a camera that works well in low light situations. Black and white mode, infrared, and intensifier cameras can all work well. A black and white mode camera is a color camera that switches to black and white mode at night. This allows the camera to capture images with greater definition and contrast when light levels are low. Infrared cameras release infrared beams that bounce away from and back to the camera to indicate where objects are located. This means that images can be recorded even when there is almost no visible light in the area. Intensifier cameras boost the intensity of the natural light that comes into contact with the camera so images that are captured are much clearer. Intensifier light cameras do require some ambient light in the recording area, so these varieties are best used when there is at least a bit of light outdoors.

Go With Wireless Cameras

Security cameras are often sold as wireless systems. These systems do not require visual and audio cords to transmit data from the camera to a monitor or recording device. The camera will instead contain a wireless radio transmitter. The transmitter produces a radio signal that is intercepted by a transceiver. The data is then converted into a video that is produced continuously on a monitor or recorded for later viewing. 

Wireless cameras do not require cords for data transmission. However, they will need cords to power the camera itself. This means that a wireless camera will still need a consist power source and at least one cord. You will need to keep this in mind when choosing the best location for the security cameras. Cameras can be plugged in outdoors, but this will make them easy to disengage. A better power solution will include an indoor outlet. The wiring can then be fed through a small hole in the exterior of your home and plugged in inside your house. A wire placed high on the outside wall is best to keep the cord from being tampered with. 

If consistent power is a concern of yours, then make sure to opt for a security camera that comes equipped with a battery backup. This will help to ensure proper security even if the power goes out at your home or if the power cord is cut by a burglar.

For more information about your security camera options, contact a company like Arapahoe County Security Center Inc.