Security cameras and alarms

How to choose a surveillance camera

Four questions are enough to find the right camera: where to install it, how to connect it, what image you need, and where to record the videos.

1. How to connect it?

• Wi-Fi: the simplest. A power socket and the app on your smartphone are all you need. Ideal for a house, a flat or a small shop covered by the router (Tapo, IMOU).
• 4G: works with a SIM card, without Wi-Fi. The solution for a building site, a farm or a second home.
• Solar: a solar panel recharges its battery, with no cables at all. Often combined with 4G for remote sites.
• Wired HDVI: several cameras connected by cable to a DVR recorder. The most reliable solution for covering a shop, a warehouse or a villa with 4, 8 or 16 cameras (Dahua, Hikvision).

2. Indoor or outdoor?

An indoor camera sits on a piece of furniture and is often motorised. An outdoor camera is weatherproof (IP66 or IP67 rating) and withstands rain and dust.

3. What image?

• Resolution: 2MP (Full HD) is enough to see what is happening. 3MP (2K) and 5MP (3K) let you read details, 8MP (4K) lets you zoom in on a face or a number plate.
• Night vision: infrared gives a black and white image. Smart Dual Light, ColorVu or Full Color models film in colour at night thanks to built-in lighting.
• Field of view: a motorised 360° camera covers an entire room or courtyard and follows movement. Dual-lens models combine a wide view and a zoom.

4. Where are the videos recorded?

Wi-Fi and 4G cameras record to a microSD card or to their app's cloud. Wired cameras record to the DVR's hard drive, with several weeks of history depending on its capacity.

The details that matter

Person and vehicle detection avoids pointless alerts, two-way audio lets you talk remotely and the siren acts as a deterrent. For a wired installation, think about the accessories: power supply, coaxial cable, BNC connectors, mounts.

To be alerted when someone arrives at the door, also see our wireless doorbells and chimes in Alarm and Detection.