5 Important Things to Consider Before Buying a Security Camera

There are many reasons to buy security cameras for your home. The most obvious is providing security for your family, not to mention deterring crime, being able to monitor your home while you are away, and providing peace of mind. If you are thinking about getting security cameras for your home, here are a few things to think about before you make that purchase.

Resolution and Night Vision  
You’ll want to find a camera with good resolution so you can see details of things inside or outside your home, including an intruder’s face for later identification by the police. Look for a camera that offers at least 1080p. You’ll need a good Wi-Fi signal to utilize the 1080p quality. So make sure you have a strong signal. Most cameras out there offer some sort of night vision. Look for ones that offer color night vision for a better picture with more details.

Video Storage 
There are many different services for security footage storage out there that can offer different options for a monthly or yearly fee. Think about what kind of storage suits your needs, like how much you want to save and the duration of how long you’ll want to save it. Some of the cheaper options will keep all your footage for a short amount of time on an external server, with options for you to save and download your video clips on your own devices. And you can set your cameras to only record when motion is occurring, instead of rolling 24/7. If you’d like to save some money and skip a monthly fee, some cameras utilize SD cards, so you can do all the storing and saving yourself on a camera card.

Field of View/ Pan/Tilt/Zoom Options
Think about how much space you need to capture on your camera. The field of view is everything you see on the camera. Consider what you need to cover for the type of lens the camera should have. A narrower lens (110 degrees) covers a smaller area, and a wide lens (180 degrees) will cover a bigger area. Some cameras offer a pan, tilt, zoom (PTZ) option to allow you to control the camera and where it is pointing through an app. Some of these can rotate 360 degrees offering the opportunity to see the whole space from every side. PTZ cameras can offer a little more of an affordable option as you don’t have to get multiple cameras. 

Ease of Use - App Functions
When shopping for security cameras consider their App-based control systems. Look at how their Apps work and what features and alerts that they offer for what suits your needs and your workflow. It’s easier to learn Apps that are familiar to others that you already use. 

Professional Monitoring
Professional monitoring for cameras is a bit more rare these days, since people tend to monitor their security cameras themselves. But it’s still a good thing to consider during your camera search. It is a bigger cost to have a professional security company monitor your cameras so they can alert authorities to threats like break-ins and fires. But it takes that responsibility off of you to monitor it yourself. If you are interested in hiring a monitoring service, then make sure you read trusted reviews to see if the service is reliable and emergency services, like the police or fire, will actually show up when needed.
So consider these items before you buy your home security cameras, then you can get exactly what you need. Of course, Minnesota Locks is here to help you with any of your home security needs, so give us a call today! 

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