2016 Surveillance Camera Reviews

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Prior to telling you why we chose a certain camera, I would like to explain the most important functions that should be considered when choosing a camcorder:
 

ZOOM

 
Zoom is extremely important when choosing a camera. There are three zoom features on a camera: Optical Zoom, Digital Zoom and Intelligent Zoom. Optical zoom is the feature that matters most, as this is when your video will be the best quality. Once your video gets into digital zoom, the video may become grainy and as a result, the video will be useless past a certain digital zoom point.
 
There is now a new zoom feature called Intelligent Zoom, which is a hybrid between optical and digital. Personally, I consider intelligent zoom similar to optical zoom as it is still good quality for surveillance purposes.
 
Ideally, you want a camera with at least 50X or more optical zoom. I prefer cameras with closer to 70X optical or intelligent zoom with a strong stabilizer.
 

STABILIZATION

 
Stabilization is as important as zoom. If your video is shaking it is useless! Every manufacturer has different names for their image stabilizers, so we cannot tell you the exact terminology. You need to test these features out for yourself. A seasoned investigator should be able to zoom into at least 80X zoom without shaking the camera. If the camera shakes, it has a bad stabilizer. With my Panasonic W580 I can go into 800X digital zoom without shaking the camera – that’s a good stabilizer! So far in my career, I have found that Panasonic camcorders have the best stabilizers.
 

RECORDING MEDIA

 
We are in the digital age, so if you are still using 8mm tapes – you are really missing out! Today, you have the option of getting an SD camera, an HDD camera, or an internal flash camera. I strongly recommend going with an SD camera, for the following reasons:
 
– If you drop an internal hard drive camera, you may lose your video; whereas with an SD camera you will not lose your video.
 
– An internal hard drive camera takes more battery power to film.
 
– An internal hard drive camera has more parts that can break or stop working.
 
– An internal hard drive camera may start taking longer to power-on over time, even after formatting the hard drive.
 
Overall, there are no benefits to having an internal hard drive camera compared to an SD card camera. When you buy an SD card, make sure you buy an SD card that records at 90 mbps for HD recording.
 

NIGHT-SHOT

 
A camera’s night shot is determined by “lux,” which is the metric unit for measuring the amount of light that falls on an object. True night shot is at 0 lux. This means that you are looking for a camera with as close to 0 lux as possible.
 

START UP SPEED

 
When your subject runs through a parking lot and your camera is not on yet, you better hope your camera can start up fast from the off position. This is an extremely important function for any surveillance investigator. When choosing a camera, you need to make sure that you test this function. Some cameras may have a quick-start option, so make sure that is on. The best way to test a cameras quick start is by taking the battery out, putting the battery back in, and now see how fast the camera starts up. If it takes longer than 1 second, don’t buy it!
 

FOCUS

 
Learning how to use a camera’s focus features is integral to providing your client with optimal surveillance footage. If your video is out of focus, then your video is useless. When your subject is picking up an air conditioner and carrying it from the driveway to the front door, you may only have several seconds of useful video, so it is imperative that any investigator learn how to adjust the focus or he/she will miss out on crucial video evidence.
 
For example, on my Panasonic, I can actually touch my subject on the camera’s screen as I’m filming and the camera will focus on my subject. An investigator needs to use these focus tricks on his/her camera prior to working any cases with the camera. Once an investigator is able to successfully focus on his/her subject while it is raining – he/she is likely able to use his camera!
 
With today’s camcorders, focus is becoming extremely easy to use, but you CANNOT count on auto focus. When choosing a camera, you need to test out its auto focus. You can do this by taking it outside, zooming into an object across a busy street and determining whether the focus is lost when a vehicle passes through the shot. If the focus is lost for more than 0.4 seconds, choose a new camera.
 

CAMERA REVIEWS

 
There are continual debates amongst investigators as to which camera is best for surveillance. However, every investigator will have his/her own preference. The aforementioned list provides criteria upon which each investigator should evaluate his/her surveillance camera. The best way to make a choice concerning camera selection, is to visit stores and test the cameras for yourself. However, if you are too lazy, my recommendation is the Panasonic W580. If you visit my blog, you can read other articles where I do side by side comparisons of various cameras. http://www.oinvestigations.com/blog/
 

Panasonic W580

 
The W580 is an upgraded version of the W570. This camera has the best stabilizer in the market (even better than a $2000 Sony camcorder) and has 90X intelligent zoom. Its startup speeds are better than any other camcorder that I have used as well.
 
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Below is a video that will show why I believe that the Panasonic W580 is the best camera for surveillance. This video was shot with the W570 (identical to W580). In the video I was holding the camera in my hand and I did not utilize any type of tripod or stabilizing device.
 

 

Sony AX100

 
The Sony AX100 is a newer version of the Sony CX900. The only difference between these two cameras is that AX100 has 4K resolution. This camera has the best night shot features in comparison to any other camera on the market.
 
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This is not my primary camera because the stabilizer and zoom are worse than those on my Panasonic. As such, I only utilize this camera for nighttime surveillance.
 
Below is a sample video in a completely dark environment. If you are a seasoned investigator, you know these environments are rare and nearly impossible to obtain video. Please watch closely and you will see a person walking in the first part of the clip when the night-shot is off.
 

 

TIPS AND TRICKS

 

Photography

 
Some cameras, like the Panasonic, have the ability to take pictures during recording or video playback. So while you are playing the video on the camera, you can click the photo button and you are able to obtain a picture of the HD video still. This will ensure that your photographs are not grainy (as is often the case when transferring the video from the camera to the computer).
 

Pre-Record

 
There is a pre-record function on every Panasonic camera. If you turn this function on, every time you start the camera, the camera will record video of the 3-5 seconds prior to pressing the record button. This means that if your camera is focused on the subject’s door, you will get video footage before the subject even opened the door. Personally, I cannot live without this function on my Panasonic camcorder! How often do you miss the first 2-3 seconds of great video? This function is the solution to this issue!
 

Mountain Mode

 
In scene selection, you can choose mountain mode. This will make the camera focus at far-points. By way of example, if you are filming through a fence, the camera will focus on what is past the fence rather than on the fence.
 

Steady Hand

 
 This is the icon that has a box with a hand in it. If you are filming while holding this icon, the camera will steady even more!
 

Candle Mode

 
 In scene selection, there is a candle icon that will make your night shot 100X brighter. Always turn on this mode when filming at night.
 

Half-moon

 
When in candle mode, the half-moon icon will make your night shot even brighter.
 

Select Operation Icons

 
If you go to setup and choose the select operation icon, you can choose certain icons to appear on the screen for faster use.


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