Do you want to know how does spy camera work before using it?
If you are a curious soul like me then this article is for you. In this article, I will let you know in layman’s terms how exactly wireless as well as wired hidden cameras and security camera work.
Quick Navigation
- How Spy Camera Works?
- How Do Wireless Hidden Cameras Work?
- How Do Wired Security Camera Works?
- Which Camera Should You Choose?
- FAQs
How Spy Camera Works?
The working of a spy camera is like any normal camera. What differentiates it from the others is the fact that it stays hidden and does its work. It is much smaller in size compared to other security or surveillance cameras. This makes it very easy to hide it in plain sight.
Let me tell you what different parts a spy camera has and how they work, this way you will be able to understand the working of a spy camera as a whole.
1) Camera Lens
The first part of a camera is obviously its lens. It is responsible for taking videos and pictures of things that are in front of it. How good the quality of the recorded videos and pictures you will get depends on the quality of the camera lens. A good quality lens will give you crisp and clear footage however a bad quality lens will give you blurry videos.
2) Storage Device
The next part of a spy camera is the storage or recording device. This device is responsible for storing all the photos and videos so that you can view them later. There are different types of storage devices that come with a spy camera, which are as follows:
- Inbuilt
- Wireless
- Wired
Inbuilt storage devices come attached to hidden spy cameras. And whenever you want to view the footage, you will have to take the spy camera out of its hidden place and then connect it to your PC/laptop/smartphone to see the videos. These types of spy cameras are a little bigger in size as compared to other spy cameras because of the added storage device in them.
On the other hand, wireless spy cameras send videos wirelessly to the storage device. These are the smallest of all the spy cameras. And wired cameras, as the name suggests, are connected to storage devices through a wire.
3) Display
The next part of a hidden spy camera is the display on which you will watch the footage. It can be your smartphone, TV, computer, monitor, etc.
4) Motion Sensors
Not every spy camera comes with a motion sensor but some do come equipped with it. It comes attached to the camera unit and is responsible for sensing motions. These type of hidden spy cameras do not record their surroundings all the time and only start recording when something moves in front of them.
5) Microphone
Like motion sensors, not every spy camera comes with a microphone. But there are spy cameras that record voices available on the market. With these, you can not only see videos but can also listen to what people are talking about in front of the camera.
How Do Wireless Hidden Cameras Work?
As discussed, spy cameras can be of two types wireless and wired. Let me now tell you how wireless hidden cameras work.
Hidden wireless cameras consist of all the parts that we discussed above. They are called wireless because they do not have wires attached to them. A camera needs basically two wires. One is to connect it to electricity so that it can run. Another is to send the recordings to a storage device.
In wireless cameras, the power is provided by a battery, so they do not need a charging wire. They also transmit all the recordings wirelessly through radio signals, as a result, they do not need a transmitting cable as well. The recording or storage device consists of a radio signal receiver and the camera consists of the radio signal transmitter. The camera transmits the signals and the recording device receives them.
The hidden wireless camera can also connect to an Internet connection through WiFi, which allows you to see the videos remotely.
How Do Wired Security Camera Works?
As opposed to wireless spy cameras, wired security cameras are connected through wires. One wire is used to provide charge to the security camera and the other is attached to the recording device to transmit the recordings.
You can either connect a monitor to a recording device to see the videos or you can also connect this recording device to a WiFi router to see the videos remotely.
Since the wire attached to these spy cameras is very long, therefore hiding them is not an easy task at all.
Which Camera Should You Choose?
The working of all the cameras is almost the same, be it wired or wireless. But the usage of these cameras differs widely. If you want to spy on someone then a wireless hidden camera will be useful to you.
On the other hand, if you do not want to spy on someone then you go for wired security cameras. These come with wires but are generally cheaper compared to wireless spy cameras.
You Might Also Be Interested In:
- How To Spy On Someone Through Their Phone Camera?
- How To Hack Into Someone’s Front Facing Camera
- Best Spy Camera Apps
FAQs
Can A Spy Camera Work Without WiFi?
Yes, spy cameras can work without WiFi or an Internet connection.
How Does A WiFi Spy Camera Work?
WiFi spy camera sends the live feed and video recording through a WiFi network that it is connected to. This allows you to see the footage remotely.
Do Spy Cameras Need Power?
Yes, like any other electronic device, spy cameras need the power to work too. This power can be provided by a battery or a cable.
Do All Security Cameras Need To Be Plugged In?
No, not all security cameras need to be plugged in, some come with an inbuilt battery.
What Cameras Can Record Without WiFi?
Almost all cameras can record without WiFi. They just need the WiFi to transmit the data remotely.
