Check where the footage is stored before you check the resolution. A camera whose recordings live only behind a monthly subscription becomes far more expensive over its life than the purchase price suggests, and this is the specification buyers most often discover after committing.
Storage: the first question
- Local storage on a memory card — no subscription, footage stays in your home. The limitation is that a stolen camera takes its footage with it.
- Local network storage — recording to a network drive or hub, so footage survives the camera being taken.
- Cloud — footage is off-site and safe from theft, but usually behind a recurring fee, and it depends on your internet being up.
The practical answer for most homes is a card for continuous recording plus cloud for event clips if the subscription is reasonable. Confirm the maximum card size supported and buy a card rated for continuous video writing — ordinary cards fail early under that duty.
Power and placement
Battery cameras are easy to place and need charging. Mains cameras need a socket or wiring but never stop.
For a front door or a gate that matters, choose mains power. A battery camera that has run flat provides nothing, and it does so silently.
Outdoors, check the ingress rating and mount under some shelter. Direct summer sun degrades plastics and seals over a few seasons, and dust accumulates on the lens far faster than most product photography suggests.
Night vision
Two approaches, and the difference is visible:
- Infrared — black and white images, invisible to the eye, works in total darkness.
- Colour night vision — needs some ambient light or an integrated spotlight, but colour makes clothing and vehicles far easier to identify.
Where there is street lighting, colour is more useful. In a dark stairwell or garage, infrared is the reliable choice.
Watch for reflection: a camera behind glass reflects its own infrared and produces a white haze. Mount cameras outside windows rather than behind them.
Resolution in perspective
Higher resolution helps only if the subject fills enough of the frame. A wide view of an entire street at high resolution still yields an unidentifiable face at thirty metres.
Placement beats specification: a moderate-resolution camera positioned at head height covering a doorway identifies people far better than a high-resolution camera under the roofline looking down at everything.
Bandwidth
Cameras upload continuously, which affects a household connection more than people expect. Several cameras streaming to cloud can noticeably slow a modest connection.
Reduce upload quality for cameras where you only need to know something happened, and keep full quality for the entrances that matter.
Before you buy
- Confirm storage options and any subscription cost.
- Confirm power at the mounting point.
- Check ingress rating for anything outdoors.
- Decide placement for identification, not coverage.
See smart cameras and sensors.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a subscription?
Not if the camera records to a local card. Cloud features usually require one.
Can I see cameras when away from home?
Yes, over the internet through the app.
Why is my night footage washed out?
Usually infrared reflecting off glass. Mount the camera outside the window.