"No social stability without individual stability." - Aldous Huxley
Nowadays, surveillance equipment is mostly used for home and business protection. Surveillance, by literal definition, means to watch someone or something closely, but it can also mean to monitor behavior, activities, or information.
There’s a big difference between surveillance and spying, and there are upcoming global concerns today which address very serious privacy issues.
For more on that, you can go right ahead and read the SpyGuy guide which explains the legal issues surrounding video surveillance and its privacy concerns.[a]
In this guide, we’ll talk about the various types of surveillance equipment, their purpose, and how you can effectively use them. But first, let’s start by explaining the difference between surveillance and spying.
What’s the Difference Between Surveillance and Spying?
Both surveillance and spying mean collecting data and information, there’s no doubt about that.
Surveillance means transparent and non-hidden monitoring of an individual or a group, usually done by law enforcement or government entities.
It’s used for the prevention of crime, gathering intelligence, and protection, and it usually involves CCTV (closed-circuit television). One example includes the usage of police surveillance equipment that uses more sophisticated technology and law authorities use them as dash cams, or professional body-worn cameras.
Spying, on the other hand, uses clandestine and covert means to collect that data and info. When people spy on someone, in most cases, they learn about them without the person knowing they are being watched, listened to, or both.
GPS monitoring or GPS tracking could mean both things, depending on the purpose and means. For example, bosses and fleet managers monitoring their employee’s movement, and a private investigator using a GPS tracker to follow somebody around[b].
So, surveillance means using a camera that’s visible by everybody, while spying is using a hidden camera to monitor somebody or something (usually) without them knowing.
That being said, even though surveillance means transparent monitoring and visible cameras, one can also use hidden cameras for surveillance purposes for home protection.
Video Surveillance Equipment
We’ll start with video surveillance. A wide range of high-quality surveillance systems combines many features to suit our needs.
Modern advances in video and wireless technology paved the way for high-resolution and high-quality video processing in surveillance equipment and monitoring tech. Today, many people use them to guard their homes, watch over their kids or elderly, and even catch workplace harassment.[c]
So let’s break down video surveillance equipment types according to their general purpose:
- Indoor surveillance cameras
- Outdoor surveillance cameras
- Motion-activated surveillance cameras
- Adjustable/Body-worn surveillance cameras
- Wireless/Internet cameras
- Security System cameras
There’s a difference between spy or surveillance cameras and internet or wireless cameras though.
Spy cameras are regarded as classic old school and they get the job done. The recordings can be viewed only after the camera is retrieved.
Internet cameras do the same thing exactly, but they give you the added benefit of real-time monitoring, which allows you to exercise a more active approach in surveillance.
If Things Get out of Hand There’s Always Counter Surveillance Equipment
Anyone can use video surveillance equipment - everyday folk, and the people who burglarize the same everyday folk. So, we need to have a suitable countermeasure.
Counter surveillance means taking action to sweep for, find, and disable or get rid of spying devices that may be found in an area.
Types of Counter Surveillance Equipment
Here are the most used counter-surveillance devices by professionals:
- Bug detectors;
- Wi-fi/Bluetooth detectors;
- RF (Radio Frequency) detectors;
- Noise generators;
- Audio jammers;
- Audio bug scanners;
- and hidden camera finders.
There are also GPS tracker finders which are used for sweeping and scanning for GPS devices that might have been attached to your car without your knowledge. A good example is the VM-3 GPS Tracker Detector, which is also able to find cell phones during student exams.
The LM-8 Hidden Camera & Bug Detector is also a detection device for scanning and finding hidden cameras as well as audio bugs. This is an all-purpose counter-surveillance device, capable of clearing up any doubts you might have with scanning and sweeping a suspicious area.
It detects hidden cameras, as well as wireless microphones, and it boasts the widest frequency range of all our counter surveillance - a fantastic range of 20MHz-6GHz.
To scan the room, simply turn off all your routers and phones, and electronics that emit signals, turn on the device, and walk around the room. If it finds something, the LEDs will begin to flicker. The stronger the signal, the brighter the LEDs, so you’ll be able to find the bugs and hidden cameras with ease.
If you’re a frequent Airbnb guest, or you travel a lot, there’s a slight chance that you might run into bugged apartments, so taking that extra step in precaution can sometimes protect you from uncomfortable or even dangerous situations.
For more info on this, please refer to our bug detection article so you’ll know how to protect your privacy.[d]
Indoor Surveillance Cameras
Covert indoor surveillance cams are self-explanatory. Unlike CCTV cams, placed just outside to watch over your front door or yard, indoor surveillance cameras are helpful when, for example, you’re unlucky enough to get burglarized. They capture people’s faces more clearly, so you’ll have proper evidence.
Other uses include monitoring your underage children or your elderly family members suffering from Alzheimer’s.
At our SpyGuy surveillance equipment store, we have a plethora of covert surveillance equipment - high-quality cameras which are disguised as everyday objects.
For example, The Wall Clock Hidden Camera is masked as an ordinary clock that can be placed in any room and capture most angles with no problem. It comes with an adapter, a memory card, and a remote control for programming.
Another great surveillance equipment for indoor use is the Wall Socket Hidden Camera - a tiny spy camera hidden inside a wall power outlet. It comes with removable adhesive, and you are free to choose your location on any side of the wall.
Outdoor Surveillance Cameras
Outdoor cameras are usually more durable, weather resistant, and can capture wider angles. We suggest that if you’re considering buying an outdoor surveillance camera, you should go for a cam that has night-vision features. It’s an absolute necessity.
In contrast to the indoor surveillance cameras, outdoor cams are pointed at the front or back door, at the tool shed, or at the front gate. People usually place two for an extra layer of security.
If you want to place a camera outside, conveniently hidden away in a bush, go for The Yard Rock Hidden Camera. SpyGuy recommends this fine piece of covert surveillance equipment because nobody will suspect a thing. If somebody trespasses, they’ll most definitely check the walls for security cameras, without doubting the yard ‘rocks’ in your garden.
The Yard Rock camera comes with a high-quality, 4K resolution, a standard for outdoor surveillance. It’s also waterproof, meaning it withstands harsh weather, and the rain won’t rust it.
Adjustable/Body-Worn Cameras
Body-worn surveillance equipment is used for monitoring on the go. Take the GoPro for example, used by sportsmen and athletes.
For an extra layer of added security and coverage, these highly flexible cameras are fitted with tiny lenses and can be attached to a cloth or backpack straps for direct encounters. They can be used when confronted by the police, for example, but you have an obligation to tell them that they are being monitored.
They are usually in the arsenal among the special police surveillance equipment, and in some states, the law enforcement use them when they confront suspects.
SpyGuy offers a vast supply of wearable cameras that look like a pen, a keychain, a USB flash drive, or a wristwatch. You can use these in a lot of instances while you’re out and about.
They’re all made to be as simple as possible and to be suitable for many purposes. Often, we find that our customers use them for acquiring proof of harassment. If you believe you’re being bullied, this is a great solution to your problem.
Wireless (Internet) Surveillance Cameras
We suggest using wireless surveillance cameras for basically any monitoring around your home. They are necessary for wireless security, and very long battery life is a must.
Unlike ordinary spy cameras that need to be connected to conduct monitoring, wireless cams can be logged into from anywhere in the world so you can see what’s happening in real time at any moment. It’s a very proactive monitoring method and real-time features are essential for proper surveillance.
For example, we have the SpyGuy Rectangle Clock. A motion-detecting internet camera that blends into any room and monitors your indoors.
It’s a fantastic example of an indoor surveillance cam and can go up to 90 days with its special motion-capture feature.
This is because it only records when somebody walks by! It starts another recording when it detects another motion, and it lasts 16 hours, with a 32GB storage.
To view the footage, just connect it to the PC or your cell phone, and that’s all there is to it.
Motion Detector Surveillance Cameras
The motion-detection feature is a very important component in surveillance cameras and equipment. It’s the technology where a surveillance camera starts recording once it detects motion.
These particular cams have a special sensor. Some high-quality motion-detection sensors can recognize when a human moves, but also when there’s another motion like trees, dogs, etc.
Many of our SpyGuy products combine motion-detection with internet-connected surveillance cams. The cameras simply wait for activity before they start recording. This saves time and storage space, and some cameras have apps that alert you immediately after they detect something. It’s a very effective covert surveillance system, especially if you want to be notified as soon as a movement occurs.
Another great piece of highly effective indoor surveillance equipment that we have to offer is the iPhone Battery Case Hidden Camera.
This inconspicuous iPhone case records a crisp, 1080p resolution motion-capture video that can sense movement at any distance. When it detects motion, it starts recording a new video.
Audio Surveillance Equipment
We didn’t forget audio surveillance. This is just another type of surveillance, and it comes as audio recording and monitoring. They are straightforward and easy to use.
There is a specific set of rules and regulations regarding audio recording, so please take a minute to read our legal guide that we linked to at the start of this article.[e]
Some of our audio recorders are voice-activated. This means that they start recording when they pick up sounds. This method is similar to motion-activation for hidden cameras.
The voice-activation feature allows proper audio surveillance where you record activity only, while avoiding gaps of silence where nothing happens.
Here are the SpyGuy audio surveillance devices that you can use. They are disguised as ordinary objects and you can use them to record suspicious activity:
- Voice-Activated Recording Pen
- Voice-Activated Power Bank Recorder
- Pro USB Flash Drive Audio Recorder
- Car Keychain Audio Recorder
- Phone Call Recorder Earbud
These devices record every sound they pick up via their high-quality microphones, and the sound range is exceptionally wide.
To listen to the recordings, all you need to do is connect your device to a USB port. We recommend using the VLC media player.
We also have audio products that don’t require a computer for you to listen to the recordings. You can simply listen to the recordings on the device itself.
Contact Us
If you have any inquiries on our covert surveillance equipment, how to use these devices, or where to place them, please feel free to drop us a line.
We go above and beyond to help answer any questions you have for spy equipment, especially when it comes to the legal issues and privacy issues.
If you have other ideas on how to utilize the SpyGuy products for even better use, feel free to share them with us!
