Security camera systems can be a cost effective and reliable way to improve the security of your home or office. With technology constantly improving, the market is expanding and choosing the right system can be overwhelming. Before you make the decision to embark on camera installation, ask yourself these five questions.   1) What is Your Budget? As with most purchases, you get what you pay for. Our message with cheap systems – buyer beware! Camera systems that seem cheap are usually cheap for a reason and will often cost you more out of pocket in the long term. Or worse, they won’t capture footage that is actually useful in protecting your home. An small, entry level camera system from a reputable brand name company is usually your best bet.   2) What Do You Want the Camera to See? Are you looking to capture a trespasser’s face at your front door? Are you looking to capture a licence plate on a car parked in a car park? This will be key information to guide your selection. A camera lens with a shorter focal length (e.g. 10mm), has a larger field of view, whereas a longer focal length (e.g. 50mm), magnifies the image and captures less of the surrounds. A higher resolution camera will also provide a cleaner, crisper recording.   3) Do You Want Smart Phone Compatibility? This one is pretty self-explanatory. Do you want to be able to check on your home while you’re at work? Or your business from home? Then choose a system with a compatible app and peace of mind will be right in your pocket.   4) Is Audio Important?   There is two elements to this one – hearing sounds being made through the surveillance and being able to speak through the surveillance system. Having the ability to speak to someone at your front door appeals to many customers. When recording sound, many cameras have the capability to start recording audio once it reaches a certain decibel level.   5) Do You Have Adequate Lighting? There is no point in setting up good quality surveillance systems if your existing lighting lets you down. Settings that are exposed to a lot of sunlight may have different lighting requirements to darkened areas. Reflection or glare from competing for light sources can distort image quality. Many cameras also have the ability to switch to infrared mode during low light if you are wanting night time surveillance.   The take-home message: give us a call BEFORE you start the hunt for your security camera system. We install on average 1-2 a week, all types for all budgets, so whatever you are after we will be able to point you in the right direction. A 5-minute conversation could save you hassle and expense.      Need some help? Contact us!   Read more about the importance of security cameras here.