Why you need cameras

 Outdoor cameras are not very different from those used indoors. PHOTO/NET.

What you need to know:

Cameras, for many, are a luxury. Why would one need CCTV cameras in a small space? However, with a changing world, the role of cameras have evolved from security purposes to include child welfare.

The video of a maid kicking a toddler made rounds on the web in 2014. Recorded using a home installed camera, the video created a conversation surrounding what many children may be going through that is of course not known to parents especially those with a budget for CCTV cameras.

Like that, the known role of cameras, which had always been centered on security had been flipped, now it was about much more. It was about the children’s welfare, perimeter inspection and of course, security.

Where to put a camera

The best places to place cameras depend on the purpose. If it is about the people in your house, then you can place the camera indoors; at the exits of the dining, corridors, kitchen or sitting room. They can be in your office, supermarket, and shop, market area, compound and the perimeter wall or at the gate.

Grace Nantongo, a market vendor at Zana market, says there used to be petty thefts from people who come to buy groceries and sometimes, fellow vendors would sell things for you but do not give you the money.

“I am glad the management here installed cameras in the market. Now, if I cannot find something on my stall and I am sure I did not sell it, I go to the office and ask for a replay of the footage. I then go and demand for my money,” she says.

However, Rodney Caesar Kiwanuka a camera technician at Interiors Plus warns that if you are going to put a camera on a perimeter wall and you have an immediate neighbour, you need to inform them or they can sue you for spying on them.

The types

Cameras are largely categorised into Analogue high definition and Internet Protocol cameras. These can also be indoor, outdoor or spy cameras.

He says, “the outdoor cameras may not be very different from those that are used indoor, only that they have one basic common feature that they are waterproof. They come in a cylindrical shape commonly known as a bullet and the dome shape.”

The out and indoor camera’s angle of view is 180 degrees and the distance at which it picks clear photos is 20metres. In the night, this type of camera views clear images at a distance of 8metres. These cameras are calibrated with a number of pixels and resolution that define the clarity of the picture you will be getting.

“Resolution for instance ranges from 720 to 1080 and the higher the pixels and resolution, the clearer the picture on the camera.

Prices

Depending on the resolution, brand and the vendor, their price can range from Shs100,000 to Shs150,000. There are also full time colour tech cameras that give you a coloured picture even at night and these can go beyond Shs200,000,” he says.

The spy cameras like the name suggests are very tiny ones and these usually come with a microphone for the audio. They are best suited for indoor use and their angle of coverage is at 120 degrees and cover shorter distances of about 5metres.

What you need

While planning to install a camera(s), there is some equipment that comes with this installation. If you are using the analogue HD cameras, you will need a digital video recorder (DVR) while the internet protocol cameras use a network video recorder (NVR) which is connected by cables.

Kiwanuka says; “These are the most important equipment in the camera system because they act as the control units responsible for recording the footage, adjusting the light and rewinding if needed. They are usually kept in a very safe place where not everyone is able to access.”

These also determine how many cameras that can be attached depending on the ports that are available. They can range between four to 64 cameras attached to one DVR.

Installation

Depending on the number of ports and brand of a DVR, its costs between Shs200,000 to Shs300,000.

“You will also need a hard disc for your camera system,” he says, adding that the amount of space on the hard disk determines the amount of footage you will be able to store.

“If you have a 500GB hard disk for instance, it can store footage for about two weeks. This can cost about Shs120,000.”

Other things include a power supply or adapter, an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) so that the system does not shut down when there is a power outage, cables and a monitor which can be your flat screen TV, computer monitor or even smartphone. The cost of installation varies depending on the person installing the system.