FAQs

Q.1. I have heard that the lens is quite visible because of a red eye effect? Is this true? Is it true that you do a wide angle lens which does not have this problem?
A.1 We always replace the original lens now on all our CMOS camera products to a 55 degree lens that reduces the effect you mention to an absolute minimum and at the same time improves the focus at the edges of the picture.

Q.2. If I buy several items and the 4 channel remote control (this product will be available soon from ZedCam), will you automatically set each item to a different channel, or is that something that I can set on the transmitter? How negotiable is the camera on the air freshener? I have a 4 channel 2.4 GHz receiver, will that work, or do I need a receiver? Thanks!!!!
A.2. The system can operate in two ways, each camera can have a different remote control code so that a camera can be turned off before the next one is turned on, this means that they can all share the same channel as only one camera is turned on at a time, this way the receiver can stay tuned to just one channel all the time. On some cameras, some channels can be changed by the customer to any one of the four ISM channels but on some of our products, it’s not possible so we set it to channel Ch4 normally, and you can’t see the camera as it is really well hidden. If you wanted more than one camera transmitting at the same time then we would set them to different channels for you.

Q.3. I would prefer an entirely wireless solution. If the recorder has to be plugged into the mains that would mean that the thief would see it plugged into the mains socket, which is not good, can you not offer a hard disk recorder?, as I would prefer to buy all the parts from one supplier. How good is the recording quality on SD cards?
A.3. The quality of the HD recorders is always going to be better than the SD card, because the HD recorders have more memory available they don’t need to compress the video quite so much and so the pictures are better. We haven’t ever used the HD recorders because with them being mechanical. they make a noise while they are recording which could give them away unless they are in another location like the garage or loft space.

Q.4. I’m at my wits end, I’ve lost large amount of money and other valuables, thankfully your product recommendation will help me nail the slime toe rag that is stealing from me. I’ll go with the CCD camera, which is hidden, which one is the best, and the one the thief will not notice? The hand held portable receiver/recorder, when you set up the CCD camera, are you able to view the picture before you can start recording? Does it record sound? What is the picture quality like of the recording and how do I get the video put onto DVD to give to the police?
A.4. If you also have a remote control unit then you won’t need to go near the camera to turn it on. When the suspect arrives on the scene, you can just press the remote on button and it will start transmitting sound and video. You can than turn the receiver on to receive so that you can monitor the camera picture although you won’t have any sound at this stage. When you are ready you can press the record button and a red dot appears on the screen at the top of the picture to let you know it is recording. The unit will record both sound and pictures to either its internal memory or to the SD memory card supplied, always select the memory card before you start as you can store several hours of video on it. You can read the SD memory card into a PC and than transfer the files (.AVI) to a CD yourself, but the police will be able to read the card anyway if you haven’t got a card reader on your own PC. You can play back the video with sound either on the unit itself or on a TV set via the AV input SCART or you can read the SD card into the PC and play it back on your computer.

Q.5. Small amounts of cash have been going missing in the last few weeks, I think I know who is doing it, but have no proof, if there was video evidence then the individual concerned could not deny it.
A.5. OK you can use any hidden cameras the CCD ones provide the highest quality but at a slightly higher cost. The recording of the event can be on your own video/TV set or on a computer or laptop or by using our hand held portable receiver recorder. As long as you are nearby, then the wireless reception will be ok, that is within a few rooms away or upstairs or downstairs sort of distance. If you need the camera to be completely battery powered and hidden inside an object, then you also need a remote control in order to turn the camera on and off as otherwise the battery would last only a few hours. Please note some of my customers have been attacked when they have confronted the thief with the evidence, so please don’t do it yourself always involve the authorities or the police and don’t let the thief know it was you who collected the evidence.

Q.6. I am sharing a flat with two other people and I know that one or both of them have been using my stuff when I am not at home, but I would like some definitive proof and have thought of the spy camera. I don’t know which one would suit me best or where to start. Please give me some ideas about some of the products you sell that would be of use to me.
A.6. You have many choices from our product range. It depends where you want to mount the camera – both the air freshener and potpourri are very popular. You would then switch the camera on using a PIR (like the detector in the corner of a room that flashes when you move in front of it) or a pressure mat or a switch on the door. The camera would then be switched on and transmit the video throughout the flat. If you know this will happen with a few hours of you leaving, then you could leaving a video or DVD recorder running and skip through the recording to find when they went into the room. We are shortly introducing a recorder which will also be switched on at the same time as the camera and will record just when the camera is switched on – this means you don’t have to look through lots of blank tape and more importantly it will be sit there for days and weeks (and months) on end recording whenever someone comes in to the room.

Q.7. I need a spy camera that is well concealed to monitor the movements of my nanny in the room. I need it to be triggered by movement and to be completed wireless and powered by batteries as well. I need the video content to be saved on SD card so I can view it later.
A.7. We do not have any hard drive or DVD solutions because they make too much noise and require too much power for battery operation. You could possibly use a laptop or a PC running continuously in another room, this would require 2.4 GHz USB receiver but this solution because of the restrictions with the USB interface would reduce the quality to about the same as the SD card solution. If you need the quality you could look for a security system DVR, set up to record on motion detect, they are usually 4 channel systems and record to a HD they are about the size of a DVD recorder and not too expensive. It would need one of our 2.4 Ghz receivers connected to one of the inputs. Make sure you find one that has at least one audio input because most are video input only. This unit would need to be located in a secure room somewhere close to one of our wireless camera products.
If you want the camera to be battery operated as we think you do, then you would also need a triggering device to detect someone entering the surveillance area, this then turns on the battery to the camera which is then picked up by the receiver and the DVR sees this as a change of scene (motion detect) and so starts recording.
The camera transmission can be set to time out after a few minutes (unless it is still being triggered on by the triggering device) and switches off the battery in the camera so that only a few minutes of battery power is used each time someone enters the surveillance area. We would recommend the deodoriser and freshener CCD camera and PIR triggering device for your application.

Q.8. I want to know after I buy hidden spy camera and all, can I keep that in my friend’s home and can I see whatever he is doing from my house. What is the memory and how will battery or charge last and what is the price?
A.8. If you live within the same or next building – perhaps adjacent flats or a terrace, then you will be able use 2.4GHz video to transmit between their home and yours. If you are further away then you will need to install a recorder either inside or outside his house. Please contact us to discuss this further. shop@zedcam.com

Q.9. Hi I am looking for a spy camera I run my own business and a member of staff is on the take I want something which I can move about and use in several locations in my premises. What do you recommend?
A.9. We recommend the smoke detector spy camera mounted on the ceiling with double sided Velcro or sticky pads, then you can move it around the premises. You don’t say how big or what sort of business it is, but I would guess you will be able to put a video/DVD recorder somewhere close or keep a handheld PVR available to watch the suspect.

Q.10. What is the difference between a CCD camera product and a CMOS camera product?
A.10. CMOS technology is not ideal for making the light sensitive part of a video camera out of but the technology is so widely used that chip manufactures have developed ways of making it work. CMOS stands for Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor and was first developed for the NASA space program so it is well understood and is used for over 99 per cent of the chips in electronic devices so it’s only natural that cameras too would be developed using CMOS.
It was the mobile phone that really pushed the CMOS camera forward as the phone manufactures required a low cost alternative camera, which consumed less power than the more professional CCD technology. The CCD cameras took over from the original cameras that used glass tube technology.
CCD stands for Charged Coupled Device, this really describes the way the charge on each pixel caused by the focused light is coupled through to a shift register and eventually shifted out of the chip via one of its pin connections.
PROS's AND CON's - This will help you decide which is best for your application.
Both CCD and CMOS each have their good and bad points, a typical CMOS wireless camera will run continuously for about 16 hours on the best Lithium PP3 battery and about 40 hours on six AA lithium cell pack.
A CCD wireless camera draws too much current for use with the Lithium PP3 so the alkaline PP3 or the even lower power NiMH rechargeable is used instead, these will only last about an hour or two depending on the particular make of battery. A CCD wireless camera powered from six Lithium AA cells will run continuously for about 15 hours. Because the CMOS camera takes less battery power the battery used can be smaller and so it can be hidden in smaller products.
When there is sufficient space for an AA pack or if the product is designed to run from a power unit then CCD camera can be specified.
If the location is well lit and picture quality isn't an issue then choose a CMOS product they are always less expensive and if the product uses batteries then it will run for longer.
Manufactures seem to want to make the CMOS camera as low cost as possible so they put them in a plastic enclosure and usually fit a single element plastic lens. CCD cameras on the other hand are always housed in a die cast metal enclosure and have a multi element glass lens which makes the overall focus much better.
The CCD camera sensor collects more light than the CMOS camera sensor and so the CCD can work in much darker locations than a CMOS camera can, this is the Lux level, the lower the number the better the camera is at low light levels - Black and white cameras are always best for very low light level surveillance.
The CCD cameras are also able to use infrared illumination at low light levels were as CMOS cameras usually have an IR filter coating on the lens that counteracts the effect of any external IR illumination.
So if your application is located in a dimly lit room then you must choose a CCD product.
All our hidden camera products like the clock radios and the air fresheners have a 2.4GHz wireless transmitter built in as well as a microphone for audio.
For those who don't need our battery saving remote control technology and just want to hard wire a camera into their existing system then the camera on its own can be purchased as a separate item or we can always fit it for you in one of our usual products and leave out the wireless and the remote functions thus reducing the cost.
The Bottom line...
If your budget will allow it then choose a CCD camera based product as this will provide the best possible results and you will know that there is no better product available anywhere. If the product itself is only available with a CMOS camera then this is because of space or power restrictions and you can be sure we have made every improvement possible to the standard camera to provide the best possible image.

Q.11. How long will the battery last with one of your camera products?
A.11. “Other manufacturers Spy Cameras are supplied with a battery that lasts only a few hours at best" Pretty useless for any serious surveillance - With this in mind we have designed a unique power saving mode which allows you to turn off the battery remotely when the hidden camera is not being used.
In this power down condition the battery can last for many months, so that when you are ready to carry out your surveillance the camera can be powered up and will be ready to send its video to your receiver and recorder system.
Normally the period between deployment and actual surveillance is only a few days or weeks leaving more power for longer transmissions. You can expect between 8 hours and 40 hours of transmission as and when you require it of course depending on the product and size of battery it takes.
Remember the most incriminating evidence is captured in just a few seconds of video so be sure you have a ZedCam system hidden and ready to be powered up when the need arises.

Q.12. I have two store rooms which I would like to keep an eye on from my office, can your system turn on a camera when someone enters either one of them?
A.12. You can use either a door contact transmitter or a pressure mat under the carpet to turn on the hidden cameras and you can monitor the video with a 2.4 Ghz receiver

Q.13. I already have a hidden spy camera that is permanently switched on and I am worried someone will use one of those little key ring devices and find it one day. What can I do to prevent its discovery?
A.13. If you use our remote control receiver unit with the external battery connector you can still power your camera from the mains supply but you can keep it switched off most of the time and switch it on remotely using one of our camera control triggers when you need to use it. This means the camera won't give itself away by setting off one of those bug detector things when you are not around to see what is going on.