Buying a budget security cam? Don’t skimp on these 6 key specs

When talk turns to the “best” home security cameras, the discussion often dwells on the cutting-edge features in the high-end models: Radar, color night vision, and even A.I. If you don’t need that level of sophistication, you can save a bundle by choosing a more basic model. You might also find you can afford to buy more than one camera to protect multiple areas of your home.

That said, not every low-priced camera is a bargain. But if you ensure the camera you choose meets these specs at a minimum, you’ll get the security you’re looking for at a price you can afford. And if you have a little more room in your budget, we’ll discuss the step-up specs in each category.

This story is part of TechHive’s coverage of the best home security cameras.

Resolution

Home security camera manufacturers emphasize video resolution because it directly impacts the quality and clarity of the recordings they capture, which is crucial for their primary function: surveillance and monitoring. A higher resolution allows for enhanced detail, improved identification of people and objects, and better coverage of large areas without diminished image quality.

The higher a camera’s resolution, the higher its price tag, so it’s important to consider your specific surveillance needs and budget constraints. While living in a high property-crime area might warrant the extra pixels a 2K camera delivers, it’s probably overkill if you just plan to monitor your pets or package deliveries.

• Minimum: Choosing a camera with a minimum resolution of Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) ensures that critical details, such as facial features or license plate numbers, are captured with clarity and precision. In the event of an incident, high-resolution footage can be invaluable evidence for law enforcement or insurance claims.
• Step-up: Investing in a camera with higher resolution, such as 2K (typically 2560 × 1440 pixels) will pay off with even greater detail and clarity, providing enhanced visibility, especially in scenarios where accurate identification is paramount. 4K (typically 3840 × 2160 pixels) will allow you to zoom in even more deeply.

The Wyze Cam v4 from Wyze Labs goes far beyond the minimum resolution specifications we recommend, with an image sensor that captures video with resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. And it can be installed indoors or out.

Field of view (FOV)

A home security camera’s field of view (FOV), typically measured diagonally, determines how much area it can observe and monitor. A wider field of view enables the camera to capture more of its surroundings, enhancing situational awareness by providing a broader perspective of the monitored area. This doesn’t just improve surveillance; it also potentially reduces costs as you can monitor larger areas with fewer cameras.

• Minimum: Opting for a camera with a wide-angle lens and a minimum FOV of 90 degrees ensures comprehensive coverage, reducing blind spots and enhancing overall surveillance capabilities.
• Step-up: If you want to cover an entire room or a broad swath of your yard, consider a security camera with a pan/tilt motor. Most can pan 360 degrees and tilt 180 degrees, and you’ll find them in both indoor and weatherized outdoor configurations.

If you have a large indoor or outdoor area you want to monitor, the Blink Mini 2 quite literally has you covered with a broad 143-degree field of view. Just be aware that you’ll need to buy an optional weather-resistant power adapter if you intend to install this camera outdoors.

Night Vision

Night vision ensures continuous surveillance and monitoring even in low-light or nighttime conditions. By utilizing infrared (IR) LEDs to illuminate the environment, the camera can capture clear and detailed footage in the absence of natural or artificial lighting. This is critical for detecting and identifying potential threats or intruders at night when visibility is limited.

• Minimum: Cameras equipped with infrared (IR) LEDs and a minimum night vision range of 30 feet can deliver clear and detailed footage, essential for detecting and identifying potential threats after dark.
• Step-up: Consider cameras with color night vision. Unlike traditional night vision, which produces black-and-white images, cameras with color night vision have small onboard spotlights that preserve color detail while enhancing overall brightness and clarity. Color night vision can dramatically improve the quality of video evidence, making it easier to identify people and objects in low-light situations.

Motion detection and alerts

You can’t always have eyes on your camera feed, so motion detection and alerts are crucial to ensure you’re promptly notified of potential security threats or suspicious activity. By detecting motion within the camera’s field of view, these features trigger instant alerts via smartphone notifications and/or email, allowing you to respond quickly to package deliveries, pet activity, intruders, and other events.

• Minimum: Basic motion detection enables the camera to detect any movement within its field of view, whether it’s made by a person or something benign like a tree limb bouncing in a stiff breeze. That ensures no activity goes unnoticed, but it can also result in such a barrage of unwanted notifications that you’ll soon tune them out. Customizable motion detection zones and sensitivity settings can help minimize false alarms, ensuring that you are only alerted to genuine threats or suspicious activity.
• Step-up: Advanced motion detection features, such as person, pet, and detection package detection or facial recognition, offer greater accuracy in distinguishing between human activity and other sources of motion, reducing false alerts and improving the accuracy and efficiency of surveillance.

If accurate alerting is a priority, you should consider the 2nd-generation Arlo Essential Indoor camera. It’s able to detect people, vehicles, packages, and pets, a breadth of intelligent motion detection that’s not common in a $40 camera.

Two-Way Audio

Two-way audio enables remote communication between you and anyone near the camera’s location. It facilitates real-time interaction, allowing you to deter potential intruders or burglars, communicate with delivery personnel, or provide instructions to family members or pets in emergencies via built-in microphones and speakers. By allowing you to interact with your home environment even when you’re away, this feature can provide you with greater peace of mind.

• Minimum: Two-way audio functionality lets you communicate remotely with visitors or potential intruders through the camera’s built-in microphone and speaker. This allows you to issue warnings or instructions and potentially prevent incidents.
• Step-up: Cameras equipped with advanced audio features, such as noise cancellation or enhanced audio quality, deliver clearer and more intelligible communication.

Storage options

Storage options ensure that you can securely collect, store, and access surveillance footage. Cameras may offer it in the form of local storage via microSD card, cloud storage, storage on a device on your network, or any combination. Cloud storage can increase the cost of a camera over its lifetime, so you should compare competing camera subscription plans.

• Minimum: Local storage options, such as a small amount of onboard storage or a microSD card slot (you’ll typically need to provide the card), where footage is stored directly on the camera itself, are the most cost-effective solution for storing recorded footage. Some budget cameras might offer limited cloud storage options as part of a trial or introductory package. These trials typically have storage capacity and/or duration limitations, but they provide an opportunity to explore cloud storage functionality and its benefits.
• Step-up: Upgrading to a paid cloud storage plan will provide greater storage capacity and longer retention periods for recorded footage. It will also ensure your footage is securely stored offsite and accessible from anywhere. Premium cloud storage plans may also offer continuous recording capabilities, allowing cameras to capture footage 24/7 without limitations on recording duration or gaps between clips. This enables comprehensive coverage and eliminates the risk of missing important events due to storage constraints.

TP-Link offers relatively inexpensive cloud storage for its Tapo Indoor/Outdoor Wi-Fi Home Security Camera (model C120), but you can purchase a microSD card in capacities up to 512GB and store video recordings right on the camera. You can operate it indoors or out, but you’ll need a nearby AC outlet because it can’t run on battery power.

Get the security camera you need for less money

Whether you’re a homeowner looking to safeguard your property or a renter seeking peace of mind, budget security cameras make a cost-effective entry point into the realm of home security. Prioritizing these essential features will not only ensure you end up with the model that fits your needs at the lowest cost, it might leave enough room in your budget to step up in some categories.