Analog security cameras, known as CCTV, comes in two forms classified by the build of the image sensor. They are either CMOS based, which is cheaper and produced lower quality images than the CCD camera.

To determine the best security camera for your needs, you must first determine what your needs are. A camera that can single out faces in an outdoor crowd on a cloudy day is very different from a camera that is used to monitor general activity inside an office lobby.

There is a difference in cameras designed for indoor versus outdoor use. There are additional durability standards that the camera would need to ensure it survives the harsh conditions, unlike an indoor security camera.

Your budget overall as well as per camera and overall size of your security system, the number of cameras you require, will also affect your final decision.

One determinant in what kind of camera you need is the lighting conditions of the area you will be monitoring. A high quality camera that was not designed for low light environment is useless if the lighting is insufficient. If you do require low light recording, there are several options available.

In low light settings, black and white cameras are the best. They have lower light requirements to deliver image quality than regular colored cameras. There are also cameras that can sense the lighting levels of the enirvonment and transform from a day camera to a night camera.

There are also dedicated night vision cameras for true low light recording. The minimum amount of light required for the camera to record properly is measured by the LUX rating. A camera of lower LUX rating requires less light and a rating of 0 means the camera is designed for complete darkness.

A cameras resolution measures the sharpness of the image the camera will capture; higher resolution, higher quality image. Entry level cameras start at resolutions of 330 lines upward to 400 lines in higher quality cameras.

There are more advanced monitoring systems that allow for panning and zooming the camera but for many a standard recording device will suffice. Most people will use a digital video recorder, or DVR to record directly onto a harddisk.

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