Best Cameras for Private Investigators (2024 Buying Guide) (2024)

Buying Guide: How To Choose The Best Private Investigator Camera

When choosing a camera for private investigations, there are several key specifications to consider. In our buying guide we will show you some of the main features you should evaluate before purchasing a surveillance camera. Let’s dive in:

High Optical Zoom

Knowing that a private investigator usually operates at a distance from a target, a surveillance camera should have excellent zoom capabilities. Look for cameras with a greater optical zoom range and not digital zoom. Although digital zoom allows you to zoom in close to your subject, it will make any photo you take more pixelated (unclear) and low quality. Optical zoom allows you to take photos at a distance without losing the quality. A recommended good zoom-lens camera for a private investigator should ideally have a minimum optical range of 40x for an all-in-one camera unit, or a 300mm zoom-lens for an interchangeable lens camera. The higher the better, as long as picture quality isn't degraded.

Good Picture Quality

Producing good surveillance pictures boils down to a number of factors and not just the camera or lens. Besides camera and lens quality, environment and user skill are also factors to consider when attempting to produce good imagery. Here though, we are only concerned with camera quality. When looking for the best picture producing camera a private investigator can get, camera sensor size is the most important factor in determining image quality. There are two popular types of camera sensor (image sensor), CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) and CCD (charge-coupled device). Because of higher performance, especially in low-light, and its lower cost, the CMOS sensor is found in most modern digital cameras.

Unless you plan on always using a tripod to steady your camera during surveillance tasks (which is far from practical), you will need to purchase one that has "image stabilization". Image stabilization is exactly what it says - during moments of taking a picture, a mechanism inside the camera and/or lens will reduce some of the shake caused by body motion - improving picture quality. Most modern high-end digital zoom-cameras have a built-in stabilizer mechanism. By nature of the profession, private investigator cameras are best suited for long-range picture taking and so stabilization is a must.

There are pros and cons for both auto-focus and manual focus when it comes to investigation work - particularly surveillance - which is why having both options in a camera is ideal. Auto-focus is great when on the move - foot or mobile surveillance - and you want to take a quick image of a moving target, whereas having to manually focus and adjust your shutter-speed / aperture could lose an opportunity of a good still. Conversely, in a static OP, having a lens pointing at a specific target area in auto-focus mode, any person or object moving in front of the target area will interrupt the camera's focus, potentially missing a photo opportunity. Manual focus helps to prevent your camera going out of focus, caused by unwanted movement in front of your lens.

Continuous shooting speed is measured in "Frames Per Second (FPS)", meaning the number of images, photos, or frames, a digital camera will take every second. It is the case that private investigator surveillance is such that every detail is crucial and in order to produce the best photographic evidence, a camera should be able to capture several photos in a row, if necessary. If you want to show action in a series of shots then frame rate is important. However, if continuous recorded footage is needed, a video camera would best serve. So, for best results, opt for a PI camera with a frame rate (shooting speed) that suits your needs. The slowest frame rate is about 3 FPS, whereas a top professional camera model can be up to around 14 FPS.

A needed function for any top private investigation camera is to be able to wake it easily from standby mode. Investigators know that surveillance is a waiting game - long periods of no action with sudden activity at an unexpected moment. It is this "unexpected moment" you have to be ready to flick your camera into action to take a still before the moment escapes. For this reason, your camera needs to be fast out of standby mode. Most modern high-end cameras meet these criteria, but always check before you buy.

Cameras generally have a viewfinder but not all have an articulating viewing screen that flips out from the rear of the camera. This flip and swivel screen is most useful in allowing to discreetly observe a target under surveillance and take photos without having to put the camera up to your eye. You can also change camera settings very easily via the touch screen (if supported). Having this articulating screen on a camera provides a private investigator another method of taking photos inconspicuously.

DSLR / digital cameras, nowadays, have an LCD display on the back that shows the camera settings and allows playback of the images taken. This display produces light. If you purchase a camera solely for the purpose of using it in a private investigation business, you will want to be able to turn the camera display / back-light off during night-time surveillance, or when sitting in a tinted window / darkened surveillance vehicle during the day.

Investigative work often occurs in dimly lit areas or at night time, making it hard to capture clear evidence. The best camera for private investigation surveillance should be adaptable to challenging light conditions. With good low-light performance, you will make sure no important details will be missed due to limited visibility. Switching to manual mode and changing aperture settings can help produce more light, but having a quality camera that generally has great low-light performance will be a better purchase.

Unless you are in a static OP / surveillance set-up, with your camera attached to a tripod, heavy cameras are not ideal for surveillance work - the last thing you want are shaky images due to tired, aching arms. It’s advisable to use lightweight equipment that’s compact in size. By using light cameras, investigators can carry them for longer periods of time and easily adapt to different scenarios.

Battery: Due to the nature of investigative work, the camera’s battery should last for extended periods of time without the need to recharge. Look out for cameras with sufficient power to cover long investigations without unwanted interruptions. Most professional cameras have a lithium ion (li-ion) battery, which has a larger power capacity and are suited for this type of work. But it's always good practice to have spares.

Storage: Surveillance photos are highly essential to a case and need to be stored accordingly. Most cameras rely on external memory cards, so you can always add more storage if needed - memory cards of the largest size are always recommended. When buying cameras for private investigators, it is recommended choosing one where the SD card is easily accessible. Some cameras make it difficult to access the SD card port. Cameras with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB, or HDMI connectivity provide a safe way to share and backup images and videos.

Durability

Private investigations require a long-lasting camera that doesn’t need to be replaced frequently. Additionally, investigators sometimes operate in harsh weather conditions, so they need to have robust and durable equipment at hand. It’s advisable to choose a camera with a sturdy construction that cannot be damaged easily, even with relocation or temperature changes.