If there’s one feature that all spy cameras should have, it’s that they should be difficult or even impossible to find or detect. Otherwise, they will not be effective as spy or surveillance gadgets. To meet the growing demand for covert surveillance, cameras have gotten smaller and smaller, so much so that they could be mounted onto a shirt button and still take pictures or footages. Easily a very popular choice among mini cameras is the board camera. It’s light, efficient and comes in a size that pretty much lets it be mounted onto a variety of objects and disguises. So what exactly is a board camera?
What is a board camera, really
This device is essentially a tiny camera that can take color or black and white photos or videos that’s affixed to a circuit board. It is so small that emerging models are about the size of a quarter, making it easy to install, mount and hide. It is also a camera that many hobbyists and photography enthusiasts use, particularly those who want to build their own cameras or customize their surveillance equipment to their liking.
Board cameras can be used on their own, hooked up to a power source, monitor and recorder or it can be mounted onto another gadget.
Its functions
The board camera is equipped with a lens, usually an auto-focus or auto-iris lens. It can take clear, sharp photos and videos of objects and activities as well as any spy camera can. Depending on the type of this type of camera you purchase, it could also be used for low-light scenarios. A board camera with a low 0.5 lux rating, for example, is capable of handling images from bright light to dim lighting.
The Board Camera’s limitations
This device is really a functional camera in miniature, although it does differ from the more traditional types of spy or surveillance cameras. It can, for example, be used to form part of a spy gadget such as a stuffed toy, a photo frame or a small purse.
Since the board camera has an auto-focus lens, its zooming capability is limited. Do not purchase a board camera thinking that you can zoom in and out of a view at will. Unless the zoom feature is indicated, all you get is a single-focus lens. This type of lens is highly functional, however and does not require a lot of tweaking. It’s also quite reliable and will take footages without requiring you to manually adjust it from time to time.