One of the best ways to capture an intrusion or theft in action is to install a spy cam. These cameras offer you the opportunity to safeguard your home or business with minimal effect on decor. These unobtrusive gadgets do the watching without anyone aware of their presence.

These hidden cameras are beneficial for homeowners who want an extra eye watching the exterior perimeter of their property. They're great for protection against vehicle theft and property damage. If you own a business, a spy cam can help you cut down on inventory loss from employees and customers.

Discreetly placed over a checkout area in a store, these devices are an indispensable partner in a business's security efforts. They can help a storeowner detect irregularities in cash handling procedures by clerks. When confronted with video evidence of wrongdoing many culprits admit their offense and make restitution. Very quickly, a digital video surveillance system can pay for itself. At the very least a spy cam will help a business root out a thief in their midst.

Some excellent features of the latest hidden camera models on the market are:

* Compact in size and light in weight models manufactured today are easily handled and easily mounted. They're small and light enough for you to place them in strategic nooks and crannies. Those under surveillance will have no idea where the 'eye' is.

* A self-contained camera system with a digital spy camera records and stores its own images. It's easy to plug the camera into your television or computer for quick viewing.

* Date and time indicators on the images stored with this will pinpoint exactly when irregular activity occurred.

* Infrared LED's nighttime pictures will be clear, no more worrying about poor contrast and cloudy images. The infrared capability means you are not limited to surveillance only under optimal lighting conditions. You can monitor twenty-four hours a day and have quality images whether it's dark or light outside.

* You can have images taken at intervals of your choosing. You can set a hidden camera to shoot pictures at intervals of one to sixty seconds.

* Remote control operation is included in spy cam packages for remote observations. These remote's have emergency buttons available for quick picture taking. You can instantly record images when you see an intrusion or theft happening before your very eyes.

* Stable memory banks - you will not lose your captured images if there's a power outage. As well, if you disconnect the unit purposely, or accidentally, your images are not lost.

* Motion detection capabilities are a twist on 'don't move or I'll shoot'. These spy cams 'shoot' pictures when someone 'moves' in front of them.

* Pictures are erasable or transferable to another device. Keep what you need and discard the rest.

Today there is no need to be without a reliable state-of-the art spy cam. Advances in digital video surveillance offer the consumer cameras adaptable to various needs.

It's worth it to investigate the spy cams currently on the market. For a small investment, you may save yourself significant asset losses at your home or at your business.