Surveillance Gear Packing List Part 1 Digital Camera: A professional/advanced level digital DSLR camera is your number one tool in the world of surveillance. You can witness all you want but if you don’t have a photo to prove it, it didn’t happen. Nikon has a variety of pro/advanced DSLR cameras to choose from that work well in many surveillance photography situations. Nikon’s professional level DSLR cameras include D800, D750, D4, D4S, and D3X and their advanced level DSLR cameras include D7000, D7100, and D610. Both the professional and advanced levels of Nikon cameras are sophisticated levels and should be used by an experienced photographer. If you’re new to photography or looking to take advanced photos, you’ll definitely want to take some classes to learn how to use your new professional/advanced level camera. They are not for beginners. Nikon DSLR cameras are categorized into two sensor formats. FX and DX. In simple terms, when you watch a movie and you’re asked if you want to watch it in original screen or wide screen, that’s the difference between FX (wide screen) and DX (original screen). It’s a bit more complicated than that but that’s the easiest way to describe its basic difference. FX format cameras tend to be a bit more expensive but do provide a wider angle of image to the sensor. It is important to mention that both the FX and DX take great quality photos and will fully support any surveillance operation you’re conducting. When selecting a DSLR camera, usually the first topic to think about is your budget. The less expensive end of advanced Nikons is the D7000 and can be found in the $1,000 range and the high end in the professional Nikons is the D3X in the $8,000 range. By all means, unless you are a professional photographer and taking photos for a living, you really don’t need a D3X camera. A D7000 ($1,000) up to a D810 ($3,000) is more than enough for the surveillance world. Remember, this is just the camera body, you still have to buy a lens. With all of Nikon’s professional and advanced DSLR cameras, each of them can be switched to video camera mode and will record 1080 HD video as well as photography. This is an added feature on their new cameras and works great for capturing video for surveillance or recreational needs. When it comes to purchasing a lens for your new professional/advanced level camera, you don’t want to buy a cheap lens. When it comes to lenses, you get what you pay for. Besides, the camera only captures the image, the lens sees it. If your lens isn’t projecting a clear and focused image onto the sensor, then your $8,000 D3X camera is worthless. Many times in a surveillance situation, you are a distance away from the subject you’re taking a photo of and need maximum zoom to reach your subject. Nikon has a variety of lenses for this purpose and I would suggest a lens in the 200mm zoom range or greater. The lower an f/stop you can get and still have a high zoom ration, is the best. It is important to purchase a lens that is compatible with your camera. Not all lenses are compatible with each camera due to FX and DX format. The DX compatible AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/4G ED VR can be found in the $1,400 range and the FX compatible AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II can be found in the $2,400 range. Notice the difference in the f/stop range. The f/2.8 will gather a considerable amount of light in low light photography situations therefore is better suited for night time situations. Not often but sometimes in surveillance photography, you need to take a photo of something at a short distance. I often run into this situation when I’m taking a photo of a subject’s image in a side mirror of a surveillance vehicle. When taking a photo of an image in a mirror, remember you are focusing the camera to the image, not the subject that is a distance away. So you won’t be able to use a 200mm lens to take a photo of the reflection in a mirror, two feet away from you. You will therefore need a lens with a much smaller zoom ratio. Nikon’s inventory provides an AF-S DX Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 ED VR in the range of $400 for these situations. Camcorders: Sometimes just as important as a digital camera is a video camera. Still photography is always great for capturing a clear and crisp image at a distance but does not reflect the actions of a subject. A video camera will capture the actions of a subject which often time will tell more about the story of what is happening during a surveillance. There are many great camcorders out there and honestly some are better than others but they all get the job done. Sony has a selection of camcorders to pick from in the range of $200-$1000 and all operate in HD format. Binoculars: Another important piece of surveillance equipment is a high quality pair of binoculars. Nikon and Steiner both make a great quality glass that is used in their binoculars. In many scenarios you will need to transition from one location to another rapidly and track a moving subject/vehicle while looking through your binoculars. Having said this, it is highly suggested that you purchase a high quality pair of binoculars that are auto focus. Steiner’s MM30 Military/Marine 8x30 binoculars offer a wide angle of view with an auto focus feature. This style of binoculars enables you to have a crisp view during any situation for around $300. Listed below are links to the surveillance equipment mentioned above. Please feel free to contact me in regards to any gear you are looking to purchase or any other surveillance questions you have. I can be contacted at contact@sabersecuritytraining. Nikon: nikonusa/en/Nikon-Products/dslr-cameras/index.page nikonusa/en/Nikon-Products/Camera-Lenses/Sports-and-Action/index.page nikonsportoptics/Nikon-Products/Binoculars/MONARCH/index.page Sony: store.sony/all-handycam-camcorders/cat-27-catid-All-Handycam-Camcorders Steiner: steiner-optics/binoculars/marine/marine-7x50
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 15:40:07 +0000
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