How we test, analyse and review home security cameras

Closed-circuit security cameras are nothing new; the first widely known system was used by German rocket scientists to safely monitor the testing of V2 rockets at Peenemünde in 1942.

Here at Expert Reviews we haven’t been reviewing connected home security cameras quite that long, but we have been testing them since 2009 – and that’s a lifetime in the world of technology.

Since then, cameras have become more capable, a lot cheaper, they’re easier to use and more people than ever are investing. That’s why we’re testing and reviewing more than ever and why we are committed to testing and using every single one of them methodically and with care.

Design

The size, shape and design of security cameras vary a lot. The most basic designs just look ahead with a certain amount of up/down and left/right adjustability. Others are mounted on an articulated arm which allows for a far greater range of viewing angles and more importantly, for easy mounting on a vertical surface.

Some come with a motorised mount that lets you adjust the direction it’s pointing in. If you want a camera that can be used to surveil a large indoor space a motorised carriage is well worth considering. Others are bulky and come with solar panels attached to keep an internal battery topped up.

We install all our test cameras in a real-world domestic environment rather than just pointing them across the office, so we can see how they perform in the wild. As well as allowing us to evaluate performance, this also gives us first-hand experience of the installation process.

We pay close attention to the noise that motorised cameras make. Ideally, it shouldn’t attract the attention of burglars or pets who may then mistake it for a chew toy.

External cameras have to be weatherproof. A basic IP65 rating signifies a product’s ability to withstand dust and low-pressure water jets from any direction. An IP66 rating means your device will also resist high-pressure water jets.

IP ratings are lab-tested by the manufacturers but here at Expert Reviews we always reach for a Kärcher pressure washer and a pair of wellies to make sure a camera can resist a good soaking.

Features

Modern security cameras are packed with features, from infrared to colour night vision, sirens to frighten intruders and smart motion detection, which lets you pick what will trigger the detection. Today’s humble security cameras can use AI driven algorithms to specifically detect cars, animals or people.

We test all these features to make sure they work as described. A system that cannot distinguish between a small hatchback and a badger or has a quiet siren or a weak spotlight just will not make the grade.

We also take a close look at how the system stores video recordings. Some camera makers let you store footage on a memory card which you can access for free. Others require that you take out a paid subscription to access recordings stored in the cloud. We test access to both locally and cloud-stored files to test the ease and reliability of access.

Popular smart home services like Google Home, Alexa, Apple HomeKit and IFTTT can let you do things like open a live video feed on a connected display with a voice command and automate certain actions. We also test these options to make sure they work as advertised.

Ease of use and installation

You should be able to set up a security surveillance camera with the common DIY tools and skills and a basic level of technical know-how. If that’s not the case we’ll make it clear that more expertise than we consider normal is required.

Unless you have bought a battery-powered security camera or one with a solar panel built into it, you’ll also need to consider the power supply. Installing a camera takes on a new dimension of complexity when you have to drill holes in an exterior wall to run a power cable outside.

Of course, there’s another option, which is to point the camera out of a window. With this in mind we make sure we test how well a camera performs when looking through glass, especially with a light source behind it.

Technical setup really should not extend to anything more complex than downloading an app onto your smartphone, creating an account and then following some basic instructions to connect the camera to your home Wi-Fi network.

We connect the cameras we review to our home Wi-Fi networks and ensure that signal reception is strong enough to work throughout the average home.

Our main testing venue is a two-bedroom stone-built terrace with a router tucked away in the corner of the front room. To get a reliable signal at the end of the back garden a camera needs to be able to pick up transmissions through two internal brick walls, a stone external wall and over a distance of 25m. We think that’s a pretty exacting test.

Image and audio quality

While some cameras only support Full HD video, many manufacturers are now offering models with 2.5K or even 4K video and full-colour night vision. Night vision is particularly important in security cameras, given the tendency of thieves to avoid working in daylight.

Higher resolution doesn’t always equate to a better image; lens quality and sensor size are also a factor, the latter especially true when it comes to night-time performance.

That is why we carefully examine both still and video images in various lighting situations to judge how good the quality of the camera is and how it compares with other security cameras on the market.

Many security cameras have an alarm siren which can be triggered either automatically on detecting motion or manually via the app. We test the volume using a noise meter and give our subjective opinion on the siren’s ability to startle and deter unwanted guests.

Performance

In any security-related situation, how fast you can react to events is key, and that’s why we test the responsiveness of each camera we review.

To do this, we run a raft of tests with the aim of measuring the speed of the camera system’s response to various triggers. For example, we test how long it takes for an alert to be generated on the screen of the camera’s mobile app after general motion is detected. We also time how long it takes to bring up the live feed from any alert, and how long it takes to bring up the live feed from the main screen of the app.

The chart below shows how some of the cameras we’ve tested recently compare with each other. You can view all the tests aggregated (the default view), or click the dropdown menu to break down the results by each individual test:

Battery life is hard to assess because it can vary dramatically depending on how your camera is set up: the higher the video resolution, the longer the duration of recorded video clips, the longer you use the spotlight (if any) – all these things will adversely impact battery life.

We set battery-powered cameras up in a way that power demand will be towards the higher end, with motion detection set to the highest sensitivity and maximum coverage and video quality set to maximum so that the results tend towards the worst you will get in everyday use.

Conclusion

Home security cameras come in all shapes and sizes and prices but no matter which you choose, you can be sure Expert Reviews has tested all the important features in as close to real-world conditions as possible.

The security of the hearth and home is too important to be left to the unchecked claims of gadget manufacturers, which is why we brave night and storm to test exhaustively and make sure that when things go bump in the night, your security surveillance is not found wanting.