Outdoor security cameras can keep your home or business safe from break-ins and serve as a powerful deterrent factor for any potential thieves. Because the cameras are outside and subjected to the elements and different lighting conditions, they need to be tougher and more versatile than the cameras that you see inside convenience stores and other places of business. If you want to find the best, most cost effective cameras for your home look for these qualities in any camera that you buy.

The first thing any security camera meant for the outdoors should have is quality housing. The housing will keep the delicate camera safe from the ravages of Mother Nature. At a minimum, it should have an IP rating of 65, which will give the camera complete protection from dust and from water spray. With a camera that has an IP of 65, the only time it should leak water is when it is submerged. The most weather resistant cases are generally made of non-corrosive metals because cases made from plastic can crack or melt when subjected to extreme heat or cold.

When you're looking at your case, also look to see what the operating temperatures of the camera are. If you are in an area that has extreme heat or cold, you may want to invest in a housing that comes with a built in fan or heater to keep your camera from breaking in the extreme conditions that it can be subjected to.

Next, your camera must be able to work in a wide variety of lighting situations. This is because the light outside from the sun varies day to day and hour to hour, so you need a versatile camera to get the best pictures under all lighting situations. You will also need a camera that has the ability to see at night if you want your security system to be effective. If you want a very high quality camera, try to find one that has an automatically adjusting aperture, which mean that the lens opens or closes automatically depending on the amount of light available. At the very least, the camera should be equipped with night vision or infrared vision. This will allow the camera to see even in the darkest nights, which is when most robberies happen.

Finally, look to see the angle of viewing that the camera has and the camera's depth of field. Cameras with narrow angles of vision will be better at taking telephoto images, but can easily be approached from the side, allowing potential thieves to bypass them without being seen. Keep this in mind when you're planning your lighting scheme. Also check how far in the distance the image will be in focus. Ideally, you will want people on your camera for as long as possible, so a high depth of field is important. Look at the numbers for both day and night, as at night most cameras will have a significantly smaller viewing range.