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Thirty years ago hidden cameras were for government agencies, large corporate businesses, and a few exotic millionaires who could afford them.

Today, surveillance equipment is affordable and available to just about anyone who wants it. Over the years, surveillance cameras have become smaller and more affordable and contrary to popular belief, hidden cameras are not exotic luxuries, available to only a privileged few.

Small businesses and retail stores can tape employees and customers overtly or covertly to counter theft, violence, vandalism or sabotage.

And homeowners can now afford to keep an eye on their homes or even vacation property while they're away.

Many businesses will place surveillance cameras in plain view to deter criminal activity, but this article is more about hidden cameras.

A hidden camera is a video camera used to film people without their knowledge. They are small enough to be placed in plain view without anyone even noticing that they are there.

Hidden cameras have become very popular for household surveillance, because they can be built into common household objects such as smoke detectors, clocks, table lamps, radios, plants, etc.

In fact surveillance cameras can be built right in to just about any household item you can think of, so they will blend flawlessly into your d'cor while monitoring everything in the room.

Nanny cams are becoming more popular every day for good reason. It would be nice to think that you can trust a baby sitter with your most precious of all things (your children) while you're away, but that's not always the case, and for a few hundred dollars you can see exactly what's going on and either confirm your suspicions or put your mind at ease once and for all. Many hidden surveillance systems can even allow you to view what the camera is seeing in real time, right over the internet from anywhere in the world.

A hidden camera can be wired or wireless. The wired cameras are connected to a TV, VCR, or DVR, whereas a wireless surveillance camera can be used to transmit a video signal to a receiver up to ' mile away

For mobile-covert surveillance, hidden cameras can even be disguised as clothing such as a necktie, ball cap or even a button on your shirt. Miniature DVD recorders that are small enough to fit in your pocket can record everything the hidden camera sees for later viewing, or with a wireless receiver, you can transmit the video to a remote location where someone else can be viewing and recording in real time.

Hidden cameras may also be used commercially as security cameras, although most businesses would prefer to use visible cameras that can help to deter crime as well as record it.