So, you want to know what a spy pen is, what is does, and who uses them?
At the most basic level, a spy pen consists of a tiny camera placed into the casing of a pen. The device is used to capture both still photographs as well as video clips of varying lengths. These mini cameras and other similarly designed covert video recording systems apply wide angle lenses to obtain a the best viewing angle possible. The majority of covert video is obtained within close proximity to what various industry players (private investigators, law enforcement, etc) refer to as the subject (person being secretly recorded). This is why the viewing angle is so wide, to capture as much of the subject as possible. These lenses can be as small as 1 mm in diameter. That's pretty small! Of course the minuscule size is required for the obvious purpose of discretion.
What are the components of a spy pen?
1) Numerous parts make up the pen camera. The very pen alone for starters. It might be a fake replica (as in is does not function as an actual pen) however it is significantly more common for the device to be disguised fully, including coming complete with ink as well as push mechanism.
2)As mentioned above, miniature glass lenses, many of which are manufactured in China.
3) The Digital Video Recorder or DVR is considered the primary component. The DVR is responsible converting the images to a digital video format. This information in then stored on our next attribute.
4)Memory! Camera Pen's typically come equipped with either a flash drive or Micro SD card. Sizes range from less than half a GB to as much as 16 GB. That's a lot of video! (As much as six hours).
5) None of this would work not surprisingly with out the use of a power. The majority of batteries are 5v and hold their charge from thirty minutes up to six hours based on a number of factors such as utilization (video uses more energy that still photos).
6) To operate the mini device, a four-legged switch is soldered on a circuit board buried deep inside the pen. It connects to an exterior button that the user has access to. Once pushed, and contingent upon what combination (twice in succession, held for 3 seconds, etc), video can be started, stopped or a still photo can be taken.
What happens after that?
After video has been obtained it is usually transferred either via an Sdcard, flash drive, USB port or wirelessly, dependent upon the design. USB and SD memory size is expendable depending on your needs. Quite obviously, the more footage and images needed the larger the GB storage.
What kind should I buy?
Camera pens are becoming a great deal more technologically advanced with each passing year enjoying continually improved image resolution, better noise recording and larger memory capacity. Generally the newer the spy camera, the greater the technological specifications, and thus the better the results. As an added bonus, there is an inverse relationship between the advancement of these cameras and their cost. Better specs, cheaper prices.
Who benefits from the use of spy pens?
Initially, covert mini recording devices were designed primarily for overseas surveillance by government bodies. Today however these tiny spy cameras are more frequently employed for home protection applications, detective agency's or for just plain old fun. Often times the exciting hidden video footage you see on the news reports uncovering scam businesses is acquired thanks to mini covert devices such as these.
