It is not just the international spy and his fraternal colleagues that make use of hidden cameras and secret surveillance techniques. In fact, it is very much a normal part of home, office and vehicle security today. The Spy Camera, as we understand it to be, is actually all around us, with shops recording customers from a small camera in a corner of the shop ceiling or home owners with a discreetly located camera on the mantelpiece that appears to be nothing more than a carriage clock.

The reason for such covert techniques, of course, is that these cameras are designed not to deter crime but to record and identify a burglar, intruder or even staff member, in the act of committing one. There are a variety of cameras for a variety of situations, with car cameras used to provide greater security in vehicles and the more efficient time lapse camera used to capture only the bare number of images necessary to compile sufficient data should there be an incident of note.

Most security cameras, whether or not they are secret, record a large amount of footage every day, most of which shows nothing actually happening. By using the time lapse technique, footage is recorded in shortened spurts, sometimes providing little more than a still photograph. These stills are taken at intervals that can be preset, of perhaps 1 second or 3 seconds. The camera can even wait for as long as 3 minutes. The captured footage can be replayed as a type of stop motion sequence, providing just the minimum amount of information necessary.

Cameras that operate on a time lapse program are designed to provide longer lasting surveillance on a limited amount of power. The quality of the actual image may vary according to the camera that is being used, but effective surveillance can be provided for as long as 180 days, or more than 4,300 hours. Also, the chore of searching through footage is lessened, with a fraction of the images taken by a regular camera being taken by the time lapse version.

This type of camera can be used practically everywhere, though they are already commonly used in CCTV cameras in commercial and retail buildings. They are equally effective as a surveillance unit for the home, particularly when residents are set to be away for an extended period of time, such as a foreign holiday. They can also be used in cars as an alternative to the continuous recording camera. This is most effective when the car is parked or unattended, perhaps while left in a train station car park.

Of course, most cameras designed to add more vehicle security are continuous in function as they are often running while the car is moving. This is so as to record events on the road, so that, should there be an accident, the build up to the accident, can be documented for insurance and criminal reasons. Authorities find their lives much easier when documented evidence is available.

However, cameras can also be designed to serve their purpose in a more covert manner. This is in order to capture the culprit who breaks into the car to steal or vandalise it. The cameras are generally hidden from view, but located in such a place as to see the faces of individuals clearly. These car cameras can be disguised as a digital car clock or as a toy, like a cuddly dog, teddy bear or perhaps as a small trinket like a snow globe, and placed on the dashboard.

A time lapse camera can be very effective in this situation, allowing for longer surveillance time, but the important point is that any face recorded can serve to identify the culprit, and see that the criminal is punished. It may seem like a sad indictment of society that such measures need to be taken, but as long as there are thieves, burglars and people of ill repute, there will be crime and, therefore, a need for security surveillance.

A James Bond spy camera, hidden in wrist watches or designer pens, are certainly available from websites and security stores, but James Bond is not the only one to find a use for them.