Bodycams
How to choose a body camera
What matters on shift
Battery life first: a camera that dies before the shift ends is worse than none, so look for units rated beyond your longest day. Pre record is the feature that separates serious units from cheap ones, because the camera continuously buffers the last seconds so when you hit record you capture what happened immediately before, not just after. For a team, a docking station charges several cameras and offloads footage at the end of a shift instead of someone plugging in eight cameras by hand.
Offline, WiFi or 4G
An offline camera records to internal memory and nothing else; the footage comes off over USB or a dock at the end of the shift, and for most single operator use that is the right answer. WiFi models move footage to a phone or laptop without a cable. 4G models stream live over the mobile network, which is what a control room or a lone worker setup needs. 4K holds up when a frame is enlarged; 2K records longer on the same card and battery.
Compare the types
 Offline |  WiFi |  4G live | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Footage comes off | On a dock or over USB | Over WiFi to a phone or laptop | Streams live, plus the card |
| Live view | No | On the same WiFi | From anywhere with coverage |
| Battery | A full shift, about 10 hours on this one | Two hot swap batteries, 18 hours | Hot swaps without stopping the recording |
| Suits | A single operator who wants nothing to fail | Footage off quickly at the end of a shift | A control room, a lone worker, an SOS button |
| See | Dock charged cameras | WiFi body cameras | 4G body cameras |
Buying guides
Body Camera Buying Guide AustraliaRelated
Dash Cams Wearable Spy Cameras Fishing & Sports Cameras Memory Cards
Common questions
How long does one record?
A full shift on most, with the hours on each listing. Resolution and infrared shorten it, and the hot swap model here runs 18 hours on two batteries.
Can footage be edited?
Better units watermark and lock footage, and stamp date, time and a user ID into every file, so it stands up as evidence.
Does it record at night?
Yes. Infrared covers several metres in complete darkness on most of the range; the listing gives the distance.
Can I wear a body camera at work in Australia? Australian law
Yes. Filming in public places and in your own dealings with people is lawful, and a visible camera with a plain statement that you are recording is standard practice. Surveillance devices laws differ by state and territory, especially for audio, and recording private conversations you are not part of is generally not allowed. Security guards and private investigators also need the licence their state or territory requires.