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 NZRelated
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 New Zealand? NZ law
Yes. Recording in a public place is lawful, and you are part of any conversation you have on camera (Crimes Act 1961, section 216B). Worn for an employer or a security company, the footage comes under the Privacy Act 2020: people should know they are being recorded, which is why the camera is visible and a plain statement is standard, footage is kept secure and no longer than needed, and anyone can ask for footage of themselves. Security guards and private investigators need a licence under the Private Security Personnel and Private Investigators Act 2010.