Five Reasons to Use a Peephole Camera
A peephole camera might sound like a solution looking for a problem, or something only a paranoid person would want. But the truth is that these viewers can be very helpful for normal people who just don’t happen to want to, or are unable to, use their peephole.
It’s your front door. You have the right to know who’s out there. You need to do that safely and easily without alerting the person who’s standing in front of your peephole. Here are a few reasons you may choose to install and use a peephole camera:
1. Welcome Only Those You Want to See
Be selective of people who enter your home after ringing your doorbell. Sometimes people knock who you simply don't want to talk to, such as a door-to-door salesmen. When you look out the peephole, the person on the other side of the door can see the peephole go dark. They then know you’re in there. If you don’t want to open the door, you’ve just created an awkward situation. Now, that may not be such a big deal if you’ve decided to ignore a salesman hawking vacuum cleaners. But what if it’s your sister-in-law Gladys and you’re ignoring her because you just don’t like her? That could create a bit of tension at the next family reunion.
There are a lot of good reasons you might not want to open the door to someone, and also might not want that person to know you’re home. You certainly have the right to ignore the doorbell, know who’s out there and still not answer the door. Using a peephole viewer makes that easier and less awkward. You know, in case it’s Gladys.
2. Get a Better View
You may just not have a good view out your peephole. Peepholes usually offer a meager .5" viewing space while making objects on the outside appear even smaller. The people could be scratched or fogged up. Perhaps the angle’s wrong for you, or you have to stoop or lean up to see through it. Perhaps your vision is not particularly good. Perhaps your glasses interfere with looking out the peephole easily. Perhaps you just don’t see well using only one eye.
Whatever the reason that the peephole doesn’t provide you a good view, you can get a much better view using the 2.5” monitor attached to your peephole camera. There’s no need to squint or stoop. The famous "fish eye" effect is compensated for. It gives a flat view of what the outside. You can clearly see who is on the other side of the door, whether it’s your pizza delivery or Gladys.
3. In Case You’re Not Quite the Right Height
Standard peepholes are at the eye level of an average-height adult. If you happen to be a shorter adult, looking out the peephole may require you to stand on your tip-toes, or you may have trouble seeing out of it at all. If you are taller, it can be strenuous on your back while leaning over to check who is knocking. You may also have children, who sometimes need to look out the peephole but aren’t quite tall enough. You certainly don’t want them opening the door without knowing who’s out there.
Using a peephole viewer with a simple button press lets anyone see who is outside the door without needing a stepstool or to stand on their toes.
4. Stay Safe
You don’t have to be paranoid to realize that bad things do happen. It’s not likely that anyone is going to shoot you in the eye through the peephole, as some movies and TVs have shown. But it is possible that someone unsavory outside the door doesn’t have good intentions. Not at all likely, but possible.
If you live alone or in an area where crime is on the rise, a peephole camera can provide a little security and privacy.
5. For Your Parents
We may hate to think about it, but when we get older, our eyesight isn't the same. The elderly struggle to use a standard peephole viewer. If you are worried at all about it, your parents would be grateful to have peephole viewer in their home. It provides them with all the aforementioned benefits. They get to actually use the peephole, stay safe, not strain or stretch to see and can greet those they wish.
As you can see, there are quite a few good reasons for everyone to use a peephole camera.