Dummy camera

Dummy camera is the sort of product name that sounds like a prop, and that is basically how this category is understood. By our assessment, it is for display, training, or deterrence use, not for recording anything at all. Its strength is the simple visual effect: it can stand in for a real camera without the cost or upkeep of a working system. The downside is equally plain, because it does not provide actual surveillance, evidence, or monitoring. In practice, that means the object is only as useful as the impression it creates, and that impression can be weak if someone looks closely. It sits far below a real security camera, and the whole point is that it does not need lenses or image capture to do the job.