Screw Camera – Real Life Splinter Cell Spy Gear

A spy’s stand-in

It’s been 8 years since the release of Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist, and while there have been other similar Tom Clancy games that have had a small spectrum of the stealth mechanics that we all know and love, they’re just not the same. Heck, Sam Fisher himself even showed up in Ghost Recon: Wildlands and Breakpoint, and is available to play as an operator in Rainbow Six: Siege.

The spy content in video games in general is rather lacking, and the only triple A title to be released in recent years in the genre is Hitman 3. However, not all hope is lost, and there’s a few gadgets you can get in real life to fill that spy-shaped hole outside of video games. They’re mostly gimmicks, although there is some practical use. Particularly for a screw camera.

What is a screw camera?

It’s a camera, for starters, but not one that is actually screwed in; just in the shape of a screw. Screws are something that are practically everywhere. In fact, you probably have at least a dozen in your peripheral vision right now. The neat thing about screws is that nobody expects the screw itself to be staring right back at you through its embedded camera in the center.

Screw cameras don’t really work the same as normal screws. In fact, it’s likely that if someone sticks a screwdriver into it that the camera won’t work so well anymore. The threaded shank is nonexistent, instead replaced by a discrete wire that leads to wherever you want it to go. They’re only tiny, but that’s exactly how they’ll go unnoticed, even though it’s not really a screw.

Where can I put it?

Since screws are everywhere, a screw camera can also go pretty much anywhere. It would be advisable to find an object that would generally only require one screw so that it doesn’t look completely out of place, or just as long as the screw isn’t drawing attention to itself. Somewhere on a wall would be useful, or even on the ceiling for an overhead view of any suspects below the screw camera.

Good examples would be near entry points, such as in a door handle, or a coat rack. Something that your targets will have to interact with, or at least look at. Then you can get a good view of their face if you need to. These cameras are very versatile, so there’s likely many more creative ways to use them in the home.

Why would I need one?

Besides a fun playtoy, or a snake cam alternative, a screw camera has a good amount of practical uses. Especially in security. Security measures are becoming more popular in homes to prevent porch pirates (people who steal packages left at your doorstep), but some cameras are rather obvious, and some people would like some discretion in catching these thieves.

With a screw camera, you’re not going to have a problem capturing secret footage of unwanted visitors, and being able to present evidence from such a tiny device. Imagine a robber’s face once they find out that they got screwed by a screw that isn’t even a real screw.