What is photo verification? Alarm motion detectors with a built-in camera explained
Photo verification means an alarm motion detector with a small camera inside it. When the system is armed and the detector senses movement, it raises the alarm and takes a burst of still photos, sent to the Ajax app for you or your monitoring company. Within seconds you can see whether it is an intruder, the cat or a falling coat, before anyone drives over. Ajax calls these detectors MotionCam.
How does an alarm detector with a camera work?
It is a PIR motion sensor first. On a standard MotionCam the camera only wakes when that sensor trips while the system is armed. There is no live view or recording, just a few stills at a time.
- Two radio links. Alarms reach the hub over Jeweller, Ajax's encrypted radio, and photos follow on a second channel, Wings, each rated up to 1,700 m in open space (3,500 m on the G3).
- Night and glare. Infrared lights the scene in the dark, and every indoor model here, plus the Outdoor HighMount, lists HDR for bright and shaded areas.
- No cables. The indoor MotionCam photo detector (£124.61) needs no mains or Wi-Fi; Ajax calculates up to 4 years on two CR123A cells.
When does a MotionCam take photos?
Every MotionCam photographs an alarm. PhOD (photo on demand) versions add other triggers: scheduled photos arrived in 2024, photos on arming or disarming in 2025.
| Mode | What makes it take photos | Models |
|---|---|---|
| Photo by alarm | Armed, and it senses movement | All MotionCam models |
| Photo on demand | A user with permission asks in the app (off by default) | PhOD models |
| Photo by scenario | A linked Ajax detector goes off, such as a fire detector (off by default) | PhOD models |
| Photo by schedule | A time you set | PhOD models |
| Photo by arming/disarming | The security mode changes | PhOD models |
| Photo by tamper | Someone tries to remove it, or covers the G3's lens (off by default) | Superior MotionCam G3 (PhOD), and HD (PhOD) units made from March 2026 |
The modes you get also depend on the hub's firmware. On-demand photos cost battery: Ajax quotes up to 4 years for the MotionCam U (PhOD) (£136.15) with it off, and up to 3 years with it on.
How quickly do the photos arrive?
At the default 320 × 240 pixels, Ajax quotes up to 9 seconds for a MotionCam photo, with up to five in a series. At 640 × 480 you get up to three, in up to 20 seconds.
- The Superior MotionCam HD (PhOD) (£141.65) is quicker: up to 4.5 seconds at 320 × 240, or 15.5 seconds at 960 × 720.
- Hub 2 and Hub 2 Plus list photos up to 640 × 480. For 960 × 720, Ajax lists Hub BP, Superior Hub Hybrid 2 and Superior Hub G3.
A small photo shows whether anyone is there; go higher only to make out clothing or a face.
Will a photo bring the police?
Not by itself. The NPCC's Police Requirements for Security Systems (updated June 2026), used by forces in England and Wales, sort alarms into two types:
- Type A: fitted and monitored by companies certified by a UKAS-accredited body, with a unique reference number (URN) from the force. The requirements list visual, audio and sequential confirmation for intruder alarms, and BS 8243 is the standard for confirmed systems. Your installer and monitoring centre can say whether Ajax photos are accepted for yours.
- Type B: everything else, including an alarm you monitor on your phone. The NPCC says adding CCTV or other electronic confirmation does not make it Type A, and calls should come from a person at or near the scene, on 999 or 101.
Photos also help with false alarms. A Type A alarm loses police response after three false calls in a rolling 12 months. A confirmed system then needs the cause fixed and 90 days without a false call, unless another method of confirmation is added. Type A keyholders must be able to attend within 20 minutes, and a photo tells them what they are walking into.
Which MotionCam goes where?
| Detector | Suits | Range | Photo size up to | Battery (Ajax) | Our price inc VAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MotionCam | Indoor rooms and halls | 12 m | 640 × 480 | 4 years | £124.61 |
| MotionCam U (PhOD) | Indoor, extra photo modes | 12 m | 640 × 480 | 3 to 4 years | £136.15 |
| Superior MotionCam HD (PhOD) | Indoor, more detail | 12 m | 960 × 720 | 3 to 4 years | £141.65 |
| Superior MotionCam G3 (PhOD) | Grade 3 commercial sites | 15 m | 864 × 720 | 6 years | £164.50 |
| MotionCam Outdoor (PhOD) | Gardens and yards, at 0.8 to 1.3 m | 15 m | 640 × 352 | 3 years | £264.22 |
| MotionCam Outdoor HighMount (PhOD) | Walls at 2 to 4 m | 15 m | 640 × 480 | 3 years | £283.32 |
Prices include VAT. Delivery is extra and prices can change.
The MotionCam Outdoor (PhOD) garden detector uses two PIR sensors and Ajax's LISA software to filter out false triggers, and ignores animals up to 80 cm tall. The MotionCam Outdoor HighMount (PhOD) sits out of reach and adds a microwave sensor, but has no pet immunity. For Grade 3 work, the Superior MotionCam G3 (PhOD) can also photograph whoever covers or tampers with it.
Which Ajax hubs support photo verification?
You need a hub with the Wings radio. Ajax lists Hub (2G) and Hub (4G) as not supporting MotionCam.
- Ajax Hub 2 (2G) panel, £161.53: up to 100 devices, Ethernet and two 2G SIMs.
- Hub 2 (4G), £228.45: the same with 4G SIM slots.
- Hub 2 Plus, £268.10: up to 200 devices, plus Wi-Fi.
- Hub BP, £222.77, for sites with no mains; Superior Hub G3, £391.85, for larger sites.
If photos struggle to reach the hub, the ReX 2 range extender (£158.07) relays Wings too and can link back over Ethernet. Starting from scratch? Kit 23 S with photo verification (£552.92) pairs Hub 2 (2G) with two photo detectors, a keypad, a door contact and two sirens.
Photos and privacy: what do UK rules say?
- At home. The ICO's home CCTV guidance says data protection law applies once a camera captures anything beyond your boundary, such as a neighbour's garden or the street. You then need signs, regular deletion and secure storage, and must answer requests for images, usually within one calendar month. Aim outdoor detectors at your own property.
- At work. The ICO's guidance for organisations says signs should be visible before people reach the monitored area, a data protection impact assessment is usually needed before installing surveillance, and images should be kept no longer than your purpose needs.
- Who can look. Ajax says only app users with permission see photos, and photo on demand is off by default. Choose who gets that permission, and tell family or staff if photos are taken when arming.
Our take
Photo verification earns its keep where a false alarm costs you something: a long drive back, a keyholder call-out, or a monitored system near its false-alarm limit. For a typical house, a MotionCam in the hall on a Hub 2 is a sensible start, with MotionCam Outdoor (PhOD) for the garden. For video rather than stills, see Ajax cameras and NVRs, or browse the Ajax wireless alarm range.
We are a supplier, not an installer, trading since 2012 from our Wolverhampton trade counter. We can recommend a qualified installer depending on the job and area.
Not sure which detector or hub fits? Call 01902 902251 or get in touch online. We ship nationally to England, Scotland and Wales.
Quick questions
Does a MotionCam record video?
No. It takes a short series of stills: up to five at lower settings, three at higher ones.
Does it take photos when the alarm is off?
Photo by alarm needs it armed. PhOD models can also take photos on demand, on a schedule or when the mode changes, once switched on.
Will a MotionCam work with Ajax Hub (4G)?
No. Use Hub 2, Hub 2 Plus, Hub BP or Superior Hub G3.
Do I need a monitoring company?
No, you can check photos yourself in the app. Police response needs a Type A system.
Source: Ajax Systems blog, MotionCam Outdoor: photo verification goes beyond premises, and Ajax product specifications. UK sources: NPCC Police Requirements for Security Systems (updated June 2026); ICO, Home CCTV systems; ICO, video surveillance guidance for organisations.
