History Main / SpyCam

!!Examples

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* Parodied in ''Series/ICarly''. Freddy buys a spy cam that's hidden in a fake pie. Pretty much everyone notes the pie [[UncannyValley looks fake]] and the camera lens is large and noticeable. Later played straight with the characters hiding cameras in objects for pranks more effectively and in universe, covertly.

--> '''Carlson''': We've developed this special equipment. Inside this camera is a hidden tape recorder. And this tape recorder actually conceals a hidden camera!
--> '''Max''': May I ask you a question, Professor Carlson?
--> '''Carlson''': Certainly.
--> '''Max''': Eh, why hide a tape recorder in a camera and a camera in a tape recorder? Why not just take pictures with the camera and record with the recorder?
--> '''Carlson''': Because my mind doesn't work that way, that's why.

** In one episode Howard gifts Penny a teddybear, knowing she'll put it in her bedroom. The teddybear has a "nanny-camera" in it linked to motion sensors and Howard's computer.
** In a different episode, the boys randomly hook up electronically controlled objects to the Internet to see who, around the world, logs on to control them. One is a remote-controlled car with upward-pointing camera. Penny walks in, in a shortish skirt. The car leaps into life and rolls to between her feet as the camera angles up. Penny has an OhCrap moment, shrieks, and runs, with the camera-car following. (It is being controlled by nerds in Japan). NOTE: this episode of TBBT might provide the page header photo as Penny looks down and realises? (nothing NSFW - just suggestive).

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--> She said, the man in the gabardine suit was a spy. I said, "Be careful, his bow tie is really a camera".

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** In "Homer and Apu", Homer is given a giant novelty hat with a loudly whirring camera inside to get evidence of Apu's unhygienic food selling practices. When Apu confuses the whirring of the camera's focusing motor with the buzzing of a bee, he tells it to Homer--[[WhatAnIdiot who instantly freaks out about having a bee on his hat and stomps said hat (and the camera) flat]].

[[AC:RealLife]]

* Before the digital age the CIA developed a fountain pen for photographing documents. Just to load the pen with film took such precision that the CIA feared that if the inventor died, they wouldn't be able to make any more.

** An inversion in ''Film/LicenseToKill'': A laser gun is disguised as the flash on a Polaroid. Pam sees the camera and tries to take a picture with it, with hilariously disastrous results.

* In 'Discworld/TheFifthElephant'', among the various spy items hidden in the Ankh-Morpork Embassy is "an iconograph small enough to fit in a pocket". ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' iconographs contain an imp that paints pictures, the spycam version has a "nano-imp" that costs over a hundred dollars.

[[AC:[[AnimatedFilms Films -- Animated]]]]

[[AC:[[LiveActionFilms Films -- Live-Action]]]]

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* A couple of these (which are [[TechnologyMarchesOn high-tech by the standards]] [[TheSeventies of the film's era]]) are demonstrated in passing on the "surveillance experts'" convention on ''Film/TheConversation''.

* The camera beard in ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' parodies this by being incredibly obvious and bulky.

* In ''Film/TakeTheMoneyAndRun'' Virgil cases a bank that his gang is going to rob by sneaking in a camera in a loaf of bread. Then he holds the loaf of bread up to his eye to take pictures with it.

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[[folder:Real Life]]

[[quoteright:300:[[Film/TheTallBlondManWithOneBlackShoe http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/spy_cam1.jpg]]]]

[[quoteright:350:[[Film/TheTallBlondManWithOneBlackShoe http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/spy_cam.jpg]]]]

[[quoteright:300:[[Film/AViewToAKill http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bond_ring_camera.jpg]]]]

* In ''Film/TheEqualizer'', [=McCall=] conceals several cameras within mundane objects (a toy train and a wall clock, plus hacks the camera on his own home computer) to see the activity of the soldiers of TheMafiya soldiers (and [[TheDragon Nikolai]]) that broke into his home.

* In ''Film/TheEqualizer'', [=McCall=] conceals several cameras within mundane objects (a toy train and a wall clock, plus hacks the camera on his own home computer) to see the activity of TheMafiya Mafiya soldiers (and [[TheDragon Nikolai]]) that broke into his home.
* Parodied in the 2002 film version of ''Series/ISpy'' with Alex Scott complaining about the size of his supposed "spy camera" (about the size of a old-school studio camera) [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything in comparison with the "sexier" pocket-sized camera of rival super-spy Carlos]].

** In "Homer and Apu", Homer is given a giant novelty hat with a loudly whirring camera inside to get evidence of Apu's unhygienic food selling practices.

* ''Film/KickAss'': The existence of Big Daddy is discovered because Red Mist/Chris Genovese secretly places a nanny-cam (concealed within a teddy bear) in one of his father\'s businesses, which is later raided by B.D. (up until then, the senior Genovese thought that all of Big Daddy's actions were rival mob attacks). The scene also showcases that he had been using the nanny-cam for slightly... less altruistic... purposes.

* Parodied in ''Series/ICarly''. Freddy buys a spy cam that\'s hidden in a fake pie. Pretty much everyone notes the pie [[UncannyValley looks fake]] and the camera lens is large and noticeable. Later played straight with the characters hiding cameras in objects for pranks more effectively and in universe, covertly.

Subtrope of ShoePhone. See also IncrediblyObviousBug.

* In one ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'' cartoon, Strong Mad wears a camera hidden inside a ring. Then he punches Strong Sad in the face, and Strong Bad watches the video feed.
-->'''Strong Sad:''' Ow! Ow! Since when did you start wearing a class ring... Ow! Ow! ...with a camera inside it?

A classic element of any SpyDrama. The Spy Cam is a miniature cameras hidden in mundane object like briefcases or wristwatches, being used to take photos of secret documents or locations. Alternatively, the camera is not concealed at all but its small size enables it to be carried around and operated by the DoubleAgent without raising suspicion.

* Parodied in the 2002 film version of \'\'Series/ISpy\'\' with Alex Scott complaining about the size of his supposed \"spy camera\" (about the size of a old-school studio camera) [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything in comparison with the "sexier" pocket-sized camera of rival super-spy Carlos]].

* Parodied in \'\'Series/ICarly\'\'. Freddy buys a spy cam that\'s hidden in a fake pie. Pretty much everyone notes the pie [[UncannyValley looks fake]] and the camera lens is large and noticeable. Later played straight with the characters hiding cameras in objects for pranks more effectively and in universe, covertly.
* Parodied in an episode of \'\'Series/GetSmart\'\'. Professor Carlson, a Control scientist, is giving Max and 99 equipment for their next assignment.
--> \'\'\'Carlson\'\'\': We\'ve developed this special equipment. Inside this camera is a hidden tape recorder. And this tape recorder actually conceals a hidden camera!
--> \'\'\'Max\'\'\': May I ask you a question, Professor Carlson?
--> \'\'\'Carlson\'\'\': Certainly.
--> \'\'\'Max\'\'\': Eh, why hide a tape recorder in a camera and a camera in a tape recorder? Why not just take pictures with the camera and record with the recorder?
--> \'\'\'Carlson\'\'\': Because my mind doesn\'t work that way, that\'s why.
* The private detective service called World Securities from the 1972 TV series \'\'Series/{{Search}}\'\' sends one of three elite agents to thwart the villain, each with a miniature camera, transceiver and EverythingSensor all-in-one. Agent Lockwood prefers to wear his camera device as a ring ornament; Agent Grover likes to wear his as a medallion; and dapper Agent Bianco sports his camera as a tie tack. Rarely do the {{mooks}} recognize it as a surveillance device.
* Austin James in \'\'Series/{{Probe}}\'\' had various surveillance bugs concealed on his person, including a camera on one of his shirt buttons.

* Referenced in Simon and Garfunkel\'s song \"America\".
--> She said, the man in the gabardine suit was a spy. I said, \"Be careful, his bow tie is really a camera\".

* The camera beard in \'\'VideoGame/TeamFortress2\'\' parodies this by being incredibly obvious and bulky.

* \'\'WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons\'\':

** In \"Homer and Apu\", Homer is given a giant novelty hat with a loudly whirring camera inside to get evidence of Apu\'s unhygienic food selling practices.

* In \'\'Anime/TheCastleOfCagliostro\'\', Fujiko\'s brooch works as a Spy Cam, which she uses to take photograph with at the Count\'s vault.

** \'\'In Film/OnHerMajestysSecretService\'\', Bond uses a small camera to take snap shots of a map that shows where the \"Angels Of Death\" are to release a biological agent.
** One of Bond\'s gadgets in \'\'Film/AViewToAKill\'\' is a ring containing a miniature camera. Bond uses the device at a Zorin\'s party to covertly take photographs of each of his guests.
* In \'\'Film/DrStrangelove\'\', the Russian Ambassador uses a spy camera hidden in a matchbox to take pictures of TheWarRoom, but then is found out by General Turgidson. Later we see the ambassador taking more pictures with a second camera hidden in his pocket watch.
* In \'\'Film/TakeTheMoneyAndRun\'\' Virgil cases a bank that his gang is going to rob by sneaking in a camera in a loaf of bread. Then he holds the loaf of bread up to his eye to take pictures with it.
* \'\'Film/KickAss\'\': The existence of Big Daddy is discovered because Red Mist/Chris Genovese secretly places a nanny-cam (concealed within a teddy bear) in one of his father\'s businesses, which is later raided by B.D. (up until then, the senior Genovese thought that all of Big Daddy\'s actions were rival mob attacks). The scene also showcases that he had been using the nanny-cam for slightly... less altruistic... purposes.
* In \'\'Film/TheEqualizer\'\', [=McCall=] conceals several cameras within mundane objects (a toy train and a wall clock, plus hacks the camera on his own home computer) to see the activity of TheMafiya Mafiya soldiers (and [[TheDragon Nikolai]]) that broke into his home.
* Parodied in the 2002 film version of \'\'Series/ISpy\'\' with Alex Scott complaining about the size of his supposed \"spy camera\" (about the size of a old-school studio camera) [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything in comparison with the \"sexier\" pocket-sized camera of rival super-spy Carlos]].