Digital surveillance cameras are subcompact or ultra-compact cameras that function like a digital camera, that is, it records still and moving images using an electronic image sensor.

They vary in size and surveillance purposes. The most common digital surveillance camera is closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera used in establishments like banks, stores, restaurants and buildings. Highway CCTV cameras are installed in vantage points along the streets to monitor traffic, apprehend traffic rules violators, and respond to road accidents immediately.

The spy camera often shown in action-adventure films is another type of a digital surveillance camera, installed in the most unlikely of places like wall holes, flower vases and door knobs. Bug cameras are ultra micro surveillance cameras, as small as a few millimeters, and can be embedded on clothes or seemingly innocent objects like glasses, ballpoint pen or a printed necktie.

Because they are sub-compact, digital surveillance cameras can be installed in discreet and unlikely spots not easily detected by most people. For night surveillance, these cameras automatically activates a built-in low-powered flash. These cameras also have greater depth of field feature so it can focus on subjects or images in far distances.

Because the images taken are digital files, they can capture and store a large amount of image data despite their compact size.

However, since digital surveillance cameras are small, their lenses have limits when it comes to giving high-definition images compared to a regular digital camera. The poorer image quality is more pronounced for motion pictures or videos.