Windows 7 - Security Camera

Due to recent vandalism of my car, I'm thinking of buying a security camera to be kept pointed at my vehicle. The main parking lot is out of sight, but there is a small section of parking visible from my apartment. However, it is ~100 feet from my balcony, and since I have never had a security camera, I'm wondering if any of them are designed to zoom, so as to make a person's features more identifiable? For the camera to be useful, it would need to have night vision. How much would that interfere in identification?

I'm also wondering if any of these have the ability to sound an alarm when motion is detected?

There are many options available to you to achieve this, depending as always on the depth of your wallet.

You may wish to look at a wireless IP camera, these may be found with LED and IR night vision and can be set using software to activate and record on detection of motion and to alarm at the recording device, (your PC). if it is not possible or safe to mount the wireless camera then most will have basic zoom capabilities and some will have telephoto google "wireless IP cameras" for ideas.

As you said, there are MANY options available. So much so, that I wish that there was only one...that did what I want, and the price that I would pay. Since posting, I've been thinking about the situation, and realized that to get a clear shot of the parking spaces, some low hanging tree limbs would need to be pruned, and I'm not certain how the apartment management would feel about that.

Therefore, I'm thinking of the alternative...an alarm system for the vehicle itself. I know that what is available would do the job, but I don't know how the cost would compare to the security camera. Since the primary objective is simply to protect the vehicle, the only advantage that the security camera would have, is the ability to record a video for identification purposes. If the vandal could be discouraged by an alarm, then identification really wouldn't be necessary. I guess that it all comes down to cost, and that will take a lot of Googling to determine.