Help with Positioning of Cameras

[Redemption]

I am a little uncertain about how to position my cameras and could use some help. On the first picture I already installed a camera it is almost 9 feet from the ground, is that ok or too high? I was considering punting another on the other side of the garage. It seems a little wasteful to have them that close. The cameras being used are 2 IPC-T5442TM-A with a 2.8MM Also, should they be pointed in an X or both cameras straight?



The other installation I was considering was on the far right side of the house. I was considering installing there two cameras, One on top the other sort of. Not sure if it is recommended. One could be zoomed in to about 80 feet to capture license plates; the other one will be for the perimeter. Are there other locations that I should consider placing them?



IPC-T5442TM-A with a 3.6MM lens.
PC-HFW5241E-Z12E for license plates


Thanks for the help in advance.

 

[mat200]

Hi @Redemption

I would mount 2 cameras on the garage door area, one on each side of the door at about the top of the door to cover the driveway. If you want to also have an LPR camera setup, that would be another camera.



Look for the test rig here to try out different placement options, and remember to test with the lights on / off in low light conditions.

 

[Redemption]

Mat thanks for the reply, if you look at the first picture on the left hand side I installed it six bricks above the garage door. There are two lights below the camera and I wanted to make sure that the lights did not interfere with the unctionality of the camera. The one on the left is about 9 feet from the ground. the one on the right on the same position will be around 8.5 feet due to the terrain. Is that height fine or should I go lower? I did mention the other two , for LPR I got a diff camera PC-HFW5241E-Z12

 

[area651]

I would say they're all definitely too high. For example, I have mine mounted on the top of the garage door opening. I can easily reach up and clean them & yes, see anyone approaching them to touch them as well. Fwiw, I use domes though so they'd need to paint them or hammer them to get them negated. As for one or two, yes you definitely want two on the garage. One on each side where their field of views are crosssing each other. Think of having the center of their field of view both focused on the middle of the end of your driveway (assuming its only 50ft and straight out from the garage. That way if someone does try to attack one camera. you have the other camera watching it so no one can come up in a blind side and get it.

 

[Redemption]

Thanks Area651, I have only installed one so far, so it will be no big deal lowering. I will have to figure out how to search the two little holes in the Brick lol If they are much lower they will be above the driveway lights. Do you think that will be a problem?

 

[Redemption]

I meant to say that I will to figure out how to seal the two little holes on the brick. But no big deal. Any other advice? I will definitely X them so they cross paths.

 

[area651]

Thanks Area651, I have only installed one so far, so it will be no big deal lowering. I will have to figure out how to search the two little holes in the Brick lol If they are much lower they will be above the driveway lights. Do you think that will be a problem?

mine are practically right beside mine and it gives me no problem. I'll try to find a pic or two. stand by....

 

[Redemption]

Thank you very much, a picture will help for sure.

 

[area651]

Here you go. Fwiw, my amcrest cams work "ok for the money". If I had to do it over again, I would have waited and just did Dahua. I get good enough clarity around the cars but when cars drive by at night, its difficult to get too much detail out on the street. As you can see, I have pretty bright driveway lights so I don't have to run IR. That allows me to stay in color. (Yeah, I wish I had the starlights but that'll have to be an upgrade someday.)

As you can see, I have another camera, same model on the other garage door and they're fields of view cross each other.

 

[bigredfish]

12" above the drive coach lights

 

[area651]

12" above the drive coach lights

View attachment 59676 View attachment 59677

geez its bigredfish again! man....everytime I see your pics, I'm reminded of how much mine SUUUUUUUCK! (you really know how to make a guy feel like crap).

(kidding but actually true. your pics quality, placement are the gold standard!)

 

[Redemption]

Nice pictures, thank you both for sharing. That gives me some ideas and def like how you both crossed the cameras to view from both angles. I like that 12 in angle, I might have to do at least 12 inches to make sure they clear my truck. That would put me around the firs brick above the vertical ones above the garage door. I wish I had asked before drilling the first cam

 

[area651]

Nice pictures, thank you both for sharing. That gives me some ideas and def like how you both crossed the cameras to view from both angles. I like that 12 in angle, I might have to do at least 12 inches to make sure they clear my truck. That would put me around the firs brick above the vertical ones above the garage door. I wish I had asked before drilling the first cam

I understand and that's actually why I didn't pierce any brick yet. Your holes are high and once plugged and colored, only you will ever see them. I wanted to test mount them first and decided that my test locations were acceptable. I'm also looking to sell sometime in the next year so I didn't want to mount the cameras in brick since I'm on my way out.

 

[Redemption]

Yes indeed, as far as the right side of the house, Any suggestions? Should I go to the entrance area and avoid the far right corner of the house? The only issue is that the right corner gives me the best angle to capture license plates.

 

[bigredfish]

geez its bigredfish again! man....everytime I see your pics, I'm reminded of how much mine SUUUUUUUCK! (you really know how to make a guy feel like crap).

(kidding but actually true. your pics quality, placement are the gold standard!)

thanks, but credit goes to the many generous and smart folks I learned from here on IPCT

 

[area651]

Yes indeed, as far as the right side of the house, Any suggestions? Should I go to the entrance area and avoid the far right corner of the house? The only issue is that the right corner gives me the best angle to capture license plates.

I'm not doing LPR (yet) so I can't really say. I'd think that people would need to know how you're angled with the street. Are you at the end of a culdesac where cars turn around? Or just parallel with the street. The LPR guys will know more but from what I understand, you almost need to have a camera focused so far in that it'll get the plates and another camera to get the overall shot of the car/traffic. Also those 2 cameras won't likely do anything for your front porch. Unfortunately (imho) a camera from the front porch is really hard to hide. For it to actually be effective, it'll be pretty obvious and many wives just don't like that part of it.

For the front porch, if it were me, I'd consider punching out of the side of your garage so you scan parallel with front of the house to get a side approach shot of the front porch. I'd also put a dome just above the corner of the front door to get a head on shot when someone walks up. That'll be pretty obvious and good luck convincing the wife unit to go with that.

 

[Redemption]

This is the angle standing from that corner of the house and looking to the right. Distance is about 80 feet.

 

[area651]

This is the angle standing from that corner of the house and looking to the right. Distance is about 80 feet.

Holy Cow. I don't think a better angle exists. I don't know about the distance. The others would know. You're lucky. Would even better if you were in a state that required front plates (double the chance of getting a good grab) but still if not, I'd think you'd be ok.

Look over in the LPR subforum. Those guys get some great shots.



Ok. I could have swore there was an LPR subforum. Send mat200, SoutherYankee or bigredfish a message asking for direction. For some reason when I search LPR, I get no hits either. It's a thing here I know.


Found it! Here's the subforum LPR

 

[Redemption]

Thank you so much for all the help Area651 and bigredfish!!!

 

[bigredfish]

Most of us dream about having that good of an attack angle. At 80ft i'd use the 5241Z-12 which has been the LPR workhorse around here for a while.

As @area651 mentions, think of the LPR camera as a dedicate camera that wont capture much other than plates. If you want to couple it with an Overview cam, all the better

Overview cam


LPR cam (focused 120ft at center of picture above where the two faint white dots on the street are)