Planning New Install - Your Advice Appreciated

[redpoint5]

I'm starting from scratch and soliciting advice on hardware primarily, placement, and any other helpful tips.

I'll start out with 1 or 2 cameras and expand later. Front of house is my focus just to keep an eye on things, primarily at night, but also to monitor package deliveries. Haven't decided on Dahua or Hikvision yet, but I do plan to run BI. I've got a PoE switch and network jacks installed already close to the front of the house.

Curious what resolution, focal length, etc would be good to ID license plates or ID faces from cars and people in the driveway, perhaps 25 ft away. Would like to spend $200 or less per camera, but willing to have 1 that is more expensive if it massively improves ability to ID things further out. Wondering where the sweet spot in resolution and low light performance for the dollar is these days. Maybe a combo of high res and poor night vision and low res but good night vision is a good compromise over buying 1 very expensive camera to do both?

 

[mat200]

I'm starting from scratch and soliciting advice on hardware primarily, placement, and any other helpful tips.

I'll start out with 1 or 2 cameras and expand later. Front of house is my focus just to keep an eye on things, primarily at night, but also to monitor package deliveries. Haven't decided on Dahua or Hikvision yet, but I do plan to run BI. I've got a PoE switch and network jacks installed already close to the front of the house.

Curious what resolution, focal length, etc would be good to ID license plates or ID faces from cars and people in the driveway, perhaps 25 ft away. Would like to spend $200 or less per camera, but willing to have 1 that is more expensive if it massively improves ability to ID things further out. Wondering where the sweet spot in resolution and low light performance for the dollar is these days. Maybe a combo of high res and poor night vision and low res but good night vision is a good compromise over buying 1 very expensive camera to do both?

Hi @redpoint5

Looks like a really nice home.

I'd start playing with one nice 4MP varifocal 1/1.8" sensor Dahua OEM camera...

Then plan to put 2 cameras on the garage - one on each side to cover your driveway.

Then another 1-2 cameras covering the approach / front door

 

[redpoint5]

Hi @redpoint5

Looks like a really nice home.

I'd start playing with one nice 4MP varifocal 1/1.8" sensor Dahua OEM camera...

Then plan to put 2 cameras on the garage - one on each side to cover your driveway.

Then another 1-2 cameras covering the approach / front door

Thanks for that specific advice; very helpful.

Are you the same mat2000 on SD? Really appreciate your contribution over there. Great signature too.

 

[mat200]

Thanks for that specific advice; very helpful.

Are you the same mat2000 on SD? Really appreciate your contribution over there. Great signature too.

Yes, thanks .. happy to help and share with others with what I have learned from those here and on SDs.

Check out Southern Yankee's post in this thread for models to look at..

New member looking for advice for my first IP Cam

Hi All, I have a cheap YI camera and now looking to start building out something better and looking for some guidance and advice. I am going to start with a single camera placed under the soffit of a detached double garage. I have attached a picture from the Yi showing where I plan to place...

ipcamtalk.com

These are the places I would test out for camera positions on the front of the house.

 

[redpoint5]

These are the places I would test out for camera positions on the front of the house.

Thanks again!

I was wondering if just above or to the side of the lights would be good, since it's relatively low and the light itself may obscure the fact that there's a camera there. I'm trying to go as stealth as possible as my aim is to capture, not deter criminals. Deterrence only pushes the crime down the street. Better to secure the neighborhood than just my property.

EDIT: I've got those side windows next to the door, and I am planning to place an indoor camera at the bottom behind the glass to get the low angle entrance.

 

[sebastiantombs]

Personally, I'd add a third camera in the "middle" of the garages looking straight out. Better coverage if you have cars parked there, besides you always need at least one more camera!

Seriously, cameras are like rabbits, they just seem to multiply, exponentially.

 

[JNDATHP]

Seriously, cameras are like rabbits, they just seem to multiply, exponentially.

This!

 

[djernie]

Welcome, here are a few threads to go over that will help. Take your time don't rush into getting cameras.

Which Style/Type of Security Camera Should I Buy?

Good information on type of cameras.

ipcamtalk.com

Which Security Camera Lens Size Should I Buy?

Good video for newbies.

ipcamtalk.com

Your front door install and captures ?

Hello just wondering if you could post up what your front door installation looks like and also what kind of Image it produces?

ipcamtalk.com

 

[samplenhold]

I was wondering if just above or to the side of the lights would be good, since it's relatively low and the light itself may obscure the fact that there's a camera there

That is a very good question. The only way to answer it is to test the locations prior to running wire and installing. Read the Cliff Notes and make special attention to constructing a test rig to use it to see what is the best position to mount a cam by the lights. Get a varifocal cam like the Dahua HDW5442T-ZE (aka T5442T-ZE) which is the current go-to cam for night color performance.

My test rig in action:

Covering my front door I use three Dahua IPC-HDBW4231FP-AS cams behind the glass, with IR turned off, full color at night as I have good porch lighting all night. These are a few years old and I believe that there is now a 4MP version that is just as good.



FYI, cams are not a deterrent. There are numerous videos of perps doing what they do and giving the finger to the cams.

 

[redpoint5]

That is a very good question. The only way to answer it is to test the locations prior to running wire and installing. Read the Cliff Notes and make special attention to constructing a test rig to use it to see what is the best position to mount a cam by the lights. Get a varifocal cam like the Dahua HDW5442T-ZE (aka T5442T-ZE) which is the current go-to cam for night color performance.

Took your advice and ordered this model from Andy's Amazon page. I've got 3 properties I'd like to test various camera positions/FOVs on, so this should come in handy for that.

Would be nice to have the decoder ring for the model numbering convention. I'm sure it's a thread somewhere on here.

 

[redpoint5]

Any recommendations for an indoor camera to place behind the glass to the side of my front door? I'd prefer to stick to Dahua since that's the make I've got on order (I chose delayed Thursday delivery). I'm playing with the latest BlueIris on a laptop I intend to dedicate to NVR ( Black Friday $275 i5-1035G4 deal), so I suppose I don't need to keep with Dahua.

As an aside, my parents are running Hikvision (Laview) cameras and NVR. Is there any advantage flashing the FW to Hikvision latest?

 

[sebastiantombs]

Rule of thumb is that a laptop is not appropriate for Blue Iris. The processors are designed to throttle back when they get warm. Video uses a lot of processor. You may be able to get away with it if you use substreams but even that gets a little dicey. Storage is also a problem, no extra drive bays for large capacity, 3.5" drives

 

[samplenhold]

Is there any advantage flashing the FW to Hikvision latest?

The conventional wisdom here is not to upgrade cams unless there is a specific issue you are trying to fix. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Any recommendations for an indoor camera to place behind the glass to the side of my front door?

I actually have three Dahua IPC-HDBW4231FP-AS Minidome Starlight 2MP with 3.6mm lenses behind the glass at my front doors, two on one side and a third on the other. I have been very happy with them. They run color 24/7 with IR off as I have plenty of light on the porch.

 

[redpoint5]

The conventional wisdom here is not to upgrade cams unless there is a specific issue you are trying to fix. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.


I actually have three Dahua IPC-HDBW4231FP-AS Minidome Starlight 2MP with 3.6mm lenses behind the glass at my front doors, two on one side and a third on the other. I have been very happy with them. They run color 24/7 with IR off as I have plenty of light on the porch.

View attachment 69937 View attachment 69938 View attachment 69939

Whoa, those are nice (and spendy). I'm thinking something cheap and PoE is all that's necessary. The outdoor cameras will get the low light stuff, and the indoor cam will just get a nice low angle shot of whoever approaches.

My current idea is 2 low light cameras watching the front, and 1 in the window sill by the front door, and perhaps 1 looking at the back yard.

Later I might have 1 mounted to the peak of my roof overlooking the neighborhood later, and perhaps 2 vary narrowly focused cameras near the sidewalk pointing up and down the main street.

 

[samplenhold]

Whoa, those are nice (and spendy).

Spendy? It was only $116 when I bought it back in January of 2019. How much are you spending for cams? You won't get what you don't pay for.

And I just realized that I had posted this same answer yesterday in post #9.

 

[redpoint5]

Spendy? It was only $116 when I bought it back in January of 2019. How much are you spending for cams? You won't get what you don't pay for.

And I just realized that I had posted this same answer yesterday in post #9.

Ah yeah, I'm seeing Ebay links for ~$100. The first link I found showed $260 Euro.

 

[samplenhold]

Ah yeah, I'm seeing Ebay links for ~$100. The first link I found showed $260 Euro.

Check with Andy (@EMPIRETECANDY ). I have bought ALL of my cams from him.

 

[EMPIRETECANDY]

Just use the IPC-T5442T-ZE, the best to go.

https://ipcamtalk.com/conversations...ari-focal-eyeball-network-camera.65625/unread

 

[EMPIRETECANDY]

Front door right now has 2 choice
1. Use a Doorbell system, like this. Review-IP Villa Outdoor Doorbell Station & Indoor Monitor Kit
2. Use a 5MP LATEST new one 2.8MM or 3.6mm both can be ok.

Amazon.com : Loryta IPC-E3541F-AS-M 3.6mm Focal Length 5MP Starlight Lite AI IR Fixed Focal Dome Network Camera English Version

Amazon.com : Loryta IPC-E3541F-AS-M 3.6mm Focal Length 5MP Starlight Lite AI IR Fixed Focal Dome Network Camera English Version

www.amazon.com

 

[redpoint5]

I opted for delayed shipment from Amazon knowing I would be at the coast, but instead of doing that I ended up evacuating the family and building fire suppression on my roof. Was supposed to get my camera today, but Amazon apparently isn't venturing into the danger zone.

Here's the fire suppression I cobbled together in about an hour: