Recognize and Identify camera location recommendations

JPmedia · Mar 14, 2025

Ok, I was reading The Importance of Focal Length over MP in camera selection thread and realized I have nothing but overview cameras in place on the front and side of the property. I would like a recommendation on best location according to the current can layout I have attached. The current cameras are 2.8 - 12mm varifocal Lorex 8mp cameras with almost everyone zoomed fully out. It's great for coverage, but is terrible at identifying people, especially at night.

My thought is to maybe use (or replace) the cult-de-sac SW camera as a recognize and identify camera location since the streetlight is right there and most will be walking or driving by that location. I want to run the camera in color for identification purposes. Any thoughts?

wittaj · Mar 14, 2025

Do any of those streets lead to a dead-end and which one is the main one that people would pass through? That is the one I would focus on.

JPmedia · Mar 14, 2025

wittaj said:
Do any of those streets lead to a dead-end and which one is the main one that people would pass through? That is the one I would focus on.

No dead ends. We are on the corner of a big loop. The cul-de-sac is on the outside corner. See the attached zoom out of the area

JPmedia · Mar 14, 2025

Here are a few stills of the area where I think would be the best location for the R&I camera. One day shot and 2 night shots. Current camera is a Lorex 8MP turret camera with a 1/2.8" sensor size.

wittaj · Mar 14, 2025

If that is the best angle you get (if you can't angle down one of the roads to get a more straight shot), then this block in red would be what I would look for to optically zoom into with a Z4E:

With that amount of light, you will be shocked how much better an ideal MP/sensor will work there.

Here is a recent example someone posted with an 8MP on the 1/2.8" sensor versus 8MP on the proper sized sensor (1/1.2" sensor) - the top one looks comparable to what you have, but you have more light.

Of more importance is that the top picture is default settings, so a horribly slow shutter of maybe 1/12 so any motion would be a blur. The 2nd picture is a 1/100 shutter and will get a clean capture. The faster the shutter speed, the more light that is needed. That bottom picture at 1/100 shutter is impressive. If the top camera was set to a 1/100 shutter it would be a very dark image.

Holbs · Mar 14, 2025

how far down the rabbit hole do you wish to go? I put a 6' ladder out and about to get a reference of a normal height human walking in view to give me FOV of what I wanted.

JPmedia · Mar 14, 2025

wittaj said:
If that is the best angle you get (if you can't angle down one of the roads to get a more straight shot), then this block in red would be what I would look for to optically zoom into with a Z4E:

View attachment 216768

With that amount of light, you will be shocked how much better an ideal MP/sensor will work there.

Here is a recent example someone posted with an 8MP on the 1/2.8" sensor versus 8MP on the proper sized sensor (1/1.2" sensor) - the top one looks comparable to what you have, but you have more light.

Of more importance is that the top picture is default settings, so a horribly slow shutter of maybe 1/12 so any motion would be a blur. The 2nd picture is a 1/100 shutter and will get a clean capture. The faster the shutter speed, the more light that is needed. That bottom picture at 1/100 shutter is impressive. If the top camera was set to a 1/100 shutter it would be a very dark image.

Other than the lights in our driveway (both on each side of the garage door and at the end of the driveway), the only place that is lit by the streetlight is the view I have of the Cultisac SW camera. The rest of the light is from neighboring homes which are not always on. I would like to get an angle closer to the road, but I can't see a place where that could happen from the house

wittaj · Mar 14, 2025

Mailbox or landscaping closer to street you could put one in?

JPmedia · Mar 14, 2025

wittaj said:
Mailbox or landscaping closer to street you could put one in?

Our mailbox is on the opposite side of the road, no mailboxes on our side. See the attached screen shot. The mailbox is right at the front of the hood of the truck

wittaj · Mar 14, 2025

In that case I would make a camera look like a landscape light and stick out under the tree. There is a picture somewhere here of someone that did that.

JPmedia · Mar 14, 2025

wittaj said:
Here is a recent example someone posted with an 8MP on the 1/2.8" sensor versus 8MP on the proper sized sensor (1/1.2" sensor) - the top one looks comparable to what you have, but you have more light.

Of more importance is that the top picture is default settings, so a horribly slow shutter of maybe 1/12 so any motion would be a blur. The 2nd picture is a 1/100 shutter and will get a clean capture. The faster the shutter speed, the more light that is needed. That bottom picture at 1/100 shutter is impressive. If the top camera was set to a 1/100 shutter it would be a very dark image.

I presume the bottom still has the camera LED lights on?

wittaj · Mar 14, 2025

JPmedia said:
I presume the bottom still has the camera LED lights on?

That is correct.

JPmedia · Mar 14, 2025

Just thinking, the other issue is, even if I find a way to install by the road, it will mean I would need 2 cameras, one looking to the right and one to the left, no?

JPmedia · Mar 15, 2025

wittaj said:
In that case I would make a camera look like a landscape light and stick out under the tree. There is a picture somewhere here of someone that did that.

I searched, but there is only one pic I could find as an example, and it is a poor representation of showing how it was implemented. It would be nice to get pics from a few different angles and what was used to create it

JPmedia · Mar 15, 2025

Well, the spotlight idea is out, wife said. She made a good point - lawn people are typically not careful about cutting around obstacles - any lawn company. She said that's a lot of money to be destroyed by a careless "whacker". I tend to agree

JPmedia · Mar 15, 2025

Ok, this seems to be my only option left other than the previous cult-de-sac camera location. This is off the LPR east camera pole facing the cult-de-sac. See attached image

Holbs · Mar 15, 2025

If an option, stick a post with post light (mine glass lantern ontop of the post was destroyed from a wind storm recently) at end of driveway. Run 2, 3, or 4 underground Cat6 cables to it (could be 6" trench, 12", 24", conduit or not). I ran 5 cables to mine. 1 to power the Bosch PIR (the white device on post), 1 for a 5442 camera in a bird house, 1 to power the 24VDC lantern lights, 2 spare. I purchased a LPR camera and those 3' tall fake boulder rocks yet to install. Whalla.

wittaj · Mar 15, 2025

JPmedia said:
Ok, this seems to be my only option left other than the previous cult-de-sac camera location. This is off the LPR east camera pole facing the cult-de-sac. See attached image

That view could work - are you getting a high number of plate captures with that wide field of view?

JPmedia · Mar 15, 2025

I seem to think so

wittaj · Mar 15, 2025

Oh that is a different field of view (tighter) than was shown in the above LOL - I thought that was your camera view.

Recognize and Identify camera location recommendations

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