start with one variable focuses camera, this will help you pick your camera locations and the type of lens needed.
From my normal welcome message.
2) Use Dahua starlight cameras or Hikvision darkfighter cameras if you need good low light cameras.
5) Do not use wifi cameras.
6) Do not use cloud storage
7) Do Not use uPNP, P2P, QR, do not open ports,
8) More megapixel is not necessarily better.
9) Avoid chinese hacked cameras (most ebay, amazon, aliexpress cameras(not all, but most))
10) Do not use reolink, ring, nest, Arlo cameras (they are junk), no cloud cameras
11) If possible use a turret camera , bullet collect spiders, dome collect dirt and reflect light (IR)
13) use a test mount to verify the camera mount location.
My test rig: rev.2
14) (Looney2ns)If you want to be able to ID faces, don't mount cams higher than 7ft. You want to know who did it, not just what happened.
18) Camera Sensor size, bigger is general better
Sensor Size Chart
19) Camera lens size, a bigger number give more range but less field of view.
Which Security Camera Lens Size Should I Buy?
20) verify your camera placement at night have a friend wearing a hoodie, ball cap and sunglasses looking down approach the house, can you identify them ?
IPC-HDW5442t-ZE
Dahua IPC-HDW5442T-ZE 4MP Varifocal Turret - Night Perfomance testing -- variable focus 4 MP Starlight
