Boxed in porch camera placement

[JDfromDB]

My porch is not set up very well for a camera. It is boxed in as you can see from the pic.
The wire access is from the left wall only. I am currently thinking of mounting the camera (Dahua 2231) in the center above the door so I can get a good view of the entire porch. The only other option is to the left of the door above the light but this gives a limited view.
I am curious what others have done with a porch like this?

 

[Parley]

Mounting on the left by the porch light may cause a problem with the bright light right in front of the camera. Something to take into consideration. Maybe above the door as you have stated. I think a 2.8mm lens would work. I would get nothing less than a camera with a 1/2.8" sensor.

 

[TonyR]

+1^^.
Along with what @Parley suggested, try these 2 temporary measures before you decide:

• Mount cam on 2x4 stuck in a bucket of rocks, probably at 7 ft. to clear the door, over center.
• At night and with light on, have masking tape and cardboard handy to mask the porch light glare back toward the cam.

If able to come up with a good image, facial ID and no glare, then you might be more able to transfer to a more permanent mount and fixture issue.

 

[JDfromDB]

Here is the image of the camera mounted above the door. If someone walks up, a motion light to the right of the walkway will turn on as well.
I think the ony way to reduce the glare would be to get a new light that points down but with the motion light it might not matter that much.

Here is with the light off:

Here is with the light on and the motion light on:

 

[mat200]

..

Hi @JDfromDB

The position appears to be too high imho. Confirm with a friend wearing a hoodie and cap acting as a porch pirate to steal a package and not looking up at the camera.
See if you can get a good id facial image in the test.

 

[JDfromDB]

You are right, it is a little too high but the doors are 8 feet so to go lower I have to move it to the side. I am kind of worried about mounting it low enough on the side so that someone could easily mess with it. Does anyone like Dahua make a really small POE camera that I could mount right by the doorbell?

 

[JDfromDB]

I have been searching the forums and just found some info on this cam: IPC-HDBW4231F-E2-M, its the dual dome cam.
I was trying to stay away from domes but this may be a better option for my front door. The domes seem a little more secure so I could mount it close to the doorbell and have one cam look down to cover packages.

 

[JDfromDB]

Finally got the time to mess with this again. I put the cam on a 2x4 as suggested by TonyR and put it at about 5 to 5.5 feet. I cant go any higher or the light fixture will block the view. I like this view much better but will have to wait until it gets dark to see how the porch light affects it.

 

[guykuo]

Boxed in entryway here as well. I use a 4:3 ratio 5MP Loryta IPC-HDW5541H-AS-PV rotated 90 degrees. The camera is at eye level and set in corner of side wall. With the 90 degree rotation and 4:3 ratio I cover the entire entryway and any packages left by couriers. Also, camera's WDR takes care of the blown out exterior.

 

[guykuo]

Btw if you look way in the background, you will find one of my PTZs on a post 50 yards out. For a fixed focus 2.8 lens that ain’t bad

 

[JDfromDB]

Thanks guykuo for the 90 degree rotation tip, it makes the view even better.