Camera installation location recommendation

[skk85]

Hi,
I have costco lorex kit. planning to start the installation. Looking for recommendation on camera placement. Attached are some pics.Wiring is goona be a challenge, but i have attic access and did some prep work. I have read i need to look into FOV and other stuff to ensure 360 deg coverage around home. IPVM seems to be good tool but not free. Looking for Pro/Expert recommendations.

https://www.costco.com/.product.1388552.html

 

[sebastiantombs]

At the height of those locations, and with the normally supplied 2.8mm lenses in a "kit" system, you are going to be looking at the tops of caps and hoodies. The cameras need to be no higher than 7-8 feet, and 8 feet is stretching it. Read the information in the WiKi, in the blue bar at the top of the page, and maybe consider returning that system in favor of cameras selected based on the specific requirements for each location.

 

[skk85]

My mounting height is going to be 8-9 ft , I marked on top for reference. I can return this but I got this for deal 900$. Planning to start with these and add more dahua later.

 

[sebastiantombs]

Like I said, tops of heads will be the result at that height. Look around here, IPCT, for videos to see what I'm talking about. Without doing some basic research you'll be sorely diappointed when you need them the most.

What are the specs/models of the cameras? I'm betting 4K cameras.

 

[TheGooginator]

I second @sebastiantombs advice do a little bit of research and start small with a camera or two and build up your system from there. You might think you are getting a deal with a package like this but in the end you will be replacing lots of cameras with money lost. I also personally recommend utilizing a computer with Blue Iris but that is just personal preference. I focused on my LPR setup for now and in the next week or two will begin to install my overview for my house such as driveway and house entry cameras. @EMPIRETECANDY is great to work with when purchasing Dahua units.

 

[samplenhold]

Looking for Pro/Expert recommendations

To give a little context to the feedback that others have given you. These cams are the Lorex E891AB series. They are very wide angle cams, 2.8mm lenses. They are also 4K (8MP) on a 1/1.8" sensor. The aperture is F1.6 fixed. All of that spells poor low light color performance. Shoving 8MP on the 1/1.8" sensor gives very little light per pixel. Since they are 2.8mm fixed lens, a person will have to be relatively close to the lens to get a good enough face shot to be identified.

Mounting those cams at the heights you are showing will not give you any identifying information on perps. Example: your garage. If you have a car in the driveway and a door checker arrives, you sill only get a far view of the top of his head. See the angle of attack diagram below, which is based on a mount height of 7 feet.


You have nothing covering the front door.

While having wide-angle high-mounted cams as an overview is fine, they will not give you anything that could be used by LE in finding or prosecuting a perp. I believe in fit-for-purpose cam planning. I have 18 cams spread over 10 models. Each cam has a job to do and the model was chosen for that specific job. I have a few wide angle overview cams. But it is the strategically placed, focused cams that give good ID even at night.

This shot, and video provided to the police was enough to ID the perp and have him arrested. This is not a 2.8mm wide angle cam. It is placed at about 6.5'.



These shots and accompanying video were enough that the LEO looking at them said "yeah, I know that guy". Again not a wide angle cam placed too high.



Since these cams give good low light color video, clothing descriptions and logo details were easy to identify.

 

[skk85]

Great points. I am now convinced to return the unit to Costco. Probably start with 2 for front with blueiris and limit height to 6-7 ft. There is lot of leaning here. Now any recommendations on 2 cameras to cover my driveway? You guys are awesome.

 

[ARAMP1]

You might think you are getting a deal with a package like this but in the end you will be replacing lots of cameras with money lost.

LOL. So true. I too started with the ole Costco kit. Ended up ditching all of it after a year for a better setup.

 

[samplenhold]

Now any recommendations on 2 cameras to cover my driveway? You guys are awesome.

The Dahua 5442 series are the go to cams at the moment, especially for color low light. I replaced the cam that took the first driveway shot with one of those in turret form with a 6mm lens. After I did that, they came out with a varifocal version (2.7-12mm).

It would be smart to buy one of those varifocal cams and use it to help design your plan. Set it up on a test rig, as defined in the Cliff Notes, and see how different focal lengths perform at different positions. From there you can make informed decisions.

Here is a test rig setup I used to compare different model cams to one I had already installed.

 

[mat200]

Hi,
I have costco lorex kit. planning to start the installation. Looking for recommendation on camera placement. Attached are some pics.Wiring is goona be a challenge, but i have attic access and did some prep work. I have read i need to look into FOV and other stuff to ensure 360 deg coverage around home. IPVM seems to be good tool but not free. Looking for Pro/Expert recommendations.

https://www.costco.com/.product.1388552.html

Welcome @skk85

That kit for "deal 900$." is a good deal.

It is a Dahua OEM NVR. You should be able to flash the NVR to Dahua OEM Firmware. ( look for the Lorex and Dahua firmware thread .. good info in there on how to do that. )

As it is a 16 channel / PoE NVR - I would use the cameras in that kit - and augment it with some good 4MP 1/1.8" Dahua OEM cameras from Andy.

Definitely with the current plans you have your cameras mounted too high.

Looks like a really nice home, and with some planning you should be able to mount cameras lower before the construction job is done.

If you want you can have both higher mounted cameras ( for watching further away or for an overview ) and lower mounted cameras for those subjects closer to the cameras.

 

[mat200]

Here's an example of areas I would start testing for locations to place cameras.

Remember N+1+ for cat6 cable drops. Typically the cost to run an extra cable line is well worth it.

 

[Kang177]

Here’s my ai recorder menu 4216-16P-I
it’s not expensive AI model recorder
Hope will help

 

[skk85]

LOL. So true. I too started with the ole Costco kit. Ended up ditching all of it after a year for a better setup.

Did you replace your LOREX NVR also or started using it with new Dahua cameras?

 

[Kang177]

Pls search my post what I paid and upgrade unit

 

[ARAMP1]

Did you replace your LOREX NVR also or started using it with new Dahua cameras?

I got rid of the NVR first and went Blue Iris. As the budget allowed, I upgraded the cameras. As I upgraded and added cameras, I ended up upgrading my Blue Iris machine and that's where I'm at today.