Camera Mount Thoughts

[bslater02]

All,
Now that I have my BI all up and running, my inventory of 3 hodgepodge cameras is disappointing me. I figured I would take advantage of Andy's coming Dahua Spring sale and pick up a couple of new cameras for my driveway coverage. The driveway is fairly large, ultimately a 3 car garage but starts as a single drive, about 70 ft from entry to garage doors. I have attached an overhead from google as well as some photos of the proposed locations. I have a couple of questions related to the camera mounts, but am still doing my research on the best cameras to select.

1. You can see in the photos I have soffits/overhangs that I can mount the cameras to fairly easily which would protect them from the weather, however, I can also feed a cable directly through the exterior wall since it is attic space above the garage. Would it be significantly better for optics to lower the cameras down 2-3 ft but expose them to weather? Just curious if its worth tradeoff
2. The left side placement's goal is more for an overview of the driveway and activity, so a wider angle view. I don't expect to buy the numbers of cameras I would really need to get good coverage and identification abilities. I was thinking of trying to pick up the 5442T-ZE for this spot, maybe a 2.8mm lens?
3. The right side is again for overview, but this is also an entry point to the back yard, so I would like something that I can do some identification with, at closer distances. I am thinking another 5442T-ZE might work here with a 3.6mm, since I could dial it into an area to cover pedestrian entry.
4. Any thoughts or advice based on what you can see in the photos?

Thank you!
Bird's Eye View:
Left Side: Likely location under the corner eave or on vertical wallRight Side: (likely location under eave in the corner that extends out

 

[wittaj]

Share what is disappointing with the cameras you have. Part of it could be the install locations.

While the soffits provide protection from the weather, they are too high up for anything other than OBSERVE. You will get great shots of tops of heads and hoodies.


Here are my general distance recommendations, but switch out the Dahua 5442 series camera to the equivalent 2MP on the 1/2.8" sensor or equivalent Hikvision works as well. All the cameras proposed below are on the appropriate MP/sensor combo:

• 5442 fixed lens 2.8mm or the 4K/X - anything within 10 feet of camera OR as an overview camera
• T5449H-ASE-D2 2.8mm fixed lens - anything within 10 feet of camera where the object would be in a backlit condition at night
• 5441F-AS-E2 (AKA Boobie cam) or E3241F-AS-M- great choice for a front door camera. The boobie cam can have one lens pointed down for packages
• T5241H-AS-PV - Great little active deterrence camera with two way talk. Good for anything within 10 feet of camera or as an overview camera
• 5442 ZE or 5831R-ZE- varifocal - distances up to 40-50 feet (personally I wouldn't go past the 30 foot range but I like things closer)
• 5442 Z4E - anything up to 80-100 feet (personally I wouldn't go past 60 feet but I like things closer)
• 5241-Z12E - anything from 80 feet to almost 200 feet (personally I wouldn't go past 150 feet because I like things closer)
• 5241-Z12E - for a license plate cam that you would angle up the street to get plates up to about 175 feet away, or up to 220 with additional IR.
• 49225 PTZ - great auto-track PTZ and in conjunction with an NVR or Blue Iris and the cameras above that you can use as spotter cams to point the PTZ to the correct location to compliment the fixed cams.

You need to get the correct camera for the area trying to be covered. A wide angle 2.8mm to IDENTIFY someone 40 feet away is the wrong camera regardless of how good the camera is. A 2.8mm camera to IDENTIFY someone within 10 feet is a good choice OR it is an overview camera to see something happened but not be able to identify who.

One camera cannot be the be all, see all. Each one is selected for covering a specific area. Most of us here have different brands and types, from fixed cams, to varifocals, to PTZs, each one selected for it's primary purpose and to utilize the strength of that particular camera.

So you will need to identify the distance the camera would be from the activities you want to IDENTIFY on and purchase the correct camera for that distance as an optical zoom.

If you want to see things far away, you need optical zoom, digital zoom only works in the movies and TV...And the optical zoom is done real time - for a varifocal it is a set it and forget it. You cannot go to recorded video and optically zoom in later, at that point it is digital zoom, and the sensors on these cameras are so small which is why digital zoom doesn't work very well after the fact.

To identify someone with the wide-angle 2.8mm or 3.6mm lens that most people opt for, someone would have to be within 13 feet of the camera to IDENTIFY them, but realistically within 10 feet after you dial it in to your settings.

My neighbor was bragging to me how he only needed his four 2.8mm fixed lens cams to see his entire property and the street and his whole backyard. His car was sitting in the driveway practically touching the garage door and his video was useless to ID the perp not even 10 feet away. The cameras were installed on the soffits and were too high to get a face. A lot of the IDENTIFY was lost vertically because his cameras were 11 feet high.

Meanwhile my 2MP varifocal optically zoomed 60 feet away to the public sidewalk provided the money shot to the police to get my neighbors all their stuff back. Nobody else had video that could provide anything useful, other than what time this motion blur ghost was at their car.

 

[bslater02]

Thank you, I have been reading your posts on cameras and that is part of how I arrived at the cameras I proposed. I figured that the soffit install would be less than ideal for optics, but wasn't sure how much difference 2-3 feet in height could make. I assume its worthwhile, as you said, tops of heads aren't great for identity.

As for my current cams.. they were purchased over time, including a Panasonic BB-511A that somehow is still working (though seriously grainy and unfocused). This one just serves as an indoor observe camera and no real surveillance goal. I have a Dahua turret mounted too high on my front entry, which is also obscured by some walls because the entry is a setback type. I am not really too worried about that though as it does what I want for the moment. Lastly I have a Hikvision mini-bullet overseeing the back yard. Again, overview only, similar to your neighbor.

The driveway is really where I would expect intrusions since at night it is fairly dark and less visible from neighbors, etc. If I were going to break into my house, that is where I would enter. So while I would like one camera for daytime "overview" purposes, the one on the right side I am hoping I could get more detail and some night capabilities as well. Again, an intruder would be walking right past this location if they wanted to break into the house.

Thanks!

 

[wittaj]

OK, so you are aware from your existing cameras that height can play a role in whether it is IDENTIFY or observe - that part is good.

So you either need the camera lower - and if the WAF doesn't like it around 6 feet high, then look into putting it in a planter, landscape lighting, hose reel, etc. to hide it.

Or have it at the soffit and go with the Z4E to optically zoom it to the pinch point as that will help flatten the angle.

Several of my cameras are on the 1st or 2nd floor soffit and work for IDENTIFY because they are optically zoomed out further.

But a 2.8 or 3.6mm fixed cam that high will only be an overview OBSERVE.

 

[mat200]

Thank you, I have been reading your posts on cameras and that is part of how I arrived at the cameras I proposed. I figured that the soffit install would be less than ideal for optics, but wasn't sure how much difference 2-3 feet in height could make. ..

Hi @bslater02

Remember to test possible locations before running cables and drilling any holes.

I would look to install a section of conduit down from the soffits and to a junction box for the cameras at a height you're tested for the results you want.

Example see ..

Help deciding on new install locations around house

My only concern about the corner placement is he has floodlights above in that corner, so it would take more trial and error to ensure the floodlights do not blind out the cams at the critical moment. And given the design of the house, it looked like under the shutters might be a good way to...

ipcamtalk.com

 

[samplenhold]

Or have it at the soffit and go with the Z4E to optically zoom it to the pinch point as that will help flatten the angle.

Here is a diagram to illustrate @wittaj point.

Remember to test possible locations before running cables and drilling any holes.

Use a test rig:

 

[bslater02]

Great ideas, thanks! Thankfully getting the wires through the wall isn't a huge deal, but agree I need to test out some specific locations first. It sounds like weather exposure isn't a major concern which I was overthinking (in terms of longevity of a camera exposed to sun/rain), or at least in terms of value of getting worthwhile videos versus just birds eye views. Lots to think about! I may just have to grab a couple of different models from the sale and see what works best in each location. I am sure I can find places to put them if they don't seem ideal.

Thanks again!