Dahua-based initial camera installation suggestions wanted!

[9mmkungfu]

Hi All,

First I want to say thanks for everyone contributing to this forum. It's an incredible resource and I appreciate all of the information here. I've read through some of the Wiki and several posts and they have been extremely informative.

That being said, I'd like to setup a few of the following:

1) Two LPR cameras
2) Front door camera
3) Back door camera
4) Backyard/parking pad camera
5) Alley/sidewalk/street PTZ camera

Any additional camera suggestions are welcome as well. Perhaps something to give a good fish-eye view of the front, as well as the alley. I am not sure.

The photo below shows the front of the house (house on the left), as well as the adjacent alley, and a small section of the street in front.
I attempted to use the IPVM tool to mock up placement of some cameras in the front of the house. I was thinking the two cameras on the outermost edges would be the LPR cameras, and the middle camera would be the front door camera. The random camera on the edge to the right would be the PTZ camera.


This picture illustrates possible placement of the backyard / back door cameras.


I see that the Starlight models are highly suggested. I've spoken with Andy and he's given me several model suggestions as well.

What are your thoughts?

 

[trucams]

LPR cameras have very specific use and generally a choked down view. You might be better off with a general purpose camera, if all you really want is an overall view around the property. PTZ cameras work well for someone monitoring them constantly and moving as needed. If you are not going to be monitoring 24/7 and only want it for the adaptability of pointing in different directions, again consider multiple general purpose cameras instead. Once it is turned away, you cannot see what is behind it. Murphy’s law is it will always be pointing in the wrong direction when it is needed.

 

[looney2ns]

See the LPR subject area of this forum, LPR is an art.

Anything wider than 3.6mm is practically useless for outdoors.
You want to know who did it, not just what happened.
Using the Ipcamtalk tool, keep PPF>100, and that will give you a good idea of facial ID distances.
More cams is always better than a PTZ.

 

[mat200]

Hi All,

First I want to say thanks for everyone contributing to this forum. It's an incredible resource and I appreciate all of the information here. I've read through some of the Wiki and several posts and they have been extremely informative.

That being said, I'd like to setup a few of the following:

1) Two LPR cameras
2) Front door camera
3) Back door camera
4) Backyard/parking pad camera
5) Alley/sidewalk/street PTZ camera

Any additional camera suggestions are welcome as well. Perhaps something to give a good fish-eye view of the front, as well as the alley. I am not sure.
..

What are your thoughts?

Thanks and welcome 9mm,

Beautiful neighborhood. Love the house.

I highly recommend planning for more cameras, and possibly even external IR illuminators. Thus when pulling cables do follow the N+1+ rule.

You especially want to also cover the alley. Think of the Alley as another major front of the house, and an approach which is a "transitional" space which will be used by delinquents.

Remember if you are on a tight budget you can always add cameras, the cabling will be the majority of the work. Also remember to test locations - and try to mount < 8 feet high for the best chances of a good ID image.

 

[9mmkungfu]

Thanks for all of the input everyone. And thanks for the compliment mat200. I failed to mention that I was going to try out one of the Dahua PTZs with the auto-tracking function. I am fine with dedicating two cameras, angled 45 degrees and facing toward or away from each other, as LPRs. I guess I was wondering what other cameras would be recommended to cover the rest of the home. I will reach out to Andy again as well for suggestions. Just trying to get as much input as possible before gathering up the equipment and mocking it up.