You purchased the 16 channel camera, so you must envision adding more as time/budget allows. Here are my thoughts:
Front Porch (2.8mm): Installed 8.5 feet high. Distance from lens to the head/face of an average adult is 12'. The close focus distance for the 3.6mm is 17.7', so that lens won't be able to focus at 12'. So I chose the 2.8mm. It lists identify as 27.2', so I figured I'd be good at 12'.
Current shot is a great overview of most of the front yard, part of the driveway, most of the front porch. The one time you might get someone looking up it will be blocked by the column. If they do not look right at the porch, you at best get a side profile. Most perps will be looking down and to the left against the brick wall checking to see if anyone is home.
Consider the welcome sign camera idea or a planter or something else to get a lower camera. A 5442 fixed turret would be perfect here.
Driveway (2.8mm): Installed 11.25 feet high. Distance from the lens to the head/face standing at the drivers door of my car is 20'. Could have picked either, but it was within the identify range of the 2.8, so I thought I'd be able to identify at 20', and have a better overall view.
Current shot is a great overview of most of the front yard, people exiting the front door, most of the driveway. Will get top of heads of perps. The basketball backboard blocks the "ideal" location/distance with which someone may be looking around.
Need a minimum of 2 cameras if a car is parked outside. One on either side in a criss-cross pattern. Even better is a 3rd in the middle. The 5442 varifocals would be perfect here.
Stick a turret on the basketball pole. Paint it black and it is now a location a perp wouldn't expect to see a camera and you get the easy money shot.
Anything else you want to cover in this area? If so, another camera is needed.
Back Porch (2.8mm): Installed 10 feet high. Distance from the lens to the head/face standing right at the base of the steps is 7'. Again, thought the 3.6mm would not be able to focus at that close range.
Current shot is a good overview camera. Keep and add or consider replacing with a 5442 turret and lower it. Paint it to match the siding and it will blend right in.
Back Yard/Shed (3.6mm): Installed 9.5 feet high. Distance to the shed is 75'. I went 3.6mm to get zoomed in further. Still well past the identify range. Maybe/probably should have picked a different camera that has a larger number focal length (6mm or 12mm).
Current shot is a good overview camera - can see additional seating area, shed, and most of the backyard.
If you want to cover the shed and the seating area to IDENTIFY, that is two more cameras. The 5442 varifocal turret for the seating area and the 5442-Z4E bullet or the 5241-Z12E for the shed.
The problem with trying to cover the shed from this location is backlighting with most of the light behind the person. It will be a black silhouette at night -totally useless.
If the shed is important to cover, consider placing a camera on and in the shed.
Garage (2.8mm): Installed 9 feet high. Distance to the front edge of the garage is 20', so I assumed I'd be able to identify anyone within the garage.
Probably the one location you have the most flexibility with. I would consider a turret and place it closer to the outlet. Could keep this vantage point as an overview.
At the end of the day, you have to decide the purpose of the cameras. If you are content with the wide angle, see everything just to know what is going on, then you are in good shape.
The problem is once something happens, you will see that the only useful information is what time it happened.
You are getting the advice and wisdom of the folks here that have been there. Every time something happens in my neighborhood, I re-assess my cameras and the coverage. Sometimes I do not need to do anything. Other times it is replace or add a camera.
See OpenVPN which is a whole other discussion.
