Looking for camera layout feedback.

[Eric]

I'm working on putting an order together and if all goes well purchase some LTS cameras and NVR but wanted to see what some thoughts where here of my proposed layout.

First here is a sat picture of my house to give an idea of the layout of the area and what I'm trying to cover.

This is my proposed layout design, explained further below:

Proposed locations and coverage.

• Red Arrows would indicate the area I'm trying to cover with a 2.8mm 4MP turret camera. This camera would keep an eye on the driveway and my truck parked next to the garage.
• Green Arrow would be covered by a 4mm 4MP turret camera and be aimed to shoot at the road and toward the intersection as shown in the sat picture. This would be used more to see who's coming and going in the neighborhood, than watching the actual intersection.
• Yellow Arrows indicates the area I'm trying to cover with a 4mm 4MP mini bullet camera. This would cover anyone coming and going through the backyard gate and behind the garage (an area once used to break into the house).
• Below arrow is really my big concern!

Should I place the camera (blue arrow) back to back with the green arrow turret? Or should I place it on the other side of the house pointing toward the green arrow turret? The idea behind the blue arrow camera would be to cover the front door (which is located in the middle of the light blue box) as well as the windows to my kids rooms. Also would this area be better suited with a 4mm or 2.8mm?

 

[DemonicHawk]

Not sure about 4mm or 2.8mm, but from a wiring standpoint, having the (blue) camera back to back with the (green) camera would be much easier. From a security standpoint, if someone was taking the path from the driveway to the front door, it might be hard to get a good picture of their face. Especially since it looks like you will have a blind spot on the left side of the driveway. So I would probably put it on the left side of the house pointing in the same general direction as the green arrow.

 

[Del Boy]

Yellow - 2.8mm
Red - 2.8mm
Green - 6mm
Blue - 4mm

You will have a blind spot just to the left of your driveway, swap Blue to 2.8mm to eliminate that but then you won't have optimum detail covering the front of your house. You will still be able to see stuff (and a lot of people are happy with that) but for me, being able to identify unknown faces and it be used as evidence is key - I generally know if a window has been smashed and I've been broken into without looking at the CCTV.

Just read DemonicHawk's comment... either great minds or idiots think alike... can't remember which!

 

[zero-degrees]

@DemonicHawk and @Del Boy pretty much covered the lens types.

My personal thoughts are as follows @Eric

I will say the green camera most likely will not give you a view of the intersection because of the neighbors tree, also unless there is a good amount of ambient light or street lights the IR won't get you that far at night - not sure exactly what you are trying to see, just the impression i get from the google image included. If you don't mind spending the money you could get a VF (Variable Focus) camera and zoom/dial it in to see exactly what you want.

If you are wanting the blue camera to shoot down the entire front of the house you will prob get a lot of IR reflection/blinding off the house. If you end up turning the camera so much as to shoot the entire front of the house the IR will hit the house/brick very close to the camera lighting it and not giving you a clear view all the way down. *My personal opinion is I would go to a 4mm bullet and shift it to the end of the house shooting towards the drive across the front of the home. I feel this placement gives you better chance for facial recognition should someone walk up the drive and follow the path to the door, or should they just walk up the middle of the yard.

As a final thought, I would consider a 5th camera near the yellow cam but shooting across the back of the house/deck to cover the other direction should someone come out of the tree line beside your home, right now you have nothing to catch/see that.

 

[Eric]

Thanks guys for all the replies it gives me a good idea now on how I should set this up. I don't recall seeing 6mm LTS camera's but will look again.

I will say the green camera most likely will not give you a view of the intersection because of the neighbors tree, also unless there is a good amount of ambient light or street lights the IR won't get you that far at night - not sure exactly what you are trying to see, just the impression i get from the google image included.

My goal is not so much the intersection just seeing who comes and goes from the neighborhood. If I can get a clear view of cars that go by the driveway then I'd be happy. At least the ability to make out make and model of the car, plate info is just a bonus. So the neighbors tree isn't much of an issue.

In addition there are lights - automatic lights at the front door and another set above the middle of the garage door. There is also a street light, if you look at the google picture the white truck on the street is actually a mail truck and just in front of it you can see a white line, that's the street light.

My personal opinion is I would go to a 4mm bullet and shift it to the end of the house shooting towards the drive across the front of the home. I feel this placement gives you better chance for facial recognition should someone walk up the drive and follow the path to the door, or should they just walk up the middle of the yard..

This is exactly what I'm looking for!

As for more camera's I might end up adding more for more coverage in the backyard but it's not a priority for me at the moment since there are all other houses next to me and behind me and the only way to access those areas at least by car is by the street in front of my house. It's all dead end courts. Thus why I want to see who's coming in going. If I can cover the road space in front of my house than I think I'm doing pretty well.

 

[Eric]

Just to update, I have made a purchase for an 8 channel NVR, 3TB WD purple drive, and a handful of 4.1MP turret 120db WDR hikvision cameras. Looks like it'll all be here tomorrow.