PTZ "golden ratio"?

[Webfont]

Might sound like a silly question, but is there anything like an optimal ratio of fixed vs PTZ cams?
Pretty sure it would heavily depend on the location's needs but other than the high costs - any reason why not to make every cam an auto-tracking PTZ?

 

[looktall]

any reason why not to make every cam an auto-tracking PTZ

Apart from the cost?

 

[bigredfish]

• Even the best ones mess up occasionally, tracking make believe objects, more than you might think.
• Unless you’re willing to install enough of them that each one has double coverage by another, one will be looking in the wrong direction when you most need it.
• 3x-5x Budget (plus)
• In many cases/models, power requirements will add complexity to install
• Aesthetics - people will think your site is a new Military/NSA installation

 

[Parley]

• Aesthetics - people will think your site is a new Military/NSA installation

Yep, let's just say that I am well known in the neighborhood. Hahahahaha

 

[Webfont]

Even the best ones mess up occasionally, tracking make believe objects, more than you might think.

Interesting. I've been experimenting with a temporary PTZ recently and I get the reverse where it sometimes decides to not track a moving person. I didn't notice it starting to track a ghost.

Unless you’re willing to install enough of them that each one has double coverage by another, one will be looking in the wrong direction when you most need it.

Good point. I think it's one of your videos that I saw where a PTZ was tracking 3 'youths' and 1 of them decided to walk back to see if the PTZ was still following him and the other 2 disappeared from the frame.

Yep, let's just say that I am well known in the neighborhood. Hahahahaha

And how many break-ins did you have? Few petty thieves are stupid enough to hit a military compound

 

[Parley]

Zero, even the car door checkers walk on by.

 

[Ri22o]

Interesting. I've been experimenting with a temporary PTZ recently and I get the reverse where it sometimes decides to not track a moving person. I didn't notice it starting to track a ghost.

Mine will sometimes aggressively try to track the fire hydrant.

 

[JDreaming]

Mine will sometimes aggressively try to track the fire hydrant.

View attachment 180844

My PTZ sometimes would track the fire hydrant, street light pole and my neighbor's concrete railing which I kind of understand since they are somewhat looking like human figures.

But the one that make me scratch my head is sometimes it tracks a person walking by fine, but all of the sudden it switch and zoom in on the the wheels of the cars parked on the street for no reason.

 

[bigredfish]

Yup

 

[StevenFromTexas]

But the one that make me scratch my head is sometimes it tracks a person walking by fine, but all of the sudden it switch and zoom in on the the wheels of the cars parked on the street for no reason.

That has driven me nuts! I kept thinking what setting am I messing up to cause the PTZ to switch from tracking a person to locking in on a wheel somewhere not even near the walker. Now I feel better knowing I'm not the only one.

 

[bigredfish]

Mine likes a certain stop sign and occasionally while tracking will shoot straight up looking for aliens

 

[JDreaming]

Mine likes a certain stop sign and occasionally while tracking will shoot straight up looking for aliens

Oh yeah, that happen quite often as well. It's usually happen when tracking fast moving objects and the ptz can't keep
up with the speed or something and trying to re-track the target.

 

[samplenhold]

is there anything like an optimal ratio of fixed vs PTZ cams?

Yes.

1.618 : 1

 

[Webfont]

Yes.

1.618 : 1

That means I gotta have 809 fixed and 500 PTZs. Need a bigger house now.