Hello everyone, I wish I had read this forum a few years ago before I started installing ip cams and blue iris, I would have made some different decisions about camera selection for the front of my home. This time I'm going to ask for advice before I install cams for the backyard.
Attached is a photo of the back of my house, with red triangles indicating where I am thinking of installing cams. The main goal would be identification of anyone approaching the backdoor, and the secondary goal would be to have an overview of the entire backyard to watch the dog/kids. For now, the only light back there is directly above the backdoor under the roof. I have a PIR above the door that will toggle the light if someone gets close enough, but most of the time it's going to be pretty dark back there.
On the left triangle, I'm thinking of mounting a 5442T-ZE from Andy based on all of the great endorsements I've read here. I will dial in the zoom on that to get decent identification of the back door area while still being able to see most of the backyard on the right of the photo. If I don't get perfect identification, It's okay because I have an Amcrest IP2m-851 inside the house pointed directly at the backdoor from about 10 feet away, so in a worst case scenario that should ID anyone coming in the back door. The distance between that mounting point on that corner of the house and the back door is about 18 feet, and the mounting height would be about 10 feet off the ground.
On the right triangle, I'm thinking of the following: One 5442 pointed towards the first camera, and another 5442 pointed in the opposite direction to watch the gate and any parts of the backyard that are obscured from the first camera's view. I know that generally best practice would be to mount the camera on the opposite corner, but the layout of the back of my house (the lack of one straight line from corner to corner and the roof over my back door) will prevent someone from seeing the opposite corner from one end to the other--hence, my proposed 3 camera approach. I attached a few more photos so you can see what I'm talking about.
I've also considered using a PTZ or a fisheye in place of the two 5442s on the right triangle, but it seems to that I'll just end up paying more money for less coverage--three 5442s are cheaper than, say one 5442 and a SD49225 PTZ or an outdoor fisheye with IR. I also don't think I want to mess with trying to dewarp my backyard with a fisheye, and there are very few options for an outdoor-rated fisheye with IR that would fit my budget. I have also considered mounting a camera directly above the backdoor under the roof, but I think that would just duplicate the role of the indoor Amcrest and the small size of the "porch" would prevent me from doing anything useful with it, i.e., face detection.
With all that in mind, I welcome your suggestions. Thanks!
Attached is a photo of the back of my house, with red triangles indicating where I am thinking of installing cams. The main goal would be identification of anyone approaching the backdoor, and the secondary goal would be to have an overview of the entire backyard to watch the dog/kids. For now, the only light back there is directly above the backdoor under the roof. I have a PIR above the door that will toggle the light if someone gets close enough, but most of the time it's going to be pretty dark back there.
On the left triangle, I'm thinking of mounting a 5442T-ZE from Andy based on all of the great endorsements I've read here. I will dial in the zoom on that to get decent identification of the back door area while still being able to see most of the backyard on the right of the photo. If I don't get perfect identification, It's okay because I have an Amcrest IP2m-851 inside the house pointed directly at the backdoor from about 10 feet away, so in a worst case scenario that should ID anyone coming in the back door. The distance between that mounting point on that corner of the house and the back door is about 18 feet, and the mounting height would be about 10 feet off the ground.
On the right triangle, I'm thinking of the following: One 5442 pointed towards the first camera, and another 5442 pointed in the opposite direction to watch the gate and any parts of the backyard that are obscured from the first camera's view. I know that generally best practice would be to mount the camera on the opposite corner, but the layout of the back of my house (the lack of one straight line from corner to corner and the roof over my back door) will prevent someone from seeing the opposite corner from one end to the other--hence, my proposed 3 camera approach. I attached a few more photos so you can see what I'm talking about.
I've also considered using a PTZ or a fisheye in place of the two 5442s on the right triangle, but it seems to that I'll just end up paying more money for less coverage--three 5442s are cheaper than, say one 5442 and a SD49225 PTZ or an outdoor fisheye with IR. I also don't think I want to mess with trying to dewarp my backyard with a fisheye, and there are very few options for an outdoor-rated fisheye with IR that would fit my budget. I have also considered mounting a camera directly above the backdoor under the roof, but I think that would just duplicate the role of the indoor Amcrest and the small size of the "porch" would prevent me from doing anything useful with it, i.e., face detection.
With all that in mind, I welcome your suggestions. Thanks!
