Floodlight above or below the camera placement?

[DewMan]

My apologies if this has been covered before. I searched but couldn't find a related thread. If anyone knows of a helpful link, it would be appreciated

I have a hooded bullet cam just below the shallow angled roof peak ( no snow here) above my garage door to view the entire front yard and up and down the street which is ~35ft down the driveway. I want to mount a wide angle LED 5000k floodlight either above or below the camera. The floodlight will be angled to keep the light on my suburban lawn and should not be causing a white-out on the camera lens. The lens is close to a foot from the wall it's mounted on between the outdoor junction box and bullet style housing.

If I mount the light above the cam it'll be on the fascia, so the light shouldn't be blocked by the bullet cam and , if I mount it below the cam it'll be on the same wall as the cam about a foot lower.

My concern is whether the wide angle LED floodlight illumination coming basically from behind the cam ( if mounted above the cam ) or from below the cam would be preferable from a best picture perspective?

I'm thinking if I mount the light above/behind the cam I'll be recording fewer bugs and be less likely to experience lens flare.

Or should I be looking at a completely different lighting solution that I'm not thinking of? I have no other lights in my relatively small yard.

If I've done nothing but confuse with my lack of ability with the English language in describing the scenario I apologize. If any clarification or addition information is needed please let me know.

Thank you for your time and attention.

 

[elwood]

I would never recommend this to someone else, but if it were me, i would temporarily wire the light to an extension cord and get on a ladder and place it in both locations at night and see which one is better. Please don't do this unless you're knowledgeable in high voltage and very safe.

If i had to guess, i would say above it since the hood will block out some of the light.

 

[wittaj]

Yep, this is asked all the time, but it is so site specific based on your angle, field of view, type of lights, etc.

Some work well above, some work well below, and some work better next to it. You will need to test it at each location and then mount it at the spot that results in less problems.

 

[garycrist]

The light will attract bugs, bats, you name it. IR is even worse. If you can separate
the light from the camera with distance, you might be happier.

 

[sebastiantombs]

Mounted at the peek will give you nice, broad, sweeping views but is useless for identification purposes.

 

[CCTVCam]

Hard to call. Water particles in the air can still cause a haze even with the hood shade if too close. Just look at any stadium light. It looks hazy near the source on anything other than the finest of nights. That said, you could get the same looking down over it.

If in doubt, follow Elwoods suggestion and try a temporary mount at both locations preferably on a dry but slightly hazy night.

I'd add the comments make sure the camera is wired properly even though it's temporary, so proper joints or a properly wired plug, and I'd also as a further precaution plug the extension lead you're using into an RCD plug in device so if there is a short or you become the short, it shuts down the power before any harm is done. Better to have to reset the RCD if the plug is loose than become the ground. Then just record a minute or twos footage from both locations and compare the clarity. You may even want to do it over several nights in differing conditions lathough avoid rain for obvious reasons unless using water tight joints instead of a plug. Even then site then switch on. Switch off then move. Never move live.

 

[DewMan]

Thanks all! Much appreciated.

 

[Teken]

Some pictures of the FOV (camera) and the property facing toward and away would be great to offer more factual input from the members.

Some things to consider for long term use which offers more flexibility. Spend more on a dimmable LED flood light. If you’re feeling spendy invest in a RGBW LED which has integration with home automation.

Dimming allows the proper amount of light to be outputted when needed. RGBW allows you to enjoy the festive seasons along with exterior notifications such as low temp, breach, fire, message, etc.

Regardless of the type of flood light it should be managed by a smart power supply. This will allow you turn on / off and kill power when needed.

As it relates to the hardware always verify the fixture is properly grounded to the exterior frame. As many Saturday Night specials found on AliExpress / eBay literally have no ground wire, ground contact, or not connected!

It goes without saying any fixture should be made out of aluminum with the proper size heat fins. The lens should be glass not plastic as it will yellow and warp. The fixture should be UL / cUL rated with the appropriate IP rating.

If both are not called out on the fixture this will impact your home insurance should there ever be a electrical fire.

Good luck!