Looking for advice on my install locations.

Ri22o

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I like A and E pointed at each other so that you get if someone tampers with one. This may mean needing an additional camera as a overview for whole backyard if these and existing don't cover it all.

I like the one under the deck roof pointing towards the house so you get someone leaving. Most perps are expecting the cameras to be on the house looking out so they may let their guard down leaving.
I agree. After looking in my backyard today it would be better to have A/E pointed inward.

I plan to mess with them before install, but would you put the deck camera inward from D corner or A/B corner?
 

wittaj

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I like the A/B corner as it gives a straight shot to the door on the house.
 

Ri22o

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I like the A/B corner as it gives a straight shot to the door on the house.
After asking, I am leaning towards D because it would point towards the door opening and not at the door itself. Obviously it looks like I will need to mess with it later before install.
 

wittaj

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That makes sense. The other thing to consider is will this deck have a railing and opening or is it low to the ground? If there is only one "opening" to get on/off the deck, then over it would be the ideal spot.
 

Ri22o

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That makes sense. The other thing to consider is will this deck have a railing and opening or is it low to the ground? If there is only one "opening" to get on/off the deck, then over it would be the ideal spot.
It will be flush with the current screened porch, so approx. 21" above grade with full railing around. The only access on/off will be the steps or through the screened door.
 

Flintstone61

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There is a pattern lately of people starting a thread, getting an answer and then not liking it, becoming oppositional as if they were just trolls all along......not saying this thread is....
 
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Ri22o

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The weather was reasonable yesterday and my daughter wanted to play outside. I decided to use this time to relocate the camera on the back of my 3rd garage bay from the soffit to further down onto the siding. However, before I committed to drilling a hole through my siding I wanted to make sure this would be an improvement and I don't think I need to move it down? I realize I don't have any captures with a person in frame, but I wanted to see if anyone else shared the same opinion or had differing advice for the new location.

Camera in discussion:
1677416721462.png


Captures from soffit position:
Back Yard, South 2022-12-31 02.29.12.423 PM.jpgBack Yard, South 2022-12-31 02.29.50.896 PM.jpgBack Yard, South 2022-12-31 02.44.27.364 PM.jpgPatio 2023-02-25 01.52.54.493 PM.jpg

Capture from the proposed relocation:
Patio 2023-02-25 01.57.51.702 PM.jpg
 

Mike A.

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Better but not sure that it's worth moving it.

Can you get to the corner where the gutter is? That would get you out more and wouldn't be stuck in the middle of your siding. And might use it to watch that gate if you add cams and/or change things later.
 

Ri22o

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Better but not sure that it's worth moving it.

Can you get to the corner where the gutter is? That would get you out more and wouldn't be stuck in the middle of your siding. And might use it to watch that gate if you add cams and/or change things later.
The gate has coverage, you can see it above the downspout. I am sure I could get to the corner, it's just tricky with what is in the soffit since the hip-style roof can have trusses and lumber in some weird places.

Since it doesn't appear to be a yuge improvement I may leave it for now and see how things go when I get the backyard deck project finished and those cams up. I have considered putting up a fence wall to block the A/C unit, so that may change some things as well.
 

Ri22o

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Any recommendations for this side of my house? I like the new placement but the brighter half of the FOV causes exposure to be lowered which makes the shadow worse. BLC, maybe?

Front Yard 2023-03-14 02.42.08.731 PM.jpg

1678819680731.png
1678819701726.png
 

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wittaj

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Yeah WDC at under 4 will probably knock that down. Keep it as low as you can. The higher the number, the worse motion will be.

Also consider dropping your other values. I have a similar field of view and I run 40 brightness and gamma and then get by with 1 for WDR.
 

Ri22o

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Yeah WDC at under 4 will probably knock that down. Keep it as low as you can. The higher the number, the worse motion will be.

Also consider dropping your other values. I have a similar field of view and I run 40 brightness and gamma and then get by with 1 for WDR.
Is there any reason to not use SSA?

Those adjustments helped, but it's still really dark in the shadow.
 

wittaj

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Try them all, but also watch motion. As you have seen with night time, you can make the image nice and bright, but motion is a blur crap mess.

Same with using backlight - it can produce a nice static image where the shadow is light but then motion is a blur.

And try it during different parts of the day and cloud conditions.

Maybe SSA looks good now with afternoon soon, but morning and evening when it is in day profile results in blur motion.
 

Ri22o

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I'm back...

This is a bit of an update and request for advice. I have info and questions scattered through the post, so try and follow along.

I feel I have most of the front of the house handled now, even though I still need to move/install some locations and get the LPRs dialed in. However, it is coming up on time for my back deck to be installed and I am working through all of my angles in anticipation of running ethernet and ordering cameras.

The deck will extend off of the back of the house and be covered by a roof. This permits me to move cameras closer to the ground and also further out into the yard. Here is the drawing, marked up with camera locations.

View attachment 154332


The back of the house/aerial, for reference:

View attachment 154333 View attachment 154334 View attachment 154341


Current camera angles:

Front Gate (1)
View attachment 154339
Back Yard (2)
View attachment 154338
Back Yard (3)
View attachment 154337
Side Yard (4)
View attachment 154336
Back Porch (5)
View attachment 154340
Back Gate (6)
View attachment 154335

Current Cameras:
1 - Points at the front gate, will remain in this location.
2 - Covers the patio. I plan to drop this down from the soffit onto the siding and move it over.
3 - Backyard overview. This will be taken down unless I see a need for it after the deck is installed.
4 - Side yard overview. Nothing will change with this.
5 - Back porch. Nothing will change with this.
6 - Focused on the Back Gate. This will move to location B on the back of the deck roof.

Proposed locations:
A - Lower Back Yard position.
B - Relocated Back Gate camera.
C - Lower Back Yard position.
D - Varifocal set to cover the steps onto the deck.
E - Lower Back Yard position.
F - ?? Under the Deck Roof somewhere?

Questions:
  • With A and E, is it better to have them pointed inward at each other or outward?
  • If I wanted a camera under the deck roof to cover the deck, would it be better pointed in towards the house and screen door? Or outwards from the house? Which corner would be best? (If pointed outward, there is the risk of the setting sun from the West.)
I am putting together my list to purchase this weekend and am looking for suggestions on focal length. Obviously Varifocal would be best everywhere so I can dial in the best view, but do I need to narrow the scope that much for all locations? Would some of them be fine with a 3.6mm for DOR and rely on the purpose placed cameras for ID? I obviously don't want to buy and want something else, but the additional $25 per camera would be nice to be able to put towards other cameras...

Back gate entry will be covered with purpose.
Steps onto the deck will be covered with purpose.
Entry into the screened porch is covered with purpose.
Front gate entry is covered with purpose.

Does the idea of FOV change with A/E because they are looking inwards across each other? should I consider a 6mm over the 3.6mm because of this?

A - 3.6mm or Varifocal?
Distances: 45' to fence
Height: 12'

B - Existing Varifocal from 6
Distances: 60' to gate
Height: 12' minimum

C - 3.6mm or Varifocal?
Distances: 36' to fence
Height: 12' above grade, 10' above deck

D - 6mm or Varifocal?
Distances: 20' to deck stairs
Height: 10' above deck

E - 3.6mm or Varifocal?
Distances: 52' to fence
Height: 12'

F - 3.6mm?
Distances: 22' to screen door
Height: 10' above deck
 
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