Need front door camera help

[strathglass]

I've moved and need to install a bunch of exterior cameras.
I need help for the front door area (see attached photo).
I don't want to spoil the aesthetics of the new place either!

MOUNTING LOCATION?
I will probably install a doorbell camera (left side of doorway). But ideally I would have a good IP camera here also, ideally located somewhere on the right side since people will be walking up from the left (via a walkway right against the house) (hence a camera on the left won't see anything until the person gets to the actual doorway). Easiest would be something mounted near the AC outlet on the right side, which is around heart high for me when on the walkway, since the doorway landing is up a couple steps. The other side of that right side wall is an office with ethernet connection, so would make for easiest install. Would that height be practical? (Recall I would also have doorbell camera, and also will add an eaves area camera at corner of house nearby to the right as per photo.)
Should I think about a higher location instead of or in addition to such a lower level location?
Off hand I would think this might work well, with a door bell camera in addition.

CAMERA?
The other question is what camera would be good here? My current outside cameras are Hikvision DS-2CD2032-I. For something mounted low near the AC outlet I don't think the aesthetics of a bullet camera would work. What WOULD work here for good image quality (and sound option too if possible) but be visually not bad looking when installed. Also have to figure out what lens angle would be appropriate (focus will be doorway area, other IP cameras will provide complimentary coverage).

Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[mat200]

I've moved and need to install a bunch of exterior cameras.
..
CAMERA?
...

Hi @strathglass ,

Looks like a very nice place. Like the stone mason work.

Is that an attached garage by the mailbox?

If so, you should be able to drill a hole in the mortar and bring in a cable to the corner by the mailbox and doorbell. ( I like my camera at eye level by the door )

I do not know the Hikvision models well.

For Dahua I like the dahua oem starlight 2MP mini-dome wedge or the 2x lens version of that ( Looney2ns reviewed it here )

With a little paint to match the stone work, either should look nice.

 

[strathglass]

Thanks ... I will look up that camera.
The left side is actually a bedroom (and yes it is a mailbox there).
On the right is the office - and a desk and hutch covers that wall, which already has an ethernet jack for the room ... so definitely easier to keep the camera on the right, which also gives better view of the approacher.
I notice the Wiki mentions a camera to monitor packages...for that function the AC outlet area would be perfect, so maybe one camera forward and a small one pointing back to see the packages
...if it is agreed that that location is good for looking forward.

 

[tangent]

Can you post a picture from farther back showing more of the front of the house? Do you have a basement or crawlspace?

 

[Vettester]

I'm using a Dahua IPC-HDW5231R-ZE mounted vertically on a sidewall and it works really well.

 

[bababouy]

This is going to sound a little crazy to most, but I would run through the attic and drop down to mounting height with conduit and a junction box. Paint the conduit a similar color to the stone. From experience, I drilled holes through nice brick and stonework, and although the wires were hidden, there was still a big hole in the brick. If you leave or sell the place, a big hole in the stone work might cause even more issues with the aesthetics. This may take quite a few hours of standing in the doorway and staring at the area where you want the cameras. You could start with a 10' piece of grey pipe and try matching the colors. Then lean it in the corner and see how bad it sticks out. I would paint the camera a similar color also.

 

[tangent]

If you drill the stonework, drill the mortar. Conduit to the attic is a good option.

 

[bababouy]

Drilling the mortar is a good option also, It just needs to be wide enough.

 

[strathglass]

OK thanks for the feedback. Attached is requested image showing more of front: under the porch slab is the cold room: you can see the two vents on the stair face. As noted, I will have separate camera(s) at the corner of the house under the eaves at the right side of image

I don't like the idea of a conduit myself: the mortar joints are quite wide, so I think for this location running cable through hole in mortar on side wall directly into the room with the ethernet jack would work best, and certainly be the cleanest look.
But I wonder if I can secure the camera to the mortar...will anchors in the mortar work??( Yea...don't really want to drill into the actual stones.)

Varifocal is nice since what I understand is when installing I tweak that for the location to get optimal view for the specific location.
However, although IPC-HDW5231R-ZE is nice, for this location I really do NOT need great low light performance (area is light well until the under-eaves lighting turns off ... around 11PM, and I could add separate IR light if required).
Therefore something with a bit higher resolution would be preferred.
Can anyone advise on a suitable camera with better-than-HD resolution? Turret style may be best, not sure...seems that it works for Vettester.

EDIT: And what about camera mounting height? If I leave it low just above the AC outlet box, that is probably the least intrusive aesthetically: do you guys think that height would work?

 

[blake]

If you can drop into either wall on either side of your front door then come thru your masonry, I would choose that route. Whenever I do that, I just explain to the customer that if they sell the house that I would just leave that camera or system and factor it into the selling price.

 

[bababouy]

If you drill through the mortar you will either have to drill a 1" hole for the jack and tail on the camera, or you will have to use a junction box on the outside to encase the entire tail and connection. If you use a junction box on the outside, the hole in the mortar only needs to be 3/8 - 1/2. I would stick with the 2mp starlights rather than chasing after megapixels. Plus, the new ones have the IVS built into them along with facial recognition. If you are using this at the front door, you could set up this cam to focus on faces and take a snapshot everytime a face is detected.

 

[strathglass]

If you can drop into either wall on either side of your front door then come thru your masonry, I would choose that route. Whenever I do that, I just explain to the customer that if they sell the house that I would just leave that camera or system and factor it into the selling price.

Agreed! Although I didn't do that at the old house...but that is a long story!

 

[tangent]

If you drill through the mortar you will either have to drill a 1" hole for the jack and tail on the camera, or you will have to use a junction box on the outside to encase the entire tail and connection. If you use a junction box on the outside, the hole in the mortar only needs to be 3/8 - 1/2. I would stick with the 2mp starlights rather than chasing after megapixels. Plus, the new ones have the IVS built into them along with facial recognition. If you are using this at the front door, you could set up this cam to focus on faces and take a snapshot everytime a face is detected.

They actually only have a couple of very expensive cameras that have the type of facial recognition depicted in that video.

 

[strathglass]

If you drill through the mortar you will either have to drill a 1" hole for the jack and tail on the camera, or you will have to use a junction box on the outside to encase the entire tail and connection. If you use a junction box on the outside, the hole in the mortar only needs to be 3/8 - 1/2. I would stick with the 2mp starlights rather than chasing after megapixels. Plus, the new ones have the IVS built into them along with facial recognition. If you are using this at the front door, you could set up this cam to focus on faces and take a snapshot everytime a face is detected.

I would drill a small hole then add the connector afterwards.
And ideally would be able to do that hole through the mortar AND also mount the camera via screws into more mortar holes with plugs.
Unfortunately about the IVS features (which I just read up on a little): I am using Blue Iris so no support for that right now.

 

[fenderman]

I would drill a small hole then add the connector afterwards.
And ideally would be able to do that hole through the mortar AND also mount the camera via screws into more mortar holes with plugs.
Unfortunately about the IVS features (which I just read up on a little): I am using Blue Iris so no support for that right now.

There are threads where folks have successfully used ivs with blue Iris..I never tested it...

 

[strathglass]

There are threads where folks have successfully used ivs with blue Iris

Good to know.
I have ordered a few IPC-HDW5231R-ZE and will use one at the front door, I expect with a tigher zoom for that location ... just have to try different wall heights before I finalize the mounting location!

Thanks all for the help.
I will advise on results once I have some!

 

[bababouy]

They actually only have a couple of very expensive cameras that have the type of facial recognition depicted in that video.

Looking at Dahua's 2018 catalog this morning, all or most of the pro and ultra series cameras that have IVS built in, have face detection capabilities like the video. We went to the Dahua roadshow a few months ago down in Miami where they demo-ed the 360 and 180 cameras. They also had a bullet camera set up to show the facial recognition features and how it works with one of their nvrs. It was similar to the video, but they were plugged directly into the nvr with an HDMI cablehave a couple of starlight turrets that have this built in and a new 32 channel nvr. Maybe I'll set up a demo and make a short video on it.

 

[tangent]

Looking at Dahua's 2018 catalog this morning, all or most of the pro and ultra series cameras that have IVS built in, have face detection capabilities like the video. We went to the Dahua roadshow a few months ago down in Miami where they demo-ed the 360 and 180 cameras. They also had a bullet camera set up to show the facial recognition features and how it works with one of their nvrs. It was similar to the video, but they were plugged directly into the nvr with an HDMI cablehave a couple of starlight turrets that have this built in and a new 32 channel nvr. Maybe I'll set up a demo and make a short video on it.

It could have been a function of that NVR. Lots of cameras have "face detection", but that's much simpler than what the facial recognition cameras can do. The basic "face detection" is underwhelming and triggers on all sorts of non-human objects.

 

[bababouy]

You need to use the newer recorders with the newer firmware, but from what I observed, the camera was a pro series bullet and a normal recorder with face detection built in. I am going to test this and get back to you before I go too far and sound like I know what I'm talking about when I might not.