Please help. Camera location and camera recommendation

[omegatek]

Hello!

So, I purchased a Dell Inspiron for $485 based on recommendation from this forum.
These are the specs:

• Inspiron 3650 Mini Tower Desktop
• 6th Generation i7-6700 Processor
• 16GB Dual Channel DDR3L 1600MHz (8GBX2)
• 2 TB 3.5-inch SATA Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
• Windows 10 Home 64bit English
• AMD Radeon HD R9 360 2GB GDDR5

This will be a dedicated Blue Iris computer.
I currently have a Ring Pro Doorbell and 2 wireless routers. I'm using 1 wireless router strictly for the Ring Pro Doorbell and the Blue Iris Computer.

The 2 reasons I got the Ring Pro was for

1) Remotely talk when I'm not home
2) In case Blue Iris goes down, I have a separate camera recording and backing up to the cloud

Now I need help with picking out at least 2 cameras for now.
I'm still trying to learn what is best to go with.
Could someone recommend which cameras would work for me?
Also, what would be the best or ideal location for these?

I would like to place 1 camera for the front door to get as clear of a picture as possible of any one who approaches and 1 camera to record any one coming up to our house and cars.

Also, I will run Cat5E to the cameras so that they are POE.

I do not have any driveway lights at this time. Something I hope to change later on down the road, but security cameras are higher up on the priority list.

thanks!

 

[fenderman]

remove the amd card...using intel HD and hardware acceleration. see thread for dahua starlight turrets.

 

[looney2ns]

Learn how to use this: Camera Calculator / Design Software. Keep PPF >100. You'll be glad you did.

These cams: Dahua 2MP Starlight Lineup

 

[zero-degrees]

The 2 reasons I got the Ring Pro was for

1) Remotely talk when I'm not home
2) In case Blue Iris goes down, I have a separate camera recording and backing up to the cloud

First: Take the Ring back. I've had 2 of them, they were pointless and I returned them both in the end. The delay from time a person rings the bell, to you being notified on the phone, to you replying is significant in my opinion. At least significant enough that 99% of door knockers or bell ringers would prob. already have turned around and walked away.

Second: If this is a real concern then get a camera that also accepts an SD card. So even if BI is down, your NVR is stolen, or the BI machine is taken you can go back to that camera and pull the SD card.

You have some location challenges. If your garage is unfinished this job may become a lot easier, if not you may have exposed cable in the garage.
Going by what I can see in these google street view shots I would do the following.

I would place a mini dome/dome (4mm) on the brick wall next to your front door about 6' up. I say mini dome because it will blend nicely and won't be a massive white camera/turret and at that height it will be the perfect height to get facial ID shots.

Next I would put a 4mm Turret either in the upper center of your front garage wall between the two bays (Last row of brick before you switch to wood siding) or on the left corner (walkway corner). Either location will give you nice coverage of your driveway. I would opt for center though becuase you have such a small lot that 4mm will give you good driveway coverage and okay yard/front of property coverage during the day. Night time will be limited to driveway only prob since you have no additional outdoor light source.

 

[omegatek]

You have some location challenges. If your garage is unfinished this job may become a lot easier, if not you may have exposed cable in the garage.
Going by what I can see in these google street view shots I would do the following.

I would place a mini dome/dome (4mm) on the brick wall next to your front door about 6' up. I say mini dome because it will blend nicely and won't be a massive white camera/turret and at that height it will be the perfect height to get facial ID shots.

Next I would put a 4mm Turret either in the upper center of your front garage wall between the two bays (Last row of brick before you switch to wood siding) or on the left corner (walkway corner). Either location will give you nice coverage of your driveway. I would opt for center though becuase you have such a small lot that 4mm will give you good driveway coverage and okay yard/front of property coverage during the day. Night time will be limited to driveway only prob since you have no additional outdoor light source.

My garage is finished, but I'll just have to run wire across.

So based on your recommendations, and other advice above, I am looking at these cameras:

Walkway > 3.6MM Mini Dome > IPC-HDBW4231F-AS

Driveway > 3.6MM Turret > IPC-HDW4231EM-AS

Does that sound about right? Want to place an order by tomorrow to get the ball rolling.

Thanks!

 

[zero-degrees]

Seems like okay choices for your project. I don't have personal experience with either but they seem to fit the scope of work above. Depending on how you plan to mount the turret you may want to consider a mount, up to you.

 

[Jack B Nimble]

I would cut a square out of drywall inside garage and go out from there drywall easy to put back in place and mud, I would do two or three centered to where the car doors would be get opened if in driveway. If you park inside and just want one do a centre between door and one at the front door again going through garage.

 

[omegatek]

I would place a mini dome/dome (4mm) on the brick wall next to your front door about 6' up. I say mini dome because it will blend nicely and won't be a massive white camera/turret and at that height it will be the perfect height to get facial ID shots.

Next I would put a 4mm Turret either in the upper center of your front garage wall between the two bays (Last row of brick before you switch to wood siding) or on the left corner (walkway corner). Either location will give you nice coverage of your driveway. I would opt for center though becuase you have such a small lot that 4mm will give you good driveway coverage and okay yard/front of property coverage during the day. Night time will be limited to driveway only prob since you have no additional outdoor light source.

Also, why 3.6MM and not 6MM on the walkway to the door for the mini dome IPC-HDBW4231F-AS ? Wish it was varifocal so I'd feel better about adjusting rather than fixed.
Want to make sure I order the right camera based on my environment.

Thinking of going with 2 (Varifocal 2.7mm ~12mm motorized) IPC-HDW5231R-Z cameras instead. Would that be better suited?

Also as Jack B Nimble noted, how about both centered over each garage door. What are your thoughts?

Thanks

I would cut a square out of drywall inside garage and go out from there drywall easy to put back in place and mud, I would do two or three centered to where the car doors would be get opened if in driveway. If you park inside and just want one do a centre between door and one at the front door again going through garage.

Yes, I'm thinking 2 centered over each garage door would work. I can run wire through garage. Not afraid to patch drywall, done it before.
We park both cars outside.

 

[zero-degrees]

First, if you are going to take someone's advice here and move forward, I'd assure you trust that person. Simply looking at a persons post history and rep around the forum may make you change your mind about said individuals advice. You can take that for what it's worth, I'll leave that subject alone.

As for the 6mm. Your walk way isn't long and it's path is defined so a 6mm would get a shot of someone as they pass though. However, that "pass though" zone is going to be very narrow and will require the person to be looking straight ahead at that exact moment. By going to a 4mm you will have a longer/wider coverage area giving yourself more opportunity to ID the individual on approach. This is my 2 cents for this location.

As for placing 2 cameras on the front of the house over each door, That in my opinion is overkill, unless you are going to point each of them out to the side yards thus only having minimal overlap in the center of the driveway. These cameras will only be spaced guessing around 12' apart, so using a 4mm lens would give you a lot of overlap (unless pointing to the side yards). If this is what you have in mind, okay, but simply moutning two cameras 12' apart to point at a driveway that looks to be about 15' is pretty much pointless and would accomplish the same as a single camera. Again, all this is just IMO.

 

[omegatek]

First, if you are going to take someone's advice here and move forward, I'd assure you trust that person. Simply looking at a persons post history and rep around the forum may make you change your mind about said individuals advice. You can take that for what it's worth, I'll leave that subject alone.

As for the 6mm. Your walk way isn't long and it's path is defined so a 6mm would get a shot of someone as they pass though. However, that "pass though" zone is going to be very narrow and will require the person to be looking straight ahead at that exact moment. By going to a 4mm you will have a longer/wider coverage area giving yourself more opportunity to ID the individual on approach. This is my 2 cents for this location.

As for placing 2 cameras on the front of the house over each door, That in my opinion is overkill, unless you are going to point each of them out to the side yards thus only having minimal overlap in the center of the driveway. These cameras will only be spaced guessing around 12' apart, so using a 4mm lens would give you a lot of overlap (unless pointing to the side yards). If this is what you have in mind, okay, but simply moutning two cameras 12' apart to point at a driveway that looks to be about 15' is pretty much pointless and would accomplish the same as a single camera. Again, all this is just IMO.

Ok thanks, really appreciate the feedback!

What are your thoughts on placing these cameras in this configuration:

1 IPC-HDW5231R-Z over the center between both garage doors, varifocal will let me make adjustments
1 IPC-HDW5231R-Z on the front walkway column (yellow dot or green dot)
Where the brick ends, my siding is recessed about 2 inches.
I could mount the IPC-HDW5231R-Z under the entrance (green dot) and it would barely stick out past the brick since it's 4 inches.
Or on the column (yellow dot) focusing on the walkway
1 IPC-HFW4231E-S (3.6MM) above the front walkway column (red dot) facing down the yard in case someone bypasses the walkway and comes from the side of the front of the house

 

[Jack B Nimble]

I like the green and as far back towards house as it again is accesable from the garage or it looks as it is and stay away from those mini domes to hard to work with as you would be happier with turrets. As far as sides of house and back thats another story.

IPC-HDW5231R-Z | Dahua Technology

Noticed your neighbor had all those papers on their driveway must have been away. That good for you cause crook will hit them instead if they leave papers for days on driveway.