hss82 0 Posted March 4, 2011 Hi, I am currently in the process of upgrading my cameras from cheap eBay cameras to some Bosch VDN-495V03-20 4-9mm Varifocal dome cameras. I need help in camera placement. The pics below show my current setup. I am currently running a 5 camera system and intend to make it an 8 camera system now. The main coverage concern for the home is the front. I recently caught some people on my cameras that vandalised my home and vehicles, but the quality was not enough to get a conviction. I have now bought all bosch cameras which will be recorded via my Geo card at D1. As shown in the pictures attached i am looking to put 4 cameras up to cover my drive way. 3 cameras will be placed together 2 of them zoomed at 9mm and the one in the center will be set at 4mm. The last camera will be to the side and will be set at 9mm as well. My current setup has the center dome zoomed on at 9mm and the rest at 3.6mm wide angle and the distance from the cameras to the sidewalk is about 20-25ft. I was wondering if anyone has better insight into where i should place the new cameras? Thanks P.S im not that great at drawing, but hope someone will get a picture of my situation. Thanks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hss82 0 Posted March 4, 2011 Here are some more pics Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bpzle 0 Posted March 5, 2011 I am currently in the process of upgrading my cameras from cheap eBay cameras............I recently caught some people on my cameras that vandalised my home and vehicles, but the quality was not enough to get a conviction. Sorry to hear this... an all too common problem around this forum/ business. If we help you, will you stick around long enough to help warn others? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mike_va 0 Posted March 5, 2011 You might want to test it out at night, hard to get good pics without some light. If you can get them pointed where there is light that helps, or use a motion flood. Also review how many pixels you need for identification, even the 495 is still just ~0.3MP. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hss82 0 Posted March 5, 2011 I am currently in the process of upgrading my cameras from cheap eBay cameras............I recently caught some people on my cameras that vandalised my home and vehicles, but the quality was not enough to get a conviction. Sorry to hear this... an all too common problem around this forum/ business. If we help you, will you stick around long enough to help warn others? hahah I will definitely help others , although i believe no one takes the warnings seriously until something happens or they experience them selves how much crap is out there. I only learned about the Bosch cameras after researching for months on this forum and slowly purchased them at fair prices. I do appreciated the info many people post here, it helps people like me who are DIY's out alot. You might want to test it out at night, hard to get good pics without some light. If you can get them pointed where there is light that helps, or use a motion flood. Also review how many pixels you need for identification, even the 495 is still just ~0.3MP. There is plenty of light around i have a 300 watt motion flood light in front, always have my house flood lights on and there is a street light right in front of my house. The dome camera in middle has the best quality of the cheap cameras, but wasn't enough. I do realize the 495 is a 0.3mp camera, but i will be moving within the next year to a new home and will switch to IP then,but for now this is what i have to work with. Ive tested the cameras and they have a MUCH better picture than the ebay crap. Do you think my proposed plan is good? 3 cameras zoomed in and one for overview? or can i place them more strategically? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mike_va 0 Posted March 5, 2011 The only thing I can suggest is to test walk/run your proposed solution. I do a similar thing in the back yard with analog cams, 1 overview and a few zoomed at choke points. What I did at home under the eave like you was get some 1/4" thick vinyl board at the home depot and a 4" hole saw. Those pieces under the eave (if they are like mine) are sectional kind of clipped together and can be replaced with a piece or two of the vinyl. Be very careful with the hole saw if you go that route, I tore up the side of my thumb when it caught and slipped... I have a Bosch 0620 which has a default shutter setting, not sure if the 495 does also. You may want to increase that, on the 0620 it will ignore it for low light but if there is enough light will use the faster speed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Angus 0 Posted March 5, 2011 The 495's are great camera's I have some at home and just a streetlight is enough light for the ones i got... I do have motion lights as well but they work very well without... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ptzguy 0 Posted March 9, 2011 Is there a reason you bought the Bosch cams, were they going cheap?? You mentioned a 3.6mm lens is 'wide-angle'.. have you ever compared a 3.6 to a 2.5mm?? What I'm trying to point out is that cameras, the right cameras, do their job well. I would always buy the camera specific to its purpose, survey the area, get up the ladders and take a look at what you want to, or hope to, see. You may need a different lens/camera for every point on your home. Once I've got all the lenses/views into perspective I then weigh-up the lighting situation. Is the sun going to blind certain cams, do I need cams with good BLC?? Is there minimal light at night or is it complete darkness?? A good WDR cam with ultra low light/lux capabilities can give a better image than a cam with IR, and so on and so on... Good to hear you have converted from a fleabay DIY Mickey Mouse CCTV enthusiast into a proper DIY CCTV enthusiast!!! G'luck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rory 0 Posted March 9, 2011 You mentioned a 3.6mm lens is 'wide-angle'.. have you ever compared a 3.6 to a 2.5mm?? 3.6mm is still wide angle though, especially with IR. 2.5mm is wider, 1.8mm even wider, etc. Many fixed lens bullets and domes, mostly the ones with IR rings around the lens area, cant fit a 2.5mm lens. The 1.8mm is even bigger, and much more blurry. 3.6/3.8mm is a good wide angle lens with the least amount of blur on the edges. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NotoriousBRK 0 Posted March 9, 2011 Do you have a higher-res satellite pic? Also, how wide is your roof (or some other reference point in the image)? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ptzguy 0 Posted March 10, 2011 You mentioned a 3.6mm lens is 'wide-angle'.. have you ever compared a 3.6 to a 2.5mm?? 3.6mm is still wide angle though, especially with IR. 2.5mm is wider, 1.8mm even wider, etc. Many fixed lens bullets and domes, mostly the ones with IR rings around the lens area, cant fit a 2.5mm lens. The 1.8mm is even bigger, and much more blurry. 3.6/3.8mm is a good wide angle lens with the least amount of blur on the edges. Hi Rory, I was just trying to point out that sitting down for 5mins and having a think about what you actually want from the camera and then choosing one to suit can save you time and money. Why buy and install 3 cameras to cover an area when 2(with the right lenses) will suffice?! My supplier has such a wiiiide range of cams to choose from, I'm like a child in a sweet shop when it comes to ordering stock!! The smaller lens cams are slightly more expensive than the 'run of the mill' 3.6-11mm domes but like I said before it's what you want from the cam. 420/520/600TVL 1/3" Sony CCD Day/night 2.5mm fixed lens or 2.8-11mm varifocal fixed iris lens 25 metre IR range @ 100°- 0 Lux with 36 IR LED- sens up(600TVL only) 3 axis rotation Dual glass technology **No 'Blurr' around the edges... the only blurr I got around the edges was from the cheap generic domes(as pictured) 4-11mm lens from Korea - terrible picture around the edges All I wanted to do was point out the fact that there's a vast range of cameras out there, I would never buy cameras for an install without surveying the job first. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rory 0 Posted March 10, 2011 2.5mm fixed m12 lenses definately have blur on the edges, even 3.6mm have a little. The Varifocal lenses such as 2.8-11mm can be Aspherical which then gets rid of most of that blur, but at a higher cost. Either way with the cheapest budget cameras one is pretty much stuck with fixed 3.6mm lenses, if they are lucky its 1/3", so although one should always check the site out, when quoting the cheapest budget installs, it is what it is. I stay away from anything less than 3.6mm with fixed lens cameras now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
