What height to hang cameras? Light hanging suggestions too.

[trythis 0]

I guess the best question is what is the lowest height I should put them and still prevent (or reduce) vandalism? Two will be inside a fenced area, but three (and maybe a couple more later) will be in the alley, over a sidewalk and on a vacant lot that are not fenced.

 

I know that if they are lower, I can see more face, but I am not expecting my system to actually get faces. Thieves wear face masks anyway. I really want to be able to look at the house when I am away if the alarm goes off and just have the deterrence value of the big camera housings.

 

The walls I am installing on are nearly 20 feet tall on the front, and about 16 on the back, but I cant figure out how high to put the cameras. No eaves or overhangs.

 

I am also hanging lights to aid my non IR cameras. Any advice on that would also be appreciated.

[Fiona 0]

It isn't just the face shots so much as the body silhouettes. After a while, you can identify local hoods, crims, scumbags, gypsies, perps, and ne'er do wells by their outlines. It is also quite hard to get a good facial shot with a fixed camera unless you point it down a sidewalk or onto oncoming pedestrians. Lower cameras also evoke that lovely lump-in-the-throat squirm when they eyeball the enclosures pointing right at them. For the really close close-up face shots and number plate shots, I rely on the PTZ.

 

Almost all of the regular neighbourhood punks make a 300' arc to avoid the cameras. (They pay their respects at a great distance by pointing out the location of the PTZ to their punk friends - but I can still easily make them out at 300'.) I achieved this psychological victory by placing close-up mugshots on nearby light poles. The photos and information about a crime tell everybody that the cameras are effective. The problem of new heroin addicts, though, never quite goes away. Junkies new to the area are typical 'heroes' and the heroin in their veins makes them believe they are indestructible. (the word 'heroin' is obviously derived from the word 'hero')

 

I mount most of my cameras at about ten feet (3 metres) off the ground. I am currently working on mounting a new Spectra at about 25+ feet off the deck to get a panoramic shot over 270 to hopefully 360 degrees.

 

For lighting, I mostly keep that low too; to avoid shadows. I use a combination of high lumen HID and compact flouros, though I am looking for some 10,000 lumens LED luminaires which are still rather expensive. The HIDs have a slow startup so they are not much good as "instant on lights". The same goes for the compact flouros. I use the HIDs when gangbangers try to get cosy in their pimped-out rides directly in front of my house. When they are still too stupid to get it - somehow thinking the lights are a free service - I use a PA Horn to inform them that my PTZ is videoing the needle they are currently sticking into their arm. At 130 decibels, "Hey bros, yeah you in the orange Chevy - yeah you - you wanna stick that needle in yer arm someplace else bro! Yo solid!" So far that last ditch method has worked without fail.

[rory 0]

When using IR, the lower the better.

 

If you go too high you loose FOV, and would be looking down on their heads. Plus consider maintenance, cleaning after rain storms etc. In some cases like warehouses etc you have no choice, end up like 20-30' up, in general try keep them 8-12'. Obviously the lower you go and the location will depend on whether they need to be vandal resistant or not.

[Firefighter 0]

It isn't just the face shots so much as the body silhouettes. After a while, you can identify local hoods, crims, scumbags, gypsies, perps, and ne'er do wells by their outlines. It is also quite hard to get a good facial shot with a fixed camera unless you point it down a sidewalk or onto oncoming pedestrians. Lower cameras also evoke that lovely lump-in-the-throat squirm when they eyeball the enclosures pointing right at them. For the really close close-up face shots and number plate shots, I rely on the PTZ.

 

Almost all of the regular neighbourhood punks make a 300' arc to avoid the cameras. (They pay their respects at a great distance by pointing out the location of the PTZ to their punk friends - but I can still easily make them out at 300'.) I achieved this psychological victory by placing close-up mugshots on nearby light poles. The photos and information about a crime tell everybody that the cameras are effective. The problem of new heroin addicts, though, never quite goes away. Junkies new to the area are typical 'heroes' and the heroin in their veins makes them believe they are indestructible. (the word 'heroin' is obviously derived from the word 'hero')

 

 

 

I mount most of my cameras at about ten feet (3 metres) off the ground. I am currently working on mounting a new Spectra at about 25+ feet off the deck to get a panoramic shot over 270 to hopefully 360 degrees.

 

For lighting, I mostly keep that low too; to avoid shadows. I use a combination of high lumen HID and compact flouros, though I am looking for some 10,000 lumens LED luminaires which are still rather expensive. The HIDs have a slow startup so they are not much good as "instant on lights". The same goes for the compact flouros. I use the HIDs when gangbangers try to get cosy in their pimped-out rides directly in front of my house. When they are still too stupid to get it - somehow thinking the lights are a free service - I use a PA Horn to inform them that my PTZ is videoing the needle they are currently sticking into their arm. At 130 decibels, "Hey bros, yeah you in the orange Chevy - yeah you - you wanna stick that needle in yer arm someplace else bro! Yo solid!" So far that last ditch method has worked without fail.

 

Wow... Where do you live? State or city/ even in this US?

 

Glad my area isn't that bad. I did have a punk walking a pit bull stake out my house.

Walked around it. Cameras werent set up properly to capture it worth anything.

 

My cameras are prolly 10-15ft. But My house is just tall... with 9ft ceilings and hen it elevated a few feet off the ground...

[fa chris 0]

indoor - 8' from the bottom of the camera to the finished floor. will mount it on the ceiling up to 15' or so, if the ceilings are any higher then go with a pendant mount to bring it down.

 

outdoor - 15' from the bottom of the camera to finished grade. always. if you're mounting it on the roof of a 3 story building or something, then put it as high up as possible so it's easy to service.

 

at 15' you can still get to it with a ladder easily enough, it'll see over most vehicles if it needs too, and someone walking by won't be able to jump up and hit it with a baseball bat.

[nDAlk90 0]

Keep in mind that the higher off ground the camera is the more of an angle you need towards your subject. Example you need about a 45 degree angle to a subject to see their face well enough for identification. So for a narrow front door area for example mounting a camera at 10 feet might get you a 75 degree angle which will be perfect to see someones hat or bald spot.

[shockwave199 0]

I am not expecting my system to actually get faces. Thieves wear face masks anyway. I really want to be able to look at the house when I am away if the alarm goes off and just have the deterrence value of the big camera housings.

Sometimes it's best to just keep it simple. Forum advice tends to complicate matters sometimes. Get varifocal cameras, such a 3.5-8mm or 4-9mm. Hang 'em high [18-20'] out of reach and zoom the FOV a bit if needed, or keep it rather wide. Get IR included, make sure the cameras are TDN, and don't stress too much because you're providing exterior light as well. Don't rely too much on deterrence. Sometimes they will, sometimes they won't. When it's all installed they'll be out of reach nicely, and you'll have the views you want- just an overview of those areas to keep an eye on. Simple. Not every camera position can provide the face shot. Some are just wide overviews. If you can support your system with other positions for tighter face ID shots, all the better too. Good luck.

[Stanislav 0]

Try to model your situations in VideoCAD Starter. During one month evaluation period you can use it for free. You can easy choose the best camera positions, heights, resolutions and lenses and see results in 3D.

[rkninc 0]

For outside a front door in a store what height to hang camera? Is anything over 8ft to high?

[Firefighter 0]

I thought I had replied to this thread,

 

But If it's like a gas station If possible it would be better to have the camera inside,

on the other side and zoomed in on the entrance.

If it's a wide angle I would still place inside, pointed towards the door...