Outdoor camera placement...

[JohnP274]

Guys, confused about when having to locate a camera near an existing light fixture - what would be the least light affecting location for the camera? Above the light, below the light, in front of or behind? A perfect example would be camera I plan to install at my 2 car garage. The light fixture currently is a single fixture behind the doors - should I eliminate that fixture and install two new ones - one on the outside of each door? Even doing this means the cameras will not be aimed at a light but somewhat close to the light...help

 

[zero-degrees]

In your situation I would place in front of the light as it pertains to nighttime image captures. The downside to this is you lose coverage of your doors. So in this case I would actually mount two cameras. One to the underside of the soffit above the power meter to the left of the down spout - this will shoot forward covering your driveway and get people or vehicles approaching. Just assure you mount it far enough away from your down spout that you don't get IR reflection. The second camera I would mount where you marked and shoot it back covering your garage doors, you will still have the issue with the light, but a lower wattage bulb like a 40w LED will prob be fine and not blind the camera and you can force the IR to come on at night.

Attached is what happens when you put in a bright ass LED bulb 12' away from a camera.... This is my grandparents place and at some point in recent weeks grandpa put in a bat signal light apparently.

 

[Overcon]

You can put the camera in front of the light. The camera, if it has IR, will adjust and the image will be fine. I have one doing just that and no issues at all.

I have no issues at all with this situation. The camera reacts almost instantly when the security light goes on from IR to normal then back once it goes off.

 

[alastairstevenson]

faces into a motion light

That's not the same situation as facing the same way, as in your picture.

 

[Overcon]

That's not the same situation as facing the same way, as in your picture.

Ah, well another options would be to get IR cameras, get an IR flood light (POE) and remove the motion light completely. This is mine in the back yard (without diffuser on it). The yard looks pitch black to me, but with the cameras, just like daytime.\\

 

[alastairstevenson]

Seriously bright!
PS
Did you spot that a space module had landed in your yard?

 

[xtropodx]

Looks like this right place....

Green areas obstructs some of the view as there's trees there & also some in the front. And Westward is dead end street with small walkway. We're surrounded by houses along side the fence.

I'm trying to figure out where should best position outdoor cameras for viewing. I'm looking at putting 5 up outside, or 1 in the patio & 4 outside. I'm thinking 2 at the front near the corners facing southeast/driveway, 1 in the patio, 2 at back-left corner facing south & east. So there'll be a blank spot between pond & fence, but I'm not sure as I'm still trying to figure this out.

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[looney2ns]

Looks like this right place....

Green areas obstructs some of the view as there's trees there & also some in the front. And Westward is dead end street with small walkway. We're surrounded by houses along side the fence.

I'm trying to figure out where should best position outdoor cameras for viewing. I'm looking at putting 5 up outside, or 1 in the patio & 4 outside. I'm thinking 2 at the front near the corners facing southeast/driveway, 1 in the patio, 2 at back-left corner facing south & east. So there'll be a blank spot between pond & fence, but I'm not sure as I'm still trying to figure this out.

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.

in the wiki at the top of the page be sure to study the cliff notes. There is a calculator in there to help you with camera placement.

 

[xtropodx]

I've read cliff notes multiple times, just get feeling it's 'place cameras everywhere' lol anyways, this is my first outdoor one set up (but not the last). I'm thinking I'll have to adjust the view slightly to the right & focus the zoom in a little. The plastic film has been taken off . Gotta convince the boss to remove hanging plants.

 

[J Sigmo]

I've read cliff notes multiple times, just get feeling it's 'place cameras everywhere' lol anyways, this is my first outdoor one set up (but not the last). I'm thinking I'll have to adjust the view slightly to the right & focus the zoom in a little. The plastic film has been taken off . Gotta convince the boss to remove hanging plants.

In your bottom example, it would be good to have some lights or IR illuminators mounted on the far side of the overhang from which the plants are hanging, to light the yard, but not be seen by the camera.

The built-in LEDs in the camera give you some light on the porch area, but the hanging plants and the back of the beam will always fool the auto exposure in the camera and make everything else appear too dim. If you can switch off the built-in LEDs and use another light source to light the porch area without shining on the hanging items and the back of the beam, that will help, too.

 

[J Sigmo]

Seriously bright!
PS
Did you spot that a space module had landed in your yard?

A friend I had way back in middle school lived across the street from an older kid who was an amateur rocket builder (liquid fueled) and general science enthusiast. He also built his own telescopes, grinding the mirrors by hand, etc. He made an amazing 14" telescope and constructed a mini observatory in his back yard that had a dome that you could open and rotate with hand cranks, etc.. It looked a lot like that UFO, but the dome was larger. That kid went on to great things, I'm sure, and he was really fun to visit. Always something interesting.

He built some sort of Tesla coil, and when we fired it up in his living room, it made cars driving by stall! And this was long before any sort of electronic ignition systems and ECMs. Just points and condensers, and still, it made them stall for, perhaps, a 200' radius when operating!

To this day, I'm not sure what the mechanism for that effect was.

 

[looney2ns]

I've read cliff notes multiple times, just get feeling it's 'place cameras everywhere' lol anyways, this is my first outdoor one set up (but not the last). I'm thinking I'll have to adjust the view slightly to the right & focus the zoom in a little. The plastic film has been taken off . Gotta convince the boss to remove hanging plants.

You can lower the cams view a little, you don't need to see the ceiling and the beam.