What to think about when installing CCTV cameras

Where's best to place CCTV cameras? 

Video transcript:

Hello, my name's Buzz Coates and I'm Norbain’s Security Solutions Specialist

and today I'm here and going to talk to you about camera placement

for CCTV industry.

Camera placement will be decided by the role of the system,

the application of what we're trying to achieve,

whether it's indoors or outdoors,

the environment does take account of that as well.

Accessibility is also another factor - cable runs, etc.

Often when we are designing a security solution, we have to compromise.

Take an example of that would be we want to place a camera,

but sadly, we can't get cables to the camera,

so we'd have to think about placing it somewhere else.

So when designing the system, we’ll take all those things into account,

like risk, contents, entrances and exits to the building.

And that would heavily depend on the camera choice

and the camera placement.

The history of crime in the area will also be an important factor

to consider as well.

And sometimes we have to consider that actually,

two cameras might be required, rather than one.

Classic example of this is you've got quite a large room,

you'd like a general observation camera,

but also you need to take facial recognition of someone entering the room.

And in that case, you may want to need to have two cameras rather than one.

Another important factor is, especially with internal/external cameras,

we need to avoid blind spots, especially if those areas are of high interest.

One important factor when placing cameras is the mounting height.

Ideally, if we want to capture someone's face,

we want to be able to capture it face on.

But the trouble is, that is - that would be typically around about 1.6m high.

Now if you going to install at that height,

even this little hobbit standing at 1.65m

is going to be able to interfere with that camera.

So ideally, what we're looking at is a camera angle

of around about 10 to 15 degrees,

but that means we will capture the face.

So typically internally, we will go maybe 2.6/2.8m

and that will give us still a very good angle of someone's face.

If you have to install lower than that height,

well then obviously, we would recommend that you use

a vandal resistant camera with some form of analytics for anti-sabotage

so that no one can mess around with the camera.

A typical installation would be looking at an internal room.

We will probably try and place the camera in the corner of the room.

But ideally, that shouldn't be looking directly into sunlight

if you have windows, and you obviously want to try and cover the door.

Internally, you may even have to consider the use of additional brackets.

It could well be that you've got false ceilings.

So a spreading plate has to be used.

So it will maybe in a large room that you may need more than one camera,

or it could well be you have form of cupboards, which blocked the view.

So again, you'll probably need more than one camera.

So when placing cameras externally,

we tend to find there's more problems to deal with in that arena.

That could be down to weather, external lighting, etc, etc.

And the nature of buildings will tend to be that externally

you may have more blind spots.

So that will include additional cameras.

The other thing we do find is typically on cameras externally,

we tend to fit the cameras higher,

which means then if you're having to take facial recognition,

you might want to put your camera at a slight tilt,

but that will then cause problems with weather potentially.

And the trouble is then because we are hanging up so high

and we're increasing the angle the tilt,

like you say, we're not probably going to get those facial recognition

that we might require.

So we may have to think about longer distances

in order to shallow the angle.

Be careful though externally - don't leave the angle of camera too shallow,

because otherwise you're going to see a lot of sky.

And never in my time of I see people walking in the sky.

So make sure you cover the areas that you want to cover.

But also we have to take into account GDPR.

So if you are looking over a public highway,

or you are looking over someone's private garden,

under GDPR, you're supposed to blank those areas.

Again, we need to consider the use of brackets.

So it might well be that you're installing cameras on poles or columns,

or it might well be you're installing cameras on the corner of a building

- you are going to need brackets.

So some common sense stuff needs to apply

when we're also fitting cameras externally.

And that is we live in the northern hemisphere.

Now because we live in the northern hemisphere,

sunlight is going to some point, if you have south facing cameras,

it's going to shine into your camera at some point.

So we need to take into account

that we may need to tilt those cameras down a little bit more,

but also from a point of view of ensure cameras have got sun shields.

So in order to avoid the sunlight for external lighting,

it may well be that we have to, again, steepen the angle of the camera.

And again we're probably compromising security,

because if we want facial recognition

that's something that we may have to consider -

i.e. with a lower camera, or maybe looking further afield,

in order to make sure that we can still get that facial fit.

Equally, rain can have a considerable effect on your video as well.

Because if again, if you don't angle that camera enough,

we could have heavy rain coming onto the camera.

We live in a southwestern prevailing wind

and typically a lot of our weather fronts do come in from the southwest.

If we can avoid that - great. If not, use the weather shield,

or if you're using PTZs, etc, or cameras externally,

with housing that have a wiper.

So if you do have a south facing building,

and you want to put cameras looking out across that building,

probably the ideal thing to do and the proper thing to do

would be to actually not have them on the building

and put columns or towers across away from the carpark

maybe that you're protecting.

That will ensure then that the cameras are facing north,

so you don't have to worry about the sunlight.

But I do appreciate in those circumstances,

that's going to involve some heavy costs for columns and ducting and cabling.

So again, compromising security

if the only way is to actually install cameras on the building.

Like I say just follow those rules of making sure that we tilt the camera down.

Likewise, we also have to take into account external lighting,

it may well be that you're covering a distribution centre

and there are lots of big halogen lights,

flooding the area where the lorries come in.

Again, if you're looking directly into those,

you may well have to tilt down the camera to cover those areas.

Or put the cameras actually on the building with the lights,

so they're actually looking from behind the light into that area.

And the final little tip is if you are using cameras

on perimeter fencing or perimeter detection,

try and avoid cameras with IR lights looking at each other directly.

Try and tilt them down again if you can,

or even better work on it so that you have

camera pointing to the back of a camera

pointing to another back of a camera so that they follow around.

That's a sensible thing to do.

So these are all just a few tips just to cover some things

that you should think about when placing your camera.

So if you'd like to find out more,

head over to Norbain TV on YouTube,

or even better, give us a call.