What is the proper mounting height for cameras?

Whenever we meet with a client for the first time we let them do most of the talking and share with us their ideas on how they want their building or property protected.  When we get to the topic of cameras and we start to walk through the design, 9 of 10 times they suggest putting cameras at the highest point on their building (or home).  They have this idea that if the camera is up high it will capture the most area.  Although this is true, mounting a camera 30ft high may not be what your looking for.

Here are some scenarios on different mounting heights:

1. If you setting up a high definition camera and trying to capture license plates or proper facial details, then you are better off mounting you camera as low as possible.  We cannot mount it 5ft of the ground because it risks being vandalised, but somewhere between 10-12ft would be perfect.  With the proper lighting, proper megapixel,  and the ability to slow down a vehicle (i.e. speed bump) your chances of license plate capture are pretty good.  This height is also ideal for a home surveillance system.

2. If you are setting up a high definition camera for an overall view of an area (i.e. parking lot), then mounting the camera around 20-30ft in the air would be a good idea.  This will allow you to capture the most area with a single camera.  Keep in mind that you will not be able to capture any license plates or facial details.  Many customers find this view excellent for piecing together timelines (i.e. one vehicle hit another vehicle) and keeping tabs on contractors (such as snow removal).  At a home, this view will give you the top of a criminal’s head, causing your camera to be useless.

3. If you are setting up a camera for Virtual Security Guard Services http://bit.ly/n9GD3V (or remote video monitoring) then you will also want the camera mounted at a height that will capture the most area.  Having High Definition for this type of service is not mandatory as most of the time we are using analytic’s to send the monitoring station alerts (when a person or vehicle is detected). The point of video monitoring is to capture something before it happens and do something to stop it (Proactive Video Surveillance).

4. If you are setting up a camera for People Counting http://bit.ly/qc4OPX, then you want your camera mounted directly above the entrance that you need counted.  The ideal height is between 9-12ft.  Any lower, and your count will be off.  If the entrance is larger (like many retail stores) then the camera should be mounted a bit higher to ensure that the whole entrance is in the view.