The Two Goals of Camera Placement
Camera placement serves two distinct purposes that require different approaches: deterrence (preventing incidents) and evidence capture (documenting incidents for identification and prosecution). The best placements serve both — but when they conflict, knowing which goal is primary for each camera position clarifies the decision.
Deterrence cameras should be visible, obvious, and positioned at potential entry points where a would-be intruder makes approach decisions. Evidence cameras should be positioned for optimal image quality of faces, license plates, and actions — which sometimes means sacrificing wide coverage for a tighter, more useful capture zone.
Primary Entry Points: The Mandatory Placements
Front Door
The front entry camera is the highest-value position in most residential and small commercial installations. Mount at 8–10 feet, angled downward at approximately 15–20°, to capture faces at normal human height as people approach. A camera mounted too high produces crown-of-head footage unusable for facial identification. A 90° field of view at this height covers the entire entry area.
The front entry camera also captures every package delivery, every visitor, and every event at the primary entry point — the data is useful far beyond security incidents.
Rear and Side Entries
Rear entries are statistically the most common commercial burglary entry point. A camera covering the rear door, dumpster area, and rear parking achieves two goals: deters after-hours access and provides footage of any delivery fraud or slip-and-fall claims from the loading area.
Garage Entry Points
Both the overhead garage door and the garage-to-house service door should have coverage. Position the overhead door camera to capture faces as vehicles approach — not a wide-angle view of the driveway, which produces unusably small facial images.
Parking Areas and Driveways
Parking lot and driveway coverage requires a different approach than entry points. The goal is typically license plate capture and vehicle-level activity monitoring, not facial identification. Key placement rules:
- License plate capture requires a dedicated camera: A single wide-angle camera covering a parking lot will not produce usable license plates. A separate camera with a narrow field of view (6mm or longer) aimed directly at the exit lane, at vehicle bumper level if possible, dramatically improves plate capture rate.
- Mounting height for parking: 10–14 feet provides optimal coverage of vehicle-sized areas without the distortion that comes from extreme vertical angles.
- Overlap between adjacent cameras: In large parking areas, aim for 10–15% overlap between adjacent camera coverage areas. This ensures that the blind spot between two cameras is small enough for a person to be visible in at least one frame.
Ultra-wide-angle cameras (fisheye or 180°) produce heavily distorted images at the edges that are often unusable for identification. A 90–110° field of view produces better evidence than a 180° view at the same resolution.
Interior Camera Placement
Retail and Commercial Interiors
Interior commercial cameras serve multiple purposes: loss prevention, employee safety, liability documentation, and incident investigation. The key positions:
- Point of sale (POS) areas: Camera angled to capture both the cash register/terminal and the customer face from a consistent distance
- High-value merchandise areas: Tight field of view cameras (6mm+) focused on the specific display area, not wide-angle room coverage
- Emergency exits: Exit-only doors are a common theft route — camera coverage should capture face on exit, not just the back of the head
- Stockroom access: Door cameras plus interior coverage of high-value inventory areas
Residential Interiors
Interior residential cameras are typically used for: childcare monitoring, elder care, package theft from interior entry, and second-layer intrusion detection. Common positions:
- Entryway interior — captures anyone who enters, provides a second angle on the entry event
- Living room corner — general activity monitoring, positioned to avoid direct bedroom or bathroom views (privacy consideration)
- Home office or safe location — for high-value area documentation
Camera Height Rules of Thumb
| Application | Optimal Height | Angle |
|---|---|---|
| Face capture (doorways, entries) | 8–10 ft | 15–20° downward |
| Parking lot / vehicle coverage | 10–14 ft | 30° downward |
| Wide-area overview (warehouse) | 16–20 ft | 45° downward |
| License plate capture | 3–5 ft (bumper level) or 10 ft + narrow FOV | Level or slight downward |
| Retail interior (POS) | 8–10 ft | Angled to capture face + register |
Before permanently mounting cameras, connect them temporarily and review the live image on a monitor. Walk through all the angles you need to capture. The difference between a good position and a great position is often 6 inches and 5° of tilt — easier to adjust during installation than after wires are run.
Avoiding Backlight Problems
One of the most common camera placement mistakes: mounting a camera so that bright light is directly behind the subject. A camera facing a window-lit lobby entrance will silhouette every person who walks in — you get a dark shape, not a face. Solutions: position cameras so subjects are backlit, or select cameras with True WDR (Wide Dynamic Range) technology that can handle the contrast difference. True WDR cameras are more expensive but essential for any indoor-outdoor transition position.