Outdoor Security Camera Installing and Positioning

The way an outdoor security camera is installed and positioned will make a huge difference in the quality of the video that is captured. A high quality camera can only do so much if the external environment isn't aligned to optimize the cameras strengths. Lighting is a big factor and in general, any camera will do better with better lighting conditions. Some things are controllable while other will require a repositioning of the camera, or getting a camera that better handles whatever the problem may be.

Define the surveillance objective

Before buying a camera it makes a lot of sense to know why you need an outdoor security camera. If the camera is solely for the purpose of tracking general movement such as traffic flow of an area then the camera doesn't need too much image detail then there are less demands on getting the lighting perfect and more on getting a wide enough view of the area. If the purpose is to be able to pick out faces in a crowd, for example, then the camera must be positioned in a way that it can focus to capture more detail.

Improve Lighting Conditions

The easiest way to ensure that the image quality will be good enough is to illuminate the area to be monitored with an abundance of light. The easiest way to do this is to install additional light sources in or around the area to be monitored in cases pertaining to both indoor and outdoor surveillance monitoring. Another way is to get a camera that requires lower lighting levels to capture usable image.

Usually it is hard to have too much light especially outdoor where night conditions are the biggest problem for cameras. The problem with adequate lighting is the direction of the light. This is usually applicable in the case of sunlight where direct light from bright sources like the sun will blind the camera and cause the image sensor to be less effective. Ideally, the sun light should come from behind the camera and shine brightly on the subject of the video.

If the lighting source if reversed and is coming from behind the subject so that the subject is in the middle of the light source and the camera, there will be a backlight problem as well. Reposition the camera if the source is the sun. Otherwise, if repositioning the camera is not an option and the light source is a lamp or a reflection you can add frontal lighting to offset the backlight. A camera with support for wide dynamic range will also perform much better when it comes to handling the backlight problem.

Reduce Dynamic Range

Too high a dynamic range can be common positioning error when a camera is installed in an outdoor environment and is capturing too much of the sky in the frame. The best way to correct this is by mounting the camera higher; otherwise, it depends on whether the camera supports wide dynamic range and to the degree that the camera can handle.

Adjust Camera Settings

Depending on the features of a camera, there are video settings can be adjusted to bring you a little closer to capturing optimal image. The common adjustments are brightness and white balance as well as frame rate in particularly low light condition. But these camera setting adjustments are specific to the camera model so check the user guide that came in the packaging with the security camera.

Legal Considerations

This is an especially important consideration before installing an outdoor security camera because rules and regulations can differ widely from country to country and region to region. There are federal laws and restrictions as well as local laws that regulate how and where surveillance monitoring is allowed. There are some cases where registration or a license is required for video recording in places like public areas. Sometimes you will be required to put up signs making patrons aware that they are being monitored. In addition, there may be rules that regulate how long a video can be kept. If audio is part of the recording then another layer of legal regulations is added. Check the laws in your area to ensure that all your security enhancement efforts are legal.

All these things are basic guidelines to follow when installing an outdoor security camera. There are many more little things and are usually specific to the situation of the individual instances. Experiment with the positioning as well to find particular elements that will affect the quality of the image, there are so many possible combinations of the factor that no one can plan for all the externalities. Don’t forget to check the regulations to recording especially since outdoor environment may see more traffic and therefore bring on more responsibility to the owner of video footage that may be sensitive or important for reasons beyond the control of any individual.