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, by Rob Pilkes Installation manual IP camera set
8 Most Common Mistakes with Security Cameras
- , by Rob Pilkes
- 4 min reading time
As part of "Safety Week," business owners are being urged to invest in better camera surveillance. In practice, almost every Dutch business owner has a surveillance system, but it often produces unusable footage. A real shame, of course. To increase the chances of catching criminals, we've compiled a list of the most common mistakes made when purchasing and installing a security camera system.
1. Choose quality
Everyone knows those scenes from programs like "Stichting gezocht" that make you wonder, "How on earth can you recognize someone with such poor security footage?" Unfortunately, this is still the reality today. Even at large companies and banks, the surveillance footage is often still of poor quality.
The image quality of a security camera is indicated in "Megapixels" or "TVL" (TV Lines). Megapixels is well-known from cameras and mobile phones. TV Lines is used for analog cameras. In this digital age, we recommend skipping analog cameras and opting for an IP camera with at least 2 Megapixels.
2. Poor night vision
Figures show that over 70% of burglaries occur at dusk and in the dark. Therefore, in addition to choosing a security camera with sufficient pixels, it's also essential to choose one with strong infrared capability . Cameras with insufficient or no infrared capability will produce unclear or black images, making them virtually impossible to identify perpetrators (extra tip: also check whether the camera's range (meters) is sufficient).
3. Wrong position of the camera
After selecting the right camera, it's important to install it correctly. Not just technically, but especially in terms of location. Before you get started, carefully consider the camera's placement. There are two key rules.
Rule of thumb 1. Point security cameras at access roads.
Rule 2. Point the security camera at valuables.
All possible routes are used to gain entry, so make sure a security camera is aimed at every door, window, or weak spot. This way, you'll always capture the perpetrator's face. Valuables pose an increased risk; think of things like the cash register, safe, filing cabinets, or display cases in a store. Burglars will likely come to your store for these goods, so make sure a security camera is aimed at them.
4. Mounting too high
A common mistake is mounting the camera too high. The ideal height for detecting objects and people is 1.70 meters. For outdoor use, we recommend mounting the camera at a height that is not vulnerable to vandalism. Make sure the camera is never higher than 3 meters from the ground.
5. Mounting behind glass
Standard security cameras aren't designed to film through glass. When mounted behind glass, the camera records not only the image but also the reflection of infrared light in the glass. This creates an unclear, unusable image. If you want to mount your security camera behind glass, you can use a camera with the Starlight function . We recommend consulting your supplier before purchasing this option.
6. Mount against the light
Mounting your security camera against the sunlight will produce an unclear image with standard security cameras. For example, when a security camera is mounted in the shade of a carport and pointed towards the sun, a white spot will appear in the surveillance image. To prevent this, we recommend mounting the camera in a different location or choosing a security camera with the WDR function. WDR stands for "Wide Dynamic Range."
A security camera with WDR function can naturally register the difference between the shadow under the carport and the overexposed part of the sunlight, allowing you
always has sharp images regardless of weather conditions.
7. Maintenance
A security camera requires periodic maintenance. Outdoor cameras, in particular, are subjected to severe weather conditions in the Dutch climate. Think of rain and snow combined with wind, sand, pollen, and insects. Maintain your cameras by cleaning them regularly and checking the wiring for dryness and cracks so that it can be replaced preventatively when necessary. Although indoor cameras are less susceptible to damage, we recommend regularly removing dust and cobwebs.
8. Saving images
In practice, storing footage often causes problems. You think you've got everything perfect, then something happens and you want to review the footage. Incorrectly configured recorders, defective hard drives, full SD cards, and stolen recorders are all situations that still occur far too often. Therefore, during maintenance, check not only the cameras and cabling, but also the recorder and its settings. We recommend using a cloud backup in addition to a local recorder to prevent such problems.
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Source: ip-camera.nl
