A security camera is the easiest way to monitor your home or belongings to deter and reduce burglary. Even if any crime occurs, recorded footage will help gather evidence.
Just setting up a camera is not enough to get the maximum benefits. You will need to set the camera in the right position to monitor what’s happening in your area. Several factors are usually related to a camera’s position to get the best field of view.
However, if you face difficulty positioning your camera, read the entire context. Here we will discuss how you can position your smart camera for the best field of view.
How to Position Your Smart Camera for the Best Field of View?
While setting up a security camera, the field of view is an important aspect to get maximum coverage. Check out the section to get a good field of view for your security camera.
Height Of The Camera
A smart camera can be positioned at two heights: high up and above hip level. The high-up positioning of a camera lets you capture and see everything in front of your coverage. Setting up a camera in this position is very helpful for monitoring your home.
It is even possible to place a camera outdoors to capture your front and backyard with this position. In contrast, The hip-level position of a camera is when a camera acts as a peephole in front of your door or as if you are placing your camera on a table. This position is ideal for wide indoor spaces like the living room or the front porch.
Position Of The Camera
Having a right-positioned security camera won’t make any difference if it’s in the wrong place. For example, if you place a high-resolution camera in the middle of a room, the sides of the footage will be distorted.
In that case, placing a camera in a corner for both exterior and interior locations will ensure maximum monitoring coverage. A security camera can also be mounted on the tip of your home’s front or back wall. This position will allow you to get views of your front and backyards.
Other Factors Related To Your Smart Camera For The Best Field Of View
Apart from the positioning of a security camera, getting the best field of view depends on several factors. Here we have covered some significant things that are related to your camera’s field of view.
Choose The Right Camera
A security camera with wide-angle lenses can capture fewer details, but you will get more objects. So, this type of camera will be a good choice for capturing footage in a large area. However, wide-angle lens cameras are not ideal for capturing something specific and in great detail.
In that case, a narrow-angle camera would be more appropriate. However, having a 360 degree security camera will help you capture any angle without a permanent blind spot. This camera has both tilt and pan capabilities to move the camera at different angles.
Use The Right Lens
Most smart cameras come with a fixed lens, whereas fewer are designed with a customizable lens option. There are various types of lenses you will find for your security camera. Different types of lenses usually have separate fields of view or viewing angles. So, you should choose a lens that ensures the best field of view.
- Wide-Angle Lens: This kind of lens has a 110° to 60° field of view with a focal point that ranges from 10 mm to 25 mm. In some cameras, the field of view can even extend over 110°.
- Super-Wide-Angle Lens: A super-wide angle lens has a 180° or more field of view. So, you can see farther than with your naked eye and regular lenses.
- Telephoto Lens: A telephoto lens has a field of view of 25° to 10° and a focal length of 65 mm to 160 mm. This lens is usually good for zooming twice its view.
- Standard or Medium Lens: This lens offers a 60° to 25° field of view and a focal point that ranges from 25 mm to about 65 mm. Standard or medium lenses are quite similar to the capability of human sees.
Pick The Right Camera Resolution
If you can’t decipher the details of the captured footage, your security camera is useless. Typically, how far you can see in great detail depends on the resolution of the camera. Thus, having a high-resolution camera is essential. Security cameras usually come with 4MP, 5MP, or 4K resolution. These resolutions let you capture a wide area with great detail.
How Does The Camera’s Field Of View Work?
How much space will be visible through a camera completely relies on your field of view. The focal length and field of view of a camera lens usually determine the visual space. When a subject or picture is in focus, the focal length of a camera refers to the distance between the sensor and the lens. It is measured in millimeters.
In contrast, the field of view is what a camera can capture which is measured in percentages. Although the coverage area will be less when your camera’s field of view is smaller, you can still see objects in the distance. If the camera has a wider field of view, it may see a shorter distance, but you will get a wide coverage area.
The viewing angle is typically determined by the combination of the field of view and the focal length. However, focal length and field of view do not always determine the viewing coverage. Field of view is also affected by your camera’s lens size. So, when choosing a camera, you should consider such critical things.
Advantages Of Using A Wide Field Of View Smart Camera
A wide-angle lens-equipped security camera gives excellent situational awareness, allowing users to keep an eye on uncovering events much more easily. It enables users to capture as much area as possible. When you need to capture a larger portion with a single security camera, a wider-angle lens-equipped camera helps you cover the entire area.
In contrast, a narrow field of view lets you capture a small coverage with high zoom capabilities. Additionally, wide-angle lens cameras also have relatively low throws, which speeds up remote autofocus. This is very helpful when you have a wide-angle PTZ camera with a remote autofocus feature.
For the wide coverage, the data transfer rate will be faster, which will help to track events in real-time. On the other hand, a longer focal length lens may provide a detailed view but eliminate fast autofocus in live monitoring.
What Features Should A Smart Camera Include?
It is better not to be surprised that markets are flooded with numerous security cameras. But you should choose a camera that provides complete protection. Well, some crucial features that should be on a camera have been described below.
Fixed Wide-angle Lens
You may have already understood the functions of a wide-angle lens. When you have a camera with such wide-angle lenses, you won’t have trouble changing it. Usually, fixed wide-angle security cameras offer a field of view of between 60° to 110°, and some devices even provide better coverage. For that, these cameras are ideal for covering the entrances, exits, or corridors of a building.
PTZ
PTZ means pan-tilt-zoom that enables users to move or zoom in or out of the camera on a specific area. Cameras with this function can be operated remotely via a joystick or electronic devices. It allows the camera to move on a larger area and automatically follow and identify any moving object.
Night Vision
It won’t be easy to monitor a place all time, especially at night. In that case, the night vision feature of a security camera will work as a night guard. This feature is usually active at night automatically and captures footage in low light conditions.
Motion Detection
Motion detection is a very useful feature of security cameras. It prevents users from monitoring a camera at all times. Typically, a camera with the motion detection feature detects movement in your coverage area and sends notifications to your device. Thus, you can take quick action against the footage.
Conclusion
Without positioning a security camera properly, you will not get the best field of view. This will prevent you from getting your desired footage coverage. That’s why, through this context, we have tried to give you adequate information about positioning your smart camera to ensure the best field of view.
Typically, you can adjust your camera’s height and setting place to get better video coverage. There are also some other factors discussed above you should consider for ensuring a wide or narrow field of view.
Taylor is a freelance SEO copywriter and blogger. His areas of expertise include technology, pop culture, and marketing.
