A great camera in a bad spot is wasted money. Placement determines whether you capture a clear face or a blurry shape, and whether the camera deters a break-in or just documents one. Here is how to place cameras like someone who has tested dozens of them.
The high-value spots
- Front entry, mounted 8 to 10 feet up, angled down at the path. Most break-ins still go through the front.
- Back and side doors, the quiet entrances burglars prefer.
- Driveway and garage, where package and vehicle theft happens.
- First-floor windows out of sight from the street.
The height sweet spot
Mount around 8 to 10 feet. Too low and a camera is easy to disable or block. Too high and faces shrink into useless detail. Angle the lens down enough to capture a face, not the top of a head.
Where not to place a camera
- Pointing straight at the sun or a bright light, which blows out the image at dawn and dusk.
- Aimed through a window from inside, where glare and reflections ruin night footage.
- Anywhere it films a neighbor's private space, which can be a legal problem. Keep coverage on your own property.
Light and motion zones
Place cameras so a porch light or street lamp helps at night, but is not directly in frame. Use the app's motion zones to ignore busy streets and swaying trees, or you will drown in false alerts and start ignoring real ones.
Test before you commit
Before drilling, hold the camera in place and walk the area while watching the live feed on your phone. Five minutes of testing saves you from a permanently misaimed mount. Good placement beats expensive hardware every time.