It is unfortunate that the CCTV industry as a whole has a reputation of providing surveillance footage that is next to useless. While the quality is improving with High Definition cameras, the fundamental errors are still common.
A frequent mistake is trying to get the surveillance camera to cover too wide an area. The images we see on TV shows like CSI lead us to believe any image can be enhanced but the reality is very different.
Here are some very simple to implement tips that will improve the likelihood of you getting the perfect mug shot of the #^%! that robbed you.
Each camera should do only one job. A camera can either be used for an overview OR recognising a persons face. It is vary rare to be able to achieve both and get a good result.
Have a camera at a choke point for ID and a second elsewhere for the overview This means as a person enters an area, they need to pass through a narrow area such as a door or corridor. This is the best spot to get a good quality face image. Once you have this, your other cameras just need to provide an overview of their movements.
Do not mount the cameras too high A camera mounted high and looking down is only good for an overview. There is no point in having a CCTV camera at a choke point for face identification if it can only see the top of the head or the brim of a baseball cap. An angle of 20 degrees or less is ideal.
Lots of other aspects of video surveillance can be considered when looking to improve the end result but each is a topic in itself. These include lighting, the camera's dynamic range, lens selection and compression types of you DVR or IP camera. More education on these can be found on my site.
With a little guidance, you can expect great results form you security cameras.
A frequent mistake is trying to get the surveillance camera to cover too wide an area. The images we see on TV shows like CSI lead us to believe any image can be enhanced but the reality is very different.
Here are some very simple to implement tips that will improve the likelihood of you getting the perfect mug shot of the #^%! that robbed you.
Each camera should do only one job. A camera can either be used for an overview OR recognising a persons face. It is vary rare to be able to achieve both and get a good result.
Have a camera at a choke point for ID and a second elsewhere for the overview This means as a person enters an area, they need to pass through a narrow area such as a door or corridor. This is the best spot to get a good quality face image. Once you have this, your other cameras just need to provide an overview of their movements.
Do not mount the cameras too high A camera mounted high and looking down is only good for an overview. There is no point in having a CCTV camera at a choke point for face identification if it can only see the top of the head or the brim of a baseball cap. An angle of 20 degrees or less is ideal.
Lots of other aspects of video surveillance can be considered when looking to improve the end result but each is a topic in itself. These include lighting, the camera's dynamic range, lens selection and compression types of you DVR or IP camera. More education on these can be found on my site.
With a little guidance, you can expect great results form you security cameras.
About the Author:
I have worked in the security industry with Tim for most of my career and can confidently say he is a true expert in the security surveillance industry I would recommend reading his articles if you want to understand how to design a CCTV system Justin
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