Advice on position of security cameras needed

onedaymyfriend

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Hi guys, had a cctv engineer over this evening. I told him which room we would like the NVR to live (1st flr small bedroom). I was previously advised to run the cable for the front camera along the skirtingboard in the small bedroom, through an internal wall in to the 2nd bedroom and then through the outerwall. This would then mean that the no wires would be on show and the camera would be approx 3m high. The the cabling for the rear camera would go up the corner of small bedroom, through ceiling, across loft space then down in to far corner of back bedroom and then through outerwall.

For some reason the engineer doesn't like that idea and wants to fix the cameras to our soffits (which are new). Can someone give me some advice in the best positioning for my cameras please.

Having googled cameras fitted to soffits, the less I like the idea.

Thanks as always.
 
For some reason the engineer doesn't like that idea and wants to fix the cameras to our soffits
If you have a loft it would make his life a while lot easier to just poke all cables up to the loft and straight out.
 
Because he is lazy or inexperienced in fitting CCTV. Throwing all of the cameras onto the soffits is the lazy way of installing cctv and is less work and provides a less than ideal image in most occasions. Stick to your guns and if he wont install as you want them, find another CCTV installer, there are plenty around.
 
Have them in the soffits if you want pictures of the top of peoples head and inability to read car number plates. For most installations that is too high. About 3m is right for most people.
 
The only time I install in first story soffits is if I am looking to just cover a wider area and detect movement / occupation and am not too bothered about identifying individuals / vehicle registration plates.

As I have said in numerous CCTV threads, a decent installer will undertake a survey, discuss what you want from a CCTV system, then select cameras, focal lengths and locations based on the individual needs of the client, The problem is there are lots of installers who offer 4 cameras and an NVR / DVR for under £800 installed and often cheaper. To meet these budget prices, they have to cut corners on installs, which often means installing the cameras as quickly and easily as possible, soffits are the way that they do them. If you think that the hardware (if its genuine Hikvision) would cost around £650 Trade then that leaves £150 or less for the install. They are not going to want to go to the lengths that decent installer will, to hide cables and get cameras installed at the optimum heights. Ultimately you will get what you pay for.
 
Thanks Mushii, I actually decided on Uniview Colour Hunter 5mp Turrets. The two HikVision installers I contacted haven't got back to me after a week.
 

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