Camera Siting & Mounting

Purpose

This document covers how to site cameras correctly before fixing anything to walls, and how to mount them professionally. Good camera positioning is the most important factor in CCTV effectiveness — a well-mounted camera in the wrong position is useless. Getting this right at survey stage saves rework on the day.

Siting Cameras — Principles

Cover the purpose, not just the area

Before placing a camera, ask: what does this camera need to capture? The answer defines the correct position.

Identification (face, registration plate) — camera must be close enough and angled correctly. A wide-area camera at 30m will not identify a face. A camera at 4–6m aimed at head height will.
Overview / wide area — captures movement and events across a driveway or car park.
Access point coverage — every entry point: doors, gates, windows.

Most installs need a mix. A driveway might have one wide-area camera and one identification camera at the door.

The four locations to cover on every residential install

Front door — see the full door area and anyone approaching
Driveway / vehicle access — capture registration plates and foot traffic
Rear / side access — gate, side passage, rear door. Burglars use these more than the front
Any other known risk points — outbuildings, garages, secondary gates

Get these four right first. Everything beyond is additional.

Camera height

Standard external mounting height: 2.5–3.5m. Out of easy reach (vandal deterrent) with a useful downward angle.

Identification cameras: Lower gives better face capture. A camera at 2.5m aimed at a front door at 3–4m gives a clear face-level view. At 5m aimed at the same door it shows top-of-head only — useless for identification.

Long-range: Bullet cameras covering long approaches can be mounted higher (3–4m) to clear parked vehicles, compensating with the appropriate focal length.

Siting mistakes to avoid

Pointing at the sun or bright sky — bright background causes the camera to expose for the light; foreground becomes a dark silhouette. Modern Hikvision cameras have WDR to partially compensate, but avoid direct sun in frame where possible.

Pointing at a bright artificial light source — same effect. Avoid streetlights, security lights, or illuminated signs in the frame.

Looking into a reflective surface — IR cameras pointed at windows, mirrors, or glass reflect their own IR illumination. This creates a white wash in the image and severely reduces range. Angle cameras away from reflective surfaces.

Camera too far from the subject — a 4mm lens at 20m will not identify faces or plates. Use a longer focal length, a varifocal camera, or add a closer camera.

Covering dead zones — a camera on a corner pointing at two walls at 90° sees mostly brickwork. Look along the line of a building or driveway, not across it.

Overlooking a neighbour's property — cameras must cover the customer's own property. Persistent overlooking of a neighbour's garden or windows creates privacy issues. Flag this at survey and angle accordingly. The customer's responsibility, but advise them.

Pre-Installation Survey Notes

For each camera position, record:

Purpose (overview, identification, access point)
Mounting height and surface (brick, render, timber, soffit)
Cable route back to DVR
Any IR reflection risks (windows, glass in FOV)
Power source (POC from DVR, or local supply)
Any obstructions in the intended field of view

Mounting Cameras

Tools needed

SDS drill and masonry bit (external brick/block)
Cordless drill and wood bits (soffit, timber, internal)
Rawlplugs and screws appropriate to the surface
Spirit level
External-grade silicone sealant

Dome camera — ceiling or soffit

Mark fixing holes using the camera base as a template. Use a spirit level on non-horizontal surfaces.
Drill, plug, and fix using supplied screws. Timber soffit: screw directly into timber, no plugs.
Route the cable through the cable entry knockout in the base.
Terminate the coax BNC (or Cat5/6 RJ45) inside the base.
Connect and verify image on the DVR monitor before fitting the dome cap.
Aim the camera — loosen the internal ball joint, rotate to the desired position, re-tighten.
Fit the dome cap — click-fit or twist-lock. Ensure the dome cover is clean inside before fitting.

Bullet camera — wall bracket

Fit the wall bracket first. Drill, plug, and fix to the surface.
Route the cable through the wall at the bracket position or along an external route. Seal the wall penetration with silicone.
Attach the camera body to the bracket.
Terminate the cable at the camera pigtail or weatherproof junction box.
Connect and verify image before final tightening.
Pan, tilt, and rotate to aim. Tighten all bracket adjustments securely — a loose bullet camera will shift in wind.

Turret camera — wall or ceiling

Mark, drill, plug, and fix the base.
Route cable through the base. Terminate and connect.
Verify image on DVR monitor.
Rotate the ball within the socket to aim. Lock with the grub screw or locking ring.

Cable Entry and Weatherproofing

All external wall penetrations must be sealed.

Drill the wall at a slight downward angle from inside to outside — water runs away from the building.
After routing the cable, fill around it with external-grade silicone.
On rendered or painted walls, use paintable silicone and finish to match.

External junction boxes: ensure cable entries are sealed and cables enter from below or the side — not the top.

Field of View Verification

Before completing the fix, check on the DVR monitor:

Is the intended coverage area in frame?
Is the camera aimed too high (sky visible) or too low (foreground only)?
Is there an IR reflection from a window or surface?
On a driveway camera — place a vehicle in the driveway and confirm the registration plate is legible in the image
On an entrance camera — stand in the doorway and confirm face-level capture

Do not close up until this is confirmed. Adjusting after the dome cap is fitted and junction box closed is avoidable rework.