More cameras isn't automatically better security — poorly placed cameras just mean more footage of nothing useful. Good coverage comes down to a handful of positioning decisions that matter far more than camera count.

Start With Entry Points, Not The Whole Perimeter

Every property has a small number of places someone would actually enter: the front door, back door, any side gate, and ground-floor windows large enough to climb through. These get priority over scenic-but-low-value spots like the middle of a back wall. If budget only allows for four cameras, they should cover your actual entry points before anything else.

Mount Height Is A Trade-Off

Too low, and a camera is an easy target for tampering or can be avoided by anyone who spots it. Too high, and you lose the ability to capture a usable facial image — a camera 4-5 metres up filming straight down mostly records the tops of people's heads, which is close to useless for identification. A height of roughly 2.4 to 3 metres, angled slightly downward, is usually the practical sweet spot for entry-point cameras.

Think About Light, Not Just Coverage

A camera pointed directly into rising or setting sun will be washed out for part of the day regardless of resolution. Similarly, a camera relying only on ambient street lighting at night will produce grainy, low-detail footage compared to one with proper infrared or a dedicated light source covering its field of view. Walk the property at the times of day you're most concerned about and check what each proposed position actually sees.

Don't Forget The Overlap Zones

A driveway or side passage is often where two cameras' fields of view should slightly overlap, so there's no single blind spot where someone could pass through unrecorded by ducking just outside one camera's frame. This matters more on larger properties with multiple structures or a long driveway.

The goal isn't filming every square metre of your property — it's making sure anyone approaching your home passes through at least one camera's clear, well-lit field of view.

Respect Boundaries With Neighbours

Cameras aimed directly into a neighbour's yard or windows are both a courtesy issue and, depending on your local regulations, potentially a legal one. Angle cameras to cover your own property line and shared access points rather than deep into someone else's space — a well-placed camera rarely needs to look far past your own boundary to be effective.

Indoor Cameras: Cover Choke Points, Not Every Room

Inside the home, a camera covering the main hallway or staircase — a natural choke point anyone moving through the house has to pass — is usually more useful than one in every individual room. This also tends to be a more comfortable, privacy-conscious approach for a household.

A Simple Starting Checklist

  • Front door and any side or back entry points, first
  • Driveway or garage, especially if vehicles are a concern
  • Mounted at roughly 2.4–3m, angled down, not straight ahead
  • Checked against both midday glare and night-time lighting
  • Angled to avoid directly filming a neighbour's property

Getting placement right before installation saves re-drilling brackets later — it's worth walking the property with your installer and talking through exactly what each camera will actually see, at different times of day, before anything goes on the wall.