CCTV Camera Placement Guide
Choosing the right camera is only half the battle; putting it in the right place is what makes footage genuinely useful when it matters — clear enough to identify who and what happened, not just that something did. Too high and you see only beanies, too low and vandals knock it off the wall. Aim at a bright window and the lens turns every face into a silhouette, yet point the same camera a metre to the left and you have a crystal-clear image.
Because most of us don’t think in fields of view or lux levels day-to-day, this guide keeps things straightforward. We pull from hundreds of live ACCL projects and strip the jargon so you can walk your own site, spot the weak spots and brief your installer confidently.
Why Camera Placement Matters More Than Megapixels
Modern 4 K cameras are brilliant, but resolution means little if the angle is wrong. Imagine recording a burglary where the thief’s cap hides every distinguishing feature because the camera sits too far above the doorway. Placement is what turns “footage” into “evidence.” Get it right and you answer three questions every investigator asks: Who? What? How?
Start with Your Security Priorities
Before you even fetch a step-ladder, note down the assets or events you need to protect:
- Cash tills and safes
- Main entrances and emergency exits
- Loading bays and stock rooms
- Car parks and bike shelters
- Data racks or laboratories
By listing priorities, you focus budget on cameras that really matter. A designer can always add more, but the first ten should protect the biggest risks.
The Golden Rules of Practical Placement
1. Cover Entrances at Face Height
Doors are where people slow down, look up for signs or swipe an access card. Mount a camera around 2.3 m—roughly a tall person’s eye-line—angled slightly down. You’ll capture clear facial features without hats or hoods blocking the view.
2. Avoid “Hot” and “Cold” Lighting
Cameras struggle if half the image is in bright sun and half in deep shadow. If a doorway faces south and bakes in July sunlight, move the camera just inside the lobby looking out, or fit a small canopy outside to soften the contrast.
3. Overlap Fields of View
Think of camera coverage like circles on a Venn diagram; where they overlap, you remove blind spots. Two cameras on opposite corners of a warehouse aisle give you front and rear views, so no forklift ever blocks both angles at once.
4. Keep Infra-Red Clear at Night
Night-vision LEDs bounce light off nearby surfaces. If the first thing they hit is a white wall half a metre away, the image will be one giant flare. Position outdoor cameras so the nearest obstacle is at least two metres away.
5. Protect Against Tampering
Outdoor cameras should sit out of easy reach—around 3.5 m high—yet still close enough to show faces. Indoors, use anti-tamper domes for low-level shots in corridors where ladders aren’t practical but teenagers’ fingers might be.
