7 CCTV Tips for the Right Security Lighting

A CCTV imaging device and the human eye have something in common. Both receive light reflected from objects, which is then translated into an image. But they both require a different amount of illumination for that image to be clear enough. To have good quality video footage and monitor your home, consider adding enough light to illuminate the area clearly. Most homeowners often get blurry video footage because of poor or incorrect lighting. After all, what’s the point of installing CCTV when the result you get is unclear?
In this blog, we’ll give you seven tips on what things you should keep in mind and ways to fix the illumination problem when installing CCTV.

Right Security Lighting Tips When Installing CCTV

1. Image quality

It needs a significant amount of light to obtain clear images. To receive good image quality, you should clearly illuminate the area. For this reason, we use the inverse square rule, which means you need 4x the original light when you 2x the distance to a certain object. So, by installing adequate illumination to your area, you will get good quality footage from your CCTV.

2. Vertical illumination

Vertical illumination is considered king for creating facial recognition for CCTV. If you choose horizontal lighting, it will cast shadows on people, making it difficult to recognize faces and people clearly. Consider mounting additional fixtures at about 1.6 meters in height for better facial recognition.

3. Place the camera in the right area

People often make one mistake by installing the camera in the direction of the sun, street light, or a lit window. This will increase the risk of poor facial recognition. Therefore, you should carefully think about the location where you’re installing the camera if you want to achieve better illumination.

4. Mount lights behind the camera

As a general rule, you should keep the light fixture out of view of the camera. Always mount lights behind the camera, pointing in the same direction. Also, make sure you create an even illumination in your camera’s view to avoid blurred areas in images. You can also consider cameras with built-in lighting mounted around the lens. But make sure to avoid cheap versions.

5. Choose the right color rendering

Color rendering is the ability of illumination to reveal objects’ colors accurately. It’s recommended that you choose a color rendering of around 80-90. Moreover, CCTV manufacturers often advise using typically 5000K for cool color temperatures.

6. Light should hit the subject’s face

Make sure the light hits the subject’s face for better facial recognition. For this reason, you should go for 30 LUX from ground level while measuring at a vertical angle. 20-30 LUX is also acceptable, depending on the conditions.

7. Select the right type of camera

Several types of cameras are available in the market. But you need to choose one that’s according to your circumstances. Some cameras are good under low light conditions but only give monochrome footage. However, this type of camera will likely produce an unclear picture of a moving object. So, choose the camera type according to your preferences.

Final Words

We hope these tips help you provide better security illumination for the camera. If you’re unsure about choosing the right product, you can contact our product experts. At Illuminar, we will personally guide you to choose the right product for your application. Please get in touch with us at (281) 438-3500 today!