Arlo for Neighborhood entrance Camera system

[TheLakes]

Our neighborhood needs a new camera system at the front entrance.  Could I build a system and mount it to the existing pole at our entrance?  Thinking Four 4K Cameras, wired for constant power, connected to the internet, to provide 24/7 coverage of cars coming and going from our neighborhood.   Arlo would be a fraction of the cost, and more user friendly compared to most commercial systems.  Would the 4K cameras capture license plates?  At night? Has anyone done this?  Any down sides?  Thanks for input

[jguerdat]

It would be possible to do this but they will NOT capture license plates clearly. To do that you'd need an ID-type of camera which would have a longer focal length and a narrower FOV aimed at the  plates. The only way an Arlo camera would present a clear view of the plates would be to have them mounted close to the cars which could lead to damage or theft by someone who doesn't want to be recorded.

[TheLakes]

THanks for the response.  But it's a shame they don't make an LPR Camera, or at least one capable of capturing a legible still of license plates.  I hope that in the near future Arlo makes a camera suitable for capturing license plates.  

Cheers.

[TheLakes]

Couldn't you use an Arlo camera, zoomed in to narrow the FOV?  That would allow more pixels across the license plate width.  Also, How many framer per second do Arlo Cameras take?  I've read that many LPR cameras are 30 frames per second, and some are 60 frames per second. 

I'm trying to make this work, but want to be happy with the end result.  

[jguerdat]

AFAIK, zooming is just cropping the view, not using the whole sensor to see details better. That would require a zoom lens and these are all fixed. The evolution of the cameras has been to offer a wider FOV with more pixels while I've often wished of at least one model (probably a niche device) that could be used as an ID-type rather than an activity-type. This would require a much longer focal length (the Ultras have a 180 degree corner to corner view, comparable to maybe a 7mm fisheye in digital camera usage). The smallest FOV offered is 110 degrees which equates to a ~10mm DSLR lens. 

This page has a good view of what would be needed:

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https://www.brickhousesecurity.com/hidden-cameras/field-of-view-explained/