# Camera coverage planner

> How far a camera can identify a face or a licence plate at a given resolution and lens, and how many cameras a property actually needs.

Canonical: https://securitycamerainstallers.ca/tools/camera-coverage-planner

Most camera disappointment is a placement problem, not a resolution problem. This shows you what a camera can actually identify at a given distance.

The interactive camera coverage planner is on [the HTML page](https://securitycamerainstallers.ca/tools/camera-coverage-planner).

## Common questions

### What is pixels per foot?

How many pixels of the image are spread across each foot of the scene. It is the number that decides what footage can actually be used for: roughly 60 pixels per foot to identify a stranger, 40 to recognise someone you know, 20 to see what they are doing. It depends on resolution, lens and distance together — not resolution alone.

### So is a 4K camera not better?

It is better at the same lens and distance, but it does not rescue a bad position. A 4K camera covering a wide yard can deliver fewer pixels on a face than a 1080p camera pointed at the gate. It also fills the recorder three times as fast and needs more light to perform.

### How many cameras do I need then?

Fewer than most quotes, in better positions. Cover the choke points everyone has to pass — the driveway approach, the yard between buildings, the door of each building that matters — with at least one camera positioned to identify rather than just observe.

## Related

- [All tools](https://securitycamerainstallers.ca/tools)