How to choose the right CCTV camera for a small shop
Camera count matters far less than camera placement. A practical guide to covering a shop properly on a realistic budget.
Start with the blind spots, not the brochure
Most shop owners are sold a four-camera kit before anyone has walked the floor. The better starting point is a short survey: stand at the entrance, the counter, the stock room door and the rear exit, and note what you cannot see from each.
Resolution you actually need
For a shop under 500 square feet, 2MP cameras positioned well will out-perform 5MP cameras positioned badly. Resolution helps you identify a face only if the face fills enough of the frame - which is a placement problem, not a specification problem.
Storage sizing
Plan for 30 days of retention. As a rough guide, one 2MP camera recording continuously consumes about 1TB every two months. Motion-triggered recording cuts that substantially.
Get remote viewing configured before the installer leaves
Insist that the mobile app is installed, logged in and tested on your own phone during the visit. This is the single most common thing left half-finished on cheap installations.