Situations · data checked 2026-09-15
My car was broken into in the driveway: what cameras help?
Put a camera where it sees the whole car at night, usually on the garage eave or the house corner, and light the driveway. A floodlight camera does both. To read a face or plate, the car must be close: at 40 pixels per foot, a typical 2K camera like the Ring Outdoor Cam 2K (2nd Gen) Battery gets there only within about 10 ft. The sharpest camera we track reaches about 51 ft.
How close a car must be for detail
Distance at which each camera still delivers 40 px/ft (identify: faces, maybe plates) and 20 px/ft (recognize: a person or car you know), at the center of the image, by day.
Floodlight cameras by 3-year cost
| Floodlight camera | Light | Monthly to record | 3 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reolink Solar Floodlight Cam | 1,000 lm | $0 | $129 |
| Wyze Cam Floodlight Pro | 3,000 lm | $0 | $150 |
| eufy Floodlight Camera E340 | 2,000 lm | $0 | $220 |
| Blink Outdoor 4 Floodlight Camera | 700 lm | $3.99 | $244 |
| Blink Wired Floodlight Camera | 2,600 lm | $3.99 | $244 |
| Reolink Elite Floodlight WiFi | 3,000 lm | $0 | $250 |
| Ring Floodlight Cam 2K (2nd Gen) Wired | 2,000 lm | $4.99 | $380 |
Driveway plans
- Security cameras for every side of a house with an attached garage, with wired cameras: 6 cameras and a video doorbell: $895 up front, $0/mo, $895 over 3 years.
- Security cameras for the front door and driveway of a house with an attached garage, with no monthly fee: 1 camera and a video doorbell: $125 up front, $0/mo, $125 over 3 years.
- Security cameras for the front door and driveway of a house with an attached garage, for under $500: 2 cameras and a video doorbell: $390 up front, $0/mo, $390 over 3 years.
- Security cameras for the front door and driveway of a house with an attached garage, without running new wires: 2 cameras and a video doorbell: $220 up front, $0/mo, $220 over 3 years.
- Security cameras for every side of a house with a garage and side gate, with wired cameras: 7 cameras and a video doorbell: $980 up front, $0/mo, $980 over 3 years.
- Security cameras for the front door and street parking of a townhouse, with no monthly fee: 1 camera and a video doorbell: $125 up front, $0/mo, $125 over 3 years.
Also worth doing
- Park as close to the camera as you can, nose toward it.
- Wire the driveway camera if possible. Battery Wi-Fi cameras can be jammed, and this is the spot thieves target.
- Set a motion zone on the car and driveway, not the street, so alerts mean something.
Related questions
Can a home security camera read a license plate?
Sometimes, in daylight and up close. Plates are small and reflective, and at night headlights and IR glare wash them out. Treat plate reading as a bonus, and aim for clear footage of the person and the car instead.
Do I need a floodlight or is night vision enough?
Infrared night vision shows shapes in black and white. A light gives color and detail, and it also scares people off. If the driveway has a light fixture, a wired floodlight camera replaces it.
This is the general answer. Your house has its own.
Pick your layout and rules, and see the cameras, blind spots and 3-year cost for your home.