Help with camera selection

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braddie

Young grasshopper
Jan 19, 2016
63
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Hello everyone, I'd appreciate some input and feedback from people who have some experience with Hikvision hardware. I want to upgrade the analogue CCTV system at my parent's house in a couple of months. I will be going with the Hikvision DS-7108N-SN/P 8 channel POE NVR which offers the best value for money with my budget, I'm struggling with choosing cameras however. I will need 4 cameras but I went with the 8ch NVR because, well, you never know I might get ipcamphilia (very likely). What matters probably the most is night vision (up to 15-20m) but the specs don't really tell you much about actual performance if you haven't played around with a few models which is something I won't be able to do. For maximum compatibility I've narrowed it down to the following Hikvisions that pretty much cost the same +/-$10:


[TD="align: left"]Model[/TD]
[TD="align: left"]Megapixels[/TD]
[TD="align: left"]Lux @(F1.2,AGC ON)[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Sensor size[/TD]

[TD="align: left"]DS-2CD2120F-I[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]2[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]0.01[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]1/2.7[/TD]

[TD="align: left"]DS-2CD3112-I[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]1.3[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]0.01[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]1/3[/TD]

[TD="align: left"]DS-2CD2110F-IWS[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]1.3[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]0.01[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]1/3[/TD]

[TD="align: left"]DS-2CD3135F-I[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]3[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]0.01[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]1/3[/TD]

[TD="align: left"]DS-2CD3145F-I[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]4[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]0.07[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]1/3[/TD]

[TD="align: left"]DS-2CD3345-I[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]4[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]0.07[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]1/3[/TD]

[TD="align: left"]DS-2CD2232-I3[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]3[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]0.07[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]1/3[/TD]

It's almost pitch black for 2 and there is some street lighting (with lots of shadows cast by nearby trees) for the other 2. There is also the potential problem of insects in the summer which, based on the current setup, really like to sh** right in front of the lens but not where the IR LEDs are. I would also be grateful if I could get some advice on what lens size (or mix of lenses) would be suitable (0-20m).

I will be ordering from AliEx because that's my only option (outside the US/Europe). I believe they're all Chinese versions and I'm aware of potential issues with firmware upgrades and the lack of support and I'm used to that and fine with it. Some of the cameras have H265 or resolutions higher than what the NVR can handle and that's fine I will be running them at h264 @1080.

I've been reading and searching through the forum for 3 full days straight (seriously!) but sometimes there is no way around asking and getting advice specific to one's situation. So, thank you very much in advance for your input! :)
 
DS-2CD2120F-I + some IR illuminators or LED lighting where it's pitch black. Ignore the lux rating, I've just noticed it's complete rubbish even for Hikvision vs Hikvision.

DS-2CD2120F-I probably isn't a Chinese camera btw. Mine weren't (got some on same NVR too).
 
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How does that NVR compare to the more expensive Hikvision's in terms of compatibility? For example, is it able to provide direct access to as many of the cameras' features (e.g. line crossing)? Also, if the lux rating is meaningless, any idea how the newer generation cameras (e.g DS-2CD3145F-I) compare to the older ones (e.g. DS-2CD2232-I3)? Any improvements in the sensor (and day/nigh IQ) that you may be aware of? Stability, features?
 
If you really care about night vision outdoors there are better options (hint... see my signature)
 
braddie said:
How does that NVR compare to the more expensive Hikvision's in terms of compatibility? For example, is it able to provide direct access to as many of the cameras' features (e.g. line crossing)? Also, if the lux rating is meaningless, any idea how the newer generation cameras (e.g DS-2CD3145F-I) compare to the older ones (e.g. DS-2CD2232-I3)? Any improvements in the sensor (and day/nigh IQ) that you may be aware of? Stability, features?
Click to expand...

The WD cameras are better so DS-2CD2122FWD-I would be better but they are still not magic. I personally would avoid anything starting with a 3 and anything ending in a 5.

Huisun PTZ would maybe be better in the pitch black areas.
 
klasipca said:
If you really care about night vision outdoors there are better options (hint... see my signature)
Click to expand...

I did consider the Longse S500 but it is a higher risk camera which is something I'm trying to avoid because I have to manage the system remotely and will only have physical access every few months. They probably don't work as well with that NVR as Hikvision cameras. Normally, I would order 1 to try so that I have more confidence in the product before ordering the rest, but I'm unable to on this particular occasion. I probably will be ordering the Huisun Mini PTZ once the system is set up, by then the 2016 (v2) model should be out.
 
braddie said:
I did consider the Longse S500 but it is a higher risk camera which is something I'm trying to avoid because I have to manage the system remotely and will only have physical access every few months. They probably don't work as well with that NVR as Hikvision cameras. Normally, I would order 1 to try so that I have more confidence in the product before ordering the rest, but I'm unable to on this particular occasion. I probably will be ordering the Huisun Mini PTZ once the system is set up, by then the 2016 (v2) model should be out.
Click to expand...
Longse xxxxS500 works fine with Hikvision NVR using regular ONVIF profile, but yeah I wouldn't replace every single cam with it. It's good for certain places. Mini PTZ on the other hand works really well everywhere outdoors where I had Hikvision installed before to cover backyard, front door and side entrance. I have 4th PTZ v2 I am trying to figure out where to mount it because I can only power it via 12 volt.
 
Del Boy said:
Means they are both Chinese-market cameras. If you want the best quality Hikvision in that range then DS-2CD2122FWD-I or DS-2CD2322WD-I is what you want.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, the Chinese Hikvision cameras (+DS-2CD2120F-I) are the only ones I can get with my budget (sucks). The best ones for night vision have true WDR (like the ones you suggested) but they don't come cheap. I believe there are Chinese cameras from other manufacturers with Sony sensors and true WDR that are within budget and seem to perform well based on some youtube videos but I'd rather not take the risk (firmware). I'm sacrificing some night time quality over reliability because it's actually not as dark as I worded it, it was meant as relative to the other cameras: street light 5m vs 30m away.
 
I'm open to suggestions for a Dahua set up (NVR & cameras) if you think I can get better value for money within the same price bracket. I'm trying to stick with same NVR+cameras brand based on advice from multiple people on this forum. The Huisun Mini PTZ is the exception but that will be an addon for later, I can't get the initial 4 as Huisun's.
 
Images from the current analogue system:

cam2.jpgcam1.jpg

The new cameras will be placed lower, the images give an idea of the lighting conditions.
 
Not sure why the recommendation against the 3345...

My favorite cam is currently the DS-2CD3345-I with V5.3.3 English Firmware and for $69 its my best buy.

Here's a night clip from last nights action.

Change Quality to 1440 for best IQ





update: fixed version on youtube


 
dalepa said:
Not sure why the recommendation against the 3345...
Click to expand...
Apart from the normal obvious points (plastic base, chinese model, NVR compatibility, etc). The other obvious point that it's 4MP and the NVR is 2MP.

Having said that $69 does make it crazy cheap and that video shows the lux ratings are crap.
 
Del Boy said:
Apart from the normal obvious points (plastic base, chinese model, NVR compatibility, etc). The other obvious point that it's 4MP and the NVR is 2MP.

Having said that $69 does make it crazy cheap and that video shows the lux ratings are crap.
Click to expand...

Are there compatibility problems if both the camera and NVR are Chinese/Multilingual versions? Or is that just when I mix them with International/English hardware?
 
braddie said:
Are those clips from a DS-2CD3345-I or DS-2CD2120F-I? The video title and resolution are confusing me.
Click to expand...

DS-2CD3345-I

Dangit, copy/paste'd that wrong all over the place didn't I :( Fixed...
 
They are great shots, thanks for sharing.

And the compatibility problems aren't confined with these to chinese/multi, international/english. I'm not 100% sure myself and I have a DS-2CD3345-I and a few different NVRs (not all mine but friends and family).
 
dalepa said:
DS-2CD3345-I

Dangit, copy/paste'd that wrong all over the place didn't I :( Fixed...
Click to expand...

Thanks for the clips, I really appreciate it! Hikvision demos are so rare (especially for the Chinese versions) it's hard to believe Hikvision is the world's largest CCTV equipment manufacturer. The camera has EXIR, is it on in the clips or is there some other light source?
 
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