Hi all, I’m new to CCTV and looking for some help picking out my first POE setup. After a ton of research, I’m leaning towards the Hikvision Colorvu Hybrid 8MP Turret (DS-2CD2387G2H), but I wanted to get some outside opinions before jumping into the Hikvision ecosystem. Any advice or recommendations?
Welcome! The Colorvu Hybrid is a solid choice, but I’d recommend taking a look at the Dahua 5442 or 5842. They have excellent color night vision and are popular here. As for Hikvision, it’s a good brand but their firmware can sometimes be hit or miss.
@Timber
Thanks for the recommendation! I’ve seen people talk about the Dahua models a lot. Do they handle night vision better than Hikvision?
@Timber
Dahua is great for night vision, but Hikvision’s Colorvu series is specifically built for full-color night images. If you want the best of both worlds, Dahua is probably better overall, but Hikvision has some nice features like the hybrid light.
I’d go with Dahua for night clarity, especially if you don’t need the LED light on all the time. The 5442 turret is a fantastic option and works really well with POE setups. As for Hikvision, their hybrid models are cool, but they still need a bit of work with motion-activated lighting.
@Eliza
I’ve heard about the motion light issue with Hikvision. Would the Dahua models be better for a low-light urban area?
Maria said:
@Eliza
I’ve heard about the motion light issue with Hikvision. Would the Dahua models be better for a low-light urban area?
Yeah, for urban areas with some ambient light, Dahua handles it really well. If you want full color without LEDs, you’ll definitely want a camera with a bigger sensor like the Dahua 5442.
Just my two cents, but I went with EmpireTech’s Color4K-T model, and I’ve been really happy with it. Full color day and night, and it handles urban lighting well without blinding the camera when motion lights activate.
@Paris
EmpireTech seems interesting, I hadn’t considered them. How does it compare to Hikvision or Dahua in terms of price and performance?
Maria said:
@Paris
EmpireTech seems interesting, I hadn’t considered them. How does it compare to Hikvision or Dahua in terms of price and performance?
Performance is on par with Dahua, and sometimes better than Hikvision in low-light scenarios. Price-wise, it’s a little cheaper than Hikvision but similar to Dahua. Worth checking out for sure.