Dahua 12MP Fisheye Camera Tested (NK8BR4)

Author: Ethan Ace, Published on May 16, 2018

Continuing our coverage of 12MP sensor fisheye cameras, we bought and tested the Dahua NK8BR4, examining:

  • Default vs. Optimized settings
  • Smart PSS integration/dewarping
  • Third party VMS dewarping
  • Full light image quality
  • Low light/IR image quality
  • IR illumination range
  • Smart codec support
  • Bandwidth consumption
  • Physical construction

Readers should see our tests of other 12MP image fisheye models, including:

In the next month, we will publish a shootout amongst all of those cameras and more models still to be tested.

********** *** ******** ** **** ****** ******* *******, ** ****** and ****** ******** ******, *********:

  • ******* **. ********* ********
  • ***** *** ***********/*********
  • ***** ***** *** *********
  • **** ***** ***** *******
  • *** *****/** ***** *******
  • ** ************ *****
  • ***** ***** *******
  • ********* ***********
  • ******** ************

******* ****** *** *** ***** ** ***** **** ***** ******* models, *********:

** *** **** *****, ** **** ******* * ******** ******* all ** ***** ******* *** **** ****** ***** ** ** tested.

[***************]

*******

*** ****** *** ******* ********* ** *** *****:

  • **** ** ********/*****:*** ****** ********** ** *********** ******** ****** ***** **** **** fisheye ********** ******, **** **** ****** ********* ** *** ***** at *** ***** (**** ***** ********* ********).
  • *.*** ***********:*.*** ******* ****** **** ** ****** ** *****, *******, *********, and ******* *****, **** ******* ********* **** **** *.*** ** cameras ** **** ******.
  • ***** *** ********* *****:*****'* *** ***, ***** *** ******* ********** ********* ***** (******** view *****, ***** *******, *** *********) *** ********* ** *****-***** VMS, **** ****** ********** ** ******** ** ********** ******* *******, which *** ** ****** *** *************/********** *****.
  • ***** ****** **** *********:******-**** ********* ****** ******** *** ******* ***** ** ***** ***** VMSes ***** *** *********** *** (*****, *******, *********) *** ********* using ********* *********.

*** **** ******** ** *** ****** ** *** ******* *** its *** ** *** ********** ******* ********, ***** ************* ******* low ***** ***** *******, **** ******** ********* ** ****** ** ~20' ******** *** *** ******. *******, ***** ********* ********/**** ******** and ******** ******* ***, ********* ****** ******* *************, **** ******** easier ** ******* *** *** ********** ***** ***********.

***** ********** **** *** ****** *** ***** ******** ******* *** not **** **** ***** ******** *** ** *****, ****** ********* or ***** ********** ** **** ***********.

*******

*** ****** ***** *** ~$*** *** ******, ********** **** ********* than *********** ******, **** ** *** **** *****-**** (~$***), *** slightly **** ********* **** *********'* **-********-** (~$***).

Physical **********

*** ****** ** ******* ** **** *** **** ****** ** other ******* ****** ******, *** *** *** *** ***********:

  • ***** ****:*** ***** ******* **** * ~*' ***** ****, ***** **** other **** ****** ****** **** *********** ******** ** *** ******. In **** ***********,*********** **** ******* ******* ******* ******* ***** *****.
  • **** ******* *******:***** **** ***** ****** ****** *** ** **** ******* * black *****, ***** ******** ***** ***** ********, *** ***** ***** places **** ******* ** *** *******. **** **** **** ** mainly ** ********** *****, ** ** *** ** *********** *********** between ***** ****** ** **** ** ***** *****.

** ****** ***** *** ***** ******** ** **** ******** *****:

Default ******** ****** *** ***** ***********

*** ****** ******** ** "****" ******** ****, ***** ****** ********* gain ******* *** ******* *** ***** ***********. ***** ** *** testing, ** ********* *** *** ******** *******:

  • *** "******" ******** ****, ***** ****** ******* *** **** ** be *** ****** ******** ****** (*-**** *** *-***% ************).

  • ****** *** (******* **** ** **** *****), ***** ******** ******* image ********** ** ********** ******** ** **** ***** ** *** scene. **** **** **** ****** *** ****** **** **** ******, such ** ***** ****, ***** ** *** ********** *****.

***** ************ ** ********** *** ********** ****** ** ********* ********, with ******** ******* ** *** **** ** *** **** (~**' distance) ***** **** **** ********** **** ********* ** ******, ** possible ** ***.

******* ***** ******* ** ******* ********** ******* *** ********* ** the ******, ** **** **** ********* ****** ** *********** *****. The ***** ******** ** **** ****** ** ****** ********** ** improvements ** **********.

Imaging ***********

** ***** *****, *** ****** ***** ***** ******* ** *** subject ** **** ***** *** **** ****** (**** ** **), with * ******** ********* ** ******* ****** ** ***** *** light ****** (~*.***). **** **** *** ****** *** *** ********** the ******* ** **** *****, ********* ** **** ****** *****.

******** ******** ** ~**', ******* ******* ****** ****** ****** *** day. *******, *** ***** *** ****/** ******* **** *************, ********** in *** ***** *****, ***** *** *******'* **** ** ***** roughly ************ ** *** **** **** ** **.

Even ** ********

*** ***** **** *******'* ********** ** ************ *** ********** ****** bright, **** *** ***** ** *** ***** ** **** (**** as *** **** **** *****) ******.

*******, ****** **** ****** ******, *** ****** ********** *********** *** subject ** *** **** ** *** ****, ** ~**' *****. Most **** ******** ****** ** *** (**** *** ********* ** the**** *****) **** ****** ** *** ******** ** **** ********.

Smart *** *********

*****'* ***** *** ******** ******** ****** **** ********* ** *** NK8BR4 *** ***** ***** ******* ******, **** ******* **** ***** not **** ** ***** ***** *****, **** ** ******** ******** view ***** (*, *, *) ** * ****** ****, ** well ** *** ******* ** ***** ** *** ******** ** panorama ***** ** ****/**** *** ******* *** ******, ****** *********** faster *** ******.

VMS ****** **** ********* ***** ***********

** *** *****, *** ****** *** ******** ***** *** *********** driver ** *****, *******, *** *********. *******, ** ** *** listed ** ** *********** ******* ****** ** *********** *** ***** tells ** **** ** **** *** *** ** *********** ****, so **** ********* *** *** ** ******** ** *** **** geometry.

******-**** ********* ** ******** *** *** *********. *** *** ****** did *** ***** *** ******.

******* ***** **** *** *** *********** ********* ********* ******, ***** worked ******* ***** ** *** *****.

H.265 ******* ** *****/*******/*********/*********

*** ******'* *.*** ****** *** ********* ** *****, *******, *** Network ***** ******* *****, **** ** ********** ***** ******** ***** than ****** *** ****** ** *** ***, **** ** ******** stream ********* ** ****** *************.

**** ****** *** ****** ** ********* ******** ***** *.***, *** stream ****** ** ******** *** *** ****** *** ********* ***** to ********** ** ****** ** *.*** ** *** ******** ********** Client. *** ***** ** ****** *** ****** ** ***** ****** our *******. **** **** ** ********, *.*** ****** ******* ***** in ********.

Smart ***** *******

*** ***** ******** *****'****** *.***/*.***+ ***** *****. ** **** ***** ***** ***** ***** *******, ** ******* for ************* *** ********, ****** **/***, ****** ****** **** ****** ********* *,******** **** ***** *****, *********'* ***** ****** ***, ***** ***** ************* ** ******* ******** (*** ******, ***********, and *********).

***** *****'* ***** *****, *.***/*.*** ******** ********* ** **-**% ** day *** ***** ****** ******** ** ***-***** ****** (***** *.***+ vs. *.***, ***** *.***+ **. *.***).

Firmware/Software ******** ****

*** ********* ***** ******** *** ******** ******** **** ****:

  • ***** ******: *.***.*******.*.* ***** ****-**-**
  • ***** ***** ***: *.**.*.*.******

Comments (4)

Undisclosed Distributor #1

05/16/18 09:11pm

*** *** **** ** ******* ********* ******* ** * ***-*** lobby **** ***** ******* ** **** *** *** ***** *** (wdr)? ***’* ****.

Thumbnail profile pic

Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed Distributor #1 | 05/17/18 02:16am

** **** * ***** ** **** ** *** ** ************* faces *****, ** ***'* ************ *****. *** *** **********, ** might ** ****. ** **** ********* **** ** ******* ** open ********* **** *** * *** **** ****** *****.

Thumbnail image

Jon Dillabaugh

Pro Focus LLC | 05/19/18 10:45am

* **** ***** **** *** **** *******! (***!) * ******* this ***** ** ****** *** **** ** *** ***** **-***-******** model, ***** **** * ******** ******. ***** *** ** *** Dahua *** **** *** ***** ** **** *** *******/**** ****. If **, ** **** **** ***** **** ***** *** * few ***** *** **** ** *******. **** **** **** ** small ******** *****. ** ********* ****** *** *******/****** ********. *** biggest ******** ** *** ****** ** *** ***** ******** ** the ***** ******** *****. ** ** * ****!

Undisclosed #2

In reply to Jon Dillabaugh | 05/19/18 05:12pm

* ******* **** ***** ** ****** *** **** ** *** older **-***-******** *****, ***** **** * ******** ******.

** ** ***** *** *** **** **********:

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