Dahua 12MP Fisheye Camera Tested (NK8BR4)

By: 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.

********** *** ******** ** 12MP ****** ******* *******, we ****** *** ****** the***** ******, *********:

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

******* ****** *** *** tests ** ***** **** image ******* ******, *********:

** *** **** *****, we **** ******* * shootout ******* *** ** those ******* *** **** models ***** ** ** tested.

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

*******

*** ****** *** ******* positives ** *** *****:

  • **** ** ********/*****:*** ****** ********** ** illuminator ******** ****** ***** than **** ******* ********** tested, **** **** ****** darkening ** *** ***** at *** ***** (**** using ********* ********).
  • *.*** ***********: *.*** ******* ****** **** no ****** ** *****, Genetec, *********, *** ******* Optix, **** ******* ********* than **** *.*** ** cameras ** **** ******.
  • ***** *** ********* *****:*****'* *** ***, ***** PSS ******* ********** ********* modes (******** **** *****, split *******, *** *********) not ********* ** *****-***** VMS, **** ****** ********** by ******** ** ********** viewing *******, ***** *** be ****** *** *************/********** users.
  • ***** ****** **** *********:******-**** ********* ****** ******** and ******* ***** ** third ***** ***** ***** the *********** *** (*****, Genetec, *********) *** ********* using ********* *********.

*** **** ******** ** the ****** ** *** testing *** *** *** of *** ********** ******* settings, ***** ************* ******* low ***** ***** *******, with ******** ********* ** detect ** ~**' ******** and *** ******. *******, after ********* ********/**** ******** and ******** ******* ***, nighttime ****** ******* *************, with ******** ****** ** discern *** *** ********** fully ***********.

***** ********** **** *** camera *** ***** ******** changes *** *** **** that ***** ******** *** an *****, ****** ********* or ***** ********** ** poor ***********.

*******

*** ****** ***** *** ~$700 *** ******, ********** less ********* **** *********** models, **** ** *** Axis *****-**** (~$***), *** slightly **** ********* **** Hikvision's **-********-** (~$***). 

Physical **********

*** ****** ** ******* in **** *** **** factor ** ***** ******* models ******, *** *** two *** ***********:

  • ***** ****:*** ***** ******* **** a ~*' ***** ****, while **** ***** **** models ****** **** *********** directly ** *** ******. In **** ***********,*********** **** ******* ******* cameras ******* ***** *****. 
  • **** ******* *******:***** **** ***** ****** locate *** ** **** beneath * ***** *****, which ******** ***** ***** location, *** ***** ***** places **** ******* ** the *******. **** **** this ** ****** ** aesthetics *****, ** ** saw ** *********** *********** between ***** ****** ** this ** ***** *****.

** ****** ***** *** other ******** ** **** overview *****:

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

*** ****** ******** ** "Auto" ******** ****, ***** limits ********* **** ******* and ******* *** ***** performance. ***** ** *** testing, ** ********* *** key ******** *******:

  • *** "******" ******** ****, ***** allows ******* *** **** to ** *** ****** specific ****** (*-**** *** 0-100% ************).

  • ****** *** (******* **** in **** *****), ***** improves ******* ***** ********** by ********** ******** ** dark ***** ** *** scene. **** **** **** change may ****** **** **** detail, **** ** ***** text, ***** ** *** comparison *****. 

***** ************ ** ********** are ********** ****** ** detecting ********, **** ******** visible ** *** **** of *** **** (~**' distance) ***** **** **** previously **** ********* ** detect, ** ******** ** all.

******* ***** ******* ** overall ********** ******* *** usability ** *** ******, we **** **** ********* images ** *********** *****. The ***** ******** ** fine ****** ** ****** outweighed ** ************ ** brightness.

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

** ***** *****, *** NK8BR4 shows ***** ******* ** the ******* ** **** light *** **** ****** (with ** **), **** a ******** ********* ** subject ****** ** ***** low ***** ****** (~*.***). Note **** *** ****** did *** ********** *** subject ** **** *****, discussed ** **** ****** below.

******** ******** ** ~**', ******* details ****** ****** ****** the ***. *******, *** light *** ****/** ******* drop *************, ********** ** low ***** *****, ***** the *******'* **** ** still ******* ************ ** the **** **** ** on.

Even ** ********

*** ***** **** *******'* integrated ** ************ *** moderately ****** ******, **** the ***** ** *** field ** **** (**** as *** **** **** below) ******.

*******, ****** **** ****** tested, *** ****** ********** illuminated *** ******* ** the **** ** *** room, ** ~**' *****. Most **** ******** ****** so *** (**** *** exception ** ******* *****) **** ****** ** see ******** ** **** distance.

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

*****'* ***** *** ******** includes ****** **** ********* of *** ****** *** other ***** ******* ******, with ******* **** ***** not **** ** ***** party *****, **** ** multiple ******** **** ***** (2, *, *) ** a ****** ****, ** well ** *** ******* to ***** ** *** overview ** ******** ***** to ****/**** *** ******* PTZ ******, ****** *********** faster *** ******.

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

** *** *****, *** NK8BR4 *** ******** ***** the *********** ****** ** Exacq, *******, *** *********. However, ** ** *** listed ** ** *********** Enables ****** ** *********** and ***** ***** ** that ** **** *** use ** *********** ****, so **** ********* *** not ** ******** ** the **** ********.

******-**** ********* ** ******** was *** *********. *** VMS ****** *** *** allow *** ******.

******* ***** **** *** own *********** ********* ********* driver, ***** ****** ******* issue ** *** *****.

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

*** ******'* *.*** ****** was ********* ** *****, Genetec, *** ******* ***** without *****, **** ** additional ***** ******** ***** than ****** *** ****** to *** ***, **** as ******** ****** ********* or ****** *************.

**** ****** *** ****** to ********* ******** ***** H.265, *** ****** ****** be ******** *** *** camera *** ********* ***** to ********** ** ****** to *.*** ** *** XProtect ********** ******. *** doing ** ****** *** client ** ***** ****** our *******. **** **** is ********, *.*** ****** without ***** ** ********.

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

*** ***** ******** *****'****** *.***/*.***+ ***** *****. ** **** ***** ***** smart ***** *******, ** options *** ************* *** provided, ****** **/***, ****** others **** ****** ********* *,******** **** ***** *****, *********'* ***** ****** ***, ***** ***** ************* of ******* ******** (*** length, ***********, *** *********).

***** *****'* ***** *****, H.265/H.264 ******** ********* ** 70-80% ** *** *** night ****** ******** ** non-smart ****** (***** *.***+ vs. *.***, ***** *.***+ vs. *.***). 

Firmware/Software ******** **** 

*** ********* ***** ******** and ******** ******** **** used:

  • ***** ******: *.***.*******.*.* ***** 2017-11-07
  • ***** ***** ***: *.**.*.*.******

Comments (4)

Undisclosed Distributor #1

05/16/18 09:11pm

*** *** **** ** include ********* ******* ** a ***-*** ***** **** glass ******* ** **** for *** ***** *** (***)? Can’t ****.

Avatar

Ethan Ace

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

** **** * ***** we **** ** *** it ************* ***** *****, so ***'* ************ *****. *** for **********, ** ***** be ****. ** **** typically **** ** ******* an **** ********* **** and * *** **** facing *****. 

Avatar

Jon Dillabaugh

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

* **** ***** **** new **** *******! (***!) I ******* **** ***** is ****** *** **** as *** ***** **-***-******** model, ***** **** * firmware ******. ***** *** of *** ***** *** guys *** ***** ** here *** *******/**** ****. If **, ** **** been ***** **** ***** for * *** ***** now **** ** *******. They **** **** ** small ******** *****. ** generally ****** *** *******/****** fisheyes. *** ******* ******** to *** ****** ** the ***** ******** ** the ***** ******** *****. It ** * ****!

Undisclosed #2

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

* ******* **** ***** is ****** *** **** as *** ***** **-***-******** model, ***** **** * firmware ******.

** ** ***** *** the **** **********:

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