Hikvision vs Dahua High-End 4MP Cameras Test

By Ethan Ace, Published Jun 27, 2016, 10:36am EDT

4MP models hit with a splash last year, offering increased resolution and true WDR at past 1080p prices. However, these models have been limited to the low end, with fixed lenses and limited options.

Now, Dahua and Hikvision have released new dome models with high end features like remote focus and zoom, two way audio, and more, at prices well under historic lows.

We bought and tested these new models from Dahua and Hikvision (Dahua IPC-HDBW5421E-Z and Hikvision DS-2CD2742FWD-ISZ) to see how they stack up against low cost 4MP bullets as well as high performing 1080p cameras.

See our full results inside.

*******

*** ***** *** ********* models ****** **** *** solid ***** ******* *** those ******* *** >***** performance *** ********* ****** focus *** **** ******* in ***** **** ******. While **** **** ** a ~$*** ******* **** fixed **** ** ******, they *** ************* **** expensive **** ****/**** ***** with ******* *********** (****, true ***, **, ********* zoom), ~$*** ****** **. an******* ** ****** ~$***.

*******, **** **** *********** in **** **** *** WDR ****** *** ******** improved **** *** **** models, ****** **** ***** and ********* ***** ****** slightly ** *** ***** compared ** **** ********* bullet *******.

***** **. *********

*** ***** ******** ************ the ********* **** ** our *****, **** **** even ** ******** ********* in ****** *** ***** performance, ******** ****** *** imaging, *** ****** ***** due ** ** ***** buttons/remote ********* (**** ******** the ********* ***** *****).

*******, *** ********* ****'* bandwidth *********** *** * fraction ** *** ***** 4MP ***** ** *** tests *** ** *** inclusion ** ***** *.***+ smart *****. ******* ***** may ** ************* ***** because ** **** **** using *** ********* ******.

Key ********

**** *** *** *** findings **** **** ****:

  • ** **** ****** ** view (~**'), *** ***** 5421 *** **** ****** performed ******** ****** **** Hikvision's *** ********* **** equivalent (****), **** **** even ******** *** ****** chart **********.
  • **** ***** *** ********* zoom ******* ******** ******** more *******/**** ***** ******* than ***** ********** ***** lens ****** ************ ** wide ****.
  • ** ******** ****** ** view ***** *** ** higher (~** ** *** 4MP ******), ******* ** all *** *** ****** were ******* ** **** light.
  • ** *** ***** (~*.***), the ***** *** **** camera ********* ****** **** the ********* **********, ***** had * **** ****** center ** *******, **** darker ** *** ***** of *** ***.
  • *******, **** **** ******* were ************ ** ***** by *** *** **** bullet ******, ***** ******** slightly ****** ****** ** the ******* *** **** clearer **** **********.
  • *** ***** **** ******** zoom ******* ******** ** the ******, ** **** as * ********* ***** output, ***** **** ****** and ******** ******. ********* includes *** ********* ******, but ** ******** ******** on *** ******.
  • *** ********* **** ******** remote ***** *** ****, but **** *** ******* autofocus. *****'* *** ********* model ****.

*******

**** *** ***** ***-******** and ********* **-******* **** for ~$*** *** ******, roughly ***** *** ***** of *** **** ****** models, ***** **** *** ~$130-150 (****** **** ********* zoom).

*******, **** ***** ** ~60% ***** **** *** average ***** ** ******* zoom ******, ~$***.

Physical ********

**** ******* *** ***** average ***** *** ******* domes, **** *** ********* 2742 ********** ******* **** the ***** ****. ******** of **** *** ******* with *** *** ******:

  • ***** ******** **** *******:*** ***** ****** ******** physical ******* ** *** camera *** ****/**** **** control. ********* **** ***. In *** ***** (**** and ******) ** ***** that ***** ******** ***** aim *** ***** ****.
  • ********* "******" ******:*** ********* ****'* ****** "clicks" ** *** ****** is ******. **** *** make ************ ****** *** some, ** ** **** not ******* ************/************ ** screws ** *** *** camera. *******, ****** *** find *** ****** *** far *****, ******** ******* aiming ** *** ******.

** **** * **** at ***** *** ***** issues ** **** *****:

Focus/Zoom ********

***** **** *** ****** tested ******* **** ******, there *** **** *** differences ******* *** ***:

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

***** ** *** ********* 2742 ** ****** **** via *** *** *********. The "********* *****" ****** found ** *** **** view **** *** ******* autofocus ** ** **** in ***** ******.

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

** ********* *****, *** Dahua **** ******** ******** zoom ******** ** *** camera ******, *** ******* focus ** *** ****** was ****** **/***. **** simplified ****** *** ******** compared ** *********, ** everything ***** ** ********* at *** ******, ******* of ********* *** *** interface ** *** ****/*****.

Daytime ***** ******* **********

** ******* ******* ** a **** **** ****** field ** ****, ~**'.

******* ********* ** *** cameras ** **** *** level *** *******, **** slight ********* ** ***** due ** ************ ** both ********* ******. *** high *** ***** ***** is ***** **** *** reference / ********** ******** against ******* ***** ********** models.

** **** ****** ** a ******** ***** ** view, ~**' ****:

** **** *** *****, details ** *** *** cameras *** ****** *** similar.

Integrated ** ***********

*** ** ******* ** the ***** **** *** even ****** *** **** field ** **** ** our *****. *******, *** Hikvision **** *** * strong ****** *** ****, moderately ************ ********, *** was **** **** ****** the ***** ** *** FOV. *** ********** ******* the *** ** **** in *** ********* *****:

** **** ***** *****, with ** **, **** zoom ****** ******* ****** details **** ***** *** cost ****** *********** *** to ****** *******. **** that **** ******* **** remotely ******* ****** *** after ********* ** ***** mode.

WDR **********

** ****** *** ** a ********* *****, ******* strong ********* ** **** as ****** *****:

*** ***** ******** **** model ******** *** ********* details ** **** *****, in **** *** ****** and **** ***** ** the *****, **** * slight **** **** *** Hikvision ****. **** **** models' *** *********** *** similar ** ** ******** better **** ***** *** cost ****** ************.

Bandwidth **********

**** ********* ****** ** this **** ******* ******.***+ ***** *****, ********* ** **** lower ******* ******** **** competitive ***** ******. *** Hikvision *** ****** *** the ****** ******* ******** of ******* ** **** test, ****** *** **** zoom **** *** ***** much ***** **** *** Dahua ****.

Test **********

*** ******* **** ****** using ******* ******** ****** otherwise *********, **** *** following ******* ** *** cameras:

  • *.***, ** ***, ~** quantization *** ****
  • */*** ******* ******* *****

*** ********* ******** ******** were **** *** **** test:

  • ***** ***-*********-*: *.***.****.**.*
  • ********* **-**********-***: **.*.*
  • ***** ***-********: *.*.**.****.**.*
  • ********* **-*********-*: **.*.* ***** 151105

Comments (17)

Undisclosed #1

IPVMU Certified | 06/27/16 03:18pm

What are the exact part numbers for both the Dahua cameras?

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Undisclosed #1

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 06/27/16 05:25pm

Thinking that

IPC-HBDW4421E should be IPC-HFW4421E.

IPC-HBDW5421 should be IPC-HDBW5421.

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John Scanlan

IPVM | IPVMU Certified | In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 06/27/16 06:12pm

Dahua IPC-HDBW5421E-Z & Dahua IPC-HFW4421E are the Dahua models. I just updated that and added the main two test models to the top of the report as well.

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Rich Moore

In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 06/28/16 03:03pm
As a Uniview Direct Wholesaler, I would have liked to have seen the top 3 manufacturers in China: Hikvision, Dahua and Uniview do a shoot out for 4MP Motorized Zoom using the Uniview IPC3234SR-DVZ28 which is a 2.8-12mm motorized zoom, IR array LEDs up to 98 feet with Smart IR and is comparably priced.
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John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Rich Moore | 06/28/16 03:10pm

Uniview is a distant #3, both in revenue and market share in the West, so that's the reason.

We test various products, so we may well test Uniview later this year.

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Marty Calhoun

IPVMU Certified | 06/27/16 08:06pm

We have been installing quite a few of the Value line Hikvision DS-2CD2542 4mp cameras inside in office environments and have noticed a remarkable improvement over the 3mp. We did not expect a vast improvement but it is definitely noticeable to the eye as the customer has both cameras on differing properties.

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John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Marty Calhoun | 06/27/16 08:17pm

Marty, good feedback. When do you offer 3MP for new installs now? Has that been moved over to 4MP?

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Undisclosed Manufacturer #2

06/27/16 11:33pm

From what I heard, Hikvision's H.264+ smart CODEC requires a Hikvision recorder to take advantage of the bandwidth savings. Can anyone confirm if this is correct?

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Undisclosed #1

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Undisclosed Manufacturer #2 | 06/28/16 02:25am

Only if the cameras are TVI.

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Jon Dillabaugh

Pro Focus LLC
In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 06/28/16 03:45pm

This is somewhat misleading. Analog HD cameras always send an uncompressed video signal to the respective DVR. The DVR itself is doing the encoding work. So, no, TVI cameras don't directly support h.264+. It is up to the DVR to support it or not.

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Undisclosed #1

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Jon Dillabaugh | 06/28/16 04:16pm

This is somewhat misleading.

How so?

The question was essentially, "do you need a Hik recorder to compress video with h.264+ ?"

Answer is "no, unless the cameras are TVI."

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Undisclosed Manufacturer #2

In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 06/29/16 04:16pm

I recently attended Hikvision's Smart Series Training. Their trainer told us that the only way to take advantage of h.264+ is with a Hikvision recorder. He went on to say that third party VMS software like Milestone cannot take advantage of this technology.

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Jon Dillabaugh

Pro Focus LLC
In reply to Undisclosed Manufacturer #2 | 06/29/16 04:21pm

Then he was mistaken.

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John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed Manufacturer #2 | 06/28/16 11:12am

2, for Hikvision IP cameras, H.264+ is all done on the camera and can be connected / integrated / streamed to 3rd party VMS / NVRs like 'regular' H.264.

With TVI, as 2 alludes to below, the encoding / compressing is done on the recorder side which would require a recorder that supports H.264+

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Jon Dillabaugh

Pro Focus LLC
In reply to Undisclosed Manufacturer #2 | 06/28/16 03:43pm

I can safely confirm that Hikvision's h.264+ works well with DW Spectrum and the bandwidth savings are reflective of the tests here by IPVM. In fact, I don't think the VMS/NVR used is relevant. The camera is doing the reduction in bandwidth alone, then sending a standard h.264 stream on to the recording device. The VMS/NVR wouldn't notice anything different, other than the lower bit rate.

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Andrius Dapkevicius

IPVMU Certified | 06/29/16 05:42am

Ahm... Well there is auto-focus in 27x2 as well as 26x2. Depends on what FW you have used.

As far as I know there should be EXIR version for 27x2 this should also solve some problems with IR during the night. http://prntscr.com/bmfx49

As for Uniview it works great BUT. According to market Uniview maybe a bit more expensive that Hik and Dahua. The gap between two giants and UNV is to big. So I would say to compare UNV means then to compare TIANDY, QIHAN, Brickom and so on. However it would be interesting :)

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Jon Dillabaugh

Pro Focus LLC
In reply to Andrius Dapkevicius | 06/29/16 09:07am

I have a US version of the DS-2CD2742FWD-IZS on hand with firmware v 5.3.8 and can confirm that there is no autofocus. I downgraded to V 5.3.6 and still no autofocus. If you can tell me which version of firmware enables autofocus, I would be very happy to have it.

In fact, due to a lack of autofocus, this particular model took a long time to get focused well. I tried just about every method I know of; web interface via IE11 & Firefox, iVMS-4200 (both 2.5.0.5 & 2.4.1.3), and iVMS-4500 (iPhone 6 iOS 9.3.2), but it still was buggy. It would not adjust with a single click. Double tap would barely budge it. Holding down the button for more than a tap and it would adjust to the extreme end of the range.

I finally found that iVMS-4500HD on my iPad mini 4 (iOS 9.3.2) allowed me to single click the button and that was effective. The camera was much more responsive. No more extreme adjustments or lagging.

All of my adjustments were made from the same network (home) via WiFi on the head end. I never moved the camera or used a different wired connection. My only change was the different software on varied hardware devices.

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