Hikvision DarkfighterX Vs Darkfighter PTZ Tested

Author: Ethan Ace, Published on Apr 26, 2018

Hikvision has focused on improving low-light performance for PTZs, an area that has traditionally been a problem, even more so than fixed cameras, due to the challenges of higher F stops and long-range varifocal lenses of PTZs.

Two of Hikvision's most notable efforts are (1) their Darkfighter PTZ line and (2) more recently, their DarkfighterX, the "next level of surveillance", that unlike any major manufacturer, uses 2 sensors, as Hikvision explains the "IR sensor delivers image brightness, the other sensor for visible light guarantees vivid color."

We bought and tested the Darkfigher X DS-2DF8225IH-AELW against Hikvision's Darkfighter line (the DS-2DF8236IX-AELW) to see how this technology works and which one is better in which ways.

Inside, we share our full test results, including:

  • Wide angle vs zoom details captured
  • Low light color performance (in sub 1 lux 'no light' and in 2 - 7 lux ambient / 'urban' lighting')
  • Monochrome vs. color performance differences
  • Focus issues
  • Size compared to other PTZs
  • Relative bandwidth consumption
  • Comparative pricing

********* *** ******* ** ********* ***-***** *********** *** ****, ** area **** *** ************* **** * *******, **** **** ** than ***** *******, *** ** *** ********** ** ****** * stops *** ****-***** ********* ****** ** ****.

*** ** *********'* **** ******* ******* *** (*) ***** *********** PTZ **** *** (*) **** ********, *****************, *** "**** ***** ** ************", **** ****** *** ***** ************, **** * *******,** ********* *********** "** ****** ******** ***** **********, *** ***** ****** *** visible ***** ********** ***** *****."

** ****** *** ****** ************* * **-*********-*********** *********'* *********** **** (*****-*********-****) ** *** *** **** ********** ***** *** ***** *** is ****** ** ***** ****.

******, ** ***** *** **** **** *******, *********:

  • **** ***** ** **** ******* ********
  • *** ***** ***** *********** (** *** * *** '** *****' and ** * - * *** ******* / '*****' ********')
  • ********** **. ***** *********** ***********
  • ***** ******
  • **** ******** ** ***** ****
  • ******** ********* ***********
  • *********** *******

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

Low ***** *********** *******

**** **** *********'* ********* *****, *** ************ *** ******** ***** ****** *** ****** ********** in *** **** *** ** ****** **** ***** ******** *********** model, ***** ******* **** ** ***** ** *** **** *****, obscuring ******* ******.

*******, **** ******/******** ******* **** *** ******** ********* ** **** details, ** *** ***-* *********** *** ******** ****** ******* ** subjects *** **** (****** ******* *****) ** *** ***** ****** and ******. ************, ** ********* ****** **** ******* ******** (*+ lux), *********'* ******** *********** *** ***** ******** ***** *** ****** similar ** ** ****** **** *** ************.

**** *** **** ** ********** *** ***** *** ********** ******* color *********** **** ******** ******** ** ***** *** *** ********* moderate *********** ******* ** ** ** ** **** ******* **** fields ** ****. ****** *** ****** ** ** ****** ****** by ******** ** **** ***** ***** ****** ******/**** ******* ** a ***** ****.

Other ******** - ***** *** ********* ******

*** ************ *** ******** **** ***** ****** ***** ** **** other ** **** ** *** **** *****, ******* ** ***** on ******** *** ** ** ~** ******* ***** ******** ********, while *** ***-* *********** *** *** ************* **** ** **** problem.

*******, ************ ******** (*.***+) **** ****** **** *** ******** *********** PTZ ** *** ***** *** **** ****** ** ~**-**%.

Competitor **********

** **** ******, ***** ***** *** ** **** ********* ******** involved, ** ******* **** ** *********. ** ******** *******, ** will **** ** ***** ************'* ** / ***-***** ****, **** as**** ***** ***** ********* ** ***.

*******

*** **-*********-**** ************ *** ***** *** ~$*,*** *** ******, ***** 30% ****** **** *********'* ****** *********** (***-*) ***, *****-*********-****(~$*,*** ******).

Physical ********

*** ************ *** ** ******* ** ************ ** ***** ********** IR ******, ** **** *** ********** (****** *** ******* ** silver ******* ** *** ******* ***-***** ** ***** *********/***** ******).

**** *** *******, *** ****** ***** ******* ** ************ ** PTZs ** *** **** ******* *** *** ******* ******* *** camera's ****** ****, ** ***** ** *** ***** *****:

DarkfighterX ******

************ **** *** ***** *******, *** *** ***** *** *** for ********** *** ********* ******** *** ***. *********, **** ******* use * ****** ****, **** ***** ***** ** **** ** them. ******* ** **** ***********, *** ************'* ******* **** ** color (****** "***" ** *** *** *********), **** ** **, unusual *** ** *******.

********* ***** *** ** ****** ** *** ****** ******** **** strange *******. ****** ********' ********** *** ****** ******** "***" *** change ** **** ****, ***** *****.

**** **** *** ****** **** *** * "*****" ********** ****, but **** ********* *********** *** **** ** ******** ** ****, removing *** ***** *** ***** *********:

Bright ******/******** ******** **** ****** ***

**** ***** **** ****** ** **** (***** *****), *** ************ camera ******** ******** ****** **** ****** ******** ** ***** **** the ******** *********** ****** ******** ** ********** **** ** **. The *** ********** ** *** *****, ******, *** ******* ***** are *** ****** ******* ** *** ************ *****, *** *** in *** ***-* ***********.

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

IR "*** ***" **** ****** ***

*******, **** *** ************ ****** ** ****** ***, ******** ****** very ********* ** ****** ** *** ** **** ***** (***'+), as *** ******'* ** ******** ** ****/******* *****, ***** *****. This ******** ********** ** ***** ** ***** ****** ** ** off.

**** ** ***** ** ****** *****, **** *** ******* ******* eliminated ** ***** **** ****** **, **** **** ********* ** see **** ****** ***.

Reduced **** ******* ******** ** ******** ** *******

******** *** ************ ******** * ******** ******* *****, **** ****** and ****** ********, **** ******* **** ** ****** ******** ******** moderately *******/******* **** ******* **, ******** ***** *********.

*** *******, ** ***' ******** (~** ***), *** *******'* ****** details *** **** ***** *** **** ***** ** *** ************ camera, *** ***** *** **** ************/******* ** *** ***-* *********** PTZ.

** ****** *****/****** **** ******, **** **** ** ****** ******* more **********. ***** ***** ** ~***', *** ************ ****** ** dimmer, **** **** ***** ******* ******* *** **** ***** ********** than *** ******** *********** *****. *******, ****** *** ***** ******* visible ** *** ************, ***** ** *** ***** *****.

*******, ** ****** ***** (~***'), **** *******' ******* ******, **** only **** ** **** *** ******* *** **** ***** ******* details.

Performance ***** ********** ** ******** ***** ******

** ********* ****** **** ******** ********, *** ************ ********* ***** than *** ******** *********** *** ** ***** ****. ***** ****** from ~*-*** ** *** *****, ********* ** ********* ** ******* lot ********.

*** *******, ** ~***' ********, **** ***** ** ~*-***, *** DarkfighterX *** *********** ******* ******* ******* *** ***** ******** ** "day" ****, ***** *** ******** *********** ******** ******* ******* ** the ******* *** ***** **** ** **.

*** **** *** **** ** ***** ***** ******, ~*-***, ***** below. ** **** *****, ******* ** *** ************ *** *********** are ******* ** *****, **** ******* ***** ****** **** ** on.

Occasional ***** ******

****** *******, *** ************ ****** *********** ******** ***** ****** ******* to ***** ** **** ******. ** *** ******* *****, *** camera ***** ** ***** ****** *** ****** **** ~** *******.

** ********, *** ***-* *********** *** ******* ** *** ******* in **** *-* ******* ****** * ******* ******** *******:

FoV **********

*** **** ***** ********** ***** ***** *** **** ***** ** view ** **** ******. ***** *** ************ ******** ******* ***** coverage **** *** *********** ** ***** **** *** **** ******* are ******* (*** ***** ** ********** ******** *****)

Full ***** ***********

** ******* ******, *** ************ *** *********** **** ******* ******* details ** *** ******* *** **** *****, **** ****** *********** in **********. *** ************'* ***** ** ******* ******/***** **** *** Darkfighter, *** ********* ******* *** *******.

** **** *****, ~***', ******* *** *******, ** ****.

Bandwidth **********

** **** **** (DarkfighterX *** ******** ~**-**% **** ********* **** *** ***-* *********** model. **** ****** ****************'* *.***+ ***** *****.

**** **** ***** ******** **** ******** ****** ****** ******** ** more ******* ********* **** ***** ***. ***** ***** ****** ***** with **** ********* ** ********* ****** *** ****** **** ********** will *** *.***+ ******** **** ******* ** ***** *******, ****** the ************ ***'* ******** *** ***** ********** ****** **** ***-*, by ~**%.

*.***+ ******* **** ********* ** ***** *** *********. *.***+ ******* worked ******* ****** ** ******** ******* ****** *** ****** ****.

Firmware ****

*** **** ******* ******** ********* ** *** **** ** ******* was ****, ******** ** ********* *** ********* *******.

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

Comments (6)

Thumbnail image

Jon Dillabaugh

Pro Focus LLC | 04/26/18 05:54pm

**** **** *******, **** ******** ******! * ** ********* * few ****** ******;

** "*** ***" **** ****** ***

** ** ******** **** ***** ***** ** ** ****** ***** be ***** ** ********? ** ** ** * ** ****** feature **** ** **** ** ******** ****? ** **** **** to ** * ***** ***** ** **. *** ***** ***** you ***** ***** **** **** ******* **** ***********.

****** *******, *** ************ ****** *********** ******** ***** ****** ******* to ***** ** **** ******. ** *** ******* *****, *** camera ***** ** ***** ****** *** ****** **** ~** *******.

** ********, *** ***-* *********** *** ******* ** *** ******* in **** *-* ******* ****** * ******* ******** *******:

* ******'* **** *** ****** **** ** ***** ******** **** the *** ***** *** ****** ** ******* ** *** ******* walking. ** *** ****, ** *******, **** *** ******* **** more ******* ******** ** ******** **** ***** **** ****? ** there ********* ******** ** *** **** **** ****** ****? ** is **** ****** * ****** ***** **** **** *** *****?

***** **** **** ** ******* ** ***** ** *&* ****? Would *** ******** ** **** **** ***** ****** ** ***** mode? ***** *** *** ***** ***** ****** ** *&* ****?

Thumbnail profile pic

Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Jon Dillabaugh | 04/26/18 04:10pm

* ***** ***** **** ***** **** *** *** ** ************ in ********, ***. ** ****** ***** *** ** ** **** it *** **** * ***** **** ** ************. ***** *** longer ***** **** ** *** ***** ***** ****** ******* **.

** *** ******* *'** ****, **'* ********* **** ****** ** focus **** ****** ******* **. *** ******** **** **** **** the *********** *** ***** ** **** **** *****/***** ******* **** was *** ******* ** **** ** ********* ***** ******** ******** in *** ***** (~* *******). ** ***** ***** ** **** even **** ****.

**** ******** ** ***** ****. * ***** ****** *** ***-* camera ** ********* ***** ** ***** ****, *** ****** ******* the ***** ** ****** *** ***** ******** ***** ** ***** IR ***. *** *** ***** ** **, ** *** ********** image ***'* ****** *** ********/** ****** ********.

Thumbnail image

Jon Dillabaugh

Pro Focus LLC | In reply to Ethan Ace | 04/26/18 04:14pm

** * ****** ** *** **** ** *** *** **** is ******** ** *** **** ** ******* ****** ** *** sensors? ******'* **** ** * ********* **** **** ** ****? Maybe *********** *** ** ** **** ** ***** ** ******* the **** ******* *** **** ***** ** **** ******** ************? In **** ****, ** ** ****** * ******* ****** ***** and *** ********* **** ***** ** ******** ** ********?

Undisclosed Manufacturer #1

04/26/18 04:27pm

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

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

Dennis Ruban

05/01/18 03:45pm

**** *** *** ************ ***** **** *** ******** *** *********? When * *** ** ********, *** ****** ********* ****** *.* mbps ** ****** **** *.***+ *******, *** *** ****** *** with ****** **** *** **** ********* ***********

Thumbnail profile pic

Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Dennis Ruban | 05/01/18 06:17pm

*** ********* ************ **** ***** **** *** ****** ***** **** for ********, ** ** ********* ** *** **** *** ******** on *** *****. ** ****'** ****** **** *******, ***** *****'* constant **** ****** ******. **** **'* *****, **'* **** *****, a *** ******* **/*.

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