Advice Needed: Dahua IPC-PFW5849-A180-E2-ASTE vs Hikvision DS-2CD2T87G2P-LSU/SL

[josshh]

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for advice on which camera would be the best choice for my needs: the Dahua IPC-PFW5849-A180-E2-ASTE or the Hikvision DS-2CD2T87G2P-LSU/SL.

Here’s a bit of context:

• I want to monitor my garden, which has two entrances.
• I love the idea of having full-color images in all lighting conditions without needing to turn on LEDs, as I feel this adds a level of subtlety to the surveillance.
• I currently own a Dahua IPC-HFW3849T1-AS-PV, and I’ve been happy with it.
• Both cameras are available to me at the same price, so cost isn’t a deciding factor.

From what I’ve read:

• The Hikvision has ColorVu technology, which promises 24/7 full-color imaging.
• The Dahua offers advanced features like heat mapping and people counting, which I’m not sure I’ll fully utilize for home use.

Which one would you recommend for a residential setup? I’d appreciate hearing your thoughts, especially if you have experience with either of these models.

Thanks in advance!

 

[wittaj]

Welcome!

Keep in mind these cameras are not magic and do need light.

If you do not have enough white light and do not want to run the white LEDs, then it is the wrong camera choice.

These cameras do not see infrared and thus you cannot add it later.

Further these are mainly OVERVIEW cameras. Beyond 15 feet or so you will not get IDENTIFY quality of an unknown person.

The camera you currently have isn't a fan favorite here (8MP on a sensor designed for 2MP) and is one of the most complained about cameras here outside of the consumer brand stuff like Ring, Blink, etc., so if you are ok with it, then you will be ok with these LOL. I suspect you are running on default/auto settings?

If you are happy with the Dahua, then you should stick with Dahua. Many of us that have both feel like the interface of Dahua is easier to use than Hikvision.

As always YMMV.

 

[josshh]

Welcome!

Keep in mind these cameras are not magic and do need light.

If you do not have enough white light and do not want to run the white LEDs, then it is the wrong camera choice.

These cameras do not see infrared and thus you cannot add it later.

Further these are mainly OVERVIEW cameras. Beyond 15 feet or so you will not get IDENTIFY quality of an unknown person.

The camera you currently have isn't a fan favorite here (8MP on a sensor designed for 2MP) and is one of the most complained about cameras here outside of the consumer brand stuff like Ring, Blink, etc., so if you are ok with it, then you will be ok with these LOL. I suspect you are running on default/auto settings?

If you are happy with the Dahua, then you should stick with Dahua. Many of us that have both feel like the interface of Dahua is easier to use than Hikvision.

As always YMMV.

Thank you for the warm welcome @wittaj and the detailed response!

The Dahua I currently have just arrived. I’m transitioning from Reolink cameras, and after briefly testing it, I thought it seemed like a decent device. Maybe I got a bit carried away saying I’m happy with it—clearly, it’s not very popular here! Out of curiosity, why is this model so detested? Is it just the resolution-to-sensor ratio, or are there other issues I should be aware of?
I’m definitely new to more serious camera setups and quickly realising there’s a whole world to learn here. Coming from two Reolink cameras, this Dahua feels like a big step up already, but I’d love to hear what I might be missing or overlooking.

Regarding lighting, my garden doesn’t have dedicated lighting, but there are a couple of nearby streetlights. Would this be enough to get decent performance at night, or would you recommend additional lighting?

You also mentioned these cameras are mainly for “overview.” Could you clarify what you mean by that? Does it mean they’re more suited for general monitoring rather than capturing fine details? If so, at what distance would you say their effectiveness starts to drop?

Any tips for a newbie stepping into the Dahua/Hikvision world would be much appreciated!

 

[wittaj]

Yeah they will be better than Reolinks LOL.

The biggest mistakes people make are chasing MP and thinking the wide angle camera will give them everything they need.

The also think digital zoom works like in the movies. We can do a little, but not much.

The 2.8 and 3.6mm focal length cameras are great for OVERVIEW or IDENTIFY within 15ish or so feet. After that you need a different focal length.

Streetlights, while nice, end up producing a backlit condition, so if the person is in between the camera and the streetlights, their face will be black. The light needs to be coming from the same plane or behind the camera.

See this thread for the commonly recommended cameras (along with Amazon links) based on distance to IDENTIFY that represent the overall best value in terms of price and performance day and night.

The Importance of Focal Length over MP in camera selection

Here is a thread of a person just this past week on the 3849 being burned on them.

The biggest problem with the camera is it was put on sensor designed for 2MP, so it will need 4 times as much light as the 2MP to produce the same brightness. And because they shoved 8MP on a sensor designed for 2MP, the sensor/cpu is undersized for 8MP.

And then these are a few of the threads made be people coming here because the camera was underwhelming.

IPC-HDW3849H-AS-PV issues

IPC-HDW3849H-AS-PV loses connection/reboots during the day

Replaced HDW5442TMP-ASE by HFW3849T1P

Dahua 8mp (TIOC): Full Colour, Active Deterrence & AI

IPC-HDW3849H-AS-PV Video Quality

 

[josshh]

Thanks for the detailed response @wittaj and all the helpful links—definitely a lot for me to think about!

I’ll admit I’m an amateur in this world of cameras. My main goal is simple: I just want the camera to alert me and sound an alarm if someone enters my property. I don’t need Hollywood-level surveillance, but I do want something reliable, robust, and good enough to feel secure without breaking the bank.

For context, the distance from where I plan to install the camera to the entrance is about 20-25 feet. Given that, do you think picking one of these two cameras (the Hikvision DS-2CD2T87G2P-LSU/SL or the Dahua 5849) would be a poor choice? Or could they work well for my needs despite their limitations?

Additionally, how much of a drawback is the lack of infrared on these cameras when it comes to detecting intruders at night? Would it be better to consider something with IR capabilities instead?

I’m also a bit shocked to read about how poorly the 3849 performs, especially with low-light conditions. It’s surprising to me that it struggles so much despite being an 8MP camera. Definitely something I’ll keep in mind when evaluating cameras moving forward.

Thanks again for all the insights—it’s clear there’s a lot for me to learn, but I’m grateful for the guidance!

 

[wittaj]

Many come here thinking they don't need IDENTIFY.

Then something happens and they realize that they wish they had IDENTIFY capabilities.

If all you care about is an alert that hey someone might be back in your garden, then that camera might be ok. But IDENTIFY at 25 feet needs somewhere around a 12mm focal length.


We tell people that if you not sure you have enough light, it is better to get a camera that has infrared capabilities.

You can always force a camera to color.

Keep in mind, most of the time a full color camera simply means it provides visible white LED lights (especially if is it the same model series) instead of infrared light. The drawback is it cannot see infrared.

Whereas the camera with infrared has infrared lights instead of visible white LED lights.

But if you were not going to use the visible white LED lights, then get the camera that has infrared. You can always force the camera to color if you have enough light.


As I said, the 3849 struggles because it is on a sensor designed for 2MP. If you were hauling a trailer, would you want a little two door 4-cylnder car or a truck designed to tow the weight of the trailer? Same concept.

It is why we say chase sensor size and not MP.

Here is a recent example someone posted with an 8MP on the 1/2.8" sensor (similar to the camera MP/sensor ratio you have) versus 8MP on the proper sized sensor (1/1.2" sensor) - which image looks better to you?

Now keep in mind this is a static image. Motion would convey a completely different picture.

Of more importance is that the top picture is default settings, so a horribly slow shutter of maybe 1/12 so any motion would be a blur. The 2nd picture is a 1/100 shutter and will get a clean capture. The faster the shutter speed, the more light that is needed. That bottom picture at 1/100 shutter is impressive. If the top camera was set to a 1/100 shutter it would be a very dark image.


Almost any camera can do well in the daytime with enough light, even cameras that are 8MP put on a sensor designed for 2MP. But keep in mind that usually the processor and other stuff are still designed around 2MP, so the camera struggles trying to keep up with 8MP worth of data.

So buying an 8MP camera on the same sensor as the 2MP processor means that the processor is potentially working 4 times as hard for the 8MP camera. The camera you have is designed for 2MP, so when they pop an 8MP lens on it, the processor is still the same and has to work harder. In some situations that is problematic.