Initial review of the DS-2CD2347G2-L(U) ColorVu 2.0 IP camera.

[alastairstevenson]

This is an initial review of the interesting Hikvision DS-2CD2347G2-L(U) 4MP IP turret camera, linked to the marketing terms ColorVu 2.0 and Accusense 2.0
The intention is to not overlap or duplicate the various other useful posts on the same device, but rather to try to pick out some different aspects that may be of interest to the forum. EOE.

Disclosure : The device under review was provided by Andy Wong of @EMPIRETECANDY in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
Andy's ipcamtalk store: link
Andy's AliExpress store: link
Andy's Amazon store: link
Andy's Email: kingsecurity2014 (at) 163 (dot) com

The camera under review came with firmware IPC_G3_EN_STD_5.5.134_200430
The Hikvision EU portal has a newer version IPCH_EX_G3_EN_STD_5.5.153_200730 which may well change or fix some of the observations below.

• What’s good :
  The low-light performance is very similar to the familiar DS-2CD2347G1-L(U) ColorVu camera. It uses the same type 62 sensor. Comparison shots (plenty of these in other threads) -
  
  
  
  There are a number of scale expansions to otherwise existing and familiar configuration settings that should help users to fine tune the camera for their use case.
  4 regions for intrusion detection, with a target that can be human or vehicle.
  4 regions for line crossing detection, with a target that can be human or vehicle.
  
  
• What’s new :
  A target cropping facility in Video / Audio settings – for the third stream.
  A camera-stored security log in the Maintenance menu.
  A selection of 4 standard and 2 custom scene profiles for image parameters, which can be set on up to 4 schedules.
  A grey scale slider in Image enhancement. Not sure what this does though.
  There is now a Face Capture facility, which is mutually exclusive with Smart Events for the VCA resource (image processing capacity). I’ve not yet tested this.
  
  
• What’s not so good :
  Not a lot really apart from the slightly buggy G3 firmware.
  This is a really good camera, definitely worth a good look.
  
  
• What’s missing :
  No ability to event-trigger the LEDs.
  The model number in System Settings. It’s blank.
  
  
• What’s quirky or bugged :
  The camera isn’t correctly reporting Smart Events to the NVR or management system. While VCA data is being passed over correctly, intrusion detection and line crossing detection are labelled as motion detection. This doesn’t seem to depend on the active codec. Tested via DS-7604NI-K1/4P with 3.4.103 firmware.
  The Day / Night image selection doesn’t actually switch to B&W, despite the related settings still being available, unlike on the G1 ColorVu. This stopped me testing if it still had a fixed IR filter.
  As delivered, the camera would not ‘Activate’ under SADP 3.0.4.2 Build 20200808
  This was OK via the web GUI, and OK after using the upc (don’t try this at home) command at the bootloader. It may depend on the specific method used to ‘reset to Inactive’.
  The default exposure time is 1/12 which might unreasonably accentuate low-light performance and create motion blur when used by unaware customers.
  
  
• What’s techy :
  The camera uses the Hi3516CV500 SoC which has a fast dual-core CPU with secure boot and built-in NNIE (Neural Net Inference Engine) for video analytics. The G1 ColorVu is single-core.
  The Linux kernel is now based on 4.9.x as opposed to the much older 3.10 of the G1 ColorVu.
  The G3 firmware filesize is a lot bigger than the G1 series – 80MB vs 36MB. The camera doesn’t seem to be running a dual OS.
  CPU utilisation in Live View is about a third less than G1 ColorVu using the LocalServiceComponent Windows helper and Firefox.
  
  Comments, questions welcome.

 

[coney27]

What’s missing :
The model number in System Settings. It’s blank.

Maybe its something Andy employed? My model # exists.

The default exposure time is 1/12 which might unreasonably accentuate low-light performance and create motion blur when used by unaware customers.

My default shutter setting is 1/30th....

 

[alastairstevenson]

Interesting. And the same version of firmware too.
I'll try a reset via the button, see what that does.
Then I'll update the firmware.

 

[Toan the Moan]

Is the G2 any better than the G1 in day light, I have recently purchased the G1 and found it mediocre in the daylight but excellent in dark. I have left all settings as it comes out of the box. The daylight function isn't really an issue for me as I need it for night viewing.

 

[watchful_ip]

Great review!

FYI IPCH_EX_G3_EN_STD_5.5.153_200730 is for a different range.

Latest fw is here DOWNLOAD EU PORTAL

Looks like the review camera has half the RAM and half the flash chip size of my 4K Accusense G2 (G3)

That's a little disappointing - perhaps it's because it's not 4K? Not sure why that would affect flash size though. Perhaps the spec for the model I have was considered to be over generous.

The large firmware size is primarily due to the G3_model.bin file which is the object detection model used by the VPU. Unpacked it's 44,119,300 bytes.

 

[EMPIRETECANDY]

Thanks @alastairstevenson helping us here for the colorvu cams G1 and G2 compare. Though are don't sell hikvision cams a lot, but still try to make this forum with more diversified
The firmware can use hikvision official fw on their website directly. Samething.

 

[alastairstevenson]

FYI IPCH_EX_G3_EN_STD_5.5.153_200730 is for a different range.

Latest fw is here DOWNLOAD EU PORTAL

Oops .. thanks for that.
I don't know if I'm ever going to figure the relationship between the G? model series and the G? references on the firmware.

 

[watchful_ip]

Oops .. thanks for that.
I don't know if I'm ever going to figure the relationship between the G? model series and the G? references on the firmware.

I don't know why they called the G3 range which is referenced as such on the camera and firmware G2 in the model name.

If you have the type that's explosion resistant then you might need the IPCH_EX_G3 type. My feeling is if that's happening to my property though they are really determined to break in, have explosives and I have bigger things to worry about than if my camera survives.

 

[alastairstevenson]

Is the G2 any better than the G1 in day light, I have recently purchased the G1 and found it mediocre in the daylight but excellent in dark.

I've not been unhappy with the daytime image provided by the DS-2CD2347G1-LU ColorVu, but it is a little different than that from the DS-2CD2347G2-LU ColorVu 2.0
Here are a couple of sample snapshots. In both cases the image parameters at at the default of 50, exposure at 1/50, gain 100%

The camera isn’t correctly reporting Smart Events to the NVR or management system. While VCA data is being passed over correctly, intrusion detection and line crossing detection are labelled as motion detection. This doesn’t seem to depend on the active codec. Tested via DS-7604NI-K1/4P with 3.4.103 firmware.

As delivered, the camera would not ‘Activate’ under SADP 3.0.4.2 Build 20200808

The model number in System Settings. It’s blank.

So all the above are now fixed following the upgrade to this IPC_G3_EN_STD_5.5.150_200927 firmware :

Latest fw is here DOWNLOAD EU PORTAL

The camera is now correctly reporting Intrusion detection and Line crossing detection, which is probably the biggest bug.
And SADP will now make changes withot generating an error.

 

[Tolting Colt Acres]

I sure wish Hikvision's firmwares would move away from the IE "helper" webcomponents plug-in, given IE is now dead and MS is actively forcing people to "upgrade" to Edge.

 

[alastairstevenson]

I sure wish Hikvision's firmwares would move away from the IE "helper" webcomponents plug-in, given IE is now dead and MS is actively forcing people to "upgrade" to Edge.

It has - for the camera series that use the V5.5.x firmware or higher. Though I'm not sure if that includes R6 series, but certainly G1, and G2.
But they won't be retro-fitting R0 unfortunately.

 

[Tolting Colt Acres]

My G1s have 5.6.5 and I find the chrome plug-in to be extremely buggy. For example, clicking "search" on the playback screen basically does nothing. Maybe someday

 

[HomieTheClown]

Question? If I buy one from one of those from one of the links up above (Alixpress,Amazon, etc), can I use the firmware from the EU portal? Does it matter if I live in the U.S.? Should I be buying from someplace else?

 

[alastairstevenson]

That's what I did yesterday, updated the firmware from one that is published on the EU Portal.
Also @EMPIRETECANDY has confirmed that the devices he sells can use the stock Hikvision firmware.

 

[HomieTheClown]

On more question bro;

Do you absolutely need to instlal this camera with a junction box? I have sofits that I will install the camera under and I don't really care for the added thickness of the box. I'm assuming though that you do need it though especially to seal out the moisture.

 

[wittaj]

Many on here do not use junction boxes if you can shove it up in the soffit. Just make sure you use some dielectric grease and the provided connection to keep moisture out and preferably some sealant tape wrapped around it.

 

[coney27]

On more question bro;

Do you absolutely need to instlal this camera with a junction box? I have sofits that I will install the camera under and I don't really care for the added thickness of the box. I'm assuming though that you do need it though especially to seal out the moisture.

You don't need to use a junction box but in my case I used one. I was getting a white reflection from my white soffit and the box eliminated the reflection. Either way the camera is ip67 rated so with or without the box its waterproof.

 

[HomieTheClown]

Thanks for clearing that up guys. As long as it can be attached to the 2x4 where the soffit resides, I'll be good to go. Thanks!

 

[EMPIRETECANDY]

hikvision also has a 4K Bullet colorvu model, i also booked some, will Play it here when ready.

 

[alastairstevenson]

Here are a couple of sample snapshots. In both cases the image parameters at at the default of 50, exposure at 1/50, gain 100%

And a couple more for comparison, with the review camera moved to a different location. All cameras using 1/50s exposure.
This location is illuminated by a small street lamp that uses a warm white fluorescent tube, located down the path on the left of the scene.
This is the 2385G1-I 8MP camera that's been there for a while, with the type 56 sensor that Hikvision quote as :

Image Sensor1/2" Progressive Scan CMOS
Min. Illumination Color: 0.008 Lux @ (F1.2, AGC ON), 0.014 Lux @ (F1.6, AGC ON)

In normal night mode with the camera IR set to Auto, which equates to 100%


The same camera, set to Day mode, with IR off.


And the DS-2CD2347G2-LU with LEDs off.