Opinions - want to replace Foscams with Hikvision

[gwminor48]

I have 2 Foscam FI9805W's that I'm not really pleased with. I am in the process of hardwiring them, I think I have something in the neighborhood that interferes with them at times, sometimes for hours. I am disappointed with the night videos - blurred due to slow shutter speed I presume, a still shot is ok. The Hikvisions I have looked at have the same 4mm lens that works well area-wise on my Foscams. There is DS-2CD2032-I, a dome cam & DS-2CD2132-I, a bullet cam, both 3MP. My Foscams are 1.3MP if that makes much difference. The Foscams are actually much larger than I expected & I paid about $150 each for them. These Hikvisions look to cost less than that, so am I looking at suitable replacements? This is for home use, a front & a back camera that I have registered with the city. The police have asked me to look at my videos on about 5 different events in the last year (I didn't think I lived in a high crime area - a sign of the times), I would like to have decent videos if needed but I don't want to spend a lot, I know these cameras can be very expensive. I am probably leaving out information you need so let me know - I REALLY appreciate your suggestions, I love this forum.
Thanks,
George

 

[fenderman]

@gwminor48Welcome to the forum! As you have realized, foscam is low end junk. Hikvision makes great cameras. Note that the 3mp hikvision will have medicore night vision compared to a 1.3mp hikvision..in the past, higher res cameras had poor low light performance. This has changed with the new hikvision 4mp cameras. The 4mp cameras are still priced high 150-170..
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/free-shipping-Hikvision-camera-english-version-of-DS-2CD2342WD-I-4MP-WDR-EXIR-Turret-Network-Camera/32370901867.html
IF you choose to go with a 3mp because of price, go with the 2332 turret...they are better than the bullet (for several reasons including less prone to spider web interference) and the domes (note the 2132-I dome cannot be wall mounted..you need a 2132F dome with 3 axis adjustment)..personally I would spend the extra cash and get the 4mp.
Many of the vendors are claiming that the 4mp are also US region and dont have firmware upgrade issues...check to confirm...English language is not the same a US region...see the threads on this subject...if you buy a china region camera do not attempt a firmware upgrade.

 

[gwminor48]

Thanks for that quick reply & mentioning the turret, I hadn't seen those and that might be a good choice. You mentioned spider webs, good point, I do have trouble with those. I attached a couple of pics with the location and field of view. Both cameras are under an eave and could have been mounted there but I used the mount that came with them to attach to a vertical board. So I guess a dome might work but the turret looks good, I hadn't seen that style before.

 

[thedoc46]

Yes spend the extra and do not get the Chinese camera's with the English language.

@gwminor48Welcome to the forum! As you have realized, foscam is low end junk. Hikvision makes great cameras. Note that the 3mp hikvision will have medicore night vision compared to a 1.3mp hikvision..in the past, higher res cameras had poor low light performance. This has changed with the new hikvision 4mp cameras. The 4mp cameras are still priced high 150-170..
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/free-shipping-Hikvision-camera-english-version-of-DS-2CD2342WD-I-4MP-WDR-EXIR-Turret-Network-Camera/32370901867.html
IF you choose to go with a 3mp because of price, go with the 2332 turret...they are better than the bullet (for several reasons including less prone to spider web interference) and the domes (note the 2132-I dome cannot be wall mounted..you need a 2132F dome with 3 axis adjustment)..personally I would spend the extra cash and get the 4mp.
Many of the vendors are claiming that the 4mp are also US region and dont have firmware upgrade issues...check to confirm...English language is not the same a US region...see the threads on this subject...if you buy a china region camera do not attempt a firmware upgrade.

 

[NVR]

Been using the chinese language cams for 3-4 months without any issues. Nothing wrong with them, just if you get them don't attempt to upgrade the FW.

 

[thedoc46]

Been using the chinese language cams for 3-4 months without any issues. Nothing wrong with them, just if you get them don't attempt to upgrade the FW.

Yes buy hardware that has known vulnerabilities, BUT NEVER EVER upgrade the firmware. Speaks volumes.

 

[fenderman]

Yes buy hardware that has known vulnerabilities, BUT NEVER EVER upgrade the firmware. Speaks volumes.

You cannot rely on firmware to fix vulnerabilities -, no camera should ever be directly exposed to the internet, manufactures are YEARS behind the vulnerabilities. NVR may be using an NVR, VPN or third party VMS with a webserver so the firmware on the cameras is not relevant. I have hikvsions running the very early versions of 5 firmware with no issues.

 

[alastairstevenson]

BUT NEVER EVER upgrade the firmware.

Of course you can update the firmware. But there can be some consequences, depending on the origin of the purchase.
As @fenderman has explained or implied, buying Hikvision products off the likes of aliexpress and eBay, and also Amazon, is generally buying a grey-market product, where the seller has installed a modified version of firmware to get round Hikvision's strategy of protecting their authorised resellers margins.
So direct your ire at the firmware hackers that support the unauthorised resellers, who don't always do a complete and reliable job.
I've delved around the internals of loads of brands of IP cameras, and my impression of the Hikvision camera and NVR firmware, and certainly the hardware, is that it's actually quite well written. Not perfect, but much more sophisticated and professional than many I've seen.
But I take your point about the Mac software - it seems to be fraught with problems. But not as bad as QNAP Mac software, which is much worse.

 

[LittleBrother]

I vote on US based hikvision just so you don't need to worry about FW updates. It's not just vulnerabilities they fix with new FW but sometimes fairly essential functions on the cam.

Hikvisions will fit your need well. I'd go with the 3 MP, personally. Now, I see from your truck that despite the 4mm your field of view looks really tight. Have you measured it? The hikvision 4mm has about a 70 degree field of view and the 2.8 lens has a ~90 degree. Can't see what's to the left of the truck but I'd be leaning on a 2.8 to pull in more of what is to the left of the driveway.

Also, motion detection lights ($25 from lowes) on some halogens will help cook that area with nice bright light at night and would be worth considering, too.

 

[gwminor48]

Thanks for your input, I appreciate it. I'm inclined to agree that a 2.8 might be better in back. In front it is mounted higher and covers a larger area (pic attached). Still looking at the Hikvision turrets, I will read some more on the forum first, maybe my questions are answered in some other threads.

 

[LittleBrother]

Thanks for your input, I appreciate it. I'm inclined to agree that a 2.8 might be better in back. In front it is mounted higher and covers a larger area (pic attached). Still looking at the Hikvision turrets, I will read some more on the forum first, maybe my questions are answered in some other threads.

If you like that FOV the 4mm hikvision should be pretty similar. It would give you a lot of pixels for cars compared to what you're seeing there now.

 

[gwminor48]

Do you think a 2.8mm would be better? I respect your opinion. With what I have now if I zoom in with Blue Iris it gets really grainy. I suppose the 4mp Hikvision would look a lot better even with 2.8mm lens. I don't even see that 4mp on Hikvision's website yet, only 2 turrets show up when I search that word. I suppose you have a choice of lens when you order the camera?

 

[ruppmeister]

This is what the 4MP turret from Hikvision looks like in specs: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/free-shipping-Hikvision-camera-english-version-of-DS-2CD2342WD-I-4MP-WDR-EXIR-Turret-Network-Camera/32370901867.html

I am having a hard time not getting the 4MP turret from Dahua myself which has a 2.8 option: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Dahua-IPC-HDW4421C-IR-IP-Camera-4MP-Full-HD-Network-IR-security-cctv-DH-IPC-HDW4421C/32410008268.html

 

[gwminor48]

This is what the 4MP turret from Hikvision looks like in specs: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/free-...370901867.html

I saw that and also this http://www.aliexpress.com/item/DS-2CD2342WD-I-English-version-Hikvision-WDR-EXIR-cctv-security-camera-4MP-30m-IR-Backlight-Compensation/32357341218.html
Is that the same camera but you pay for the shipping?
Also, do you have to pay an import tax on the cameras from overseas?

 

[ruppmeister]

It looks to be the same camera, so I would assume that it all comes down to the shipping cost and the seller. I think both sellers are fairly reputable around here, but YMMV.

To ship to the US from China there is no import tax, no. @fenderman posted on the forums something about how we are pay in taxes for the shipping from China to be cheap, just don't know where that was. Good read if you can find it.

 

[fenderman]

It looks to be the same camera, so I would assume that it all comes down to the shipping cost and the seller. I think both sellers are fairly reputable around here, but YMMV.

To ship to the US from China there is no import tax, no. @fenderman posted on the forums something about how we are pay in taxes for the shipping from China to be cheap, just don't know where that was. Good read if you can find it.

To clarify, there is an import duty...the sellers usually lie and list the items as a sample or a reduced rate. I believe there is a 200 dollar threshold over which the duty is charged...not 100 percent certain...its also a very low rate...but I have received a bill from US customs before on large orders.

Here is the info on the subsidized shipping http://fortune.com/2015/03/11/united-nations-subsidy-chinese-shipping/

 

[gwminor48]

I am having a hard time not getting the 4MP turret from Dahua myself which has a 2.8 option: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Dahua...410008268.html

That looks like quite a difference in price from Hikvision, I'll have to read opinions on the forum about Dahua, I don't know how they compare quailty-wise to Hikvision.

 

[ruppmeister]

I think the general consensus is that Dahua is very similar to the Hiks, but maybe perceived as just ever so slightly below them in terms of usability in the FW, at least on this forum anyway is what I get.

 

[NVR]

Yes buy hardware that has known vulnerabilities, BUT NEVER EVER upgrade the firmware. Speaks volumes.

If using an NVR there's no need to port forward the cameras ports, thus blocking off all external access.

 

[gwminor48]

This is what the 4MP turret from Hikvision looks like in specs: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/free-shipping-Hikvision-camera-english-version-of-DS-2CD2342WD-I-4MP-WDR-EXIR-Turret-Network-Camera/32370901867.html

I am having a hard time not getting the 4MP turret from Dahua myself which has a 2.8 option: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Dahua-IPC-HDW4421C-IR-IP-Camera-4MP-Full-HD-Network-IR-security-cctv-DH-IPC-HDW4421C/32410008268.html

I noticed on the Dahua the description says dome but the picture shows a turret, it is truly a turret I hope? Are people getting good results with the 4MP Dahua? I was looking at the Hikvision originally but Dahua cost so much less I was wondering if Hikvision is worth the extra cost.