2 MP DarkFighter PTZ Speed-Dome, 25× Optical, 24 VAC / Hi-PoE, DS-2DF5225X-AEL(T5)

Who this is for

For the installer. Budget 60 W if you are running 24 VAC, or 40 W on Hi-PoE — this is not an 802.3af or 802.3at camera and a standard PoE switch port will not start it. It has 7 alarm inputs and 2 outputs plus half-duplex RS-485, so it drops into an existing Pelco-P/Pelco-D control ring without a protocol converter. At 4 kg and Ø 220 mm it needs a proper bracket and a solid mounting face; the −40 °C rating means it will run through a Midlands winter on an exposed mast.

For the end user. This is a camera you drive — one operator can sweep a whole yard and then zoom to read detail 100 m away, rather than fitting six fixed cameras. The point of difference is that it keeps colour after dusk without any infrared. IR turns a scene monochrome, which is why the vehicle you can see is grey. This one stays in colour as long as there is some light — a lamp post, a security light, spill from a building — so you keep the colour of the car and the jacket. Under genuinely zero light it will not see at all, because there is no illuminator; if your site goes fully dark, one of the IR models in this family is the right choice instead.

Buying this in the UK

Under UK GDPR and the ICO's CCTV guidance, a camera that can zoom into neighbouring property needs privacy masks configured at commissioning — this model supports 24 programmable polygon masks, and setting them is part of a compliant install, not an optional extra. If the camera overlooks a public footpath or road you also need signage. WME stocks this at the Birmingham trade counter and ships UK-wide; we have been supplying electrical and security trade since 1975.

Common questions

What is a PTZ camera? A camera that pans, tilts and zooms under control rather than staring at one fixed view. One PTZ can cover ground that would otherwise need several fixed cameras, at the cost of only looking one way at a time.

How do I control it? Either over the network from an NVR, VMS or Hik-Connect, or over half-duplex RS-485 from a joystick controller using HIKVISION, Pelco-P or Pelco-D protocol. Both are supported on this model.

Can I run it from a normal PoE switch? No. It needs Hi-PoE (42.5–57 V, up to 40 W) or a 24 VAC supply at up to 60 W. Standard 802.3af/at ports will not power it.

Does it see in complete darkness? No — there is no IR illuminator on this model. It gives colour images down to 0.002 lux, so it needs some ambient light. For zero-light sites, choose an IR model.

How far can it actually identify someone? Identification depends on pixels per metre, not zoom alone. At full tele the 25× optics put usable detail on a person well beyond 100 m; for a formal figure, work to the EN 62676-4 DORI bands rather than to the zoom number.