Hikvision 4MP AcuSense Turret Camera, 2.8mm, DarkFighter, Mic, PoE DS-2CD2346G2-IU(2.8MM)(C)

Overview

This camera is built for sites where an alarm should mean something. It watches a wide area from a turret housing, with the lens in a ball that sits inside a ring, and its alarms focus on people and vehicles.

It connects over a network cable and works with a recorder, or on its own with a memory card. The guide to what an IP camera is covers how that kind of system fits together.

How it works

• AcuSense: deep learning algorithms sort targets into human and vehicle. Motion alerts can then focus on those two, so they are less likely to come from other moving objects.
• DarkFighter: Hikvision's name for this low-light technology. It helps the camera produce a usable picture as light falls, before it switches to IR.
• Smart Supplement Light: the IR is managed so that close subjects are less likely to be washed out.

Where to use it

A wide lens suits front gardens, shop floors, entrances and small car parks, where the camera has to take in the whole scene from one spot. It shows a lot of area, but detail falls away with distance.

With a built-in microphone, think about where sound may be picked up, especially near neighbours or staff areas. The guide to CCTV rules and regulations in the UK is a sensible place to start.

What the figures mean in practice

• DORI: a set of distances for detect, observe, recognise and identify. They are a guide based on image detail, so allow a margin in real use.
• WDR: this feature balances bright and dark parts of a scene, such as a doorway with daylight behind it.
• IP67: protection against dust and temporary immersion, so rain is not a concern when it is fitted correctly.

Installing it

• Cable: as a rule, use one continuous run of good quality network cable back to the switch or recorder, and protect outdoor joints.
• Aiming: set the view on a live image, and avoid bright lights or nearby walls, as IR can reflect back into the lens.
• Rules: set up the human and vehicle detection zones after fitting, then walk the scene to test them.

Planning your system

A complete system also needs network cable, power from a PoE switch or a 12 V supply, and storage on a network video recorder or a memory card. A recorder with built-in PoE ports can do the job of the switch.

For viewing, the named clients are iVMS-4200, Hik-Connect and Hik-Central. Choose a mount once the position is settled, and add a junction box if the cable needs to stay out of sight.