Hikvision 8MP AcuSense Bullet Camera, 80 m IR, 4 mm DS-2CD2T86G2-4I(4mm)(C)

What this AcuSense bullet camera is for

A bullet camera points plainly along the area it watches, so it suits a drive, a yard or a fence line. This Hikvision model is a network camera, which means it sends video over a data cable and not over coax.

It can suit a homeowner with a long drive and an installer covering a small commercial site. The 4 mm lens sits between a very wide view and a narrow one.

How does the camera work?

• AcuSense: the name for deep learning that sorts what the camera sees into human and vehicle targets. Alarms can then be limited to those targets.
• DarkFighter: low-light technology that holds a colour picture in dim scenes. Lux measures the light on a scene, and AGC is the camera's automatic gain.
• IR cut filter: a filter that moves aside at night so the sensor can use infrared, which is why night footage is black and white when the scene is dark.
• H.265+: a video compression method that needs less bandwidth and storage than older formats for a similar picture.

Where to use it

The metal body and -30 °C to 60 °C working range suit outdoor walls and soffits as well as indoor spaces.

The range matters most on larger plots. On an unlit site, the 850 nm infrared lights the view without a bright visible beam.

What the figures mean in practice

• DORI distances: DORI stands for detect, observe, recognise and identify. Plan on 9.9 m where you need to identify a stranger, and treat 99.4 m only as seeing that something moved.
• WDR: this balances bright and dark parts of a picture, so a bright road and a dark porch can both stay readable.
• 256 GB card: at the top 16 Mbps rate this works out at about a day and a half of constant recording, and far longer at lower rates or on event recording.
• Up to 6 live views: this is how many people or screens can watch directly at once.

Installing it

• Power budget: a PoE switch port needs to supply 802.3af, Class 3. On a 12 VDC adapter, reverse polarity protection guards the camera if the supply is wired the wrong way round.
• Fixings by code: the options also include the DS-1260ZJ junction box. As a rule, check each mount's finish and fixing pattern on its own page before ordering.
• Set-up: use plug-in free live view in Chrome 57.0+ or Firefox 52.0+, or the iVMS-4200 client.
• Height and aim: in most installations, a lower and closer camera gives more useful detail on faces than a high one looking down across the plot.

Planning your system

A recorder is optional for small jobs, because the camera can also save to a NAS (network attached storage) drive. Auto network replenishment fills gaps from the card once a dropped connection returns.

For longer retention, add a network video recorder that shares one of the profiles below. Up to 32 users can be set at three levels.

Standards and ratings explained

• IP67: dust tight, and protected against temporary immersion in water.
• ONVIF Profile S, G and T: ONVIF is the Open Network Video Interface standard. S covers streaming, G covers on-device recording and T covers advanced video such as H.265.
• EN 50130-4: an immunity standard for alarm equipment, covering electrical interference.
• Hik-Connect: Hikvision's app for viewing cameras remotely.