Review and test 2MP outdoor IP camera Dahua DH-IPC-HFW8281D

Dahua - one of professional video surveillance equipment manufacturers in China. Today, we are going to test the Dahua's latest DH-IPC-HFW8281D, which is a 2 megapixel low illumination IP camera with dual infrared LED illuminators. It comes with advanced smart video analysis functions, the overall performance is excellent. Our suggestion to this product is adding external automatic focus function for convenient onsite installation.

#1. Test its back-light compensation and defog functions

Test 1 - BLC: We test its back-light compensation performance under strong light environment, our tester stands in front of the light source. When BLC is turned off, the background and tester's face are under exposure. After enabled the BLC function, the brightness of overall images had significantly increased, meanwhile, the color become vivid, provided much details. In conclusion, its BLC performance is good.

When BLC is Off

When BLC is On

Test 2 - Defog: Dahua DH-IPC-HFW8281D supports digital defog function, we tested this in fog weather, making the camera target to outdoor buildings which among heavy fog, enable the defog function, the effect is obvious. Compared with images when defog is disabled, the output images become crystal and clean; We decided to put a transparent plastic film in front of camera's lens, the images became diffuse, but after enabled the defog function, the outdoor scene becomes much clearer. Furthermore, this camera supports manual defog grade from 1 - 3, and Weather defog grade 1 - 16 and multi-modes for selection.

When Defog is Off

When Defog is On

Test 3 - Smart video analysis: This 2.0MP IP camera supports several video analysis functions, including entry-point alarm, motion detection, object missing alarm, scene changing detection, facial recognition, audio detection and more. We tested some of features, and founded that this camera has sensitive detection capability, the camera responds fastly for alarm detection. Taking facial recognition detection as an example, when people enter into surveillance area, the camera will recognize the face and zoom in immediately.

Entry-point detection - Smart Video Analysis

#2. 2.0 Megapixel Image Quality Review

Video streaming config: 1080P@60fps, 4Mbps

Test 1 - Resolution: Using the resolution test card to test its image quality. After measurement, the DH-IPC-HFW8281D's horizontal resolution approximate 1000TVL, edge resolution 850TVL.

Resolution

Test 2 - Color Reproduction: Testing its color reproduction and gray-scale grade, we found out the orange color became pink, the rest of colors had true color reproduction, almost no color cast. In addition, the gray-scale can reach 17, 18 level.

Color Reproduction

Test 3 - Bandwidth: Under the setting of 1080P@60fps, 4Mbps, making the camera target to outdoor street, run the bit-rate calculating software, after measuring, the bitrate is under controlled in the range of 3.6 - 4.0Mbps, the bit-rate isn't stable.

Bandwidth - Bitrate

Test 4 - Video latency: Video latency is one of very important parameters for IP camera. We used screenshot and stopwatch to measure its video latency is under controlled within 300ms, and optimum time is 232ms. This performance is excellent.

Video Latency

#3. Dahua DH-IPC-HFW8281D Low Illumination Performance

Test 1 - Low illumination: Put this camera (F=1.4) into the dark box for simulation of night environment. Making this camera target to cloth doll, then gradually decreased the illumination to test its performance. Under the settings of 3D noise reduction is enable, and Infrared LED is off, the camera can provide crisp color images when Lux is 4.22Lux. When Lux decreased to 3.00 - 1.56Lux, the camera automatically switched to B/W mode. Under B/W mode, the focus is a little bit diffuse; When Lux is 0.05Lux, the doll is still visible. After turned on Infrared LED illuminators, the camera switch to B/W mode after Lux reduced to 4.30Lux.

Color Mode

Night B/W Mode

Test 2 - Indoor Monitoring: Around 8 o'clock at night, we turned off all the indoor lights, mounted the camera to test its indoor night vision performance. When tester approached the camera from 20 meters away distance, the camera had accurate focus, when tester was close to camera, the face details are still visible, no IR-saturation, night vision performance is good.

Test 3 - Outdoor Monitoring: At nine o'clock at night, we mounted the camera to road bridge, and the outdoor scene Lux is 16Lux, setted the camera's video parameters with 1080P@30fps, 4Mbps, kept rest as default, targeting to road traffic, the video images is very clear, license plates are visible, the driver could also recognize even sit inside car, also it has strong light compensation function which allows it suppress the strong light, during this test, the overall images is crisp and noise reduction controlled properly.

Road Traffic At Night

#4. Compact structure, weatherproof for outdoor

DH-IPC-HFW8281D is square shape all-in-one camera, utilizing white paint aluminum metal housing with solid structure, decent design and good heat dissipation for outdoor installation. The front design has two high power infrared LED illuminators which support Smart IR function, it can adjust illumination level to avoid IR-saturation, for ensuring the high quality images at night vision mode. Besides, it comes with shield to avoid direct sunshine, and anti-rain, anti-dust.

Moreover, this camera has simple interface design, the camera has audio input and output connectors for audio intercom function, supporting PoE, and Alarm I/O for integration solution.