Hikvision Security Cameras: Overview

Hikvision Security Camera System

A Chinese company founded in 2001, Hikvision is one of the largest players in the security camera space. In fact, the company is so large that they offer dozens upon dozens of options, making the process of choosing a surveillance system both more inclusive and more complicated. Among its most popular models are the DS-2CD4656F-IZH 2.8-12MM and DS-2CD2132F-I-2.8MM, although there’s a camera for pretty much any need on their website. Hikvision’s client list features entire countries, including Ecuador and Zimbabwe. They also offer proprietary access control software along with their cameras.

Reviews of Hikvision’s cameras reveal a company that makes largely reliable security cameras. A Security Sales & Integration review called the DS-2CD4656F-IZH an “exceptional camera with a wide array of menu options,” but the website Security Camera System Pro knocked Hikvision down a few pegs, noting that it fell short of the site’s top 10 camera providers. Amazon reviews back up these sentiments, commending the low price of many units but citing room for improvement, especially for low-light areas.

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The Top 5 Hikvision Cameras

Hikvision’s product portfolio is very wide, however, we decided to list the cameras that are, at this moment, the most popular within small and medium businesses. Here’s the list:

1. Hikvision DS-2CD2145FWD-I Network Dome Camera 4MP

This particular model has gained huge popularity, lately, thanks to its accessible price ($150-200) and high performance. The camera has 4MP and performs well in situations of low-light.

It also features the classic Hikvision dome design and it is water and dust resistant.

2. Hikvision DS-2DE3304W-DE Mini PTZ Dome

This camera goes for the higher price range ($350 circa) and offers a wider variety of features, such as a 4x zoom and some basic artificial intelligence.

3D intelligent positioning and intrusion detection are the biggest features of the camera.

3. Hikvision DS-2CD2085FWD-I Bullet Outdoor 8MP

Highest resolution within the cameras we have tackled so far, the DS-2CD2085FWD-I camera can film in 4K despite the frames per second are slightly lower than the two other models (20fps vs 30).

The design is not “dome”, as the previous models and this makes the camera more subject to vandal attacks.

4. Hikvision DS-2CD2443G0-IW Fixed Cube Network Camera 4MP

With this model, we definitely change target. This camera, contrarily to the previous models, targets smaller businesses or people that need to overlook “less important” parts of the office/factory/shop.

The price is the most affordable ($150 range) and the quality is still on point. It is, however, subject to theft, vandal attack and, overall, has a worse performance compared to the other models.

5. Hikvision DS-2CD2625FWD-IZS Bullet 2MP

This model is one of the more traditional of the whole portfolio. It features a bullet design, just like the DS-2CD2085FWD-I camera but it does so with more resistant materials. The DS-2CD2625FWD-IZS camera has a full metal body and this makes it vandal proof. The quality of the image is not as spectacular as other models (only 2MP) but it still performs well with low lights. The price range, due to the strong built, is higher than the average ($300 circa).

Hikvision Camera Pricing

As mentioned previously, Hikvision’s portfolio is wide and diversified. For this reason, it is complicated to find an average price for the solutions offered by this company.

Let’s say that, in the majority of the cases, if you are looking for a Hikvision solution, be ready to spend from $150 to $350 per camera. The quality of the products is good and so is the price/quality ratio. Companies that participate in federally funded programs in the United States should be aware that Hikvision is on a ban list which would exclude them from accessing any funds. More information regarding the rule can be found here.

Despite we prefer other models, such as Cisco Meraki, Hikvision represents a decent solution. The main downside of Hikvision is the difficulty of integrating its solutions with other security systems. Meraki or Rhombus, for example, integrated flawlessly to Kisi allowing the client to have a cloud-based ecosystem for their security.