Hey Guys,
Today we are setting up and reviewing footage of a Dahua fisheye security camera. It’s a 12mp camera with a 1.98mm lens and given its hefty price and that has a Sony senor and Starvis technology on board, I can’t wait to get his one up and running.
Dahua Technology DH-IPC-EBW81230N-M12 Mobile Series 12MP Outdoor Network Fisheye,1.98mm Fixed Fisheye Lens, Camera with Night Vision
Lots of info to cover today, so let’s get started. First off, Starvis simply means the camera can produce high quality images in low visible light and with IR light. It’s a back-illuminated sensor and can supposedly capture a wider range of light than a regular sensor. We’ll put that to the test when we install this camera in various locations.
I got mine for $360US but the price can be as high as $1220. Given the high price point, let’s be picky and see if we are getting a flawless end-to-end experience from unboxing to recording day and nighttime footage. Product links are in the description below.
This camera has a huge 1/1.7” CMOS sensor and can deliver video at 25fps @ 12mp or 4000 X 3000 pixels. I can tell already that BlueIris is going to struggle with disk utilization with my 12 cameras, even with “direct to disk” turned on and frame rates lowered.
Before installing this in my test locations, let’s get this setup on my network by plugging it into a PoE switch and recording footage in BlueIris and then let’s set it up on my dedicated NVR.
The quick guide indicates the IP address is 192.168.1.108. My subnet is 192.168.0, so I will need a tool to change the IP address. I need to download Dahua’s Config Tool to do this and to activate the camera. Do a Google search for “Dahua’s Config Tool” and click the first result. The title is “download links”. Don’t click on the huge screenshot, this is not the right link. The actual download link is the screenshot label below.
Once installed, Dahua devices will show in the list and press “Initialize” to activate the camera and give it a password. The default IP address on mine was 192.168.1.108. To update the IP address, select the camera and click on the green edit icon on the right. Enter the new IP address, subnet mask and your router address. I’ll change mine to 192.168.0.87. I changed the 1 to a 0 to match the first 3 sets of numbers on my router. When I hit save, it said there was a password error. Hidden in the “Search setting” icon on top of the screen, there is a spot to enter the password you gave the camera. Once updated, you can change the camera’s IP information and then access the camera from a browser.
If you are a Chrome user and want to access the camera’s web interface, you’ll need a plugin installed. When accessing the camera through Chrome, you’ll now need to click on this plugin, not Chrome’s address bar. Most features work, but the dewarp features will not work here. Also, when you make a change on the setting tab, it seems to take effect before hitting the Save button. You’ll also need to still hit Save, or your changes could be lost after some time.
In Internet Explorer, the Live-View frame is huge and cannot be downsized or scrolled. This prevents you from accessing the configuration features. Through no help from the manual and unorganized website, I discovered there is a program out there called Smart PSS for Dahua cameras and NVRs giving you access to live view, recording footage and the camera settings. Its user interface is just as confusing as the web interfaces in that their choice of labels and the general layout are awkward and not initiative right off the bat. It will take some getting used to. Also, when setting a password for the application during the install, the user is faced with an annoying alarm welcoming you to Dahua’s software. Make sure there is no cat on your lap when installing the software like I did.
To add this camera to BlueIris, I selected the Dahua brand and Main Stream RTSP for the model series in the camera’s properties. Selecting the generic ONVIF connection would also work. Every day of footage uses about 42gigs of space.
Let’s discuss where you would install this camera, but first the purpose of this camera is to cover as wide of an area as possible. The viewing area is 180 degrees both vertical and horizontal, meaning it’s a circle. You could install the camera outside, flat against a wall over a door to give a view of the entire surroundings. If you have an awning, placing this camera on its ceiling would provide a 360-degree view, including the doorway. Make sure you note which side is up so when you are looking at the image, so it’s positioned correctly. It’s where this notch is located, and I marked it, so I wouldn’t forget during the install. Also test it out in your proposed location to make sure you get the image you’re expecting and that there is no glare from nearby light fixtures.
Dahua Technology DH-IPC-EBW81230N-M12 Mobile Series 12MP Outdoor Network Fisheye,1.98mm Fixed Fisheye Lens, Camera with Night Vision
During my testing, I struggled with the user interface. Labels often got messed up, setting didn’t behave as expected and I needed to learn awkward terminology. I often received a “too many online users logged in” message when trying to access the camera, when I try again, it goes away. I didn’t find their help on the UI or on Dahua’s own site or wiki that helpful. But from what I see, this is a common issue. The camera’s daytime image quality is top notch but the nighttime does suffer, especially if there is any movement, which is not cool when you are paying hefty price for that Sony sensor. The 12mp sensor may also be overkill for this camera as it slows BI down and eats up more NVR space. Those extra mega pixels do provide awesome resolution but the 6mp version of this camera should suffice. They also need to update the firmware to include an option to have the daytime and nighttime profiles switch based on the environmental lighting, like some of their other cameras do. I do like the fact that the camera is weather proof and the mic quality is also better than expected. Overall, I feel the camera is overpriced and I expected a flawless end-to-end experience when paying so much.
Thanks for letting me share my experiences with you on this camera. If you found this helpful!