Dahua N45EF63 4MP ePoE Night Color Bullet Network Camera

Dahua N45EF63 4MP ePoE Night Color Bullet Camera - Ambient light night vision security camera

The Dahua N45EF63 4MP ePoE Night Color Bullet Security Camera offers some of the best color night performance available today!

Most security cameras struggle to provide color images at night...even the "better" ones struggle below around 0.02 lux, and honestly, even that spec is unrealistic. Dahua's Night Color technology allows this camera to provide full color images down to 0.0022 lux - that's a factor of ten greater sensitivity, and the difference in real-world  performance really is quite stunning.  It means that any area that has any natural illumination looks as bright as day.  The first time I saw the light from a full moon captured by this camera was truly amazing.  I looked outside, and it looked dark, as in "dark as night", but the Night Color video could have been mistaken for daytime footage.  I kept looking at my monitor and then looking out the window, trying to imagine how the camera could be capturing the images that I was seeing.

Compared to garden-variety cameras that have onboard IR illuminators, this is a game changer.  Now, its easy to tell what color the car was, or the color of the shirt that some wrong-doer was wearing.  Color images are so much more useful that monochrome images.  With that said, this camera does have a monochrome mode as well, and in that mode, it can reach even farther into the darkness.  Night Color is kind of the main "thing" with this camera, so I'm honestly having a hard time imagining why anyone would want to use it in monochrome mode, but I'm sure someone will think of a good reason, and it's there if you need it. In many applications there will be plenty of ambient light, so there will be no need for B&W mode.

The connection method is via pigtail connectors, which include an Ethernet connector and a 12 Volt DC power connector. Notice that while 12 Volt operation is optional, in most installations, powered via the PoE (Power over Ethernet) connection will be the ideal choice.  This camera works great with Blue Iris as well as many hardware NVRs but be mindful that Analytics+ functions at the edge – performing complex real-time perimeter protection surveillance, Smart Motion Detection, and face detection - those features are best supported by Dahua NVRs.. The Dahua Analytics+ algorithms significantly improve accuracy and reliability as compared to standard intelligent features. But, of course, if you're using Blue Iris, it has powerful AI functionality as well.

Featured Highlights

Night Color technology begins with a large 1/1.8 inch 4MP progressive-scan back-illuminated CMOS sensor that combines with a fast F1.2 3.6mm fixed-focus lens to provide full color 2688 x 1520 images under conditions that would leave most security cameras in the dark: as low as 0.00022 lux!  The camera is ideal for a host of diverse applications — Night Color Technology and Ultra Wide Dynamic Range allow the camera to operate in virtually any lighting conditions and the IP67 rating makes the camera suitable for the harshest environments.

I think it's worth mentioning too that Dahua has diluted the significance of their own "Night Color" designation by hanging it on a number of (IMHO) lesser models that simply cannot reach deep down into the darkness that exists at 0.00022 lux.  Color at night with white light illuminators is relatively easy - there are any number of cheap cameras that can do that.  The real challenge is to do it without on-camera illuminators. The value of NOT having on-camera illuminators cannot be overstated.  The number of bugs that are attracted to such illuminators can render the video all but useless.  Every microscopic particle of moisture or dust becomes a brightly-lit obstruction.  Bounce-back from eves, soffits, and walls can easily wash out the image. And virtually all of the on-camera illuminators that I have tested resulted in images that were too bright at close range and too dark at a distance.  Onboard illuminators can be a camera's own worst enemy.

Onboard electronics support Ultra Wide Dynamic Range) of 140 dB (beyond "True WDR").  I've said a lot about nighttime performance, but don't overlook that 140 dB of dynamic range spec.  I've seen $30 cameras that look quite good under ideal lighting conditions, but the reality is that lighting conditions are very seldom ideal.  Seemingly simple sunlit scenes can utterly destroy the usefulness of the video from lesser cameras.  Dynamic range can be just as important and low-light performance.  Dahua has combined those core performance features with sophisticated 3-D noise reduction and a signal to noise ratio greater than 56 dB,  FOV (Field of View) is 93 degrees horizontal and 50 degrees vertical.  4 megapixel (sometimes called "QHD") resolution gives you twice as many pixels as "full HD" aka 1080p, or 2MP cameras, and this model can provide its full resolution at a refresh rate of 30 FPS.  It also supports sub-streams at multiple resolutions, which works great with NVR's and software like Blue Iris that can take advantage of it.

Pro Series Analytics+ Features include

• Perimeter Protection via line-crossing, entry, exit
• People Counting
• Enhanced POE (ePOE) supports cable runs up to 800 meters (2625 feet)
• Smart Motion Detection that can distinguish people and vehicles from random movement
• Face Detection
• Motion
• Missing / Abandoned Object
• Scene Change

Check the datasheet for more features and details!

 Don't confuse this Night Color model with very similar-looking models intended for the non-USA market!  If you see a lower price on this model, it's an inferior model, gray market, or the seller is not an authorized dealer. Gray market models tend to be attractively priced, but they are known to come with Chinese firmware which has been hacked to function in the USA.  Such firmware is not supported by Dahua and cannot be updated via official sources or tools.  If you want the real deal, get real Night Color cameras that are intended for the US market, sold by an authorized dealer.  Cable Solutions is a Dahua Authorized All Star Partner. Like most Dahua products, when you purchase from an Authorized Dealer, you get a full 3-Year Limited Warranty.