2 1080P IR Bullets at Costco for 349

[mroek 0]

Has anyone disassembled this camera and documented it with pictures? It would be very interesting to see the internal construction.

 

I've seen it written that the lens is (unfortunately) glued, but it would be nice to see a picture of how this glue is applied, and thus (guess at) how much work it would be to remove it to be able to change the lens.

[rayt 0]

Cameras are now $299 for a pair at costco!!

[buellwinkle 0]

And there's a whole new one, the varifocal model for $249. Anyone know what the Hikvision model number is for that puppy? The Hikvision varifocals tend to be motorized. Also, does it have audio and alarm i/o like the Dahua equivalent. Can you update firmware to 3MP?

[mikmort 0]

Cameras are now $299 for a pair at costco!!

 

I just bought a pair at $349 about 10 days ago. I know Costco has a first class return policy, so I presume it shouldn't be too hard to get your money back for the price difference. Does anyone know if you have to actually return the cameras of if you can just walk into a Costco with the receipt and get credited for the price difference?

[rayt 0]

Cameras are now $299 for a pair at costco!!

 

I just bought a pair at $349 about 10 days ago. I know Costco has a first class return policy, so I presume it shouldn't be too hard to get your money back for the price difference. Does anyone know if you have to actually return the cameras of if you can just walk into a Costco with the receipt and get credited for the price difference?

last time i tried that, they told me i had to return it because they dont do adjustments.

[waawaaweenie 0]

I just got 2 of these and am getting an error in my browser while setting them up.

 

it says no plug in detected. I use Chrome, Firefox and Safari on Mac OS X 10.7.5 and it comes up in all 3 browsers

 

any help finding this plug in

 

thanks

[rayt 0]

I just got 2 of these and am getting an error in my browser while setting them up.

 

it says no plug in detected. I use Chrome, Firefox and Safari on Mac OS X 10.7.5 and it comes up in all 3 browsers

 

any help finding this plug in

 

thanks

 

http://www.hikvision.com/en/download_more.asp?id=1192

[jdoggg1 0]

Cameras are now $299 for a pair at costco!!

 

I just bought a pair at $349 about 10 days ago. I know Costco has a first class return policy, so I presume it shouldn't be too hard to get your money back for the price difference. Does anyone know if you have to actually return the cameras of if you can just walk into a Costco with the receipt and get credited for the price difference?

last time i tried that, they told me i had to return it because they dont do adjustments.

 

This is the correspondence I had with costco regarding the price difference on these:

Dear jdog,

 

Thank you for your e-mail to Costco Wholesale.

 

In response to your question, we are able to honor the discount for the order already placed and will have a $50 credit (plus tax) refunded back to your payment card.

 

You are also able to place another order at the promotional price of $299.99.

 

If you have any further questions, please let us know.

 

Thank you,

 

Shelley B

Member Service Center

Costco Wholesale Corporation

 

 

 

--Original Message--

From: @gmail.com

Date: 7/26/2013 12:12:15 PM

To: webservice@contactcostco.com

Subject: Other

 

Note this message was submitted through the costco.com web site customer suggestion page on Fri Jul 26 2013 12:11:24 GMT-0700 (Pacific Standard Time)

 

Message:

I ordered a pair of these cameras in June for $349.

https://www.costco.com/Swann-1080p-2-Pack-HD-NVR-IP-Bullet-Cameras.product.100039914.html

 

Order Number: XXXXXXxxx

Membership Number: xxxxxxxxxxx

 

I had been considering returning them because I had found another deal elsewhere. The has price on them has dropped to a level which I'd like to keep them. If I were to order another pair, could I have the $50 discount applied to the first pair so that the order subtotal for the 2nd pair is $249? If so, I'd like to make a purchase.

 

I thank you for your time. Costco is always great to deal with!

[rayt 0]

wow good to know they are doing this now, i'm returning my 3 pairs for the lorex set, have a spare nvr sitting around as a backup for my other install.

[jdoggg1 0]

Anyone have luck changing the lens on one of these? I got a couple of these and a couple of the Hikvision domes, but the dome isn't as clear as the bullet, but I like the wider field of view. I'm thinking that I'd like to go ~3mm lens for a happy medium between 2.6dome and 4mm SWANN.

 

 

If possible, any tutorials on where to get the parts and how to make the swap? Thanks much!

[waawaaweenie 0]

I just got 2 of these and am getting an error in my browser while setting them up.

 

it says no plug in detected. I use Chrome, Firefox and Safari on Mac OS X 10.7.5 and it comes up in all 3 browsers

 

any help finding this plug in

 

thanks

 

http://www.hikvision.com/en/download_more.asp?id=1192

thank you sir

[MaxIcon 0]

Anyone have luck changing the lens on one of these? I got a couple of these and a couple of the Hikvision domes, but the dome isn't as clear as the bullet, but I like the wider field of view. I'm thinking that I'd like to go ~3mm lens for a happy medium between 2.6dome and 4mm SWANN.

 

If possible, any tutorials on where to get the parts and how to make the swap? Thanks much!

 

If someone's actually done the swap, that's your best bet. Let's see if anyone responds with details.

 

The problem with swapping M12 lenses is that there are few standards having to do with lens fit and focus, unlike CS mount lenses, so whether you get one that works with your camera is a shot in the dark. A 3mm lens from vendor A may focus in a completely different position than a lens with the same specs from vendor B, and will likely give you a different field of view in the process.

 

The most common problem on IR cams is that the lens needs to be screwed in too far to focus, and hits the IR filter housing. I tested a half-dozen lenses of various sizes last weekend, and 3 of them hit the filter housing on the camera I was checking.

 

Unless they specify the back focus length on the lens (few vendors do this), you won't know for sure, and even then you'd need to know the clearance of your IR filter. If you don't have IR, there's a lot better chance that any random lens will fit.

 

Anyway, here's what you want to look for, in general:

 

- IR corrected if you've got a true day/night camera (not IR filtered - that's a permanent IR filter mounted on the lens).

- MP rated (most vendors don't specify how many MP, but it's a start).

- Right size lens for your sensor (1/3" lens for a 1/3" sensor). This changes the FOV a lot if you don't match them up.

 

If they specify glass lens elements, that's usually better than plastic lenses, and an aluminum body is better than a plastic body. All these things can make the difference between a $3 lens and a $30 lens.

[LittleScoobyMaster 0]

The hik has smart IR on the setup menu, but I haven't been able to figure out what it does. Probably should send an email to support and see what they say.

 

This is definitely a tradeoff with the trend toward powerful IR - it reaches a lot further, but overexposes like crazy up close, and the cam's exposure control is often either too slow at responding or not good at responding to relatively small areas that are very bright.

 

IR, like all light, drops in intensity with the square of the distance, so twice as far away gives 1/4 the illumination. This is why long distance IR is so bright up close.

 

If I stand right in front of a cam with strong IR and fill the view, it will usually auto-adjust to a good exposure, but this can take 5-10 seconds depending on the cam, so that's not good for someone walking or running past.

 

The other solution is to disable on-board IR and use external illumination - either IR or motion lights. Some cams (like Dahua) won't let you disable on-board IR without unplugging it, and the Hik bullets only disable it when you switch to day mode, which lets out external IR. My Vivoteks let you change day/night mode and IR on/off independently, which is nice.

 

Just received my Swann HD-820CAM set today. Just want to confirm this. There is no way to turn off the IR leds without switching to day mode?

 

If I use my own IR illuminators, I would think I would want to be able to use night mode with my external IR. This seems like a big limitation for these cameras if this is correct. Will the HIK firmware upgrade allow us to turn off the IR leds without switching to day mode?

[buellwinkle 0]

I think the new dome and the bullet have about the same clarity day or night, maybe you have the old dome. The IR LED's does make the image brighter in the center than the edges, but it does light the entire viewing angle, but then again, changing the bullet to a 2.8mm lens may be a lot worse, you make get vignetting, the hood will likely get in the way and you may get poor lighting around the edges. So stick to the dome if you want the wide angle, or get the newer version of the dome if you are having issues with it, look for a build date of July or newer. Hopefully I can finish a review on the dome soon, just got the new one today and mounting is a PITA because I have to wedge Styrofoam on one side to make the camera level on my pitched eave.

[mroek 0]

Just received my Swann HD-820CAM set today. Just want to confirm this. There is no way to turn off the IR leds without switching to day mode?

 

If I use my own IR illuminators, I would think I would want to be able to use night mode with my external IR. This seems like a big limitation for these cameras if this is correct. Will the HIK firmware upgrade allow us to turn off the IR leds without switching to day mode?

The IR-leds are clearly under software control on these cameras (unlike on some Dahuas), so I'm fairly certain that it would be a minor issue for Hikvision to add a separate IR on/off-option. It is a pity they haven't done so, but perhaps it is possible to ask them to? Anyone have some good contact info?

[MaxIcon 0]

Yeah, it might be worth asking them for this feature. It's not there in the current firmware.

 

You might be able to unplug the IR board, which works on some cameras like the Dahua. I haven't tested it on the Hik.

 

Some cameras use the photosensor for day/night switching, like my Vivotek IP8332. This gives fast, responsive switching, but you can't disconnect the IR board. Vivotek lets you control all 3 aspects independently - IR filter state, IR LED state, day/night mode - so it doesn't matter.

[JoeyJoey 0]

I have have found with the Hikvision cameras that when using motion detection in the NVR, when it switches from day to night, colour to b&w, it triggers a motion event.

 

Kinda silly.

[MaxIcon 0]

Actually, it makes sense from a pixel perspective. Most of the pixels change all at once when it changes mode, and generally the exposure has to change for the new setting as well, making it look like the mother of all motion events.

 

Blue Iris has a sophisticated motion detect algorithm, allowing you to detect based on things like color changes or brightness changes only, groups of pixels where the motion is detected as an object, and a variety of other settings, but I haven't seen an NVR with that level of adjustment.

[JoeyJoey 0]

I know why it does it, but the camera should communicate to the NVR and say 'just switched over, delay motion detection for a few seconds'

 

I have used a Vivotek camera that doesn't trigger a motion detection internally when switching over.

[LittleScoobyMaster 0]

Just received my Swann HD-820CAM set today. Just want to confirm this. There is no way to turn off the IR leds without switching to day mode?

 

If I use my own IR illuminators, I would think I would want to be able to use night mode with my external IR. This seems like a big limitation for these cameras if this is correct. Will the HIK firmware upgrade allow us to turn off the IR leds without switching to day mode?

The IR-leds are clearly under software control on these cameras (unlike on some Dahuas), so I'm fairly certain that it would be a minor issue for Hikvision to add a separate IR on/off-option. It is a pity they haven't done so, but perhaps it is possible to ask them to? Anyone have some good contact info?

 

I called them tonight but the tech support person suggested switching to day mode to turn off IR, but of course, that is not a viable solution.

 

The person on the phone suggested sending an email to techsupport@hikvisionusa.com to inquire about any possible firmware updates, so that is what I have done.

 

I don't know if that e-mail will be forwarded to the other countries support or not. Maybe if enough people e-mail them, they might add the feature. It's kind of surprising they left it out.

 

I'm also surprised more people on this forum aren't wondering about this because it is so much nicer to have separate ir illuminators for cameras. For the people who are using the built in IR, aren't you getting a bunch of false events from insects flying around the cameras?

[rayt 0]

Just received my Swann HD-820CAM set today. Just want to confirm this. There is no way to turn off the IR leds without switching to day mode?

 

If I use my own IR illuminators, I would think I would want to be able to use night mode with my external IR. This seems like a big limitation for these cameras if this is correct. Will the HIK firmware upgrade allow us to turn off the IR leds without switching to day mode?

The IR-leds are clearly under software control on these cameras (unlike on some Dahuas), so I'm fairly certain that it would be a minor issue for Hikvision to add a separate IR on/off-option. It is a pity they haven't done so, but perhaps it is possible to ask them to? Anyone have some good contact info?

 

I called them tonight but the tech support person suggested switching to day mode to turn off IR, but of course, that is not a viable solution.

 

The person on the phone suggested sending an email to techsupport@hikvisionusa.com to inquire about any possible firmware updates, so that is what I have done.

 

I don't know if that e-mail will be forwarded to the other countries support or not. Maybe if enough people e-mail them, they might add the feature. It's kind of surprising they left it out.

 

I'm also surprised more people on this forum aren't wondering about this because it is so much nicer to have separate ir illuminators for cameras. For the people who are using the built in IR, aren't you getting a bunch of false events from insects flying around the cameras?

 

problem is that with these "budget" ip cams, they designed everything with a certain amount of features and left a lot out for more advanced and expensive cameras. I mean i hope they would be willing to add that feature to this budget series, but chances are slim.

[LittleScoobyMaster 0]

problem is that with these "budget" ip cams, they designed everything with a certain amount of features and left a lot out for more advanced and expensive cameras. I mean i hope they would be willing to add that feature to this budget series, but chances are slim.

 

Yeah, I'm thinking the same thing. I wonder if they would accept donations to add the feature.

 

I would be willing to send them $50 for the feature since I saved $50 off the regular Costco price for the camera set.

 

I wonder how many hours or days worth of work it would take to add the feature. Anyone know?

[buellwinkle 0]

It has features that many expensive cameras do not, like write and playback to NAS. Each brand has it's sets of features irregardless of price. Contact Swann and see if they can add this feature to their roadmap.

[LittleScoobyMaster 0]

It has features that many expensive cameras do not, like write and playback to NAS. Each brand has it's sets of features irregardless of price. Contact Swann and see if they can add this feature to their roadmap.

 

Yeah, I'll send Swann the same e-mail I sent Hikvision. So far no response from Hikvision USA.... Those turkeys.

 

Anyone know if these HD-820's are sensitive to 940nm IR?

[MaxIcon 0]

Cameras that can see 850 nm IR can generally see 940 nm as well, but with lower sensitivity. How much lower depends on the sensor specs, and those can be hard to get.

 

You can assume half the sensitivity as a rule of thumb, but you won't know for sure until you try it.

 

Edit: Here's a typical response chart; each sensor will be a bit different.

 

Edited August 27, 2013 by Guest