Dahua IPC-HFW4431R-Z
The Dahua IPC-HFW4431R-Z is a 4MP bullet camera with a varifocal lens, and it’s become one of my favorites to use here around the house. These cameras are only made for the Chinese market, but are available worldwide from sellers who load them with a modified firmware supporting English, Spanish, and French languages. The modified firmware and grey market sales of these cameras are not supported by Dahua, so I don’t recommend them for someone who is new to security cameras. On the other hand, they’re available from many sources at extremely low prices for what you’re getting, and are great cameras for hobbyists and enthusiasts who can provide their own support. Keep reading to see what I like about them and what to watch out for.
Key features and specifications
It’s usually easy to put some basic specs here for you, but that’s not the case with this camera. An English data sheet doesn’t seem to be available from Dahua since this camera was only intended for the Chinese market. I can’t even find a Chinese data sheet, which doesn’t really matter since I cannot read Chinese at all.
Looking online I come across two different sets of specs shown by sellers, and some websites showing both sets of specs mixed together on the same page!
These are the basic specs for the latest model currently shipping from most sellers:
- 1/3″ 4MP Aptina CMOS image sensor with 2592 x 1520 maximum resolution
- 2.7 to 12mm motorized varifocal lens (99° – 36° horizontal field of view)
- H.265, H.264, and MJPEG video compression
- 4 High power IR LEDs with 80m (262′) range
- Powered by 802.11af PoE or 12 Volts DC (11.1 Watts maximum)
- IP67 weather protection rating
- IK10 vandal resistance rating
Some sellers list incorrect specs that do not apply to this model currently for sale:
- 2.8 to 12mm motorized varifocal lens (92° – 28° horizontal field of view)
- IR LEDs with 50m (164′) range
- IP66 rated
- Incorrect drawings and other data