ColorVu is Hikvision's colour night vision. Most cameras switch to black and white after dark. A ColorVu camera stays in colour.
That's the difference between "someone in a dark jacket" and "a man in a red jacket getting into a blue Astra". This guide explains how it works, how it compares with infrared, AcuSense and DarkFighter, and which model suits your site.
A standard camera gives up on colour in low light. It switches on infrared (IR: invisible light the camera can see) and records in black and white.
ColorVu gathers more light instead, and adds its own when there isn't enough. It does this three ways:
A wider lens. Usually F1.0, against F1.6 or F2.0 on a standard camera. F1.0 lets in around four times the light of F2.0.
A more sensitive sensor. Under street lights or moonlight, this is often enough to keep colour.
A warm white LED. When it's truly dark, the built-in light fills in the rest.
Should I choose ColorVu or infrared?
Infrared shows you someone was there. ColorVu shows you who.
In infrared you see a grey figure in a grey jacket. In colour you see the red jacket, the blue holdall and the colour of the car. That's the detail the police or your insurer will ask for.
Infrared camera
ColorVu (white light)
Smart Hybrid Light / ColorVu 3.0
Night image
Black and white
Full colour
Your choice: black and white, colour, or colour only during an event
Visible light at night
None
Yes, whenever it's dark
None in infrared mode; white light in the other modes
Puts people off?
Not much, the camera doesn't look active
Yes, an intruder knows they're lit
Yes in smart mode, the light comes on when someone appears
Good for
Discreet coverage, less important views
Yards, forecourts and entrances you want lit
Homes and anywhere near neighbours
You can mix both on one recorder. Many customers put ColorVu on the front and the driveway, and infrared on less important views to keep the cost down.
How is ColorVu different from AcuSense and DarkFighter?
These three names get mixed up, but they do different jobs.
ColorVu is about the picture: white light keeps it in colour at night.
DarkFighter is also about the picture: a very sensitive sensor holds colour for longer, then switches to discreet black and white infrared. See Hikvision DarkFighter cameras.
AcuSense is about alerts: the camera tells a person from a vehicle, so you get fewer false alarms. See Hikvision AcuSense cameras.
Many cameras have AcuSense and ColorVu together, so you get both. The DS-2CD2387G2-LU, for example, is an 8MP turret with both.
Does the ColorVu light stay on all night?
Only on white-light-only models. These turn the LED on as it gets dark and keep it on.
Smart Hybrid Light and ColorVu 3.0 cameras can run on invisible infrared. They turn the white light on only when something happens.
A visible light puts intruders off, because they know they're being recorded. Pointed at a neighbour's window, though, it will cause a complaint. To keep it under control:
Aim the camera down into your own yard, forecourt or entrance before you fix the bracket.
On hybrid models, use smart mode so the light only comes on during an event.
Turn the brightness down in the camera menu.
What's the difference between ColorVu, Smart Hybrid Light and ColorVu 3.0?
Three generations are on sale, and the names overlap. Want colour at night without a light that's always on? Choose Smart Hybrid Light or ColorVu 3.0.
ColorVu (white light only). The original. Always colour at night, always lit. Example: the DS-2CD2087G2-LU 8MP bullet.
Smart Hybrid Light. Infrared and white LEDs in one camera. Three modes: infrared only, white light only, or smart (infrared until something happens, then white light). Example: the DS-2CD2387G2H-LISU/SL 8MP turret.
ColorVu 3.0. The latest G3 generation of Smart Hybrid Light, better in low light. Example: the DS-2CD2347G3-LI(2U)Y 4MP turret.
How they compare on Hikvision's datasheets:
Model
Generation
Resolution
Lens
Lowest light for colour
Built-in light
Light range
DS-2CE72HFT-F28
ColorVu (Turbo HD)
5MP
F1.0
0.0005 lux
White
Up to 20m
DS-2CD2387G2-LU
ColorVu
8MP
F1.0
0.0005 lux
White
Up to 30m
DS-2CD2087G2-LU
ColorVu
8MP
F1.0
0.0005 lux
White
40m
DS-2CD2387G2H-LISU/SL
Smart Hybrid Light
8MP
F1.0
0.0008 lux
White and infrared
Up to 30m
DS-2CD2347G3-LI(2U)Y
ColorVu 3.0
4MP
F1.0
0.0001 lux
White and infrared
Up to 30m
DS-2CD2387G3-LIS2UY/SL
ColorVu 3.0
8MP
F1.0
0.0005 lux
White and infrared
Up to 30m
Figures from Hikvision product datasheets. Lux measures light; lower means the camera keeps colour in darker scenes. "Lowest light for colour" is at F1.0 with gain on. Every model records at 0 lux with its light on.
Start with the area each camera must cover. Then pick the resolution and the shape.
More megapixels isn't always better. An 8MP camera spreads its pixels over a wider view. A 4MP camera aimed at a narrower area can show more detail on the thing you care about.
4MP, 5MP or 8MP?
4MP
The usual choice for homes, shops and offices. Enough to recognise a face at a door or read a number plate on a normal drive, without using much storage. Example: DS-2CD2047G3-LI2UY mini bullet.
5MP
Mostly Turbo HD cameras for coax (the round cable older systems use), such as the DS-2CE72HFT-F28 turret. A good step up if you're upgrading a coax system rather than moving to IP.
8MP / 4K
For wide areas, car parks, yards and long drives, where you need to recognise people further away. Uses roughly double the storage of 4MP, and the recorder must support 8MP per channel. Example: DS-2CD2087G3-LI2UY.
Yes. Some add a flashing light and a speaker, so the camera warns an intruder as well as filming them. The DS-2CD2387G3-LIS2UY/SL 8MP ColorVu 3.0 turret is our current pick for yards and back gardens.
No network cable? The DS-2XS6A87G1-LS/4G works over a mobile connection.
Yes. A kit is the simpler way to get a complete system. Our Turbo HD ColorVu dome kits pair a 4K-capable DVR with 5MP ColorVu domes. They suit sites that already have coax cable:
Cable. Cat5e or Cat6 for IP cameras, up to 100m per run. Further than that, add a PoE switch (PoE: one cable powers the camera and carries the picture). For coax, RG59 and 12V power.
A CCTV hard drive. Colour at 4MP or 8MP takes more space than black and white 1080p. We fit and format the drive before it leaves us.
Light mode. On hybrid models, choose smart, white light or infrared in the camera menu.
A sign. If your cameras see beyond your boundary, UK GDPR makes you a data controller and you must put up a notice. The ICO's CCTV guidance takes about ten minutes to read.
Are ColorVu cameras worth it?
Yes, wherever you may need to identify someone. Colour shows clothing, what someone carried, and the colour and often the make of their car. Infrared can't.
The downside used to be the light, and Smart Hybrid Light has mostly fixed that. Watching cost? Use ColorVu where it matters most (front door, drive, gate) and infrared elsewhere. Or look at the HiLook colour night vision range.
You can see infrared and colour side by side at our Wolverhampton showroom, where cameras run live. Open Monday to Friday 9am–5pm and Saturday 9am–4pm.
Questions
What is Hikvision ColorVu?
Hikvision's colour night vision technology: an F1.0 lens, a more sensitive sensor and a white LED keep footage in full colour after dark instead of switching to black-and-white infrared.
Do ColorVu cameras have infrared?
Original ColorVu cameras are white light only. Smart Hybrid Light and ColorVu 3.0 models have both infrared and white LEDs.
Does ColorVu have audio?
Some models do. A "U" in the model number indicates a built-in microphone, as on the DS-2CD2387G2-LU turret; the ColorVu 3.0 "2U" models have a dual microphone.
Does ColorVu work on analogue systems, or only IP?
Both. ColorVu is available on Turbo HD cameras for coax DVR systems and on IP cameras for NVR systems.
Will ColorVu cameras work with my existing Hikvision NVR?
Yes, if the NVR supports the camera's resolution. ColorVu IP cameras use the standard Hikvision protocol and also support ONVIF for third-party recorders.
Is 4MP or 8MP better?
4MP suits most homes and shops. Choose 8MP for wide areas and identification at distance, allowing for roughly double the storage and a recorder that supports it.
How do I see Hikvision prices?
Hikvision is our trade range, so pricing is shown to registered account holders only. Create a free account and sign in to see live trade prices.
Buying ColorVu from us
We're an authorised Hikvision partner and UK trade distributor in Wolverhampton. We're a supplier, not an installer, and we've been trading since 2012.
You get genuine UK-spec stock, a hard drive fitted and formatted to order, and help planning your system before you buy. We deliver to England, Scotland and Wales, normally within 1–2 working days.
