Hikvision DS-2CE72HFT-F28 5MP ColorVu Turret Camera with 20m White Light

The Hikvision DS-2CE72HFT-F28 is a ColorVu camera, and that single word is the whole point: it records in full colour after dark, where an ordinary camera switches to black and white.

Why colour at night actually matters

An infrared camera at 2am gives you a grey figure in a grey jacket. A ColorVu camera gives you a man in a red jacket with a blue holdall — and that is the difference between footage that identifies someone and footage that merely proves something happened.

For police, insurers and your own staff, colour is what makes a description usable. It is the single most useful upgrade on a night-time camera, and it costs very little more.

How it works — and the trade-off to weigh

ColorVu achieves this with an F1.0 aperture that gathers far more light than a standard lens, backed by white light illumination up to 20 metres. Sensitivity reaches 0.0005 lux — roughly starlight — before the white light is needed at all.

The trade-off is that white light is visible. Unlike infrared, people can see it, and so can neighbours. That cuts both ways:

• As a deterrent it is excellent — an intruder knows immediately they are lit and being recorded.
• Point it carefully. Aimed at a neighbouring bedroom window on a residential street, it will cause a complaint. Aimed down at your own yard, forecourt or entrance, it is ideal.

Smart Light ramps the brightness with proximity rather than running at full output constantly, which softens the effect considerably.

Wide view from a 2.8mm lens

The fixed 2.8mm lens gives a 99.7° horizontal field of view — wide enough to cover a whole driveway, shop floor or yard entrance from a single position. Fixed rather than varifocal keeps the price down; you set the framing by aiming the camera on installation.

Specification

• Sensor: 5MP CMOS, 2560 × 1944
• Lens: 2.8mm fixed, F1.0
• Field of view: 99.7° horizontal, 72° vertical, 139.8° diagonal
• Low light: 0.0005 lux (F1.0, AGC on), 0 lux with white light
• Illumination: white light up to 20m, with Smart Light
• Day/night: colour 24 hours — no mono mode
• WDR: ≥130 dB, plus BLC and HLC
• Frame rate: TVI/AHD 5MP at 20fps, 4MP at 25/30fps · CVI 4MP at 25/30fps
• Output: switchable TVI / AHD / CVI / CVBS
• Housing: metal body, IP67, −40°C to +60°C
• Power: 12V DC, max 3.5W — one adapter per camera
• Dimensions: Ø109.8 × 85.6 mm

One thing worth knowing before you order

5MP records at 20fps, not 25. Drop to 4MP and you get 25 or 30fps, and on HDCVI the camera tops out at 4MP. For general surveillance 20fps is perfectly smooth and the extra detail is worth more — but if you are covering a till or a fast production line, 4MP at 25fps may serve you better.

What you'll need with it

• A 5MP-capable DVR. Older 1080p recorders will run it but record at their own limit — see our DVR range and the DVR buying guide.
• A 12V supply per camera. Hikvision specifically recommends one adapter per camera rather than daisy-chaining — see our CCTV power supplies.
• Existing coax is fine — this runs on the cable you already have.

Frequently asked questions

Does it really record colour in the dark?

Yes. The F1.0 lens works in near-darkness on its own, and below that the white light takes over. There is no black-and-white mode — it is colour around the clock.

Is the white light always on?

It comes on when light levels drop, and Smart Light adjusts the output rather than running flat out. On a residential boundary, aim it at your own property.

How does it compare to an infrared camera?

Infrared is invisible and reaches further; ColorVu gives colour and acts as a visible deterrent. For identifying people, colour usually wins.

Will it work on my existing system?

Yes, if you have coax. It switches between TVI, AHD, CVI and CVBS, so it works with nearly any recorder.

Is 2.8mm wide enough?

99.7° covers a typical driveway, entrance or shop floor from one position. For distance rather than width, a varifocal model suits better — ask us.

Trade prices apply — apply for a trade account or log in. Stocked at our Wolverhampton trade counter, with UK-wide delivery. Contact us or call 01902 902251.