The IPC-HFW7442H-ZFR is a robust 4MP network camera designed for comprehensive surveillance, excelling in challenging lighting conditions. It integrates advanced AI capabilities for precise object recognition and analysis, making it ideal for property owners and businesses seeking intelligent monitoring without constant human oversight. This camera delivers detailed imaging and smart analytics to enhance security and operational efficiency.
Features
- Intelligent Object Detection: Accurately identifies and differentiates between humans and vehicles, significantly reducing false alarms from irrelevant motion.
- Face Recognition: Automatically detects and analyzes faces, enabling rapid identification and efficient management of personnel or known individuals.
- People Counting: Provides precise statistics on foot traffic in designated areas, offering valuable insights for business operations and crowd management.
- Perimeter Protection: Creates virtual boundaries to detect intrusions or loitering, enhancing security in sensitive or restricted zones.
- Excellent Low-Light Performance: Captures clear, detailed images even in near-dark conditions, ensuring reliable surveillance around the clock.
- Flexible Video Streams: Supports five simultaneous video streams, allowing for tailored recording, live viewing, and remote access across various devices and network conditions.
- Rugged Durability: Built to withstand harsh weather and resist vandalism, ensuring continuous operation in outdoor and vulnerable environments.
- Local Storage & Integration: Supports a large microSD card for onboard recording and integrates seamlessly with network video recorders (NVRs) for expanded storage and centralized management.
Perfect For
- Commercial building exteriors
- Large parking lots
- Industrial perimeters
- Public park entrances
- School campuses
- Warehouse facilities
Installer Tips
- For optimal DORI (Detect, Observe, Recognize, Identify) distances, adjust the motorized vari-focal lens to the desired focal length based on the coverage area required. The "W" (wide) setting is best for broad views, while "T" (telephoto) is for closer, more detailed observation.
- Utilize PoE+ or ePoE for simpler installation, as it delivers both power and data over a single Ethernet cable, reducing wiring complexity and cost.
- Mount the camera at a height that allows for clear line of sight for AI features like face recognition and people counting, typically above head height but not excessively high to avoid overhead distortion.
- Connect the camera to a Smart NVR to leverage intelligent search and event merging, streamlining the review of incident footage.
- Consider using the optional anti-corrosion coating (NEMA 4X) if installing in coastal or industrial environments prone to corrosive elements to extend the camera's lifespan.
- When integrating with existing alarm systems, utilize the 3 alarm inputs and 2 alarm outputs for expanded security capabilities, such as triggering an external siren or light based on detected events.
Downloads
Quick-Read Specs
| Feature |
Specification |
| Resolution |
4MP (2688 × 1520) |
| Lens Type |
Motorized Vari-focal (2.7 mm–12 mm) |
| Night Vision |
IR, up to 60 m (196.85 ft) |
| Deterrence |
None specified |
| AI Features |
Perimeter Protection, Face Recognition, People Counting |
| Audio |
1 Input, 1 Output |
| Storage |
MicroSD up to 256 GB |
| Power |
12V DC/24V AC/PoE+ (802.3at) |
| Weather Rating |
IP67, IK10 |
Extra Info
Dahua WizMind AI Power
This camera is part of the Dahua WizMind 7 Series, which means it incorporates advanced deep learning algorithms. This isn't just about motion detection; it's about understanding what's happening. The camera can accurately differentiate between humans, vehicles, and even non-motorized vehicles, drastically reducing false alarms that plague traditional security systems. For example, a branch swaying in the wind won't trigger an alert, but a person entering a restricted area will. This precision saves time and ensures that security personnel only respond to genuine threats.
Intelligent Video Analytics (IVA)
Beyond simple detection, the camera offers robust Intelligent Video Analytics. Perimeter Protection goes beyond basic tripwires; it classifies targets (human/vehicle) to minimize false alarms in defined zones like parking lots or pedestrian-only areas. Face Recognition allows for sophisticated access control, identifying known individuals or flagging unknown ones. This is particularly useful for managing entry points or monitoring specific personnel. People Counting provides valuable data for businesses, helping them understand foot traffic, manage occupancy limits, and analyze customer flow in retail environments. This data can be exported in daily, monthly, or yearly reports.
Optimized Video and Storage
The camera employs Smart H.265+ and Smart H.264+ encoding technologies. These aren't just standard compression methods; they use scene-adaptive rate control algorithms to optimize bitrates. In simpler terms, they intelligently reduce file sizes without sacrificing video quality, especially during periods of low activity. This translates directly into lower storage costs and reduced bandwidth consumption, making it more efficient for both local recording on the 256GB microSD card and remote viewing.
Enhanced Durability and Connectivity
Built to withstand harsh conditions, the camera boasts IP67 weatherproofing against dust and water, and IK10 vandal resistance against impacts. This ensures reliable performance in outdoor and exposed environments. The inclusion of ePoE technology offers increased flexibility for installation, allowing for extended cable runs between the camera and the network switch, potentially simplifying complex deployments and reducing infrastructure costs. Furthermore, with five video streams, the camera can deliver different resolutions and frame rates simultaneously, catering to various monitoring and recording needs, such as high-quality local storage and lower-bandwidth mobile viewing.
Q&A
Q: Can this camera record in color at night?
A: The camera has a very low minimum illumination of 0.001 Lux@F1.2 in color, meaning it can capture color images in very dim light. However, in complete darkness (0 Lux), it will switch to its IR illuminators to provide black and white night vision up to 60 meters.
Q: How loud is the audio output from this camera?
A: The specifications indicate an audio output, but the maximum decibel level for the speaker isn't provided. It's primarily designed for two-way audio communication rather than a high-volume siren for deterrence.
Q: Can the IR lights be disabled?
A: Yes, the illuminator (IR LED) control can be set to "Auto" or "Manual," allowing you to disable them if needed, though this would affect night vision in complete darkness.
Q: Does it work with Network Video Recorders (NVRs) from other brands?
A: This camera supports ONVIF (Profile S/Profile G/Profile T), which is a common standard for IP camera interoperability. While it's designed for seamless integration with Dahua NVRs (especially for advanced AI features), it should be compatible with many third-party ONVIF-compliant NVRs for basic video streaming and recording.
Q: How long can a 256GB SD card record video on this camera?
A: The recording duration on a 256GB SD card depends heavily on the resolution, frame rate, compression (Smart H.265+ is highly efficient), and the amount of motion in the scene. With Smart H.265+, you can expect several weeks to a few months of recording for typical event-based surveillance, but continuous recording would be significantly less.
Q: What makes this WizMind 7 Series camera different from a standard 4MP camera?
A: The key difference lies in the WizMind designation, which signifies the inclusion of advanced deep learning AI algorithms. This camera goes beyond basic motion detection, offering intelligent features like accurate human/vehicle classification, advanced perimeter protection, and face recognition, which are typically not found in standard 4MP cameras and lead to significantly fewer false alarms and more valuable data.
Q: Will the alarm output automatically activate a siren or lights connected to it?
A: The camera has Alarm Output channels (2 out), which are dry contacts. While the camera can trigger these outputs based on various alarm events (e.g., intrusion, motion detection, face recognition), you would need to connect an external siren, strobe light, or other compatible device to these outputs for them to activate automatically. The camera itself does not have a built-in siren or flashing lights for deterrence.
Dahua Camera Comparison
IPC-HFW7442H-ZFR (Newer Model) vs. IPC-HFW7442H-Z (Older Model)
| Category |
Newer Model (IPC-HFW7442H-ZFR) |
Older Model (IPC-HFW7442H-Z) |
| Model Name |
IPC-HFW7442H-ZFR |
IPC-HFW7442H-Z |
| Image Sensor |
1/1.8” 4Megapixel progressive CMOS |
1/1.8” 4Megapixel progressive CMOS |
| Max. Resolution |
4MP (2688 × 1520) @50 fps/60 fps |
4MP (2688 × 1520) @50 fps/60 fps |
| ROM |
16 GB |
4 GB |
| RAM |
2 GB |
2 GB |
| Min. Illumination (Color) |
0.001 Lux@F1.2 (Color, 30IRE) |
0.001 Lux@F1.2 (Color, 30IRE) |
| Min. Illumination (B/W) |
0.0002 Lux@F1.2 (B/W, 30IRE) |
0.0002 Lux@F1.2 (B/W, 30IRE) |
| Illumination Distance |
60 m (196.85 ft) |
60 m (196.85 ft) |
| Lens Type |
Motorized vari-focal |
Motorized vari-focal |
| Focal Length |
2.7 mm–12 mm |
2.7 mm–12 mm |
| Max. Aperture |
F1.2 |
F1.2 |
| WDR |
140 dB |
140 dB |
| AI Features |
People counting, Face Recognition, perimeter protection, video metadata (human body, human face, motor vehicle and non-motor vehicle extraction), intelligent search, queue management. |
People counting, Face Detection, perimeter protection, video metadata (vehicle, non-motor vehicle, personnel detection and snapshot), ANPR, intelligent search. |
| Face Recognition Features |
Face recognition, track, priority, snapshot, face enhancement, face exposure, 6 attributes and 8 expressions extract, face matting setting, two snapshot strategies, face angle filter, priority time setting, 5 group face library management, single person register & batch register, face recognition and similarity setting, max 200,000 faces in library, duration optimal, non-living filtering. |
Face detection, track, priority, snapshot, face enhancement, face exposure, 6 attributes and 8 expressions extract (Gender, age, glasses, expressions, mask, beard), upload, optimized snapshot picture. |
| Video Compression |
H.265, H.264, H.264H, H.264B, MJPEG |
H.265, H.264, H.264H, H.264B, MJPEG |
| Stream Capability |
5 streams |
5 streams |
| Storage |
Micro SD card (max. 256 G), FTP, NAS, SFTP |
Micro SD card (max. 256 G), FTP, NAS, SFTP |
| Alarm I/O |
3 in, 2 out |
3 in, 2 out |
| Audio I/O |
1 in, 1 out |
1 in, 1 out |
| Network Interface |
RJ-45 (10/100/1000 Base-T) |
RJ-45 (10/100/1000 Base-T) |
| Power Supply |
12V DC/24V AC/PoE+ (802.3at); ePoE |
12V DC/24V AC/PoE+ (802.3at); ePoE |
| Protection Grade |
IP67, IK10, Anti-Corrosion Protection: NEMA 4X (optional) |
IP67, IK10 |
| DORI Distances (Wide) |
Detect: 60.1 m, Observe: 24 m, Recognize: 12 m, Identify: 6 m |
Detect: 60.1 m, Observe: 24 m, Recognize: 12 m, Identify: 6 m |
| DORI Distances (Tele) |
Detect: 128.6 m, Observe: 51.4 m, Recognize: 25.7 m, Identify: 12.8 m |
Detect: 128.6 m, Observe: 51.4 m, Recognize: 25.7 m, Identify: 12.8 m |
Summary Recommendation
-
Choose the Newer Model (IPC-HFW7442H-ZFR) if:
- You require advanced Face Recognition capabilities with comprehensive face attribute extraction, robust face library management (up to 200,000 faces), and specific snapshot strategies.
- You need the increased ROM of 16 GB for potentially more advanced AI algorithms or future firmware updates.
- Anti-corrosion coating is a specific requirement for your installation environment.
-
The Older Model (IPC-HFW7442H-Z) might still be suitable if:
- Your primary AI needs are met by Face Detection (without full-fledged face recognition with large database matching), perimeter protection, people counting, and general video metadata extraction.
- The slightly smaller ROM (4 GB) is not a limiting factor for your intended use case.
- Budget is a significant concern, and the enhanced face recognition features of the newer model are not critical for your application.
- The camera will not be deployed in environments requiring anti-corrosion coating.
