This Dahua WizSense PTZ camera is an all-in-one surveillance solution designed for extensive outdoor coverage. It excels at capturing clear video over long distances, even in very dim conditions, thanks to its Starlight Technology. The camera's intelligent features, powered by an independent AI chip, accurately detect and track humans and vehicles, significantly reducing false alarms and allowing for quick responses to genuine threats. It's built for reliable performance in demanding environments, making it ideal for monitoring large areas where precision and detail are crucial.
Key Features
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Powerful 32x Optical Zoom: Capture clear details from extreme distances, ensuring no critical event goes unnoticed across vast areas.
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Starlight+ Technology: See vivid color images in near-dark conditions (as low as 0.005 lux), providing superior night vision compared to traditional infrared.
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Perimeter Protection: Accurately detect human and vehicle intrusions while intelligently filtering out false alarms from environmental factors like animals or rustling leaves, saving you time and reducing irrelevant alerts.
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SMD PLUS (Smart Motion Detection): Get precise alerts only when humans or vehicles are detected, minimizing notifications from irrelevant motion and focusing your attention on what truly matters.
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Auto-tracking: The camera automatically follows moving subjects, keeping them in frame and ensuring continuous surveillance of dynamic events without manual intervention.
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Wide Dynamic Range (120 dB WDR): Capture balanced, clear images in challenging lighting, such as direct sunlight or shadowed areas, revealing important details in both bright and dark parts of the scene.
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PoE+ Power: Simplify installation with power and data delivered over a single Ethernet cable, reducing wiring complexity and cost.
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IK10 Vandal Resistance: The camera's robust design protects it from significant impacts, ensuring continuous operation even in high-risk outdoor locations.
Perfect For:
- Large parking lots and industrial complexes
- School campuses and public parks
- Commercial building exteriors
- Perimeter security for estates and farms
- Construction sites and equipment yards
- Urban surveillance and city streets
Install Tips
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Optimal Mounting Height: For effective auto-tracking and perimeter protection, mount the camera at a height that provides a clear, unobstructed view of the target area, typically between 8-15 feet, depending on the desired coverage and zoom level.
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Leverage PoE+: Utilize PoE+ for simplified wiring. A single Ethernet cable can provide both power and data, making installation quicker and more cost-effective, especially for long cable runs. Ensure your PoE+ switch or injector provides sufficient power (at least 16W).
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Strategic Field of View Planning: With its powerful 32x optical zoom and wide field of view, plan your installation location to maximize coverage. Consider placing it at a central point to monitor large open areas or long corridors.
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Integrate with a Dahua NVR: For advanced AI functionalities like detailed event search and centralized management, pair this camera with a compatible Dahua AI NVR. This unlocks the full potential of features like Face Detection and enhanced alarm management.
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Micro SD Card for Local Backup: Install a high-capacity (up to 256GB) Micro SD card for local storage. This provides a crucial backup in case of network interruption, ensuring continuous recording of critical events.
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Fine-tune Perimeter Protection: When configuring Perimeter Protection, carefully define the tripwire and intrusion areas. Test the settings to ensure accurate detection of humans and vehicles while effectively filtering out environmental false alarms.
Downloads
Quick-Read Specs
| Feature |
Detail |
| Resolution |
2 Megapixel (1920x1080) |
| Lens |
4.9 mm–156 mm (32x Optical Zoom) |
| Night Vision |
Starlight+ Technology (0.005 Lux Color) |
| Deterrence |
N/A |
| AI Features |
SMD PLUS, Perimeter Protection, Auto Tracking, Face Detection |
| Audio |
1 Input, 1 Output (Two-way audio support) |
| Storage |
Micro SD card (up to 256GB) |
| Power |
DC24V/2.5A, PoE+ (802.3at) |
| Weather Rating |
IK10 (Vandal resistant) |
Extra Info
WizSense AI Technology
The DH-SD52C232XA-HNR is part of Dahua's WizSense series, which incorporates independent AI chips and deep learning algorithms. This means the camera is specifically designed to accurately focus on human and vehicle detection, significantly reducing the nuisance of false alarms triggered by irrelevant movements like animals or rustling leaves. For users, this translates into more relevant alerts, allowing them to quickly respond to actual security incidents rather than constantly checking on benign events.
Starlight+ for Superior Low-Light Performance
Starlight+ Technology is a crucial feature for environments with challenging lighting conditions. Unlike traditional cameras that struggle in low light, this camera can capture detailed color images down to an incredibly low 0.005 lux. This is achieved through a combination of advanced optical features and image processing, ensuring that even in near-darkness, the video remains clear and informative, providing critical evidence that black and white footage might miss.
PFA Technology for Precise Focusing
PFA (Predictive Focus Algorithm) technology is designed to maintain crystal-clear images throughout the zooming process. It uses intelligent algorithms to predict the direction of subject distance adjustment, ensuring that the camera stays in sharp focus as it zooms in or out. This dramatically shortens the focus time and eliminates blurriness, which is vital for quickly identifying subjects at varying distances and ensuring consistently high-quality footage.
SMD PLUS for Intelligent Motion Detection
SMD PLUS, powered by a deep-learning algorithm, refines standard motion detection by specifically recognizing and filtering alarms triggered by humans and vehicles. This intelligent filtering prevents alerts from non-concerned targets, such as swaying trees or rain. When human or vehicle intrusion occurs, the system sends precise alarms, allowing users to focus on legitimate threats and significantly reducing the amount of irrelevant video footage to review.
Efficient Video Compression with Smart H.265+
The implementation of Smart H.265+ offers significant advantages in terms of data management. This optimized codec uses intelligent encoding strategies, including dynamic GOP (Group of Pictures), dynamic ROI (Region of Interest), and smart noise reduction. The practical benefit is a substantial reduction in bit rate and storage requirements—up to 70% compared to standard H.265. This allows for longer recording times on local storage and reduces bandwidth consumption, which is critical for network performance and cost-effective storage solutions.
Cybersecurity Protections
Dahua builds in strong cybersecurity protections including encrypted video streams, secure firmware updates, and access controls. This guards against data breaches or unauthorized remote access — a key consideration for business and home networks alike.
More About AcuPick - Smart Video Search with Precision AI
Dahua’s AcuPick technology revolutionises video surveillance by using advanced AI to pinpoint people or vehicles across recorded footage with remarkable speed and accuracy. Instead of scrubbing through hours of video manually, AcuPick enables users to filter footage by specific targets, drastically cutting down search times and boosting operational efficiency. Integrated into a range of Dahua cameras (including TiOC series) and compatible NVRs, AcuPick delivers a seamless and intelligent search experience.

Highlights of AcuPick:
AI-Driven Precision:
AcuPick leverages intelligent algorithms to differentiate between human and vehicle activity, refining search results to what truly matters.
Smart Filtering:
Search footage using key attributes like clothing colour or vehicle type—no need to know the exact time an incident occurred.
Instant Video Recall:
With just a few clicks, users can zero in on critical moments, improving response times and streamlining investigations.
False Alarm Reduction:
By filtering out irrelevant motion, AcuPick helps reduce nuisance alerts, leading to more reliable monitoring.
Flexible Deployment:
Whether through Dahua's smart cameras or NVR integration, AcuPick fits into a wide range of security setups.
Practical Applications:
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Retail & Offices: Track customer flow or monitor for unauthorized access.
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Car Parks & Garages: Instantly retrieve footage of accidents or suspicious activity.
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Public Spaces: Quickly find persons of interest using visual identifiers.
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Residential Estates: Enhance safety by identifying vehicle movements or visitors.
AcuPick transforms surveillance from reactive monitoring to proactive intelligence, saving time while elevating security across the board.
Q&A
Q: Can this camera record in color at night?
A: Yes, thanks to its Starlight+ Technology, the DH-SD52C232XA-HNR can capture detailed color images in extremely low-light conditions, down to 0.005 lux.
Q: Does this camera have a built-in siren or flashing lights for deterrence?
A: No, this specific model does not list a built-in siren or red/blue strobe lights for active deterrence. Its focus is on advanced surveillance and intelligent detection.
Q: What is the maximum storage capacity for the microSD card?
A: The camera supports a Micro SD card up to 256GB for local storage.
Q: Does this camera work with NVRs from other brands?
A: Yes, the camera supports ONVIF Profile S&G&T, which means it should be interoperable with many NVRs from other brands that also adhere to the ONVIF standard.
Q: How long can the SD card record with the 256GB capacity?
A: The recording duration depends on factors like resolution, frame rate, compression (Smart H.265+ is very efficient), and activity level. With Smart H.265+, a 256GB card can store a significant amount of footage, potentially weeks of event-triggered recordings.
Q: What makes "WizSense" technology different from standard security cameras?
A: WizSense technology utilizes an independent AI chip and deep learning algorithms specifically trained to accurately detect and distinguish between humans and vehicles, significantly reducing false alarms from other movements like animals or environmental factors.
Q: Can the auto-tracking feature be triggered automatically by a detected event?
A: Yes, the auto-tracking feature can be triggered both manually and automatically by predefined rules, allowing the camera to zoom in and follow a detected target.
Q: Is this camera suitable for harsh outdoor weather conditions?
A: Yes, with an IK10 vandal resistance rating and an operating temperature range of –30°C to +60°C (–22°F to +140°F), it is designed to withstand challenging outdoor environments.
Comparison Table
Camera Comparison: Dahua DH-SD52C232XA-HNR vs. Dahua DH-SD52C230U-HNI
Newer Model: Dahua DH-SD52C232XA-HNR (2MP 32x Starlight WizSense Network PTZ Camera)
Older Model: Dahua DH-SD52C230U-HNI (2MP 30x Starlight Network PTZ Camera)
Note: The older version identified, DH-SD52C230U-HNI, appears to be the most direct predecessor based on similar specifications, although it is part of the "U" series and has a slightly different zoom level. The "X" in the newer model's name often signifies an upgrade in AI or specific features.
| Category |
Newer Model (DH-SD52C232XA-HNR) |
Older Model (DH-SD52C230U-HNI) |
| Model Name/Number |
DH-SD52C232XA-HNR |
SD52C230U-HNI |
| Image Sensor |
1/2.8" STARVIS™ CMOS |
1/3" CMOS |
| Pixel Resolution |
2MP (1920 x 1080) |
2MP (1920 x 1080) |
| Optical Zoom |
32x (4.9 mm–156 mm) |
30x (4.5mm~135mm) |
| Min. Illumination (Color) |
0.005 Lux@F1.35 |
0.005 Lux@F1.6 |
| Min. Illumination (B/W) |
0.0005 Lux@F1.35 |
0.0005 Lux@F1.6 |
| Starlight Technology |
Yes (Starlight+) |
Yes (Starlight) |
| WDR |
120 dB True WDR |
120 dB True WDR |
| AI Features |
WizSense (Deep-learning-based auto tracking, Perimeter Protection, SMD PLUS, Face Detection, Smart Capture) |
Auto-tracking and IVS (Intelligent Video System - object abandoned/missing) |
| Perimeter Protection |
Yes (Filters false alarms, human/vehicle classification) |
No specific mention, falls under IVS |
| SMD PLUS |
Yes (Deep-Learning Algorithm for human/vehicle recognition) |
No |
| Face Detection |
Yes |
No specific mention in the older model's available features. |
| PFA Technology |
Yes (Advanced focusing algorithms for clarity during zoom) |
No |
| Video Compression |
H.265; H.264B; H.264M; H.264H; MJPEG (Sub Stream); H.265+; H.264+ |
H.265/H.264 / MJPEG |
| Max Frame Rate |
50/60 fps@1080P |
50/60 fps@1080P |
| DORI Distance (Detect) |
2152 m (7060.37 ft) |
Not explicitly stated in available data for the older model, but likely lower due to 30x zoom and possibly different lens characteristics. |
| Audio I/O |
1 Input / 1 Output (Line out; bare wire), Two-way Audio Support |
1 Input / 1 Output, Two-way Audio Support |
| Alarm I/O |
2 Input / 1 Output |
2 Input / 1 Output |
| Storage |
FTP; Micro SD card (256G); NAS |
MicroSD card slot (capacity not specified, but typically 128GB or less for older models); NAS |
| Power Supply |
DC24V/2.5A, PoE+ (802.3at) |
AC 24V / PoE+ (802.3at) |
| Power Consumption |
Basic: 10W, Max: 16W |
13W |
| Operating Temperature |
–30°C to +60°C (–22°F to +140°F) |
–30°C to +60°C (–22°F to +140°F) |
| Protection |
IK10; 6000V lightning proof; surge protection; voltage transient protection |
IK10 |
Summary Recommendation
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Choose the Newer Model (DH-SD52C232XA-HNR) if:
- You require enhanced AI capabilities, especially for precise human and vehicle detection (SMD PLUS, Perimeter Protection).
- Face Detection is a critical requirement for your surveillance needs.
- You need slightly better optical zoom (32x vs 30x) and potentially longer DORI distances.
- You value improved focusing speed and clarity during zooming (PFA Technology).
- You want the latest advancements in Dahua's Starlight technology.
- You need larger local storage capacity (256GB Micro SD).
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The Older Model (DH-SD52C230U-HNI) might still be suitable if:
- Your budget is a primary concern and the advanced AI features of the newer model are not strictly necessary.
- Basic auto-tracking and IVS (object abandoned/missing) are sufficient for your intelligent detection needs.
- A 30x optical zoom is adequate for your surveillance area.
- You already have existing infrastructure compatible with its specifications and do not need the very latest features.