Thanks to its high-speed lenses, the Annke NCD800 offers night shots that look as if they were taken during the day. It also supports smart detection functions.
Like the Reolink Duo 2 WiFi (test report) , the Annke NCD800 (I91BI) offers two lenses whose individual images are combined to create an overall image with a horizontal field of view of 180° . A lot of light falls on the 1/1.8″ sensors via F1.0 apertures, so that night shots can be taken in color without additional lighting and with almost no noise. The PoE outdoor camera is an OEM model from Hikvision and is primarily for professional users who are looking for surveillance cameras for a company-wide security solution.Thanks to ONVIF support including NAS and NVR support , the Annke NCD800 is ideal for this.
Annke NCD800: Scope of delivery and other features
The Annke NCD800 measures 118.6 × 105.1 × 305.4 mm and is therefore very large compared to conventional models. At 1.42 kilos, it is also relatively heavy. The high weight results primarily from a robust metal housing. The surveillance camera is protected against dust and heavy splash water according to IP67 and can be used in a temperature range between -30 °C and 60 °C .
The camera is supplied with power via Ethernet ( PoE, 802.3af ). However, it can also be put into operation using an optionally available 12-volt power pack. The angled metal bracket is directly connected to the camera. With a total of four screws (included in the scope of delivery), the Annke NCD800 can be securely mounted on a wall or ceiling.
An approximately 25 cm long cable leads out of the holder, at the end of which four connections lead out: A 12 volt power supply , a PoE socket and two connections for wired alarm systems.
On the underside of the case, behind a cover mounted with Allen screws, is a microSD card slot that accepts memory cards with a capacity of up to 256 GB . But a NAS or an NVR system are also available as alternative storage options for videos .
A serial interface and a reset button are located next to the microSD card slot. In the rear area of the underside there is a loudspeaker behind a cover, which can be loud up to 90 db. This means that the Annke NCD800, together with the integrated microphones, also offers a two-way communication function . It worked flawlessly in the test. The callers could be heard clearly and without being disturbed by background noise, which speaks for good noise cancellation.
Commissioning with Annke Vision and Hik-Connect
The manufacturer provides the Annke Vision app for commissioning the camera. However, since the Annke NCD800 is an OEM model from Hikvision, it is also compatible with the Hik-Connect for End User app. However, the Annke app with web configuration offers some additional setting options, but these do not include all the options that are available via the browser or the desktop application Guarding Vision (macOS and Windows) and Annke Vision (Windows ) . Alternatively, one can also use the Hikvision application iVMS-4200.
If you want to use all the functions of the Annke NCD800, you have to configure it via browser or desktop application anyway, so that the mobile app plays a subordinate role. Whether you choose the Annke or the Hikvsion app, a user account is required to log in.
An installation wizard in the app makes it easier to start up the camera. The setup is initiated via the plus sign in the top right corner of the app and the selection of “Scan QR code”. You then use your smartphone to scan the QR code on the camera. After a few configuration steps (see also picture gallery), the camera is connected to the app.
If the camera was freshly delivered, it is in pairing mode. If the camera does not make a sound, the pairing mode can be activated by a reset, which is triggered by pressing the reset button on the bottom of the camera for several seconds. All in all, commissioning is very easy and can be completed in just a few steps.
Annke NCD800: How to configure alarms and notifications
The motion detection integrated in the camera differentiates between people, vehicles and other moving objects . In addition, users can define the movement range and the sensitivity of the detection . You can also specify what should happen in the event of an alarm: On the one hand, you can be notified by e-mail or push, configure an acoustic warning, upload videos to a storage medium and trigger a flashing light alarm. The latter is realized via two LEDs under each lens.
Users can also customize all of these alarm methods. In addition to the default siren , predefined voice messages such as “Warning, this is a restricted area” are also available. But you can also create your own messages. The flash of light for deterrence can also be configured. Here users can define the duration in seconds and the flash frequency (high, medium, low, on).
With adjustments to these settings, the Annke NCD800 generated almost no false alarms in the test . It recognizes people and sends appropriate alerts via push notifications, but remains silent on pets such as a cat.
In addition to these setting options, which are also known from other surveillance cameras, the Annke NCD800 also offers additional alarm functions . They include, among other things, a line crossing detection : For this purpose, a line is drawn in the area monitored by the camera and as soon as this line is crossed, an alarm is triggered. Optionally, the camera alarms when people enter and exit a previously defined area ( area entry/exit detection ).
In addition, the camera can use the Scene Change Detection option to detect if an attacker rotates the camera so that it loses sight of the surveillance area. If the lens of the camera is covered ( sabotage monitoring ), it also notices this and sends a notification.
Improve picture quality with WDR, HLC and BLC
The Annke NCD800 offers numerous functions to increase the image quality : Wide Dynamic Range (WDR), Backlight Compensation (BLC) and Highlight Compensation (HLC) . Most of the time, only one of these methods can be used to improve low-light shots, such as backlighting.
Preconfigured image parameters are available under Scene. Here users can choose between Normal (default setting with BLC on top and HLC with level 50), Backlight (WDR on with level 50), Front light and Dim light. The latter adjust the parameters of brightness, contrast, saturation and sharpness to improve the image quality. Two scenes are also available for user-defined settings. Since the optimal setting of the scenes depends on the time of year and day, you can specify when they should be activated under Picture parameter change per month .
However, the functions for increasing the image quality are only available via access via browser or desktop application. Only a few parameters such as resolution, video quality, data rate and video codec (H2.65 or H.264) can be set with the Annke app.
The various functions for increasing image quality are relevant in practice and make it easier to identify detected objects in difficult lighting conditions (see also image gallery).
Highlights: Colored night vision without additional lighting, zoom
Now we come to the absolute highlight of the Annke NCD800: the image quality . The night shots are second to none. With an exposure time of 1/3 second, the camera creates a colored night vision without the help of the integrated LED lighting. Thanks to digital noise reduction, the recordings appear as if they had been taken during the day. awesome. In this mode, however, the image improvement processes WDR, BLC and HLC are not available. But in view of the quality offered, these are almost irrelevant for night shots. What is there to improve if the picture already looks perfect? However, they have a positive effect in daylight, as can be seen from the recordings of the Annke 4G LTE that we have already tested able to see.
With a maximum resolution of 5120 × 1440 pixels , the Annke NCD800 also offers enough reserves when zooming (see also picture gallery). And thanks to two lenses, it offers a very large horizontal field of view at 180°, while the vertical field of view is relatively small at 44°.
Operation and integration into smart home systems
The mobile applications from Annke or Hikvision are completely sufficient for commissioning the surveillance camera. But when it comes to configuration, they are far from exhausting the potential of the Annke NCD800. Only with the desktop applications Guarding Vision (alternatively IVMS 4200 or Annke Vision for Windows) or via browser can users fully exploit the performance of the camera. The image quality enhancement features already mentioned are just one example. Users will also find extensive configuration options in other areas such as network settings, for example with regard to DDNS, ports, NAT, SNMP, FTP, e-mail, HTTPS and QoS.
There is good news and bad news when it comes to integrating the camera into smart home systems . The camera does not support digital voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Thanks to ONVIF support , the Annke can be easily integrated into smart home centers with appropriate support such as Homey Pro (test report) or open source solutions such as Iobroker. And not only partially as a trigger for certain routines, but including access to the image data. Great.
How much does the Annke NCD800 cost?
The Annke NCD800 is available in the manufacturer’s online store at a price of just under 420 euros . At Amazon, the PoE surveillance camera costs just under 400 euros . Compared to the original version from Hikvision, you save a few euros with the OEM model from Annke.
Conclusion
The Annke NCD800 made an excellent impression in the test . The fantastic picture quality is second to none. Especially at night, the camera delivers an image that inspires. And the integration into smart home centers and the diverse configuration options with regard to network and notifications are also convincing. The quick reaction speed of the camera is also on the plus side. The clean workmanship and the robust case complete the positive overall impression. This is only marginally reduced by the relatively small vertical field of view and minimal errors in the center of the image, which is apparently caused by the superimposition of the images generated by the two lenses.
Overall, the Annke NCD800 is recommended for anyone who needs to monitor a large horizontal area and appreciates excellent image quality, great monitoring functions and extensive configuration options.
TechStage readers can find more information on the subject in the Security Cameras section . Useful information on selecting a surveillance camera is provided in the article WLAN, cloud, solar: surveillance cameras for indoors and outdoors from 30 euros . In it we explain the most important purchase criteria and present the best surveillance cameras in the various categories with prices between 30 and 500 euros.