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Uniview and Dahua are two major OEMs originating out of China. Both brands offer their products to several rebranders in the US and internationally.
Both brands manufacture their own video surveillance equipment. Besides that, they also supply hardware to other brands.
- Not all Uniview's security cameras are approved by the FCC and NDAA. Here is a list of the compliant devices.
- Uniview doesn’t specialize in security cameras. They also deal with other smart devices and network components.
- Both brands are more focused on catering to businesses and large organizations. However, they do create small separate lineups for the consumer market.
- Dahua security devices are not NDAA-compliant.
Uniview vs Dahua Security Cameras (2023) at a Glance
Mid-Range PoE Head to Head
High-End PoE Head to Head
Budget PTZ Security Camera Head to Head
Positioning Camera Head to Head
Uniview vs Dahua Security Cameras (2023) Overview
Uniview, also known as Zhejiang Uniview Technologies Co., Ltd, was founded in 2005. It was created as a joint venture by Huawei and 3Com in Hangzhou, China.
Dahua is also another company that originated in Hangzhou. It was founded in 2001, and it is another OEM that sells its security cameras and devices to others.
Mid-Range PoE Head to Head
Key Differences
The Uniview camera sports a 2MP sensor. This means it can only record at 1920x1080. However, you can configure the footage for higher framerates, such as 30 or 60fps.
Meanwhile, the Dahua counterpart has a 4MP sensor. It can record at 2688x1520 at 20fps maximum. It makes it better in terms of video quality.
That said, the Uniview camera has better object detection features. It supports human and vehicle detection alongside people counting and crowd density monitoring.
This makes it a more professional option better suited for businesses and organizations.
Key Features in Common
Both cameras utilize a turret-style enclosure. They can weather the elements easily, thanks to an IP67 weatherproof rating.
Both cameras support color night vision using starlight sensors. However, they prioritize infrared as it’s the most consistent.
The Uniview camera can stay on color, provided the illumination levels stay above 0.001 Lux. Dahua camera has a slightly higher threshold of 0.008.
Also, both cameras include smart infrared and 120dB True WDR. These features drastically improve the contrast during post-processing.
High-End PoE Head to Head
Key Differences
For our second comparison, we are considering the high-end PoE cameras. These include the Uniview 4MP turret and Dahua’s counterpart with the same megapixels and turret-style chassis.
Right off the bat, we can see that the Dahua N43BU82 camera includes more features.. Its expensive price tag is justified thanks to two-way communication facilities, integrated sirens, and intelligent computer vision applications for the human, vehicle, and object detection.
Meanwhile, the only thing that the Uniview camera has got going for it is the affordable price tag.
Key Features in Common
Both cameras record footage at 4MP (2688x1520) resolution and have fixed-focus lenses with a 2.8mm focal length variant. The Uniview camera defines this 2.8mm variant with a DORI detection distance of 63m (206ft). (It's fair to say that the Dahua counterpart has the exact DORI specifications, especially when considering the similarities in focal length and almost similar image sensor sizes.)
When dealing with footage, both cameras can export three separate streams and support maximum frame rates of 30fps, although the resolution and fps combinations may vary for each stream.
Finally, they have IP67 ratings, making both of them suitable for any outdoor environment.
Budget PTZ Security Camera Head to Head
Key Differences
The Uniview PTZ 2MP camera is the more high-spec option out of the two. It has a 33x optical zoom multiplier with a 4.5-148.5mm varifocal lens.
Meanwhile, the Dahua counterpart records at a similar 2MP resolution of 1920x1080. However, its lens is limited to 4x and favors cost-efficiency and video quality.
Also, the Dahua camera has a significantly wider FOV when zoomed out. It has a 112.5° horizontal FOV. Meanwhile, the widest horizontal FOV on the Uniview camera is 56.23°.
The Uniview camera is a highly specialized option. It's best left for professional monitoring and tracking long-distance objects manually.
Key Features in Common
Both cameras record footage in 2MP 1080p. They both still retain their PT functions. The only difference is that Uniview has 360° endless panning, while the Dahua is limited to 0-355°.
Both cameras are outdoor-ready as they’re IP66-rated. However, make sure to provide a shade structure. This ensures footage quality and extends the lifespan of the device.
Positioning Camera Head to Head
Key Differences
Our final comparison is regarding specialized positioning camera systems, namely the Uniview IPC7622ER-X44-VF vs the Dahua PTZ85260-HNF-WA.
Although slightly more premium than the Uniview counterpart, Dahua’s 2MP positioning security camera is the preferred option mostly due to it’s wide catalog of intelligent motion detection features.
While the Uniview camera includes only sound detection, the Dahua camera goes the extra mile by including person, vehicle, face, and animal detection on top of the existing sound detection feature..
Also, it has 60x optical zoom over the Uniview’s 44x.
The only notable features in the Uniview camera (that might not even be worth considering) are the AC power option, NAS support and 60fps maximum framerate.
Key Features in Common
Both cameras record footage in the 2MP 1080p resolution, and they have advanced starlight sensors that help the system carry out spotlight-independent full-color night vision. They both have a 400m (1312ft) infrared range.
Both devices include similar minimum illumination for color values, with the Uniview camera having a 0.0005Lux (before switching over to full-color night vision) while the Dahua camera has a 0.001Lux value.
In terms of lenses, they have similar varifocal lenses, with the Uniview camera sporting a 5mm-225mm lens and the Dahua counterpart incorporating a 5.6mm-336mm.
The Uniview vs Dahua Security Cameras (2023) - Verdict
This has been our comparison of Uniview vs Dahua. Despite having a lot of similarities, they have a few notable differences between them. For instance, Dahua devices are relatively more affordable and most of them are designed for general purpose applications with some useful additional features. However, they tend to compromise image quality in order to reduce the unit costs..
Uniview cameras, on the other hand, tend to work best in specific situations where high-quality cameras with larger resolutions and faster frame rates are preferred over features such as full-color night vision, intelligent object detection.etc. Therefore, if you value image quality over versatility, Uniview could be a better option for you.
Which is your favorite brand? Let us know about your thoughts in the comments.
