DS-2CD2086G2H-I 8MP AcuSense DarkFighter

The 8MP AcuSense bullet for sharp daylight detail and clear IR night vision

Standard 4MP bullets capture the activity but blur the detail. By the time you zoom in to read the registration plate or pick out facial features, the footage falls apart. The Hikvision DS-2CD2086G2H-I 2.8mm is the 8MP (4K) AcuSense bullet that solves that problem. Twice the pixels of a 4MP camera, paired with Hikvision DarkFighter low-light sensor and AcuSense AI on top, delivering sharp identification-grade detail in daylight and clear infrared night vision out to 30 metres.

This is a DarkFighter camera, not a ColorVu camera. In very dark conditions the camera switches to monochrome and uses its built-in infrared illuminator to see in total darkness. The footage is sharp and useful for identification, but it is black-and-white at night. If full-colour night vision matters more than maximum daylight resolution, look at a ColorVu camera instead (see alternatives below).

What this camera is actually good at

• 8MP / 4K resolution. 3840 x 2160 pixels. Enough detail to read clothing patterns, vehicle badges, and facial features at the kind of distances that matter at a front gate, driveway, or car park.
• Hikvision DarkFighter low-light sensor. Sharp colour image down to 0.0008 lux in normal conditions. Switches to clear monochrome IR view in total darkness.
• 30 metre IR illumination range. Built-in IR LEDs reach 30 metres into total darkness. Useful for properties without ambient street lighting.
• AcuSense AI. Deep-learning algorithms classify human and vehicle targets and filter out everything else. Trees swaying, cats walking, shadows shifting, headlights sweeping past. None of it triggers an alert. You only hear the buzz on your phone when something that matters is happening.
• 120 dB true WDR. Headlights, gate lights, sun-and-shadow scenes balanced rather than blown out. Critical for front-gate positions where vehicles arrive with headlights on.
• Wide 2.8mm lens. 105 degree horizontal field of view. Whole front-gate scene captured from one mount.
• 1/1.8 inch large image sensor. Better light gathering than smaller-sensor entry cameras, contributing directly to image quality at night.
• H.265+ compression. Lower storage requirements than older H.264 codecs. More days of footage on the same hard drive.
• IP67 weather-sealed housing. Highveld weather rated.
• PoE (IEEE 802.3af) power. Single ethernet cable to the NVR carries both power and data.

Where this camera belongs on your property

• Front gates of larger homes as the primary identification camera, where clear daylight detail is the priority and night IR coverage is acceptable
• Driveway entrances watching vehicles arrive and depart
• Estate access points and complex entrances where vehicle identification matters most during daylight hours
• Commercial entry points where staff and customer movement during business hours is the main monitoring window
• Side-of-house and back-yard positions with good ambient lighting at night

If full-colour night vision is the priority instead

DarkFighter cameras give you sharp IR night vision but the image is monochrome. If your priority is identifying clothing colour, vehicle colour, and skin tone at night for the SAPS report, you want a ColorVu camera instead:

• The DS-2CD2087G2-LU is the 8MP ColorVu equivalent. Same resolution, full-colour night vision instead of IR monochrome.
• The DS-2CD2087G3-LIY is the latest-generation 8MP G3 ColorVu turret, with refined ColorVu 3.0 sensor.
• The DS-2CD2T87G2P-LSU/SL is the 8MP panoramic ColorVu flagship with built-in active deterrent.

If you want active deterrent or different focal length

• The DS-2CD2T46G2-ISU/SL drops to 4MP and trades pure 8MP daylight detail for built-in strobe and siren active deterrent.
• The DS-2CD2046G2H-I is the 4MP DarkFighter equivalent at a more accessible price point for properties where 4MP detail is sufficient.

NVR pairings

Pairs cleanly with the DS-7616NXI-K2 16-channel AcuSense NVR for matching mid-range AcuSense capability. For 8MP cameras, plan on at least 2TB of drive capacity for a multi-camera system. 4K cameras consume meaningfully more storage than 4MP, and our home CCTV installation guide covers storage sizing properly.

Installed and configured properly

An 8MP DarkFighter AcuSense camera that has been mounted, aligned, and AcuSense-tuned properly is the best identification tool you can put at a residential front gate when daylight detail matters most. We do that installation and configuration work as standard across Pretoria East, Centurion, Midrand, and Johannesburg.

Full 3-year Hikvision South Africa warranty through authorised distribution. Pricing on the CCTV installation prices page.

Browse the Hikvision IP bullet camera range or read more about Hikvision CCTV systems. See more on home CCTV installations. Current installation specials available. Common questions answered on the CCTV FAQ page.

How Hikvision AcuSense AI works

AcuSense uses deep-learning algorithms to filter out false alarms by recognising human and vehicle shapes. Watch how it works.