Where to purchase ColorVu cameras?

W

wondering

n3wb
Aug 10, 2018
21
3
United States
Where is the best place to purchase ColorVu cameras? Amazon? B&H? EmpireTech? I ask because past experience with buying Hikvision cameras from Amazon suggests there are different firmware versions and thus feature sets out there.

I am specifically after turret cameras, which is why I am not considering the Dahua IPC-Color4K-X through EmpireTech. If this was available in turret form, I would gladly pay more for what sounds like a superior color night cam.

I cannot find the 8MP 1/1.2" DS-2CD2387G2-L(U) anywhere but from China via eBay. The 4MP 1/1.8" DS-2CD2347G2-L(U), however, is widely available across multiple Amazon sellers, via B&H, and I'm sure other places as well. On Amazon, it is currently available from the seller "HITOSINO" for $126.40, for example (marked down from $158). This particular one has 4.5/5 star rating across 26 reviews. At the same time, it is available from EmpireTech via Amazon for $190, but it won't be delivered for four to six weeks. I am particular curious about EmpireTech because it sounds like they support their products and provide occasional firmware updates, etc. And finally, from B&H it is in stock and available for $200. I mention B&H only because of previous experience buying Hikvision from Amazon and so I have a preconceived notion that B&H is more 'authentic,' if that makes sense.

Thanks in advance for any help and guidance!
 
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I've bought everything from B&H over the years, but stock is low due to the chip shortage - so I've been told.
 
In the marketplace spaces of amazon, newegg, etc you will find a lot of independent business (re)selling 'whitebox' goods that could be anything from completely fake, or that have international versions of firmware, etc. At the least these are not supported by the original manufacturer. More often than not, they are not supported by the (re)seller, either.
B&H is an official reseller of genuine (non-whitebox) hikvision cams. B&H will give you a wee bit of support if you have issues, however if they cannot assist, you WILL have the option of seeking support for the genuine product from hikvision. There are other companies that sell rebranded hikvision cameras. Many of them stand behind (and support) their own adaptation of the modified product. These companies have agreements with the respective manufacturers to purchase and modify the hardware & put their own name on it.
The rebranding happens with hikvision, dahua, and other camera manufacturers. From my brief time here on IPCT, empire tech & nelly's stand behind the respective rebranded items they sell.

TL;DR - Make sure you know who you are buying from in the open marketplaces of amazon, new egg, etc. Some vendors are legit, but many are not. Spending a few extra bucks to purchase a genuine product will be well worth the investment when it comes time for tech support and/or warranty coverage.
 
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