Why is color night vision security camera important and what brand can provide affordable color night vision solutions? Should you require color night vision camera, you may consider Swann and Annke security cameras.
Swann vs Annke
Swann started from Melbourne Australia and now you can find this brand almost globally in more than 40 countries. How about Annke? Annke started in China and is now also available globally like Swann. These two vendors offer many choices at a more affordable price than products from major vendors such as Hikvision and Dahua. See also Hikvision vs Reolink security cameras.
Why color night vision
We often experience a lack of accurate evidence when an intruder enters our property at night while the security camera system can only provide black and white footage. Inaccurate evidence in the color of a person’s clothes and skin or the color of a car, especially not being able to see a license plate accurately, can leave a puzzle who actually entered our property that night.
So that’s why a color night vision security camera system is required to provide color night vision footage and is better if the camera is capable of providing high resolution image quality so license plate is clearly identified.
Swann vs Annke Color Night Vision
One of the recent products offered by Swann is SWNHD-900DE, and let me take one of latest product offered by Annke with nearly the same – the Annke nc800. Both come with color night vision in ambient light and black and white night vision with IR LEDs. How these Swann vs Annke cameras are compared?

Take a look at the following table 1 that represents spec comparison for swann vs annke color night vision camera. The price different is very much; annke nc800 is around $150 more expensive than Swann 900de. What makes this much different?
Lens
Both cameras use fixed lens, Swann does not provide lens spec detail. Anke NC800 uses a Starvis image sensor with a minimum illumination of up to 0.0005lux so that with very minimal light condition it can still render color night vision. Note the size of the image sensor which is 1/1.2” wide enough for the size of a camera in general, and the lens has a very wide aperture (f/1.0).
And with the addition of warm light that turn on automatically in 0lux will illuminate surrounding up to 130 ft to render color night vision. You can compare with Swann 900de with spotlights that illuminate surrounding up to 30ft (10m) for color night vision.

In addition, nc800 comes with true WDR feature up to 130dB, no detail for Swann. With this 130dB wdr the camera is better at anticipating the situation of two types of bright and dark light conditions in one frame.
Smart event
If in general security cameras trigger alerts due to motion detection, Swann and Annke react more intelligently. Swann detects motion and body heat to trigger events, Annke is even smarter by detecting people and vehicles. Thus reducing false alerts response due to unnecessary motion detections.
Table 1 Swann vs Annke color night vision
Color night vision camera | Swann SWNHD-900DE | Annke Nc800 |
Image sensor | Color CMOS image sensor | 1/1.2″ Progressive Scan Starvis CMOS |
Lens | Fixed lens | 2.8 mm fixed lens f/1.0 |
View angle | 110 degree wide angle | Horizontal FoV 102°, Vertical FoV 5°, Diagonal FoV 124° |
Minimum illumination | Unspecified | 0.0005 Lux @ (F1.0, AGC On), 0 Lux with Light |
WDR | HDR | 130 dB true WDR, 3D DNR |
Recording resolution | 8MP / 4k (3640 x 2160) | Up to 8MP (3640 x 2160) @20 fps; |
Spotlights | 4 powerful white spotlights range up to 30ft ; Controllable red and blue flashing lights on the body | 1x warm light range up to 130 ft and turn on automatically in 0lux. |
Siren | Yes, with built-in speaker | N/A |
Night vision | Color night vision with spotlights up to 32ft (10m) / IR LED range up to 130ft (40m) | Color night vision in ambient light, B/W with IR range up to 130ft (40m) |
Audio | Two way with built-in speaker and microphone, microphone range up to 16ft (5m) | Built-in microphone |
Event detection | Motion and heat detection to trigger spotlights and siren | Human and Vehicle Motion Detection 2.0, face detection; Line Crossing Detection, Intrusion Detection; |
Storage | No local memory storage; connect to NVR system | MicroSD/SDHC/SDXC card (256 GB) local storage; 4k NVR |
Housing protection | IP66 weatherproof | IP67 weatherproof with solid metal housing |
Power | POE | PoE 802.3af, Class 3), 12 V DC ± 25% |
Price (Sep 2021 in Amazon) | $199.99 | $349.99 |
Note the price difference is quite a lot, annke with higher features and specs as overall deserves to with higher price. Both products are new so the prices are still high, although over time the price of security cameras is relatively stable compared to other electronic products.
Click the product’s links below to read more details and shop the product in Amazon (#ads).
Swann vs Annke 8 Channel
Swann and Annke provide such affordable 8 channel POE NVR system with color night vision security camera. And the good thing is that Swann camera system comes with 4k / 8MP high resolution to easily identify license plate more clearly, while Annke in this security bundle comes with 5MP starlight camera. See also Swann Br200 Color Night Vision vs Annke.

8 Channel POE NVR
For small to medium size homes and also for small to medium office needs, the need for 8 security cameras system is more than enough and you can start by installing 4 cameras and can add up to 8 cameras if there is a need for more than 4 cameras exists. For this reason the demand for 8 channel POE NVR systems is quite high and widely available in the market today.

Swann NVR-8580 is one of affordable 4k 8ch security camera system in the market today, and the good thing is that you can find this system in a bundle together with 4 cameras, the 4pcs of 4k color night vision security camera. Annke H800 is also 8/16 channel POE NVR system that support up to 4k resolution and H.265+ compression format.
Built-in 8 POE Switch
Unlike a wireless camera that relies on solid WiFi connection between wifi cameras and recording unit, POE cameras use Cat5e or Cat6 UTP cables for data transmission media as well as supply power between the POE camera and the recorder unit. Without worrying about signal interference like wifi connection that is prone to signal interference, POE connection is much more stable because it uses a wired connection instead of wifi.
Both Swann and Annke 8 channel POE nvr system in these two models come with built-in 8-port POE switch so you no longer need to purchase separate POE switch.
Take a look at the following spec comparison table between Swann and Annke 8 channel nvr unit.
Technically there is not much spec difference between the two product kits, both 8 channel poe nvr systems come with built-in 8-port poe switch, both support recording up to 4k resolution, both kit come with 2TB preinstalled HD and the maximum storage up to 6TB which is sufficient for the needs of motion detection footage storage.
Table 1 Swann vs Annke 8 Ch NVR
NVR Model | Swann NVR-8580 | Annke H800 |
#Channel | 8 channel with built-in 8-port POE switch and H.265 support | 8 channel with built-in 8-por POE switch and up to H.265+ support |
Resolution | Up to 4k (8mp) | Up to 8MP / 4k (3840×2160) with incoming bandwidth up to 80Mbps |
Playback | 4K @15 fps | 4CH@1080p; 1CH@8MP |
Hard disk capacity | Preinstalled 2TB, up to 6TB | Preinstalled 2TB, up to 6TB |
Video output | HDMI up to 4K; VGA up to 1080p | HDMI up to 4K; VGA up to 1080p |
# Cameras in bundle | 4x NHD-887MSFD spotlight 4k night vision | 8x C500 5MP starlight color night vision |
Price (Jul 2020) | $749.99 | $549.99 |
Color Night Vision Security Camera
Both of this security camera kits support color night vision in different way. Swan with its Swann NHD-887MSFD bullet model camera comes with two high power bright spotlights, when these spotlights is triggered by motion detection, they turn ON and illuminate the surrounding to allow your camera records color night vision. In normal darkness no light, the camera will give you black and white night vision. See also Arlo Pro 3 with floodlight vs Ezviz that comes with color night vision with floodlight.
With Annke C500 with starlight night vision, with ambient light up to 0.01Lux your camera still records in color night vision, however in darkness when low lights down below 0.01Lux the camera will switch to black and white night vision.
Take a look at the following spec comparison table between Swann and Annke.
Table 2 Swann vs Annke
Model | Swann NHD-887MSFD | Annke C500 |
Resolution | 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels) | 5MP (2560×1920@15 fps) |
Field of view angle | 93 degree | 75 degree |
Lens | 4.0mm | |
Minimum illumination | Unspecified | Color: 0.01 Lux @(F1.2, AGC On) |
Night vision | IR Night Vision: Up to 150ft / 45m (total darkness) Spotlight Color Night Vision: Up to 115ft / 35m (with Spotlights On) | 2pcs IR LEDs range up to 100 ft / 30m Color night vision with ambient light up to 0.01Lux |
Audio | Two way audio with built-in speaker and microphone | N/A |
Siren | Yes | N/A |
Event alert | Motion and PIR Thermal sensor detection | |
Rated | IP66 | IP67 with metal and plastic housing |
Swann with 4k resolution, two way audio and sirens and two bright spotlights to provide color night vision with a total of 4pcs cameras, plus 8 channel POE NVR, this bundle is tagged for about $750. Compare with Annke bundle with 8pcs 5mp starlight night vision cameras and the 8ch nvr can provide you full color night vision with additional ambient light only for about $ 550. Now you decide which one suits your needs. Click the link below to SHOP the product in Amazon (#ads):
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