4K Security Cameras (8MP) — All Brands Australia

About All 4K Security Cameras

4K (8MP) security cameras deliver 3840×2160 pixels — four times the resolution of 1080p Full HD and 33% more pixels than 6MP. Critical when licence plate capture at driveway distance, facial identification at extended range, or evidence-grade footage quality matters. Smarket carries 4K cameras across all four brands and all four form factors (turret, bullet, dome, PTZ).

Browse 4K cameras by brand: Hikvision 8MP 4K cameras (DS-2CD2386G2 series with AcuSense + ColorVu options), Dahua 8MP 4K cameras (WizSense + TiOC active deterrence variants), and HiLook / TP-Link 8MP options in their respective camera collections.

4K trade-off: storage usage is roughly 33% higher than 6MP — factor into NVR HDD capacity. A 4TB drive holds ~22 days of continuous recording from 4 cameras at 4K with H.265+; ~30 days at 6MP. For most residential perimeter, 6MP is sufficient and cheaper to record long-term. See all 6MP cameras for the residential sweet spot.

What's Included in All 4K Security Cameras

4K cameras available by brand:

• Hikvision 8MP 4K Cameras — DS-2CD2386G2 / DS-2CD2T86G2 / DS-2CD2186G2 series. AcuSense AI + ColorVu options.
• Dahua 8MP 4K Cameras — WizSense + TiOC variants in turret, bullet, dome.
• HiLook 8MP 4K — IPC-T289H-MU/SL turret and equivalents.
• TP-Link VIGI 8MP 4K — turret and bullet variants.

By form factor at 4K:
• Turret 4K | Bullet 4K | Dome 4K. For complete 4K kits, see all 4K CCTV kits.

All 4K Security Cameras Configurations & Specs

4K Security Camera Specifications

Resolution: 3840×2160 (8MP, 4K) at up to 25fps
Sensor: typically 1/1.8" CMOS (premium) or 1/2.5" CMOS (mainstream)
Form factors: turret / bullet / dome / PTZ
IR range: typically 30m (turret/dome), 50-80m (bullet), up to 200m (PTZ)
WDR: 120dB+ on most current models
Compression: H.265+ / H.265 / H.264+
AI: brand-specific (AcuSense / WizSense / equivalent)
Power: PoE 802.3af / 12VDC (some PTZ require PoE+)
Ingress protection: IP67
Warranty: 3-year Australian

Storage usage at 4K with H.265+:
• 4 cameras continuous → 4TB ≈ 22 days, 6TB ≈ 33 days, 8TB ≈ 44 days
• 8 cameras continuous → 8TB ≈ 22 days, 16TB ≈ 44 days
Motion-only recording typically extends duration 3-5x.

Comparing All 4K Security Cameras Models

4K vs 6MP — When to Choose Which?

Choose 4K for: driveways requiring licence plate capture, front doors needing extended-range facial identification, retail entries where shopper detail matters for incident review, and any position where digital zoom on recorded footage will be needed. Premium feature combinations (Hikvision ColorVu + AcuSense + 4K) are unique to the 8MP tier.

Choose 6MP for: general residential perimeter coverage, side gates, backyards, and any position where 5-15m range and standard facial detail is sufficient. 6MP is the residential sweet spot — sharp enough for facial recognition with 33% better storage economy.

Mixed-resolution systems are common: 4K on the driveway and front door, 6MP elsewhere. All current NVRs support mixed resolutions on different channels.

Why Choose All 4K Security Cameras?

Four Times Full HD Detail
3840×2160 pixels — four times 1920×1080 Full HD. Critical for evidence-grade footage quality. Faces remain identifiable at extended range, licence plates remain readable at driveway distances, and digital zoom on recorded footage retains useful detail rather than pixelating.

Police and Insurance Evidence Grade
4K footage typically meets the standard for police investigation evidence and insurance claim documentation. 1080p footage is often returned as 'inconclusive' due to insufficient detail; 4K substantially reduces this risk for serious incidents.

Available Across All Form Factors
4K turret, bullet, dome, and PTZ cameras across multiple brands. Match the form factor to each position (turret under eaves, bullet at perimeter, dome in retail, PTZ for car parks) without compromising on resolution. ColorVu and TiOC variants available in 4K.

Common Questions about All 4K Security Cameras

Is 4K worth the extra cost over 6MP?

4K provides 33% more pixels than 6MP — meaningful for licence plate capture at driveway distance and facial identification at extended range. For most residential cameras at typical positions (5-15m), 6MP is sufficient and stores more days of footage on the same HDD. Choose 4K for the driveway camera, the front door camera, and any position where evidence-grade detail matters; choose 6MP for general perimeter coverage.

Do 4K security cameras use more storage?

Yes — roughly 33% more than 6MP at the same compression. With H.265+, a 4TB surveillance HDD holds approximately 22 days of continuous recording from 4 cameras at 4K (vs ~30 days at 6MP). Motion-only recording extends both numbers 3-5x. For 4K systems, Smarket recommends 6TB or 8TB HDDs for 4-camera installations, and 8TB+ for 8-camera installations.

Which brand 4K camera is best for licence plate capture?

Hikvision DS-2CD2T86G2 (8MP 4K bullet, 60m IR, AcuSense) and Dahua HFW3866TP-ZAS (8MP 4K bullet with motorised varifocal) are both excellent choices for driveway licence plate capture. Hikvision adds ColorVu options for full-colour night-time plates; Dahua's varifocal lets you remote-adjust zoom for the optimal frame. Both deliver evidence-grade plate detail at typical residential driveway distances.

Does 4K work over PoE single-cable installation?

Yes — all 4K cameras at Smarket are PoE-powered (802.3af or 802.3at depending on model) for single-cable installation up to 100m. The higher resolution doesn't change the PoE requirement; the camera still uses one Ethernet cable for both power and 4K video back to the NVR.