ANNKE CZ400 AI security camera review - Part 1: Specs, unboxing and teardown

We’re starting to see more and more security cameras with built-in AI features such as Reolink RLC-810A 4K camera with people & vehicle detection or the lower cost Vacom Cam Full HD camera with person detection only, which I have not reviewed yet due to some technical issues. I would not buy a camera without AI now as such features greatly reduce false positives.

Another model has now come my way with ANNKE CZ400 (aka I91BK) 2K security camera that comes with even more advanced AI-accelerated computer vision features with not only face detection, but also intrusion detection, line crossing detection, region entrance detection, region exiting detection, object removal detection, unattended baggage detection, and audio exception detection.

In this first part of the review, we’ll check the specifications, the content of the package with an unboxing, as well as a partial teardown that is needed to install a microSD card.

ANNKE CZ400 specifications

Camera
- Image Sensor – 1/3″ OmniVision Progressive Scan CMOS
- Video Codec – H.265+/H.265/H.264+/H.264
- Video Resolution – 24 fps (2560 x 1440), 30 fps (2048 x 1536, 1920 x 1080, 1280 x 960, 1280 x 720)
- Video Bitrate – 32 Kbps to 16,384 Kbps
- Lens – 2.8-12 mm, 4x Optical Zoom, 16x Digital Zoom
- Min. Illumination – Color: 0.005 Lux @ (ƒ/1.6, AGC On), B/W: 0.001 Lux @ (ƒ/1.6, AGC On), 0 Lux with IR
- Wide Dynamic Range – 120 dB True WDR
- Field of View (FoV)
  - Horizontal – 33° – 100° (Wide-Tele)
  - Vertical – 18° – 53° (Wide-Tele)
  - Diagonal – 37.5° – 119° (Wide-Tele)
- Night vision – 4x Infrared LEDs up to 20 meters
- Image Enhancement – 3D DNR, HLC, EIS, Regional Exposure, Regional focus
- Pan tilt
  - Movement Range – Pan: 0° – 330°, Tilt: 0° – 90°
  - Speed – Adjustable 0.1°/sto- 100°/s (default)
- AI features
  - Smart Event – Intrusion Detection, Line Crossing Detection, Region Entrance Detection, Region Exiting Detection, Object Removal Detection, Unattended Baggage Detection, Audio Exception Detection
  - Face detection
Audio
- Built-in Mic
- Support mono Audio input and mono Audio output via external wires
Storage – MicroSD Card and NAS support
Networking
- 10/100M Ethernet RJ45 port
- RTSP, ONVIF support
Power Supply – DC 12 V, or PoE (802.3at)
Dimensions – 130.7 x 101.7 mm (Aluminum Alloy, PC, PC + ABS)
Weight – 530 grams
Temperature Range – -20°C to 60°C
IP Rating – IP66
Impact protection – IK10
Safety – TVS 4,000 V Lightning Protection, Surge Protection, and Voltage Transient Protection

If you need WiFI that camera is not for you, as an Ethernet cable is required. If like me, you’ve never heard about H.265+, that a “solution” developed by Hikvision based on H.265 but with a lower bitrate at about the same quality thanks to prediction encoding, noise suppression, and flexible bitrate control.

ANNKE CZ400 unboxing

The company sent me the camera together with a 15-meter Ethernet cable.

The camera ships with screw kits, a 24-hour surveillance sticker, and a user manual in English and German for hardware setup and getting started with software either using Internet Explorer, Annke Vision app for Android or iOS, Annke program for Windows/Mac, or third-party software that support RTSP or ONVIF protocols.

You can also download the user manual online. What’s not included is the wall mount bracket listed in the user manual. I expected it as I do not intend to mount the camera on a ceiling, but attach it to a wall/fence. So I’ll have to see what I can do.

The cable from the camera comes with Ethernet/PoE and 12V DC jack, as well as wires to connect audio in/out for external microphone/speaker, and/or 12V output for an alarm.

The camera is a bit heavier and larger than most other cameras I’ve played with partially because of the motor required for the PTZ function. The build quality feels better too, and matches with the price.

The mounting plate is clicked to the camera, and we’ll need to remove it for installation.

ANNZE CZ400 teardown

If you’re not going to connect the camera to an NVR or NAS, you’ll probably want to install a MicroSD card. Since there’s no external slot, we’ll need to teardown the camera, but don’t worry as the company designed it for easy opening.

There are four small openings around the black plastic ring where we can insert a small flat head screwdriver to pop it out. We can now loosen the four screws in the grey plastic part to access the board.

We can see the MicroSD card slot on the bottom center of the above photo. There are quite a lot of cables and wires connected underneath the board.

On the opposite side, we can see the motor for the pan and tilt function. I considered taking out the main board, but I was not confident not messing things around as some wires seem fragile, so I skipped that step, and simply install a MicroSD card.

The camera comes with a hinge-type MicroSD card slot, where the metal part needs to be slid and lifted up. If you have fat fingers installation is a bit cumbersome, and I end up using up a small screwdriver to move the MicroSD card into place. When reassembling the camera, make sure the grey ring is properly aligned and oriented with the two extra positioning holes.

I’d like to thank ANNKE for sending the camera for review. If you are interested, the ANNKE CZ400 AI security camera is sold on Amazon for $259.69. The next steps will be to install the camera and test the different methods of controlling with a PC and mobile phone.

Continue reading “Annke CZ400 AI security camera reviewed with basic and smart events“

Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)

Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.