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Vivotek FD8156
Dome Camera with 1.3MP (1280×1024) resolution and 77° field of view.
SPECIFICATIONS · FD8156
Specifications
Verified specifications sourced from the official manufacturer datasheet.
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About the Vivotek FD8156
The Vivotek FD8156 is a low-profile dome enclosure that blends into ceilings, vandal-resistant by design and harder to tamper with than bullet cameras. 720p HD resolution captures enough detail for basic identification only at close range: on the same lens it reaches about two thirds of the distance a 1080p camera does, and loses face detail beyond that. There is no built-in IR illuminator on this model, so it depends entirely on ambient light. In dark environments, pair it with external IR floods or white-light illuminators. A standard 50-80° horizontal FOV mimics how a person sees a scene and works well for general-purpose monitoring of rooms, parking spaces, and perimeter walls without distortion.
Best use cases for this camera
General surveillance
Suited to general-purpose monitoring tasks within 8 meters of the mounting point with 77° of horizontal coverage.
Strengths
- •Vandal-resistant dome housing harder to tamper with than bullet form factor
Considerations
- •Resolution limits forensic digital zoom; recorded faces beyond ~12m may not be identifiable
- •No built-in IR, so it needs external illumination for night use
Coverage at Different Distances
| Distance | Coverage Width | Coverage Area | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5m | 8.0m | 40 m² | Entrance, corridor |
| 10m | 15.9m | 159 m² | Room, retail aisle |
| 15m | 23.9m | 358 m² | Warehouse, parking row |
| 20m | 31.8m | 636 m² | Parking row, courtyard |
| 30m | 47.7m | 1432 m² | Parking lot, yard |
| 50m | 79.5m | 3977 m² | Perimeter, large area |
Field of View Visualization
Night Vision Performance
Daytime
Full 1.3MP (1280×1024) resolution at 77° field of view. Effective identification range up to 4m in good lighting conditions.
Nighttime (IR)
No built-in IR: at night it needs ambient light or an external illuminator. Switches to B/W mode for clear night footage.
Installation tips for the FD8156
Ceiling-mount at 2.5-3.5 m for indoor use; for vandal-prone outdoor locations use a wall mount with the lens facing outward and downward.
Coverage geometry & DORI distances
At a 5-metre standoff the Vivotek FD8156 covers about 8.0 m of scene width; at 10 m that grows to 15.9 m, and at 20 m to 31.8 m. Translating those numbers through EN 62676-4 pixel-density thresholds, the camera can detect a person up to 32 m, observe up to 13 m, recognise up to 6 m, and produce Identify-level detail (250 px/m in the EN 62676-4 DORI scale) up to 3 m. Effective range above the identify threshold relies on supplementary lighting or a longer-focal-length optic; the geometry above assumes the 3.6mm lens declared by the manufacturer.
Power & cabling
The Vivotek FD8156 draws an estimated 5.5 W under typical load (with the IR illuminator engaged where applicable), placing it in the 802.3af (Class 3, ≤15.4 W) budget. A single switch port supplies enough power without an injector. Cabling: stick to Cat6 STP for runs up to 100 m end-to-end; beyond that, add an inline PoE extender or move to fibre with a media converter at the camera end. On outdoor runs, route through ø25 PVC or PE conduit to keep the cable shielded from UV and rodents.
Privacy & legal (GDPR / RODO)
Any camera operating in a publicly accessible area falls under GDPR (RODO in Poland). Art. 13 obliges the data controller to post an information sign at every entry point with controller name, DPO contact, lawful basis (typically Art. 6(1)(f) legitimate interest for property protection), purpose, and retention period. Even a narrowly-aimed dome camera can incidentally record passers-by, so the Art. 13 sign at the entry point applies regardless of how tightly the lens is framed.
Installer time & cost (rough estimate)
A typical EU installer quotes 3-4 h of labour per dome camera of this class (approximately €135-€185 excluding hardware), broken down as bracket mounting, cable termination at both ends, on-site commissioning, and a brief operator handover. Allow extra time for high mounts (>4 m), exterior installations requiring scaffolding, or sites where cable routing demands wall penetrations or conduit work.
Indicative EU pricing at 2024-2025 rates; actual quotes vary by region, mounting height, and site conditions. Excludes hardware, transport, permits, and VAT.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Vivotek FD8156 suitable for outdoor installation?
Yes for the IP66/IP67-rated variant of this model. Bullet and dome bodies in the Vivotek range survive direct rain, snow and UV; check the IP / IK rating against your environment (IP66 for rain/dust, IK10 for vandal-prone locations).
What PoE class powers the Vivotek FD8156?
The camera draws roughly 5.5 W in steady-state operation, requiring an 802.3af (Class 3, ≤15.4 W) switch port. A single Cat6 STP cable carries both data and power up to 100 m; beyond that, add an inline extender or convert to fibre near the camera.
How much storage does the Vivotek FD8156 consume per day?
At 1.3MP (1280×1024) resolution, 15 fps H.265 continuous recording, the FD8156 produces approximately 5 GB per day, about 150 GB per month. Motion-only or event-triggered recording typically cuts that by 40-70 % depending on scene activity. Plan NVR HDD capacity for the longest retention period required by your privacy policy or insurance contract.
Up to what distance can the Vivotek FD8156 identify a person?
By the DORI thresholds of EN 62676-4 (Identify at 250 px/m on the target, a density the 2025 edition calls Characterise), this camera reaches Identify level up to about 3 m, recognises a person up to 6 m, observes general activity up to 13 m, and detects motion up to 32 m. Identification distance assumes daylight or full IR illumination on the target; at the limits of the IR cone the effective identify distance shrinks roughly 30 %.
What network bandwidth does Vivotek FD8156 use?
Typical ingest is 2 Mbps for the main stream (H.265, medium scene complexity, 15 fps) plus ~0.5 Mbps for a low-resolution sub-stream used by mobile clients. For a 16-camera installation of this class, plan a 50-100 Mbps NVR uplink and a dedicated VLAN for camera traffic.
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