I know that in some countries, nearly everyone has them, Russia included — and that is why we got so much video of the recent Meteor strike. So I was wondering if any forum members have expertise that they could share on what to buy, and from whom?
Member Trooplewis led a discussion about these some time ago Another cool Chinese gadget
There are so many recent innovations in 1080p, that I wondered if there were state-of-the-art models out there.
I'm thinking of buying the S4000. There's two letters on the end I can't remember. It's a Gopro clone, and the reviews are good. It sells for less than $100. It's not perfect for dashboard cam duty, but at least it can be used for other things too.
There seem to be so many, and ebay is flooded with different models at different times,
that it would be great to get some more up to date opinions.
I would like -
Decent battery time (so it does not need a cable)
Mount at rear-view mirror
No screen to keep the size down.
SDHC card
Front and rear cams with good glass.
1080p
HDR
Sound recording
High temperature resistance
Not so important for me:
Motion detection
IR
G sensor
Ignition integration - Manually turn it on, without a cable and mounting hassles.
Hey I have been meaning to get one as well. Dashcamtalk.com is a great resource.
I think it was decided that the gt680w from foxoffer.com was the deal. 1080p, Wide Dynamic Range, less than $100. Gt680w @ foxoffer.com
But all decisions can be made from Dashcamtalk.com they have a writeup on every one of the Chinese cams, and they go down the the rabbit hole too on which sensors are inside which cams to determine if a clone is good (similar to taking apart an SRK)
This guy does in-depth reviews on dash cams and other fun tech stuff. I always watch his videos even though I still haven’t bought a dash cam.
You need to go to a different forum for better answers - http://dashcamtalk.com/
Its like torches you need a budget and an application. Do you need gps, do you park in hot/cold weather etc.
Sub 100 would be Mobius $72 (Wide) or G90 $69 on sale, gt680 too but that is the most of these 3
around $100 would be 803 mini but I would hold off since there are some minor issues
Up to about $150 there is a gap in the market, at $130 you can get the higher spec G90
which is 1080p @60fps or 2560x 1080 at 30fps
I am a fan of the G1W but since there are so many fakes its hard to recommend, spend the extra $20 and get a Mobius or G90
From here I would go the panorama powerucc S which is $185 or $205 with gps. There is a new model the G with inbuilt gps but there isn’t many reviews on that yet.
One thing I wouldn’t do is use a go pro type camera for a car cam, too much of a pain to turn on, delete files etc. The night video isn’t great. You basically want something you can install and forget about apart from checking files when needed or maybe once a month to make sure its writing over old files
I would have the urge to roll my own system. Start basic & add more in time. Have backup storage away from the main camera in case anyone tried to delete it.
Any off the self dashcams with true IR night / day (mechanically removable IR cut filter)?
What about external mic inputs? I’ve not studied these really hard, but the ones I’ve looked at never seem to have this of feature and most reviews I’ve seen tend not to mention this kind of thing in the specs.
I have a blackvue dr500gw-hd in my car as I drive a lot for my job
It is 1080p with a reasonable bitrate of 10Mbps
A review by techmoan Techmoan
He is using the older firmware which is 7.5Mbps but has a link to samples of raw footage you can download to view
I bought that model as it has no screen (questionable legal standpoint having a screen on while driving) and the fact it has a mount that sticks to windscreen rather than a sucker which can cause movement. It also has wi-fi built in to let you connect your iPhone or Android device to live view/change settings and copy footage direct to the phone.
Something i like is the option of embedding speed in the video or having it as a separate GPS file which the Blackview software will then show speed when viewing footage, so if you were just in the wrong speed wise but some else caused the accident you can show/supply footage without speed if you were in the right all round you can provide footage and GPS logs.
I have had it now for around a year without any issues even took it to Florida on holiday using a mobile phone holder to stick to windscreen then a cigar lighter socket power feed it coped with the heat over there no problem,can’t say about long time heat as the UK never gets that hot.
It has no internal battery and is wired to a IGN feed power supply, it has a capacitor to give around 10secs to shut down properly after power is turned off, it tells you verbally on power up/down which can be turned off if needed.
I’m about to order the G1W-C unless anyone has some better suggestion.
From USA - $64 - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Capacitor-G1W-C-Car-Dash-Cam-DVR-NT96650-Chip-AR0330-Lens-W-Free-Mirror-Mount-/301236301364
This model works great with decent price. They use capacitor i/o battery.
Ending offer…
Coupon Code:GBG1W
Metallic Blue: http://www.gearbest.com/car-dvr/pp_68860.html
Black: http://www.gearbest.com/car-dvr/pp_67201.html
I have one in the style of:
Best feature for me is if you mount it right, you barely know its there. I opened mine up and cut out the speaker wire, so annoying startup sound doesn’t happen. Also a little electrical tape over LEDs which are bright.
Been in my car about a year. Front image quality is very good, rear much worse, but good enough to make out other driver actions.
I leave it permanently mounted. It reliably captures all travel. It also had no trouble with 40 degree c summer.
Aw, I wish I had known about this. Nice deal there.
Does the rear mirror mount included?