Dash Cams - Any Recommendations/Feedback?

[Daves]

Looking to get a couple of Dashcams. There seems to be lots of brands I have never heard of, and lots of Cheapies. Any recommendations/feedback?

[WBennett]

Following. I want one for my bike helmet after a 'too close for me liking' encounter the other day

[Steve57]

Looking to get a couple of Dashcams. There seems to be lots of brands I have never heard of, and lots of Cheapies. Any recommendations/feedback?
I have one from Jaycar and another cheapie Dave.
Both seem to work as well as each other though fortunately I haven't had to use the footage from either!

[AndyP]

Following. I want one for my bike helmet after a 'too close for me liking' encounter the other dayYou were on a bike. You were in the wrong.

[Daves]

I have one from Jaycar and another cheapie Dave.
Both seem to work as well as each other though fortunately I haven't had to use the footage from either!

Thanks Steve, it had not occurred to me to check out Jaycar. I presume you are using one front, and one back? It seems to me rear view is just as important as front on.

[Steve57]

Thanks Steve, it had not occurred to me to check out Jaycar. I presume you are using one front, and one back? It seems to me rear view is just as important as front on.
No two cars Dave, front only.
And yes it probably would be good to have a rear facing one as well.
Jaycar were reasonably priced as well.

[Daves]

You were on a bike. You were in the wrong.

Ha, if you watch Dash Cam footage on U Tube, you could probably come to that conclusion! There are some real dumb cyclists out there! But I know that ever day I cringe as I see disinterested, inattentive drivers do really selfish dumb shit that would kill any hapless Cyclist that was unfortunate enough to be in the wrong spot at the wrong time.

[pt73]

Don't buy a Kaiser Baas, they are garbage. I got one from SCA and after a week it would turn off randomly or the screen went blank so I returned it.

I then got a Navman MiVue630 from HN and it's worked faultlessly since day one with lots more features than the Kaiser Baas.

[Courty]

Most of our work vehicles have them. They are mostly a brand called Navig8r with a few Navman's as well.

[MAZA68]

My daughter installed a brand called Black Vue, with front and rear cameras, apparently this is a very good one.

[Daves]

Án update.

The local HN has a special on the Navig8r FHD 1080 (NAVC -503/2) for $44.

http://www.laserco.com.au/navig8r-crashcams-in-car-dvr/NAVC-502FHDi-car-crash-camera-full-hd1080p

Add a 32gB Micro SH and I was up and running. The picture quality is pretty good for the price. And it seems to be reasonably feature rich and easy to use. I have had it in the car for a week or so now, and so far no real issues, it just does what it is supposed to do.

I have played back (on desktop) a bit of the the video taped so far, to gauge the quality of the video under different light conditions, rain etc. As I said quality is OK, probably better than I expected. But you can see the difference at the edges with things like Number Plate clarity, compared to online video samples of some of the more expense Dash cams.

I have decided that it will suit us fine as a Rear facing Crash Cam at the very least. And is OK for the front facing job until I find something that is of better quality, but worth the extra $$ involved. As I am installing into 2 vehicles I have have bought another 3 of these to finish the fitout, front and back.

In looking around for better alternatives, my short list is looking like this;

- a Vicovation MF1 for around $200 with Micro SD. This is Dash Cams Australia recommended budget model
- one of the new 1440p cams that are just hitting the market. Lots of Chinese models available that seem to be OK for mid $100s
- a Navman combined GPS/Dash Cam (Mivue Drive 2) for low $200s

[Daves]

So I have ended buying a couple of options;

1) Navman MiVue FHD Drive 2 - which is a combined GPS and Dash Cam

Not a bargain at its RRP of $299, but I got one for $219. Picture quality is good (1080p) and the GPS is full featured and comes with Aust and NZ maps for life. It also comes with an SD card, which most dash cams don't. I like the ability to take this from car to car for longer trips, and also to NZ when we do a drive trip there. Ir also has lot of traffic alerts and warnings, so I have it on all the time. A great way to update an older car to more modern GPS and onboard warning systems.

I found it a little finicky to set up though. I found it was fussy about the USB cable you used to charge it and/or connect it to a PC for updating etc. I noticed on forums and in reviews a lot complained about the battery getting hot and/or not charging at all. I found this the case unless you used the USB cable it came with. Navman are strangely silent on this in the manual etc.

2) Viofo A119

This is a Chinese designed and made Dash Cam . They built their reputation on their original A118 model apparently, and the A119 is a substantial upgrade. Lots of good reviews for this model. It is up to 2560 x 1440p 30fps resolution, but there are a mirade of resolution options; 1296p, 1080p and 720p with 30fps, 60fps, and up to 120fps in the case of 720p. The 1440p video is very clear and number plates etc are easy to read.

It is also powered by a Capacitor, no rechargeable battery. This is a bonus in our hot conditions apparently, where batteries can overheat and swell. It also has a swivelling camera lense, so can be placed anywhere on your windscreen and be adjusted to centre as needed. Its design means it is also quite inconspicuous and fits flush to the windscreen. I found it also came with more and better accessories than most, including a extra long 12v power cable and changeable adapter that includes a extra USB slot for phone etc.

It also comes with lots of menu options, and features such as LDWS (Lane Departure Warning system) and FCWS (Forward Collision Warning system). I have tried these options and so far my view is: LDWS may work well on the Highway/Freeway, but it is too inconsistent and erratic on local roads, so I have switched it off for the moment. The FCWS is very conservatively set and you can't alter it. It will certainly keep you well away from the vehicles in front, at least until someone merges into the huge space you have in front of you. Way too conservatively set for local roads, but I will try it on a Freeway next time I travel on one.

RRP is $149, but I got ours for just under $130 off eBay. Just be a little careful where you buy it, as there are knock offs apparently.