GS8000L HD1080P 2.7' Car DVR Vehicle Camera Video Recorder Dash Cam G-sensor HDMI. Picture 1 x User Manual. Car Video Camera Recorder HDMI 1080p GS8000L Dash- cam Complete Review and set-up. GS8000L hd 1080p camera car camera dvr,h 264 dvr firmware car dvr, car HD 1080P 2.7'. Jul 23, 2016 Amazon Link - Recommended 64GB Card - SV S108 HD Dash Cam Full Zinc Alloy Metal Body 170 Wide Angle Car DVR.

Description: New for the end of 2014 is the ' Mini 0805 ' Dash Camera w / GPS. It is the update version of ' Mini 0803 '. The ' Mini 0805 ' features everything a driver would need in a dashboard video camera. Most importantly, the video quality is 1296P (which is equivalent to 2K resolution), recording at 30FPS. This is the highest resolution you can find in a dash camera right now. This is also the smallest dash camera on the market with a 1.5 inch LCD screen. The mounting ring on the ' Mini 0805 ' itself actually rotates, so the dashcam can be pointed at the correct angle no matter the slant of your windshield.

Not to mention the build quality is excellent, you can tell a lot of thought was put into this device. This A7 car camcorder can be used as a car DVR to record your wonderful daily life, traveling and outdoor activities. It can also be used for car shooting to take evidence of traffic accident.

And suitable for backpackers to record traveling experience, too. High definition 1296P 135 degree wide angle lens. Portable and practical, perfect gift for yourself or your friends. Main Features: 1.5 inch high resolution TFT screen Maximum card memory: Up to 64GB TF card ( not included ) 135 degree wide angle lens Operates during day and night conditions Lane detection High speed USB 2.0 Built-in GPS support Seamless loop recording G-Senor ( Automatically locks video when in collision ) Dedicated lock file button Dedicated audio off / on button Built-in high-performance 320mAh lithium-ion battery Easy to slide on / off mount Easy to install Great tool for your car. General Model: MINI 0805 Type: Full HD Dashcam,HD Car DVR Recorder,Mini DVR,Car DVR with GPS Chipset Name: Ambarella Chipset: Ambarella A7LA50 Function: GPS Storage Max External Card Supported: SD 32G (not included) Class Rating Requirements: Class 10 or Above Display Screen size: 1.5inch Screen type: TFT Power Battery Type: Built-in Charge way: Car charger,USB charge by PC Primary Info. Why do pictures appear to be black or too bright?

The auto-exposure function is influenced by high-contrast scenes, you need to adjust the light sensitivity. Why is there a stripe interference when recording? It depends on wrong settings of power supply frequency, try to set 50Hz or 60Hz according to the local power supply frequency. Why is there noise when recording? Because of low battery, please make sure the DVR is fully charged.

Why is the picture not perfect when shooting indoors or under the overcast sky? You need to adjust the white balance. What should I do when pause and frame skip occur in video and picture playback?

Format your SD or TF card, check if your card is original. The DVR stops recording automatically, what should I do?

Check the settings of loop recording; 2. Check the video recording format to save space; 3. Use high-speed SDHC TF card. Why is the video incoherent when playing on the computer? Install another video player or try a new formatted high-speed memory card. Why the DVR doesn't boot up when connecting to the car charger? Make sure you are using the original car charger.

What can I do when the DVR system crashes? Pull out the SD or TF card and press the power button; if it doesn’t work, use a toothpick or something pointed to poke the reset hole and then press the power button again.

The video misty and dim after recording, what is wrong with it? Clean the lens and the windshield. Customer Questions & Answers.

Hi Bob, the available shipping methods and shipping cost to Australia: Flat Rate Shipping $0.00; Standard Shipping: $18.36; Expedited Shipping:$9.46 Please note the standard and expedited shipping costs are only estimates; the actual shipping price will be shown on the order page. It can work in Australia with GPS function. To better know this item, please watch the video about this item here: Thank your for your inquiry.

Please feel free to ask if you have further questions. We send package all over the world. Total Delivery Time = Processing Time + Packaging Time + Shipping Time We generally require between 5-10 business days to arrange shipment of orders. The exact delivery time depends on the shipping method you choose.

1) Expedited Shipping: Around 3-7 business days to arrive. 2) Standard Shipping: Between 6-10 business days to be delivered.

3) Flat Rate Shipping: Between10-25 business days to ship to the destination. Please check the details in folloing link http://www.gearbest.com/about/shipping-methods.html. Shipping There are two key factors which will affect the time you receive your items. 1 Item processing time After confirming your payment, we usually ship products out within 24 business hours. However, sometimes due to large transaction volumes or other order issues, we may require up to 3 working days to process orders. You will receive a notification email as soon as your product(s) have been dispatched.

After spending more than 40 hours researching 150 dash cams, and driving more than 100 miles to test 12 of the most promising models, we recommend the as the best dash cam for most drivers. Its video quality ranked among the best of the models we tested, plus it’s compact and easy to use. The GoSafe 535 also gives you some handy and unobtrusive driver-assist alerts. It delivers outstanding value and doesn’t make you pay for extra features that most drivers don’t need.

Last updated: November 22, 2017 In response to reader comments, we’ve added a paragraph in about why we didn’t test our previous top pick, Zero Edge Technology’s, or the upgraded for our latest update. The features 2304×1296 resolution at 30 frames per second, and in all the lighting conditions we tested, this model produced crisp images that made seeing details and license plates easy. It comes with an 8 GB microSD card but will accept cards up to 64 GB.

The camera’s 160-degree field of view hits the sweet spot—some cameras cut off the edges, while others offer a view so wide that cars in front of you look farther away. And with the GoSafe 535’s high resolution, you can zoom in when examining footage later and still make out important information. The GoSafe 535 is easy to mount on the windshield, it has buttons that are easy to reach, and it provides reliable, automatic operation each time you get in your car. Other cameras tick those boxes too, but nothing as affordable hits them all, and none of them performed quite as well across the board as the GoSafe 535. The is a solid alternative to the Papago GoSafe 535. It offers the same super-sharp 1296p resolution and detailed footage in all sorts of lighting, but with a larger display (2.7 versus 2 inches). The MiVue 420 also includes an integrated GPS receiver, which records your car’s location and speed along with the video.

Like the GoSafe 535, the MiVue 420 provides a number of safety alerts that can be useful, although we found some to be overly active and annoying. (Fortunately, you can turn them off easily.) However, the MiVue 420 has a narrower, 140-degree field of view and isn’t quite as easy to use as the GoSafe 535. It’s also more expensive than our top pick typically, though we’ve seen this Magellan model’s price drop to as low as about $70—you should get the MiVue 420 if it’s less expensive than our top pick, as long as you don’t mind its narrower field of view. The is the most expensive dash cam we tested, but it gives you a lot in return. It’s the smallest model we tested too, so it’s less prominent on the windshield, and it uses a magnetic mount (though it attaches to the windshield via an adhesive pad) that makes it simple to pop on and off. The 65W offers 1080p resolution and a 180-degree field of view that covers a wide area—great for scenic vistas—but makes cars in front look a little farther away. It also comes with GPS, Wi-Fi, voice control, and a number of safety alerts, including forward-collision, lane-departure, and safety-camera warnings (the last only with a subscription).

In our tests, videos had good overall exposure, detail, and color accuracy, day or night. If you want to record the view behind your car as well as in front, we recommend the, which comes with separate front and rear cameras. Among the three dual-channel dash cams we tested, the MiVue 480D’s front cam provided the best overall image quality, with sharp, 1296p resolution and a 140-degree field of view. Our daytime video clips had good color accuracy and a wide dynamic range, and we found that license plates and street signs were easier to read than in video from the other models. The rear-facing camera footage was also clear and sharp, although at night it could be contrasty and dark (which is typical for this group).

The forward-facing camera has a suction mount and a ball joint that allows you to quickly reposition it, while the rear camera uses a sticker mount and can pivot to the appropriate angle. The has two cameras in its housing to record both the view in front of your car and the interior of your vehicle. This design is handy for taxi, Uber, Lyft, and other ride-for-hire drivers who want to have a record of their passengers. In our testing, the forward-facing footage had good detail and a wide, 170-degree field of view. Even at night, we could make out the license plate of a car stopped in front of us in traffic. The rear cam has a resolution of 1080p and a 140-degree FOV that captures the entire car cabin, and you can rotate it vertically 80 degrees to get the correct angle.

The Vantrue model’s good dynamic range lights up the car’s interior well during the day, and at night four infrared LED lights give you a good view of both the front and rear seats. When you switch the OnDash N2 Pro to single-cam mode (using the front-facing camera only), it can record at a very sharp 1440p resolution, the highest in our group. Molly McLaughlin, who wrote the latest update for this guide, is a journalist who has been writing about consumer electronics and software for more than a dozen years.

She has contributed to,,, and many others, and was a senior editor at, a reviews website. Throughout her career, she has reviewed numerous auto accessories, including dash cams, GPS devices, and navigation apps—literally driving in circles at times at the whim of a confused device or app. She has also written about digital cameras and accessories and has dealt with her fair share of wonky video software. While testing dash cams for this guide, she captured all sorts of drama on the road, and realized that her neighborhood is chock-full of red-light cameras that don’t seem to be much of a deterrence. Eric Adams, who wrote the original version of this guide, has been an automotive and consumer-technology journalist for 15 years, contributing not only to Wirecutter but also to,,,, and many other outlets.

Within the automotive realm, he has covered the technology side as well as driver behavior and vehicle safety. Additionally, he’s a photographer who frequently experiments with new camera technology, both still and video.

Incidentally, working on this dash cam guide has made him a believer in the technology’s use and usefulness—he says it’s safe to say he’ll be using these things for the rest of his driving days, and he’s looking forward to tracking the technology as it continues to evolve. Who this guide is for. A dash cam is useful for drivers who want to record what’s happening on the road in front of their car. It’s especially appealing if you’re concerned about being the victim of an accident and want documentary footage that you could provide to an insurance company or the police for use in a lawsuit or criminal trial. You might be considering one because of a past collision, or because you’ve had too many near misses. You might also want to record footage as a matter of course to help others (if you spot something happening nearby), to help improve road conditions by having graphic examples on hand, or to monitor the driving habits of someone else (with their knowledge), such as an inexperienced teen driver. (This shows an unsafe intersection, and we forwarded it to the local township.).

Pull Quote Dash cams are appealing if you’re concerned about being the victim of an accident and want footage for an insurance company or the police, but they’re also useful for monitoring driving habits. Dash cams are also becoming more popular for people who want to share (say, on social media) anything from on-the-road incidents to striking landscapes. You’ve probably seen the, and video from police cars. You might enjoy passively filming something strange, amazing, or funny on the road, and want to share it for entertainment or even a taste of viral fame. Once set up, every camera we tested operates as a simple plug-and-play device: It starts recording automatically as soon as you power it up, either when you turn on the car or (on models with an internal battery) when you press the camera’s power button. Similarly, recording stops when you power the device off.

All the cameras “loop” their recording, so when the memory card fills up, the camera erases the oldest files to make room for what it’s currently recording. To record accidents, all of our test cams use an accelerometer (also known as a G-sensor) to detect a sudden change in speed, which could indicate the car being in a crash. When this occurs, the cam automatically saves the currently recording footage and protects it from being overwritten.

Most dash cams also have a save button that, when pressed, protects the current segment against deletion so you can retrieve it later. In addition, most dash cams can capture a still photo, if you desire, and some of the ones we tested do that well. Dash cams come in various sizes. Larger ones have bigger screens that are easier to see, but smaller devices are less obtrusive on the windshield. Photo: Rik Paul Features to consider. Dash cams range from tiny units without screens that hide behind the rearview mirror to models with relatively large displays and a multitude of features. Here are the key features and specs to consider when you’re shopping.

Resolution and image sensor: The image quality of dash cams keeps improving. When we first published this guide in 2014, the best models had a maximum resolution of 1080p, with many models reaching only 720p.

This time around, all of the models we tested could record at 1080p, with several able to capture a notably sharper 1296p and one capable of 1440p. In the higher-resolution models, we could see a clear difference in detail, and we were better able to read license plates and street signs, even when in motion. (You can set a cam’s resolution lower to take up less space on the storage card if you prefer.) The best cams also have image sensors and processors that provide a wide dynamic range that retains detail in both lighter and darker areas, as well as good color and contrast and low video noise across a variety of lighting and weather conditions. • These photos show the field-of-view range in our test group. The Papago GoSafe 228’s narrow 120-degree FOV gives you a closer look at things right in front of your car but misses things at the sides. Photo: Rik Paul • The 160-degree FOV of the Papago GoSafe 535 strikes a nice balance between width and center details. Photo: Rik Paul • The widest we saw was the Garmin Dash Cam 65W’s 180-degree FOV, which makes center objects look farther away but can be nice for capturing scenic landscapes as you drive.

Photo: Rik Paul. Field of view (FOV): The models we tested have a field of view that ranges from a relatively narrow 120 degrees to a wide 180 degrees.

The wider the field of view, the more of the scene that a camera can capture, which is handy for scenic vistas, sunsets, and the like. The trade-off is that wider FOVs make cars in front look a little farther away, although in our tests the sharp resolution of the best cams still made it easy to read license plates and see other details.

The 160-degree FOV in our top pick is a good compromise. Pull Quote In the higher-resolution models, we could see a clear difference in detail. Mounting: Most cameras mount to a car’s windshield in one of two ways: suction or adhesive. Some models give you a choice, while others come with only one or the other. Adhesive mounts often attach directly to the camera, which reduces the unit’s overall size.

This design typically permits more-discreet placement, so the camera doesn’t intrude as much into your view, and the camera isn’t as noticeable from the outside. The ones we tested adhered very well to glass. But adhesive mounts can be difficult to remove, sometimes requiring a razor blade or a sharp paint scraper along with some patience, so you can’t easily move the camera from one car to another. Adhesive mounts also require precise placement when you install them, since you can’t adjust the placement without a lot of hassle or buying new adhesive material.

We favor a suction mount, even though the cam hangs down lower from one, because it has two key advantages: You can aim and adjust it easily, and you can remove it quickly if you want to take it down for any reason. (For instance, perhaps you have to park overnight on a street or in a lot, and you’re concerned about theft. Or you want to be able to move the camera between cars, such as for use in a rental car.). Pull Quote All models come with a long power cord that you can route around the windshield. Whatever the mount type, you want the camera to have good build quality and to remain firmly in place once positioned, so that it’s not easily jostled if you or your passengers accidentally nudge it or if your car hits a rough spot in the road. Regardless of the mount, all models come with a long power cord that you can route to a power source.

To keep it out of sight, you can often hide this cord behind the windshield molding and interior trim, but doing so can be the most challenging part of installing a dash cam. Alternatively, you can buy for a few bucks to route it out of the way, or Best Buy’s will install a dash cam for about $50. Size: A dash cam and its mount should be somewhat discreet so they don’t take up too much real estate on your windshield and don’t distract you while you’re driving. The best units we looked at provide at least a small display while not blocking too much of the driver’s view. Display: Most of the dash cams we tested have a display that’s 1.5 to 2.7 inches, measured diagonally; one model doesn’t have a display at all. We prefer dash cams with at least a 2-inch display, which makes it easier to adjust settings on the fly and preview footage.

A lack of a display means that you have to use a computer, before getting into the car, to adjust the settings. The absence of a display also makes it hard to know if the camera angle is right without reviewing the footage on a separate device. And it’s impossible to know if the camera is really recording. We tested three models that have separate cameras you can mount to your vehicle’s rear window to record what’s going on behind your car.

Photo: Rik Paul Second cam: Some dash cams—called dual-channel models—are able to record from two cameras simultaneously, which is helpful for recording both what’s in front of the car as well as what’s behind it or inside the vehicle. Models that record behind the car have two separate camera enclosures, one for mounting on the windshield and one for the rear window.

The rear camera can also serve as a backup camera; you can display the footage from either camera on the screen or use the picture-in-picture function. Some models have two cameras integrated into one housing, one for recording in front and the other pointing rearward toward the car’s cabin and passengers. This design can be helpful for taxi, Uber, Lyft, and other ride-for-hire drivers who have to deal with the occasional unruly customer, although the footage can be too dark to clearly see rear-seat passengers at night. Pull Quote We recommend getting a large memory card, which lets you capture more footage before the cam needs to overwrite older video. Storage cards: About half of the dash cams we tested come with an 8 GB microSD memory card, although some include a more generous 32 GB. Some models don’t include any card, which increases the cam’s effective price.

Most of the cams accept a larger card of 64 or 128 GB, which is an important consideration. A larger memory card lets you capture more footage before the cam needs to overwrite older video. At its maximum 1296p resolution, the Papago GoSafe 535 (our top pick) captures less than an hour of video on its 8 GB card (or a little over three hours when you set it at the lower, 720p resolution). That might work if all you want to do is record an accident or an occasional interesting scene, or if you expect to offload the footage frequently.

But if you don’t want your video overwritten so quickly, we recommend getting a larger card; a quality 64 GB microSD card will currently. Battery versus capacitor: All of the models we tested get power when you plug their 12 V adapter into your car’s 12-volt accessory outlet (the “cigarette lighter”), although some can be hardwired if you desire. Most also have an internal lithium-ion battery that lets them continue to record for a period of time if the cord is unplugged. But in extreme temperature conditions, where objects left baking in a car can reach, these batteries can overheat and need to be cooled to perform well. They can also suffer in very low temperatures, when they’re too cold to function right away.

To help in these types of situations, some models use a capacitor, which better handles extreme temperatures and provides more reliability in those conditions than a battery. The downside is that, without a battery, a capacitor cam can’t continue working when it’s unplugged; the camera will power down after a few seconds. Automatic incident detection: All of the dash cams we tested have built-in G-sensors that detect an impact and automatically save the footage of the incident. In most cases, the cam protects this footage from being overwritten, as well, so you have the evidence should you need it. Parking surveillance: Models with this feature use optical motion detection or G-sensors to “wake up” and start recording if something happens to or around your vehicle while it’s parked.

But the odds of the camera picking up useful information are low, since the camera faces a single direction and also requires persistent power to do this. We tested the parking mode in the models that offered it, but we were unable to trigger any of the cameras. Car owners shouldn’t consider this feature a reliable security tool.

Pull Quote Models with GPS stamp the video with the car’s location but don’t provide turn-by-turn directions. Wi-Fi: You can view footage directly on your smartphone via an ad-hoc Wi-Fi network the camera provides.

This feature is convenient if you want to share video or photos on social media, but it’s more of a frill than a necessity. Dash cams with Wi-Fi typically have a companion smartphone app, where you can look at the footage. GPS: Models with a GPS receiver typically stamp the video with geographic coordinates, as well as the vehicle’s speed and direction of travel. Some also show the vehicle’s location on a map in the model’s compatible computer software. The GPS feature doesn’t provide turn-by-turn directions, however (for that you need a dedicated ).

This info can be useful to verify the location of an incident or to mark a site where you captured a specific view or happening. But if you’re interested only in recording what’s in front of your car, GPS is just an extra. Safety features: Some dash cams (and car GPS devices) provide safety alerts similar to the type that are becoming more common in newer cars. These include forward-collision warnings, which sound an audible alert if you are following another car too closely, and lane-departure warnings, which let you know if your car is crossing a lane marker on the road. Both can be helpful in some situations, but as you might expect, these features on a dash cam aren’t as reliable, consistent, or sophisticated as the more expensive safety systems in new cars. In some dash cam models, the alerts are also overly sensitive, which causes them to go off too often and can make them annoying enough that you want to turn them off. Again, this feature is not really a necessity for most people.

How we picked and tested. For our latest update, we first conducted research to see what dash cams were available and created an in-depth spreadsheet that let us compare the specs and features of about 150 models. We looked for cams that delivered good value, including the at a reasonable price. For guidance, we looked to the results of a 2014 reader survey, in which most respondents said they simply wanted a reliable, well-made camera that, after some initial configuration, required zero manipulation to record video automatically every time they turned on the car. Most also said they didn’t want to pay a lot, preferring models that cost roughly $100 to $150. While pricing was a key consideration in choosing our test group, we ruled out ultracheap cameras—some of them, unbelievably, priced below $20—as they lacked adequate resolution, video quality, and build quality, as well as other basics we wanted. We were also skeptical about warranty and customer support at that price.

More-expensive cameras abound too, but in that case you’re paying for add-ons that many drivers don’t need. Pull Quote Most survey respondents said they wanted reliable, well-made cameras that recorded video automatically every time they turned on the car. Regardless of the price, we shied away from cameras for which we couldn’t trace the sourcing or manufacturer, as well as from companies that lacked a Web presence or didn’t have contact information listed on their websites. If something goes wrong, you need to be able to reach a live person for assistance.

We checked expert reviews on websites such as,,, and, and a helpful buying guide from. We also examined reviews on Amazon and other retail sites, which could provide signals about a camera—for example, if a particular cam had lots of owner complaints—rather than any definitive answer. We looked for consistent complaints, as well as models that had a spate of feedback that may have benefited from giveaway programs or paid-for reviews. (Amazon has a program to disclose these, and some reviewers voluntarily and properly note it.). Pull Quote We tested each camera in daylight and at night, in direct sunlight and in shade. After narrowing our list to 12 of the most promising dash cams, we evaluated each one for build quality, button and menu configuration, overall design, display organization, ease of use, and—most critically—video quality. We hit the road with the cams, turning a Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid and a Toyota 4Runner into rolling test beds.

We used the cams individually as well as several at a time so we could do direct comparisons. We set each dash cam to its highest possible resolution and tested them in daylight and at night, in direct sunlight and in shade, and on highways and on city and suburban streets. In our testing, we racked up scores of hours of use with the cameras. All of them got a fair shake, but the front-runners quickly emerged and eventually became our focus. After we finished road testing, we pulled the footage off the memory cards for analysis on our computers.

We assembled clips and screenshots that portrayed each camera’s capabilities and weaknesses across the spectrum of usage conditions. Then we compared the results and made our picks, factoring in value, usability, and overall quality.

Our pick: Papago GoSafe 535. The is the best dash cam for most drivers because it provides an impressive combination of great image quality, ease of use, a small size, and a reasonable price.

It offers a super-sharp 1296p maximum resolution—the second highest of the group—that lets you see details such as license plates more easily than cams with lower resolution. Its video exhibits bright colors, good dynamic range, and decent contrast, which makes the scene clear, and its 160-degree field of view is wide enough to capture the big picture. The GoSafe 535 also has an easy-to-install suction mount, an intuitive user interface, and solid build quality. With a compact size of about 2 by 2.5 inches, it doesn’t take up much space on the windshield, and if you can find it for a little over $100 (its price at the time of this writing), it’s one of the true bargains of the group. The Papago GoSafe 535 is relatively compact, so it doesn’t take up much space on the windshield. Photo: Rik Paul Once powered up, the GoSafe 535 takes only about eight seconds to start recording. The cam has a 2-inch screen, which is large enough to ensure you’ve positioned it for the best vantage point.

(Some people will prefer to have the screen off during daily operation, with just a blinking LED indicating that the camera is recording, but we preferred to keep the screen on—we found it satisfying to just glance over and see the view ahead being recorded in such crisp clarity.) Underneath the screen are four physical buttons that correspond to options on the screen. In normal driving mode, the button closest to the driver activates the emergency feature, which prevents the current video segment from being overwritten. The button next to it lets you take a quick snapshot of the scene. Overall, you can easily change settings to adjust the resolution, toggle safe-driving alerts, and turn the microphone off or on (if the mic is on, the dash cam captures private conversations or car sing-alongs). In this video you can see how well the Papago GoSafe 535 records in both day and night conditions. In our tests, the GoSafe 535’s image quality was excellent, among the best of the group. It’s almost good enough that you’ll want to use this cam, rather than pulling out your smartphone, to take snapshots of the scenery.

Credit for that image quality goes to the camera’s excellent sensor, which generates accurate colors (blue sky actually looks blue), a wide dynamic range that nicely balances lighter and darker areas, and crisp details. With this camera’s 1296p resolution, it’s noticeably easier to read details in recorded video, such as license plates (helpful in case of a car accident) and street signs, that can be hard to read with lesser cameras. At times, our footage looked slightly washed out, but the camera adapted well to changing light situations, such as when we drove under an overpass or through a tunnel. Pull Quote The button closest to the driver activates the emergency feature, which prevents the current video from being overwritten. When we looked at the video on our computers, our pick’s recordings were crystal clear. Scenes were vivid and clear during the day: We could read highway and street signs even when they were recorded in bright sunlight. At night, this camera’s video had minimal glare from other car headlights, and lighter areas weren’t overly washed out (as they were with some other cams).

And while we saw some haloing around street and traffic lights, license plates and street signs were still legible. The GoSafe 535 comes with an 8 GB microSD card. That capacity is fine, but if you plan to capture footage at the highest resolution, you may want to step up to a 16 GB or 32 GB card, so you don’t have to worry about looping your video storage over longer drives. Pull Quote Scenes were vivid and clear during the day: We could read signs even in bright sunlight. At night, video had minimal glare from other car headlights. The included suction mount has a locking mechanism to keep the GoSafe 535 affixed to the windshield, and the adjustable arm lets you easily tweak the cam’s angle and pivot it if necessary. The whole unit feels strong and solid.

The GoSafe 535 offers several safety alerts, which are turned on by default but can be disabled. These include stop-sign recognition, which sounds a ping when it detects a stop sign; a stop-and-go function, which detects when the car in front starts to drive away (handy when you’re distracted at a light or in congested traffic); a headlight reminder for when the ambient illumination decreases, such as in a tunnel; and a driver-fatigue alarm that you can set to trigger after 30 minutes, one hour, or two hours of continuous driving. We left all of them on for the purposes of our testing, and the alerts weren’t overly obtrusive. In the quick-start guide that comes with the GoSafe 535, you’ll find an overview of the box contents and simple setup instructions. Even the packaging—the camera is surrounded by foam in the box—is better than that of some higher-priced models we tested. Flaws but not dealbreakers.

We have only minor nitpicks with the Papago GoSafe 535. The mount is secure and easy to attach to the windshield, but to change the angle of the camera you need to unscrew a small, knurled knob that can be difficult to grip. We found it easier to remove the mount from the windshield and make the adjustment.

Also, some of the safety alerts are a bit overzealous. The headlight alert, for example, frequently went off when we were driving in heavily shaded areas or passing under a highway overpass or an elevated train.

The good news is that you can turn off all of the safety alerts. Runner-up: Magellan MiVue 420 DashCam. If the Papago GoSafe 535 sells out or is otherwise unavailable, consider the comparably excellent.

Like the Papago model, it can record in super-sharp 1296p resolution, making for easy-to-read license plates and street signs. It includes an integrated GPS receiver and some driver-assist alerts too, but it has a narrower, 140-degree field of view, putting it on the lower end of the spectrum in our test group, and it isn’t as easy to use as the Papago. The MiVue 420 has generally been priced higher than the GoSafe 535, but we’ve occasionally seen it heavily discounted—if the MiVue 420 is less expensive than the GoSafe 535 when you’re shopping, this Magellan model is worth getting if you don’t mind its narrower field of view.

Like our top pick, the Magellan MiVue 420 has a sharp 1296p resolution that makes seeing details and reading license plates easier. Photo: Rik Paul At about 3.5 inches long, the MiVue 420 takes up a little more real estate on the windshield, though its 2.7-inch screen is easier to see.

But this Magellan model’s control buttons are on the side of the camera body, away from the driver, so you have to navigate by touch when recording an incident, taking a still photo, or making adjustments from the driver’s seat. Its suction-cup mount is easy to use and has a ball joint that allows for relatively simple camera-angle adjustments. The MiVue 420 comes with an 8 GB microSD card, and it will accept up to a 128 GB card for storing many miles’ worth of video. If you’re willing to spend more money for a good dash cam with a host of extras, consider the, which is roughly twice the price of our top pick. At only about 2 by 1.5 inches in size, it’s one of the smallest cams of the group, and it stays secure thanks to a small magnetic mount (attached with a sticky pad) that makes removing the camera and throwing it into a pocket simple. Yet this Garmin model has the same size screen—2 inches—for easily accessing settings and for previewing footage. In our tests, with its 1080p resolution, the video quality was excellent during the day and almost as good as our top pick’s.

Its nighttime footage, however, suffered from more headlight glare and tended to have more contrast. The Garmin Dash Cam 65W is the smallest and most unobtrusive cam we tested, and its magnetic mount makes it easy to pop onto the windshield and remove.

Photo: Rik Paul The Dash Cam 65W includes Wi-Fi and a built-in GPS receiver, and it’s the only camera we tested with voice control. It also offers safety alerts similar to those of the Magellan MiVue 420, including forward-collision warnings (which we triggered while merging lanes on a busy highway), lane-departure warnings, and (with a paid subscription) red-light-camera alerts.

When using Garmin’s devices, we’ve found the company’s alerts to be more discerning and adjustable than Magellan’s, so they can be more helpful than annoying. Samples of test video from the Garmin Dash Cam 65W, recorded in day and night conditions. The Garmin Dash Cam 65W’s 180-degree field of view is the widest in our test group. It’s good for capturing vistas, sunsets, and the like, but we prefer the slightly less wide 160-degree FOV of our top pick for normal driving because it makes seeing the details of cars in front a little easier. The 65W comes with an 8 GB microSD card but is capable of accepting up to 64 GB. Best dual-channel dash cam: Magellan MiVue 480D DashCam.

Of the three dual-channel dash cams—those with separate rear cameras—we tested, we recommend the because it has a higher, 1296p resolution and has generally been available at a lower price than the others. The MiVue 480D gives you rich colors, good contrast, and excellent detail, which in our tests made it easy for us to read license plates and street signs.

At night, the image wasn’t too glary, and we found seeing details easier than with competing models. The front camera has a relatively narrow 140-degree field of view, on a par with its dual-channel peers. The rear cam, which you mount on your car’s rear window, can record at 1080p and has a 130-degree field of view. In contrast to the other dual-channel cams we tested, the Magellan MiVue 480D has a single cord that connects to both the power and rear-camera wires.

Photo: Rik Paul We found the MiVue 480D’s rear-cam footage to be sharp, with rich color, if a bit contrasty. At night, the rear image was usable, with less glare than what we saw from its competitors, but it was still contrasty and lacking in detail in darker areas.

The MiVue 480D comes with a large, 32 GB memory card and can accept up to 128 GB. It also offers a GPS receiver and Magellan’s safety alerts, including forward-collision, lane-departure, and safety-camera warnings, as well as a headlight reminder and a fatigue alert. The MiVue 480D’s large, 2.7-inch screen is easy to see and can display both the front- and rear-facing footage as the cameras are capturing. As with the Magellan MiVue 420, the control buttons are on the right side, where the driver can’t see them. Fortunately, they’re easy to feel and operate by touch, and they correspond to functions shown on the display. The has two cameras in a single package: one to capture what’s ahead, and the other to record what’s going on inside the car.

This is the camera to use if you’re a taxi driver or other ride-for-hire driver who needs to monitor passengers, or if you drive a shuttle bus or other corporate vehicle. The small unit has a 1.5-inch display and attaches to the windshield with a suction mount. You can rotate both cameras vertically to get the angle you desire, but the mount doesn’t have an adjustable arm, so in our tests we needed a try or two to get the right placement.

The Vantrue OnDash N2 Pro has a rear-facing camera (on the left) that covers the car’s interior. Four infrared LED lights around the rear lens help illuminate people in dark conditions. Photo: Rik Paul When you’re using both cameras, the OnDash N2 Pro’s front camera is capable of recording at 1080p resolution, giving you nice, detailed footage—you can read street signs—across a 170-degree field of view, although the video has more contrast than that of our other picks. At night, the video has decent dynamic range, although there’s some glare from oncoming headlights, and it can sometimes be a little hard to read license plates.

If you don’t need the rear cam, you can set the OnDash N2 Pro to single-cam mode, which lets the front camera record at a maximum resolution of 1440p, the highest of our test group. Pull Quote This is the camera to use if you’re a taxi driver or other ride-for-hire driver who needs to monitor passengers. The 1080p rear camera also has relatively decent dynamic range, nicely balancing lighter and darker areas. The OnDash N2 Pro includes four infrared LEDs around the rear-facing lens that you can turn on or off, or set to come on automatically when it gets dark.

In our tests, these lights, plus the rear cam’s relatively wide 140-degree FOV, provided a good view, from door to door, of both the front and rear seats of our Toyota 4Runner SUV (although the infrared image was in grayscale rather than color). Single-cam models If you live where temperatures regularly cook your car, the could be a good choice for you. It’s one of two models we tested that use a capacitor instead of a lithium-ion battery, which helps them better handle extreme temperatures.

In our tests, the X350 delivered good video quality, with sharp details, good color, and a wide dynamic range, day or night. Compared with our top pick, though, this Thinkware model’s lower, 1080p resolution made reading license plates a little harder, and its narrower, 140-degree field of view didn’t cover as much of the scene in front of the car. The X350 also costs more at this writing, although it comes with Wi-Fi and a separate plug-in GPS receiver (you can save a few bucks by getting it without GPS). When handling the Roav, we found the round power button on the lower left side to be frustratingly easy to activate accidentally, which caused the cam to overwrite driving footage. Photo: Rik Paul Anker’s typically has one of the lowest prices in the group, as well as promising specs such as 1080p resolution, built-in Wi-Fi, and the capability to handle a 128 GB memory card (though it doesn’t come with a card). But we’re weren’t impressed by its video quality: Its footage was fairly sharp, with good color, but we saw a lot of video noise in our clips, and at night, a high level of contrast produced glare in lit areas and a lack of detail in darker ones. The Roav also has an awkwardly placed power button on the side that’s easy to press accidentally when you’re adjusting settings or taking a snapshot.

The, which had an “Amazon’s Choice” designation at the time of our research, was one of the least expensive dash cams we tested. It offers a 1080p max resolution and a wide, 170-degree field of view. It can also accept up to a 128 GB memory card, but it doesn’t come with a card. In our tests, the V1N provided decent video quality, with bright colors, although its video was not as good overall as that of the best models here—the video tended to have too much contrast, especially noticeable at night with glary highlights and dark, detail-less shadow areas. The V1N has a large sticky mount that secures it very firmly to the windshield, but it’s hard to remove without damaging the sticky pad.

This was a bit frustrating, because we had a hard time placing the cam at the appropriate angle at first. The is a smaller, less-expensive sibling of our top pick, the Papago GoSafe 535.

But its 120-degree field of view was the narrowest of our test group, and despite its 1080p resolution, it had the worst image quality in our tests. The GoSafe 228 delivered good color, but the image lacked sharpness, which made it harder for us to see details and read license plates.

While the GoSafe 228 comes with an 8 GB memory card, it will accept only up to 32 GB, the least of any of our test models. It also doesn’t have the GoSafe 535’s driver-assist alerts. Zero Edge Technology’s is an updated version of our previous top pick, the, with higher resolution (1440p versus 1080p), a slightly wider FOV (155 degrees versus 145 degrees), and a higher max storage capacity (a 128 GB card versus a 64 GB one).

The Z3 had impressed us with its crisp image quality, ease of use, and affordable price. Because we’d noticed that the Z3’s stock had become thinner as the new camera became more widely available, we had intended to include the Z3P in our testing.

But after trying to contact the company several times (including calls to its Marietta, Georgia, office), we were never able to get a response. This reduced our confidence in Zero Edge’s continuing ability to provide good customer support, which precluded us from recommending the new model. So we’ve passed on testing it for now. Dual-channel models The is a dual-channel cam that competes well with our dual-channel pick, the Magellan MiVue 480D.

The GoSafe 760’s front cam has a maximum resolution of 1080p, which isn’t quite as sharp as the Magellan’s 1296p but still provides good image quality. You get rich colors and good contrast during the day. At night, though, it’s hard to see shadow detail, and glare from your car’s headlights can make it hard to read license plates on vehicles in front. The GoSafe 760’s front camera has the same FOV as the Magellan at 140 degrees; the rear cam also records in 1080p, but with a 120-degree field of view that’s slightly narrower than the Magellan’s.

We found the GoSafe 760’s rear footage to be sharp, if a bit contrasty and slightly dull in color. At night, the rear image was usable, but it lacked detail in darker areas and exhibited glare that made license plates hard to read. The GoSafe 760 comes with a 32 GB microSD card and can accept up to a 128 GB card. Like the Papago GoSafe 535, the GoSafe 760 also includes safety features such as stop-sign detection and a warning to turn on your lights when it’s dark.

The is the third model we tested with separate front and rear cameras. It’s also the only cam in our group without a display. To check your video, you need to play the footage back on a computer—preferably in BlackVue’s video player, as we couldn’t view the rear-camera video using the built-in video players in two of our PCs. Fortunately, the BlackVue player is easy to use and versatile. The DR490-2CH has good specs (including 1080p video with a 130-degree FOV in both the front and rear cams), and this model is priced about the same as the Papago GoSafe 760. It includes a 32 GB memory card and will accept up to 128 GB. Other than the Thinkware camera, this BlackVue model is the only dash cam we tested with a capacitor, which gives you an extra margin of reliability in extreme temperatures.

In our tests, the DR490-2CH’s video provided good contrast and dynamic range but wasn’t quite as crisp as video from our higher-resolution cams. The Transcend DrivePro 520 has a second, rear-facing cam (not visible here) for recording a vehicle’s interior. But the rear cam has a narrower field of view than that of the Vantrue OnDash N2 Pro, our pick, and doesn’t illuminate the cabin as well at night. Photo: Rik Paul The is another twin-cam model that can record a car’s interior. Its good online reviews got it on our radar screen, and on paper it looks like a good buy: The DrivePro 520 is typically priced about the same as our pick, the Vantrue OnDash N2 Pro, it has a larger display, and it comes with an integrated GPS receiver and a 32 GB memory card (the Vantrue model doesn’t include a card). It can record at 1080p resolution on the front cam, like the Vantrue model, but on the rear it’s capable of only 720p. In our tests, the video quality from the front cam was good, if not stellar.

The real difference we saw was in the rear camera. Video quality was acceptable during the day (although the DrivePro 520 has a narrow, 110-degree field of view that doesn’t capture as much area as the OnDash N2 Pro’s 140-degree rear camera).

At night, the image was automatically illuminated by four infrared LEDs that surrounded the rear lens, but compared with the Vantrue, it illuminated a narrower area, so seeing people in the rear seat was harder. Needs to be a replacement inside rearview mirror. Unfortunately for that idea, many cars today have advanced rv mirrors that dim from headlights shining on the rear of the car, have outside thermometers, compasses, etc.

So replacing it with one that has a built-in dashcam is not so simple. A dashcam that mounts on the rv mirror but has a cable to a remote control unit would be good, especially if several cams could be connected: one at the top of the rear window, others on each side of the car, especially ones that record the cop whichever side of the car the cop comes on. Nothing gives an incentive to cops to behave themselves like remotely streaming cameras and microphones. Not theirs but citizens’. With streaming video & audio via the cellular system, confiscating and erasing (or destroying) the subject’s equipment does no good and provides more evidence of bad faith. Soon automatic self-driving cars will have cameras for the control system to see by, so every car eventually will have cams.

These cars will “talk” to one another to prevent following too closely, pulling out in front of another, and so on, in a way not practical for human drivers. This article is based on American laws. In Western Europe, if you can’t identify the other vehicule, you’ll have to pay 50% of the repair price + an increased insurance fee raised by 10%. In fact european insurance companies have created tricky papers, where checking the wrong option turns to this 50/50 situation, videos help solving this trick provided you add in the claim that you recorded a video (otherwise a drawing prevails).

The most unfair cases come from sideways crashes which are quite common: guys trying to force you to slowdown to come into your line and roundabouts problems. Front-only dahscams are not good in these situations. Can confirm, just had this happen to us 2 months ago. Guy rolled into my wife at low speed, I recorded the phone call wherein he stated multiple times he was sorry, he was looking at his cell phone and just rolled into her. Little to no damage so we did not file a claim, 3 days later she can barely walk, turns out she tweaked her spine bad enough that she just had surgery this past Thursday. Once we filed the claim with the insurance for the ER visit he changed his story and said that she backed into him in a parking lot. If not for my recording the insurance agents said they would have not paid as it was his word against hers.

Buying a pair of these for front and back of the car. Mostly a good review, but I disagree about the rear cam being unnecessary. In fact I’d go as far as to say that a 360 degree view cam would be an absolute necessity. Just like how someone who backs in to you can say you rear-ended them, what’s to stop them from hitting you from the back and saying you backed in to them instead? It’s your word against theirs when it comes to insurance claims.

There is a whole world you’re missing by just monitoring the front of the car. I suppose the only solution now is to purchase two units and mount one in front and one behind, is that correct? Did you come across any 360 degree view units in the course of your review? For those new to this discussion (following the CES14 links), I’ve tried about 6 of the cheap DVRs.

Few reach the lofty claims of their advertising, and night vision is really poor. After I traded up my SUV to more expensive sedan (Mazda 6 2014 which is $50k here in Australia for the top model), it was time to further protect my investment with a high end dash cam which had to work with mp4 video for my Mac setup. I initially got the black view 500, then traded up to the two channel 550 which has front and back cams, the former in 1080p 30fps, and the latter @ 720p. (Being tailgated by a road rage driver once was cause enough). The unit has one 32gb sd card (the really tiny one) which records both cams for picture in picture playback, and over wifi sends to you mobile device. A wave of your on the left side switches on and off audio recording. The front unit swivels 360 in its holder.

Wifi is switched on and off with a push button on the rhs. Unit is very small without a useless drop down 2″ screen. My unit came with a battery device so it continues recording with the ignition off until the car battery falls to 11.8v (it’s user selectable for use in higher voltage trucks). Read the European reviews and see units reviewed on YouTube before you part with your money.

This is one area where cheap could prove costly. Les Melbourne, Australia •. I bought this dash cam last year, i thought i twas great until i had an accident.

Old lady ran a red light and i t boned her doing 35 mph. When i picked the dash cam off the floor i noticed the charger cable wasn’t plugged in and the battery flew out. I thought at least it recorded up until the second of the crash. NOPE the last saved recording was from 30 seconds before the accident. Lucky i had eye witnesses stating i was not at fault and the cops agreed but what the heck is the point of having a Dash cam that couldn’t even record the accident.

Maybe if i super glued it to my windshield and i super glued the charger cable and i wrapped duct tape around the unit so the battery doesn’t fly out. If i installed it incorrectly then i will gladly take the blame but i am a pretty smart guy. I got a different dash cam that doesn’t have a removable battery, i hope i don’t get into another accident to see how it holds up but so far it seems pretty good. I can accept the camera dismounting from the force of impact. I can understand the power cord coming unplugged.

What annoyed me the most was the battery cover coming off so easily. The purpose of this Camera is not only record near misses but also impacts.

Nothing inside the car broke, well except my ankle. My lawyer is getting some tech company to see if they can pull the unfinished video off the card. I have a witness so the video is not critical but that is not the point.

I have seen many YouTube videos of people hitting other cars and there video show the accident and what happened after. If i would have super glued the battery cover it would have recorded the accident and everything after ( Paramedics pulling me out ) •. Great review. I agree with a lot of your points.

However, can you provide any advice on dual camera systems? In my case, I am in a company vehicle and the canopy prevents the use of a rear-view mirror. Several technicians have installed rear-view cams (not recording) to assist with backing up. I would like to use a dash cam setup that integrates the rear facing cam and LCD display.

With us, ANY reported incident can have a negative effect on our job and becomes permanent record regardless of the outcome and our statement. In the end, our company only cares about their own liability and will pander to any potential issue without concern for the employee. Being able to record any aggressive or unsafe actions behind as well as in front makes a lot of sense. A company vehicle with a “How Am I Driving” number on the back makes a great target for a passive-aggressive driver who woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Did I really pull out in front of someone? Or was he doing 60 MPH in a 35 MPH zone coming around a corner and spill his coffee when he almost hit me?

Hypothetical situation, but you get the idea. It seems like since our company stock took a dump that people are gunning for us from all sides. I find this to be true for most things, not just dash cams, but what has price to do with the quality of the item? It seems to me like every reviewer nowadays wants to keep their backdoor open for an excuse such as “i didn’t say it was the best item, i said it was the best for the money” What if one just wants the best. Simply the best out there, the price shouldn’t play a role in reviews when it tests “the best car camera” or the best anything on the market.

So what is the best car camera out there? Plain and simple, no matter if it costs $10 or $1000 ‘coz that’s what people are looking for when they click on reviews •. We tackle this question above: “According to other reviewers, some dash cams simply can’t withstand the sun and willdevelop a blurry picture, but the G1W never failed. We ran it in the hot Hawaiian sun for a full day, which included upwards of four hours spent in an unshaded parking lot with the windows up, and the G1W remained fixed to the windshield and continued to function normally without overheating. For comparison, the much more expensive BlackVue DR500-GW, when fired up after sitting in the sun, was so hot that it felt like it would melt its own plastic–something Dash Cam Talk found in their testing of a slightly different BlackVue.” Thanks! Not strictly true.

I drive for a living. Normally, I get the same vehicle each day but sometimes I need to swap.

On my main vehicle, I had the G1W mounted on the black dots for over a month with no problems whatsoever, however, upon having to change vehicles, the suction cup would not stay for long on the black dots! Brian, the camera can be a slight distraction initially, but the screen shuts down after 3 minutes. In any case, it’s amazing how quickly you forget it’s there. The worst thing about many of these dashcams is the manufacturers LOVE to plaster them with shiny stuff (look at the photo, a silver bezel stands out like a pimple on a bum!) or put them in shiny cases! If people have a look at dashcamtalk.com (where the above pic came from), there are some great ideas for DiY mounting solutions.

Niner6 – Sadly, the market is flooded with cheap imitations & these really aren’t up to scratch. I learned the hard way with a few that I bought – one performed brilliantly for a few days then simply burned itself out! Another would cause so much interference on the radio that I had to bin it. I had another one which would record OK on the face of it – but those all-important clips always seemed to be the ones where the machine made a mess. Have a look at dashcam.com for ideas, news and reviews. I’m currently running a mobius at work – 248hrs so far, over 6 weeks & not a problem yet.

Hi Interesting article, found on a Google Search – much appreciated. Are you aware of any conflict between dash cameras and ultrasonic ‘parking’ sensors?

My boss has an Audi A6, fitted with these proximity sensors, which appears to cut out the recording as soon as he reverses, or moves out of his parking place. He hears the sensor warning beep, and the recording stops. The loss adds up to relatively long periods, often the whole drive.

The files are just not there! I do not have the same issue using the same unit in my Fiat, without proximity sensors. Hi Alexander Judging by the conspicuous lack of responses I’ve received on this query, it really IS baffling! The camera is hanging in front of the rearview mirror, on it’s own GPS sensor/bracket. Nothing unusual I have used the same unit in my own car, without this issue. We haven’t yet been back to our supplier in Seoul to raise the issue.

I know he’ll tell us these units are in use on almost every car there, (and they love any kind of gadget/gizmo onboard). I’m sure there are plenty of Audio A6s in use, too. We are quite convinced it is to do with the ultrasonic proximity sensor, as it only seems to occur on take off from a parked-tail-in position. Worryingly, the record disable often seems to last for the whole journey, but sometimes for just a few miles/minutes. Yours views will be most welcome! I haven’t found anyone else online who has addressed the subject as convincingly.

Best regards, Justin •. It might be worth checking the power supply – It might be that the sensors draw power from the same circuit as the cam, if the power drops too low, the cam assumes the engine is off & it has to shut down. Once it goes into shutdown mode, you cannot restart until it is fully off – so when power is fully restored, the cam is still shutting down. I used to get this problem with my cams in my diesel car – ignition on, power to cam, waiting for glowplugs to warm up.

Engine turns over, all power cut to accessories, cam goes into shutdown. Engine fires, power restored to accessories but cam still in shutdown – no more recording. I just got the g1w with the 320mah battery, supposed version 2014, had no name, like everyone else it comes in a light blue box, EXCELLENT video quality, full HD, way better then 720, and the gain to turn up the exposure is crazy, you can see in the dark with this camera and its not even a ful frame sensor or has glass., in fact thats the only problem, plastic lens reflects at times if very sunny (makes rays) but nothing out there is as good as this camera (self dvr).

If you guys are serious and want the real deal, get a mobile DVR, 115€ for a 4 camera DVR, with gps, 3g/wifi (if you have wireless cameras) and you can even eves drop or receive alarm notices and even stream the video on your iphone or android from any where in the world. Imagine a *dvr 115-140€ *four cameras (front, back, side views or inside and parking) less then 100€ and 170° lenses around 200€ or $ 250 you got your self the state of the art security, add a little 7 inch LCD and watch all 4 cams live too, and thats only 50€ this gw1 is for people who was a hassle free USB dummy proof simple set up •. All those “companies” ship from China or Hong Kong. I’d recommend clicking the sellers options that offer free shipping FROM Amazon. It essentially removes all the shipments from China and only shows those cameras in stock at Amazon warehouses.

You’ll pay a few dollars over the other listed, but at least they’re shipped with free shipping *domestically*. Worst case scenario, we all know how excellent Amazon’s return policy is. The other companies can’t offer that, and even if shipped from them in 1 or 2 days, how many days or weeks they’ll arrive from these international locations is unknown. I won’t disparage eBay or the trusted recommended sellers from that site. But I strongly prefer sticking with Amazon Prime’s free domestic shipping and paying a small premium base price over eBay and the international sellers, especially since the premium is only a few dollars that pays for itself in shipping, reliability, removal of concerns for fake items, and an unparalleled hassle-free return policy. Having a battery means the camera will carry on recording for a short while after turning off power. This time can be set in the menu (although I have mine set to 3 minutes & it turns off after 1 (seems to be a common ‘fault’ on many cams)!

A capacitor will only provide enough backup power to allow the cam to save the last file before shutting off. Some say batteries can be problematic in the long term – or even short term if you live in a hot climate. Also, importing a product with a battery inside can throw up customs problems in some countries. Regarding the Mobius, you say “the only problem is that it’s super difficult to use so we can’t recommend it to anyone but hardcore hobbyists”. I’ve used a Mobius on a daily basis as a DashCam since last September, with no problems. It’s been fit & forget for me. I’m not a hardcore hobbyist & if I can do it, anybody can.

The Mobius has the benefit of strict control of it’s distribution by the manufacturer, & there is no risk of inadvertently buying a counterfeit product. It’s hard to imagine how small Mobius is until you hold it.

This makes it near invisible when mounted between windscreen & rear view mirror, so I can leave it permanently mounted without worrying whether it’ll be noticed by an opportunist thief. I drive for a living & was using the G1W after my previous cam started playing up.

I was dubious about using the mobius due to ‘overheating issues’ – My cam needs to record for around 4 hours straight – working 8, maybe 9 hours per day. I have since had my fears allayed & now use a mobius with a capacitor.

This is mounted flush to the headlining between sunvisor and windscreen pillar on the driver’s side. I’m not especially tech savvy but it didn’t take me long to set up my mobius’ settings once I’d downloaded the programme to my PC •. One month and no anwser? Let me know if you got one, so far there is a camera set called ” Mini Reversing Car DVR Seperated Version Dual Lens + Rear View Camera Overwrite” the reason i may get this is because it allows you to use a battery up to 1.5 hours with the LCD on and off 2 hours plus. The only reason im holding off is because there are THREE lens cameras now, one for the front, one for the back and inside to watch the kids., great on a RV. But i should tell you that for the 150-200 bucks dollars you can actually buy a 7 inch LCD and 4 camera set up for RVs and use them in your car, with parking coordinator, the only deal with these i dont like is they DONT record, they are LIVE cameras, i think with a separate recording unit attached to the LCD you can get this going, or somply a real RV DVR with 4 inputs and a7 -10 inch LCD, this is great for parking large vehicles. Thanks for the response, Fat Lip.

Gpfuri, you can have a pro hardwire a second camera the same way you’d hardwire a front-facing camera, but as you mention, it’s likely not worth the effort. Even with footage facing towards the front, you can tell if there was a collision, and also have the time and date to back your claims up.

I asked some manufacturers about the two-cam packages that have been advertised, and the chip technology doesn’t yet make this work perfectly — we’ll test the latest models when they come out. For now, the only two-cam models in use are those that have a front-facing camera, and an attached rear-facing camera for the interior. These are mostly for cab drivers. I just bought a G1W, based largely on the recommendations in this review. Overall it fits the bill except for one big problem.

When I look at my video files there is a gap of several seconds between the files, sometimes as long as 10 seconds. The whole purpose of having a dashcam is to document EVERY MILLISECOND of what happens in front of the camera in great detail so as to see license plates or faces of perps, which means I need maximum resolution. Could you please recommend a camera that does NOT leave a gap between files, even at highest resolution and frame rate? Just wanted to let you know about a bit of a misnomer with reviews in general 1080p is being misuded.

In the case of the G1W and many other dash cams it’s not actually 1080. Notice in the menu it says 1080FHD. This means Full HD. The reason they use this name for the setting is that the P on 1080p stands for progressive. Which means 60 frames per second.

It SHOULD say 1080i, which means interlaced; or 30 fps. It is indeed full HD, but it is not a progressive scan, it is only interlaced. So like the menu setting this cam should be described as 1080i Full HD. The box mislabels it either because it’s a selling point or because they don’t actually know what the p in 1080p means.

I have the G1WH and so far I like it very much. For the most part, I think the pros of the G1W apply to the G1WH but I like how the H model is more discreet without that ugly silver loop around the lens. If stealthiness is a concern I’d go w/ the H! I went even farther and blacked out all the white bits with a black marker.

Cons: – The suction cup mount is pretty bad. I assume that this is the case for all the similar models.

By itself, it really doesn’t stick on my windshield. I apply a few dabs of hair gel, inside the cup, and that works pretty well for a while.

Eventually it will dry out and fall off though. Kind of a drag I noticed someone selling a mount that attaches to your rear-view mirror bracket. If the hair gel trick gets to be too annoying I might check that out. – Widely known but worth mentioning again. NOT compatible with class 10 memory cards!

Class 4 and 6 do work so so make sure of that. We do touch in this in the guide & in the footnotes: “A note on SD cards- We haven’t seen a sub-$300 dash cam that comes with a microSD card, and every single model requires one. We’d get this 4GB Class 6 by SanDisk, who makes our faster pick for best microSD. It won’t hold much more than an hour of footage for most cameras, but a dash cam’s purpose is to record the vital few minutes of an incident.

For 99 percent of the driving you do, the camera can just keep looping over the same 4GB. As with regular SD cards, microSD cards used in dash cams come in different classes. A Class 2 card must maintain minimum speeds of two megabytes per second, a Class 6 must be more than six MB/s, and a Class 10 more than 10 MB/s. Dash cams are not terribly sophisticated machines and usually don’t need anything faster than a Class 4 or Class 6–there’s no reason to pay more for a faster Class 10 microSD because a dash cam will record the same 30 frames per second of 1080p footage on a Class 4 card as on a Class 10 card.2” and “For what it’s worth, some reviews and forums say that cams including the G1W can’t handle Class 10 cards–Techmoan (under “What SD CARD should I buy?”) advised against using Class 10 cards in cameras like the G1W, but we had no issue. A Dash Cam Talk user had similar success with a 64GB card in the G1W, too.

That said, those conflicting opinions on dash cam microSD class are not important because the extra speed in a Class 10 will make no difference and just means the card will cost more.” •. I am looking for a camera that will record while my car is off/parked for 8 hours-12 hours at a time or more. I want it to be as affordable as possible, but should also be effective in serving it’s purpose. I am trying to record on the driver’s side to catch somebody who keeps denting my car door with theirs. So far, they’ve caused over $3000 in damages. Most of these cameras only operate while plugged in or are designed to record while the car is driving.

Does anybody know of a camera that will do what I am looking for? Dash cams manufactured in Korea (Lukas, Blackvue, Thinkware FXD series, Dabonda and etc) has options to record during parking mode. But it is little tricky to install. Especially, if you have an European made car. European made cars detect the dashboard cams as faulty equipment if hard wire a dashboard cam to your car.

If your cigar jack power outlet can provide power even when your car is turned off, you will be able to record during your car is parked. (You won’t need any wiring). I have a GMC Acadia and can record over night parking without any wiring. Most of the Korean made dashboard cams turns off automatically when your car’s battery runs low (you can set voltage to cut the power to the dashboard cam). Some of the dashboard cams come with 1 or 2 year US warranty. As far as I know Thinkware FXD 700 has 1 years US warranty on it.

If you need further information let me know. The most important purpose on dashboard cam is not to skip any moment while driving and it’s durability. Drivers Usb Modem Zte Zxdsl 831 Series. It is easy to make on but hard to make it perfect.

Past 3 years, market for the dashboard cam boomed in Korea. In respect to the increase number of dashboard cams, problems increased as well. A lot of dashboard cams lost data due to the impact damage and faulty video format type. Looping causes shorting the life time of the SD card (Class 10) as well ( If you don’t format the SD weekly, maximum life time of the SD card is 6 months). Dashboard cams need longer period of time to be evaluated. There are reasons why certain products are expensive and some are not. Dashboard cams in the US is just taking a baby step but in Korea it is far more advanced.

Korean made dashboard cams came across all the possible problems and system defects and the manufacturers are solving the problems that came up in the past. It may seem like “unbranded” but has far more advanced than what was evaluated in this review. I bought two of the G1W’s from the link provided. I bought one in early May and then another two weeks later from the same Amazon site. The cameras and mounts are different and seem to come from two different manufacturers. One records at 2,3, or 5 minutes intervals, while the other does 3,5,or 10.

The mounting bracket on the first camera is loose, so the first camera slides from the mounting bracket on right turns. I was able to fix it by adding some tape to keep it in place. The length of the mounting bracket (top to bottom) is about 2.5 inches, so it not too obstructive on the window. The 2nd camera has a better mounting bracket, but it’s about 3.5 inch from top to bottom, so the camera hangs lower on the window.

The video on the first camera is excellent thus far. I haven’t reviewed the video from the second camera yet. Bottom line is there seems to be a quality control issue with the G1W I don’t know who the manufacturer is.

Probably because there are multiple companies making it. Therefore, you won’t really know what you’re getting. See under our Auto stop and start section: “A majority of us will plug our dash cam directly into the 12-volt cigarette lighter of our car.

Almost every production automobile has what’s called a switched power supply, which simply means that when you turn the car on, battery power goes to the cigarette lighter. Turn the car off, and the lighter socket loses power. Auto stop and start cameras plugged into the 12-volt socket will sense when the car has been turned on, power up, and automatically start recording. When the car shuts off, it turns off as well. Almost all dash cams have this feature since it’s an essential convenience for ensuring that you’ll actually use your camera consistently. Again, the goal of a dash cam is to not think about it until you need it. We only looked at cameras that had this feature, which proved to be essential.” •.

I have a random issue with a new G1W-C. The largest file it seems to record is about 32 minutes. Two times so far, i’ve been driving for longer then 30 minutes, and it cut the footage off. Once at 31:52 and once at 31:51 I have cyclic record switched off (so i get large files from start to finish) and auto on/auto off (30 seconds) switched on. For all the rest of the drives, which were well under 30 minutes, everything worked properly, started up and auto record when it recieved power (truck on) and recorded 30 seconds after truck turned off and the power was cut. Hey the police cam save a speeding ticket on our grandson which he had told us he was not speeding plus the recorded the police use to record what they say 2 you after pulling you over also save himwe went to HIS LT. And after he check the cam and recorder the ticket was drop saying they was going to give us a break it made the police guy so mad when he had to do this the same police gave him a ticket 3 months earlierour grandson had also said then he was not speeding but we didn’t think we could do anything I check on my pc and they told about the cam and recorder wish we had check the other one out but we didn’t think about the cam they havewe should have push it and had the cop firedbet he does this a lots 2 the young guys •.

It would be great to be able to use device to provide evidence against speeding but not sure these dash cams will give this protection for long freeway/motorway journeys and speed cameras. In France for example I think the only argument against a camera ticket is to prove that you were not the driver. Otherwise cameras are always right even if you were on cruise control set below the limit, on the flat and not actually exceeding the limit. Dash cam evidence would not be acceptable as a defence. A year or two ago I was looking up dashcams and somehow found a Russian review website (I figured they would be more experienced since they use a lot more) and Google Translate got me the general idea of what they were saying. One of their top-rated cameras was from a Taiwanese manufacturer called DOD-Tec (it was surprisingly hard to find the actual manufacturer back then). It looks like they have a US Distributor now, and I’d be interested in seeing their models compared to your guide, although it looks like they’re significantly pricier than your recommended model.

DON’T BUY THIS CAMERA!!! I found a fatal flaw. I have two of these: one forward facing and one rear facing. After about two weeks of operation, the forward facing one’s picture was out of focus. It took me a while to determine why and then yesterday I parked the car in the sun while I played golf. I’ve wondered if heat had an effect on the cameras performance and when I got home, I checked the video from the rear facing camera (never had problems with this one, only the forward facing one) after being in the hot sun and sure enough it was completely out of focus.

I put the car in the garage over night (allowing it to cool) and this morning I switched cameras (forward facing now will be rear facing and visa versa) and just what I expected, the rear facing camera, which was not in the sun and had the cool air of my air conditioner blowing on it all morning, was clear but the video from the forward facing camera was now blurry. Unless you switch the AC to blow in defrost mode, the windshield doesn’t get much air movement and gets warmer than most other areas of the vehicle. It doesn’t take much heat to throw these cameras out of focus – a fatal flaw. GREAT ARTICLE! However, I would argue the lack of need for a GPS feature.

A GPS with speed/tracking info might be valuable as evidence should you be falsely accuse of speeding by some ticket-happy cop. I had an incident a while back in which I used the GPS in my vehicle (a military Garmin unit) and it’s supposed recording feature as well as a cell phone video to bluff my way out of a ticket and leave me with a warning. I wasn’t speeding to begin with (I think he clocked someone in the opposing lane) and my GPS didn’t have this feature but the bluff worked and I think he knew his case wasn’t strong to begin with and my threat to use the GPS tracking in court convinced him to back off. I was lucky but actually having this feature as well as a video/audio recording of the incident in a built-in system would be most valuable.

Ideally, I think a dash cam with GPS location and speed recording as well as an external-mounted, user-activated side camera (let’s say mounted on passenger side at or at the rear near passenger door) in the event of law-enforcement interactions to record the incident would be most useful. My ideal system would be a constant-on mirror or dash camera with GPS tracking/speed monitor with a 2nd internally-mounted wireless camera, user-activated (hit switch when needed), with audio using a Bluetooth connection to the main unit’s recording processor. This would help immensely with police encounters plus post any accident to record video evidence. Hi, 2 weeks ago I bought a GW1 from Spytech through Amazon. Chose this Vendor for reputation and recommendation. Received unit very quickly 5 days (live in Canada) While the unit recording quality is to specs, there are important issues with the unit.

It came in an Orange box with the name black box on it. Already suspicious. Loose power button 2. No zoom in video mode, only in photo mode 3. Recording segments are erratic, whether on 3 or 5 minute recording. Example, For a one hour drive I had 37 recording segments with setting on 5 minutes. Recording times as high as 5 minutes and several of between 30 and 40 seconds.

Used both class 10 and class 6 cards, formatted in the GW1. Long gaps between segments sometimes as long as 20 seconds which renders the unit unreliable. Did not test in the dark. I plan to request an exchange for a GWIH. What do you think?

Hi Rajiv, I bought the G1W-C from eStore009 approx. 8-9 months ago. The first one that I received did not work properly.

I paid approx. $10 (Cdn.) to ship it back to them and they very promptly sent me out a replacement. The second one worked perfectly and it is still going strong! And yes, the G1Ws that eStore009 sells are the real deal. & I personally would deal with them again, and have.

Bought the same DVR for my nephew and he is very happy with his also! And for people in Canada, I also purchased a third G1W (for a friend) from BlackBoxMyCar.com.they sell them for $75 Cdn + plus $10 for shipping. And you receive the DVR within 2 business days! Enflow Service Manual there. Plus, they also give you a 90 day warranty.

First of all, thank you very much for great overview of the current selection in America. As Korean living in America, I cannot understand why dash cams are STILL not popular in America and no major companies are producing any.

Based on what I have seen from South Korea, suggested product is not enough for me even though I’m in America. Popular ones in Korea have few common but important features(as you discussed in the article): 1. Cameras should have great quality in both daylight and night 2.

Should be able to record while the car is off/motion sensor detection 3. Automatically shuts off cameras when the car battery is about to be dead. There are so common in South Korea and can’t believe I can’t see even similar ones. I have been really wanting to install dash cam on my car, and I have found few dash cams that’s both popular and have great customer feedback. All from South Korea. I’m not sure if you guys are interested but I can write more details so you guys can take a look and, may be in future, write another post about dash cam. You’re likely seeing reviews from people that bought fakes/knockoffs.

First few reviews I saw say something along the lines of “I ordered from Sunweb and the one I got is a fake” They bought it through a 3rd party reseller that is selling near-identical models that are missing the Novatek processor, which is what makes these so good, and what separates the knockoffs from the legit. We did extensive reviewing (twice) of many models and this one came out on top. Above the comment section is the thousands of words, test images and sources that is the research on this item. We also make it clear in the guide what to look for when purchasing one of these. And to really make things easy/helpful to our readers and/or possible purchasers, we linked to SpyTec so that if an issue does occur, there is an actual middleman to help with refunds or swapouts. Well I purchassed 2 of these off eBay & neither of them work. The first one worked great for all of three months but went haywire & now doesn’t work at all the second one worked great the first day and the second day we went shopping came out & it didn’t work & haven’t since.

Possibly because it was it the sun for over 4 hours. I bought them through the link that was provided by you.

A total waste of money for a short period of time. Thank god I payed through PayPal which refunded me my money.

Great dash cam when it worked but it doesn’t last a long time. Lots of legal issues get opened up by automatically recording (or allowing the activation of a recording device). If they do it wrong, they get a class action lawsuit for millions; if you do it wrong, who cares?

Is their liability when the devices don’t work, if they have microphones do they violate wiretapping/audio recording laws, how do you build it so it is easily accessible but not easily used by spouses, employers, etc to spy, how difficult is it to permanently disable, if an accident happens [not your fault] and the software/hardware fails and there isn’t a video to prove your innocence would the car company be liable? And the list goes on) •. Please don’t spread FUD. The only major reliability issues I’ve heard about were from the products that were later found to be knockoffs via eBay or Amazon. Can you be more specific? Do you have any links/data supporting this? Via SpyTec – 47 reviews, 4.5/5 stars, close to 800 sold.

Via Amazon- Vast majority of 1-star reviews are people that bought via Sunweb and received a knockoff product “I ordered from Sunweb and the one I got is a fake.” “Seller: SUNWEB So this is unfortunately one of the many, MANY fakes for the authentic G1W (authentic comes with NT96650 processor and AR0330 lens).” See this: •. Do you have links supporting this? Because we talked to DashCamTalk’s people and they liked this dash cam, and we linked to them about a dozen times in this guide Who else likes it When I spoke to the man behind Dash Cam Talk (who wishes to remain anonymous), he said the G1W was the best pick for most people. “The biggest change [since last year] is the popularity of a new processor and CMOS sensor, the Novatek 96650 and Aptina AR0330,” he said.

“This is a low-cost combination with good performance. For people on a budget, the G1W with 1080p recording is a best buy for $52, much better than the DVR-027 at 720p.” Of the other options, he said, “The G1W is a bargain at $52.

[Customers] are better off paying that than getting a $20 knock-off or even a $60 DVR-027.” •. Not sure why you hate GPS so much. If there was a camera that had GPS plus Wireless and automatically connected to free wifihotspots and uploaded the past days data or GPS coordinates to a webserver, then if the car was ever stolen or car jacked or owner missing, police could solve the crime easily so having those features in a webcam are invaluable! I also think you value a screen for single setup too much over small unobtrusive form factor. I would prefer a cheap gps, auto open wifi uploading mobi over any large screen model everyday.

I went through the process of choosing a dash cam for a self drive holiday to the UK in May. The results were of various dash cams were sent to a mate who’s a TV Doco producer – the one we chose was the Vicovation Marcus 4 – basically because the picture was superior and in widescreen format we cut out the goldfish bowl look, plus it’s higher spec. 64 gig card allows 10 hours recording,the clamp also allows a filter screen to be attached with quick snap on and off release, and all in the footprint of an average matchbox. I got one from Australia on special for $195AUS which was about 100 GBP. We’ve found it absolutely brilliant! Looks cinematic and cant recommend it highly enough.

Unfortunately, It didn’t even make the list here. I will comment on mounting a dash cam over the dot matrix that surrounds some mirrors..I just recently had my windshield replaced. I have a G1W-C DVR and when I mounted it last summer, I had no problem getting it to adhere over the dot matrix. However when I went to take off the suction cup mount prior to replacing the windshield, it was sealed on so tight that I had to use a knife to pry open a little gap and get it off. When the new windshield was installed, I absolutely had no success in getting the suction cup mount to adhere to the new windshield, especially due to the brutal cold temperatures that we have been experiencing here in Ontario. I could get the suction cup mount to stick a couple of times, but within 5-10 minutes, the weight of the DVR would pull the suction cup mount off the windshield again. I discovered that DOD sells a product, called “DA2 Suction Savior”.

It is an enhancer that you first apply/stick to the suction cup mount and wait for 30 minutes. Then you apply to the windshield. I let the Suction Savior stick to the suction cup mount for about 1 1/2 hours before applying to my windshield.

I heated up the windshield fairly good, and I also placed the suction cup mount over the vent for a couple of minutes. Then I applied it over the dot matrix on my windshield. The temperatures have remained at about -20C for the past two weeks now and the mount has not fallen from the windshield yet. And the mount for my DVR seals quite well and sometimes takes a fair bit of pressure to remove the dash cam (as I don’t leave it mounted in my car overnight). What a fantastic product!!!!

Highly recommend it!!! (cost is $13 Cdn + tax. I bought my Suction Savior from Canada Computers. But you can also buy them online from Staples/Future Shop/Best Buy/etc.) •. Just a heads up – my G1W interferes with the satellite signals being received by my Garmin GPS units. With both my Nuvi 1490LMT and Nuvi 2597LMT, the signals from the satellites are intermittently blocked by the G1W. This was definitively proven by my wife on our roadtrip last week as she moved round the devices for testing purposes and when the G1W was unplugged the Nuvis both immediately and repeatedly regained satellite signals when located within 2 feet of the camera.

When placed further away the signals were not blocked. This blocking is only when the GPS units are within 2 feet of the camera, which they are when I am using both the camera (mounted by the rearview mirror) and the satnav on the dash mount. That’s interesting. It’s not something I’ve heard of before, but it sounds like you’re not the only one with this sort of problem I guess it’s because any sort of electronic device creates an electrical field, which could interfere with the incoming signal to the GPS. It seems that some people get around it by creating some shielding around the dashcam with tinfoil or something similar, but that’s hardly elegant. Maybe also try adjusting how your power supply runs to the dashcam?

If you route the power cable around a different part of the windshield that might make a difference. There’s always a first, lol. Now you heard it.

I experienced it as well. Some dashcams with gps units (gps is not really necessary) have issues as well where the gps cuts out due to EMF interference and nothing to do with GPS satellite reception.. The truth is that we (the consumer) have no idea how much of RF or EMF are emitted by electronic devices or how they can interfere with other devices, especially if it’s cheaply made. That’s what what the initial scare about mobile phones was on airplanes.

Very informative article. Many parts need major updating including the part about SD cards, their speeds (class 10 is needed for most cams now) and the issues surrounding the use of microSD cards with adapters instead of the standard more expensive SDcard. Everyone should seriously wonder why the guy (who chooses to rename anonymous) who runs dashcamtalk claims the G1W is the best budget cam is clearly bias?. If you look at the dashcam forums, you say similar and common issues with the G1W and the G1W-C. It’s not a budget dashcam, it’s a really cheap camera from inside and out and including suction mount.. If looking at this cam, do you homework, do your due diligence. Look at the main page on dashcam review site shows the issues plaguing the camera which are very annoying, premature, and unacceptable.

Look at the reviews on Amazon as well. Many issues don’t show up at first, rather they develop after three months of use decline at a fast rate post 6 months. With articles such as these by wirecutter, I tend to lose some respect for their content as their credibility suffers in my mind, much like that of Consumer Reports. We’re gearing up to update this piece in the near future with more recent models, but as you no doubt know, it’s a complex issue. There are complaints about the quality of the G1W, but it’s very hard (if not impossible) to pick apart which of those are from people accidentally buying knockoffs, and which of those are from legit G1Ws. Hopefully, with more well-established and well-known companies venturing into the dashcam market, we’ll see options that are less likely to be faked, and with better customer support than just getting something in an unmarked box sent from China. Agreed, it’s a new market and it’s really tough to get objective information.

There so many “swarms” of people out there who for one reason or another praise or bash a product. I’ve had some really cheap dashcams made in Asia that perform very well and are exceptionally reliable with a few exceptions.

One cam (don’t know the name as it is a noname) performs well in low light and night but the suction mount is really cheap and broke very easily. I had to get a cheap replacement from DX in China but that doesn’t work well as the threads aren’t even close to being exact.

I would expect that dashcams will be standard equipment in new cars just like rear (reverse) cameras and GPS are now becoming the norm. I have a GS8000L that I picked up from an eBay seller.

It’s pretty similar to the G1W’s form factor, but it does use the Novatek & Aptiva combo – I’ve seen it referred to online as a “Novatek GS8000L” as if that’s the brand name. I put a Lexar brand Class 10 32GB microSD in there and typically run the camera at max resolution (“1080FHD”, as the menu puts it). So far, so good. Daytime resolution is outstanding, though nighttime resolution is about the same as the G1W. If you’re on a country road with no streetlamps, all you’ll see is the area lit by the headlights. Oh, and it has those cheesy little IR lights, but they’re not in the way.

I love my GS8000L, and if someone is in the market for a cheap dash cam, it’s worth a look. I get what you guys are saying about the motion sensitivity. But is there a better solution for my problem? Someone in my apartment complex has decided I’m not cleaning up after my dog. It’s not true, but they believe it enough to occasionally leave dog crap on the hood of my car, while tucking a plastic bag under the windshield wiper. I guess they’re trying to be funny. But of course I have no idea who it is.

A dash cam that would activate like a motion-sensitive camera would be ideal — just long enough to get a picture of whomever the comedian is. The article says it they take a couple of seconds to activate once detecting motion. But they might be okay.

Would it even see someone through the glass? Do I have to resort to camping out in the bushes with my baseball bat of justice? From my understanding, yes, but with caveats. When you hook it up to the USB, it might think that it’s actually plugging into a computer, which switches it to data mode, so that you can pull files off of it. Useful for getting your video onto a computer, not so much for use while driving. The way around this is to use a charging only USB cable.

One of my coworkers recommended this company: The other option is to physically modify an existing USB cable, though I’m afraid I can’t walk you through that one. I have tried two dedicated dashcams so far. The Mini 0803 (with GPS) that I bought for £67 seemed great at first with nice crisp video etc. Though the audio was poor.

Unfortunately, after a short time I found that it was corrupting all the files because (I suspect) it was overheating. Luckily as this was an eBay purchase I had no difficulty getting a refund – even the return postage – even before it reached the seller! The next one was a G1W and frankly this one is rubbish. VERY poor video quality, non-existent audio and lately it has failed to record readable files.

Dumped that one! Now I’m using my SJCAM 4000 action camera as a dashcam, and that works just fine. Nice crisp images, and no failures. It’s a camera I have been using as a general camcorder for 6 months and I have been very pleased with it. I’m sorry you had such a rough time with the G1W. Unfortunately, it’s very hard for us to pin down specific problems due to the proliferation of fake models—and doubly so since you’re in the UK and we don’t know any reliably sellers there. One of the things you mentioned in both your previous dashcams was that they had poor audio.

Audio has traditionally been extremely low priority with dashcams, for similar reasons that it’s often not included with security cameras—audio isn’t usually important for recording accidents, and chances are you might not be able to hear anything from outside the car anyway. But it seems that it’s important to you, so we’d love to know why!

Just found the action cam mentioned below, SJCAM 4000 is likely to be another Novatek 96650 chip camera. There are either Ambrella A7 or NT 96650 chip been used in dash cam market (GoPro use Ambrella A9, for reference). Both products with these 2 chips are having issue with system stability. I think we need to physically open them to find out which one has the best heat sink design, that may potentially improve the system stability. So far, if only based on Amazon comments, KDLINKS X1 is a good one, but it is not cheap, and it uses 96650 too. If state law prohibits things mounted on the windshield, there is not much that can be done. Your best bet would be to mount it behind the rear view mirror because that space is already allocated & legal, but that doesn’t mean a cop can’t stop you & use the law against you.

You can run the wire up along the car’s ceiling fabric but you’ll need a really long cable/extension to do so. Not a realistic scenario. I believe there are also newer models that are smaller, and some that attach to your rearview mirror, but that still leave the power cord to be hidden. If it’s against the law and that worries you, you might not have many options.

We’ll eventually be updating this guide and this is something that we’ll have to take a look. Thanks for bringing it up! I had purchased a cheap dash cam from Newegg and it sucks. I’m now buying the G1W C after reading your post and I’m happy to do it. I just upgraded from my 2012 camry se to a new Tundra XSP X – that’s a package you only get in the Southeast.

Basically it’s kind an SR5 package with an almost TRD package on it but fancier – riveted wheel fender flares, 20 inch rims w/ phantom all terrain tires, chrome exhaust predator step bars, carbon fiber etc. Lots of upgrades. Anyway I had it a week and some douchebage tried to hit me. Tried to get me to hit him actually. Prick cut me off and stopped, literally stopped his douchemobile right in front of my truck hoping I’d hit him.

This was turning into a home depot. 2 lanes turning it, he cut me off from the left to the right lane. So I pulled around him then he tells me I wasn’t in a turning lane, in a lot where neither lane was marked for anything to go anywhere, and both lanes continued on the direction I was going, and where I’ve been going to this home depot for several years. The guy wanted to be hit so he could try to get a pay day. I ended up putting him on Facebook and shaming him. But long story short I want a decent dash cam so I can always have evidence.

Last thing I want is some douchebag like this guy trying to fuck w my insurance because he thinks he can get a payday out of it. Oh and the kicker was his wife, who walked behind him a step the entire time was literally begging him “not to do this again” while he was starting a verbal altercation with me insisting he was right for trying to cause an accident. I got the G1W-C from SpyTec after reading this review.

Is it normal that once the car is turned off, the unit does not have enough power to turn back on? When I try to turn it back on, it only has enough energy to show the welcome screen for about a second before it goes out. Your review talks about the capacitor model allowing you to continue recording after an accident cuts power even in temperature extremes, but I don’t see how this is possible. Is mine a dud? Possibly related: the battery icon in the lower right is constantly flashing when the car is on. Is that also normal?

Anyone have issues with not using the record loop? I bought the G1W-C after reading this review from estore009 on eBay. Maybe I had bad luck but the first one i got had two problems. The hardwired power supply didn’t work out of the box and after about 15 hours of driving over 4 days the camera started to freeze at start up.

The seller asked me to update the firmware which I did and afterward the camera would start but each time it powered off the firmware would become corrupted again. Estore009 was great about the whole thing, they sent me a new power supply and camera right away after I showed I had mailed the old one back. The new one seems to operate fine, after a few weeks of use I’ll update this post. Anyway back to the record loop thing.

I have a genuine 32gb sd card and was recording with the loop feature off. After 4GB was written it would create a new file and record about another 2GB before it would stop recording. The second file would often be corrupt or glitchy playback as well. At first I thought maybe my SD card was a fake but i tried 3 different ones and use software to confirm their actual size. I know that the FAT32 file system is limited to 4GB files. I’m curious if there is nothing in the firmware to property write to the FAT32 file system when loop record is off. I also wonder if when the files reach 4GB the buffer overloads or something and that caused the firmware memory to be damaged somehow with the previous camera.

I’m now somewhat hesitant to use the camera with the loop feature off. I wish the camera had longer record segments like 30min or 60min for larger cards.

Anyone else having issues with the camera writing large files? Yes, the firmware unexpectedly changed so that when setting the plate number, the menu button on the top is used to tab over to the next character slot, instead of the REC button. I thought there was no way to set the name until I randomly pressed the menu button and saw it go to the next character slot.

Also when in the MMDDYYYY display mode, it would start off with the year, and using the REC button to tab would not go to the month or date, so it seemed impossible to set the month and date, unless the display configuration was changed to YYYYMMDD first. Then it would tab through to the MM and DD.

After figuring out that workaround, I found that a long press on the up/down buttons would tab back and forth, to allow it to go to the next slot selection. They really went out of their way to make the setting procedures as cryptic as possible, for no rhyme or reason.

The G1W-C I bought some time before operated normally, so it was changed from something that worked in standard fashion to this odd setup. I’m in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles. The sun can get the car pretty hot despite the heat shield I use. It can be pretty punishing.

Since I’m not going to use its motion feature I’m probably going to go with the G1W-C as I only need it while I’m driving. Seems more and more people are lying when it comes to accidents. My room mate just got in to an accident and the person who hit her lied and said she hit him, despite the fact that she was stationary. Going to get one for me and one for her as a present. RELIABILITY IS NOT 100% My G1WC’s are great when they’re working! Today I needed a clip from my G1W-C that’s 3 weeks old with a Samsung 32gb Class 6 card. It was an interaction with the police, so it’s something serious that needed video, I go to pull the video at 8am via usb cable “event happened at 7:30am” and I realize my camera hasn’t been recording since 4am.

That’s when the last video was completed. My Stomach hit the floor.I have the G sensor turned off, Motion sensor turned off, pretty much just audio/camera/3min clip/Date and time I have on.The unit receives power 24/7 and it worked flawlessly since I got it. The card still had space for another file, and had been overwriting old files properly so it’s not a card issue or settings issue, the darn thing just failed, because I was no where near my car at 4am, nor was anyone else!! I just can’t shake it that I don’t have that video that I desperately need.

End of review The one time I needed it, it failed My camera records 24/7 and I’ve pulled random video’s off before with no issues, but this one failure was a deal breaker I have 3 of these and now I my brain won’t stop thinking about this camera screwing me over randomly, instead of working properly when I needed it to! I will sell these and acquire something made in the USA. I have the Cobra CDR-900. It’s a neat idea to be able to review the recorded videos wirelessly from your iPhone, but they screwed up a whole bunch of stuff in the process — and their 1280P video quality is actually worse than that of the 1080P video quality from the Cobra CDR-840 that I also have. Do not buy the CDR-900. You will wish that you had not. My only real complaint about the Cobra CDR-840 is that the video quality is low enough that you can only read the license plate of the car directly in front of you, when you are right up on their bumper.

Any further away in any direction, and it’s just too blurry to read. Of course, the files are.AVI and the cables are mini-USB and not Micro-USB. As another source of interesting information on this topic, I would check out the dash cam pages at techmoan.com. The K1S looks really interesting, and I’d love to see WireCutter include this in a future update on this topic. Hi guys Since this article was written more than a year ago, new products with better quality are available now. The recommended setting (Novatek 96650 and Aptina AR0330) is still available, and becomes very cheap, even the retail price in China is below CNY300.

So if tight budget is your concern, this is great. If you are willing to spend a bit more, nowadays, we are talking about Novatek 96655 with Sony Exmor 332 CMOS, that gives you best HD quality with reasonable price.

Retaill price in China is around CNY550 (yes, twice as 96650, but it is still cheap when converted to US currency) •. I don’t know what the authors problem was with the Mobius. After looking through all the dash cam recommendations, I chose it also because of Techmoans tests and it’s versatility. A simple download of the mobius setup program gives it this versatility and being able to record in different modes by just pushing the mode button without having to go back to the setup program.

Difficult to control? Plug it in, bring up the mobius setup program and you can chose the interface by moving your mouse over the desired inputs. How easy is that? You have to download the instruction manual, but that’s no different than having to download the manual for a Garmin also. No, it’s not super difficult to use. Maybe you need to read and understand the manual.

I have used it numerous trips in my car to SC, on a bike trip to Rolling Thunder D.C., in the Helen, Ga. Mountains day and night and am on the way to Sturgis Rally and Yellowstone and up Pikes Peak. The biggest problem I have had is to remember to put it on 180 deg hanging from my windshield vs. Regular while using it on my bike or as a hand recorder.

I thought not having a screen would be a problem, but it’s easy to line up and who continually watches or wants to watch a screen next to your rear view mirror anyway. I received a new Sena Prizm for evaluation which is similar to the GoPro, but I can’t get away from the Mobius.

You don’t even know it’s there and you can get it from the real distributor not for $89, but $68 and they throw in a video cable. I got the capacitor to replace the upgraded 800mah battery and another company even makes a waterproof case for it. It’s small and light, can be stuck on anything and unobtrusive.

With its updated firmware, it will not be obsolete like most others. Our issue with it isn’t that it’s unusable, but that it’s unintuitive—especially for someone who wants something they can get installed right away with a minimal amount of fiddling.

And, as we point out in the piece, the software on Mac is hacked together by a user, so we don’t know now how long it will be supported, the way you format an SD card in-camera is bizarre, and the flashing lights make almost no sense—why use blue and yellow when red and green are more widely understood? That’s not to say it’s a bad camera—in fact it’s an excellent dash cam, but compared to the G1W, which anyone who has ever used a digital camera can set up, it’s far more confusing.

But if you’re willing to put the time and effort into using it, there’s definitely something to be said for the Mobius. Well I purchased three of the G1W-C for my cars from Amazon (Prime) based on your article and within three weeks all three have failed. The first failed within two days (Screen had thick vertical lines) the second failed within two weeks just would stop recording for no reason (as evidenced by the lack of a flashing red dot or LED, and review of video recorded confirmed). The third I checked the videos on the SD card and found that it too was only intermittently recording). Thankful that I used Amazon Prime cuz all three now returned. I now purchased the Garmin Dash Cam 10 (three of ’em) and they are significantly better quality.

Yes they cost more, but you get what you pay for! The G1W fells cheap, looks cheap, and apparently is manufactured cheap.These came as Amazon Prime items fulfilled by Amazon but sold by Spy Tec, so based on my reviews of teh seller they most probably were authentic not fakes but none the lessJUNK! I bought 2 G1W and although the video is good the software is rubbish, they record at random, some of the files flicker like crazy, some have lines through them, they look and feel like junk because they are JUNK. I also bought 2 cameras from LIDL 2 weeks ago, I thought a 3 year warranty on a £40 camera was too good to miss, It looked good, felt good and very easy to set up and after trying it out for a few days I hooked it up to PC, I could not believe how poor the video was, I couldn’t read number plates about 20 ft away and not one part of the images were in focus and these apparently were made in Germany, I returned them the next day, has anyone else bought one of these from LiDL, if so i would be interested in your experience of it.

Thanks wire cutter for your review – I’m so fed up of Amazon reviews! I have had good luck with the model – B40 / A118 – I like it because the video is not too bad, it seems to work ok and it’s biggest advantage is that it’s super discreet and looks like some modern day crash avoidance camera found in a lot of new cars. All the dahscams I’ve seen have less than stellar video even compared to a smartphone and the controls suck. You just have to find one that works reliably as some are prone to shut down when hot, have gaps between clips and a host of other annoyances – tiny buttons and features that don’t work at all. Some of the very cheap cams were prone to being fakes – yes a fake of a somewhat crappy cam is a real kicker. As noted dashcamtalk.com and tech moan on Youtube are some other good sources that I have used. So i have to join and tell you about my experience with spytec to date which is not good.

I bought 2 of the above devices about 2 weeks apart. The second device was defective so i wrote an email about returning. Based on what i saw here it all seemed fine. I will try and keep this as short as possible. Sent the device in around the first week of september.

Waited a few weeks and heard nothing so i emailed to find out status. On the 21st of september i asked about status and was asked to provide a tracking number. I replied back to this inquiry asking what they were talking about because i was only asked to provide a return authorization on the outside of the box. I got no reply on my inquiry about a tracking number. Instead, i was told on september 24 that my replacement was shipping out on that day and i would be provided a tracking number once it is out.

I received no information and emailed back again on septemebr 29 asking about a tracking number or what is up. I get a reply back on october 1 that it will be shipping out that day.

Again, i was told that i will be provided tracking info when it goes out. Again, i hear nothing. I send an email on october 5 asking about it once again and get a reply back saying it shipped out on the 24th of september. I write back to say i am confused because you have now told me the device went out two weeks earlier, yet you told me on october 1 that it had not gone out yet and would be going out on october 1. I hear nothing so today, the 8th of october i call them instead of this game. I talk to someone who hears my story for 10 minutes and then says can i put you on hold to check it out.

I have now been on hold for over an hour with nobody coming back to check on me. This is not very good. I have the feeling i am being given a complete runaround by these people and will be receiving nothing. I would therefore at this point tell you not to buy from spytec.

If there is any change i will let you know. So an update. I received a phone call from spytec, but i was not at my phone. They left a message stating that the camera was lost in shipping and they would be sending me a new one out with one day shipping.

That was on friday. It is now tuesday and i have not received the camera as of the time of this posting. Now i might cut a little slack on this as monday is a holiday and deliveries may be delayed. But how come i did not get an email with shipping information this time either, that way i can track when it comes? Lost in shipping? Like i believe that.

I have also reported them to BBB. The BBB sent them something and they are waiting for them to respond. Hopefully this will be the last time i have to post on this subject. I did receive the camera on thursday. It was mailed out overnight. However, the claims on the phone that it would be sent out on saturday were not correct.

It was sent out on wednesday according to the packaging. Just another way in which they could have tried to do right and instead did wrong. It does appear to be a new camera. Hopefully it works as well as the other i have. Cannot say i would do business with this company again, given the absolutely awful way in which this return has been handled. (see posts above for more description on the return issues) if spytec is a really good company, and based on my experience, i would question that, then i guess they did as much wrong with me as they could possibly do and nowhere along the way did they try and make it right by, at the very least, supplying me with information via email or phone calls.

Only after this website apparently talked to them or the BBB talked to them did any results start to happen. Coincidence or not?

I am in the market for a rear facing car camera but i think i will look to another company to fulfill my needs. My advice is to buy a camera from someone else. As the article states, be careful of who you do business with. If you do buy from spytec, good luck and hope you have better results if you need to return the device for any reason. I am genuinely surprised that this poorly made dashcam keeps topping the lists of ‘best dashcam’. Both myself and a good friend of mine purchased the G1W via the authorized SpyTech link, and both of ours ended up dead, his 4 months after purchase, mine 10 months after. His died outright, mine had power issues first and then completely failed.

On top of that, SpyTech has some of the worst customer service I’ve ever dealt with. There is only a 90 day warranty on the dashcam, so if it fails you’re out of luck.

They will direct you to their tech support. Stay away from this dashcam.

While it may be cheap, you get what you pay for. The long-term reliability testing mentions that SpyTech says they’re selling many of them with few returns – but with a 90 day warranty window, of course you won’t get any returns – anything that fails after that CAN’T be returned. I’ve also got to question the logic of taking a vendor’s word for the reliability of a particular product. I’m extremely dissapointed in The Wirecutter for this recommendation. I’ve bought many products using this site, but this one has burned both me and a friend (who bought the G1W on my recommendation after reading this WireCutter article). The below is what I can call the best advice that I’ve ever read for buying a dash cam.

I got this on reddit. Quoting the exact text here. Forget the price mentioned in the comment. Just read the advice. Here’s the quoted text: “there are tons and tons of dash cams that you can get for around $200. But first, I think, you should make a list of features that you want from a dash cam.

Here are a few: Single or dual channel? Resolution – 1080p or higher? Memory Card Support – 64 GB or more? WiFi – Yes or No? Batter or Capacitor based? Display screen – Yes or No? Once you’ve got these features is mind (or jotted down on paper) you can then start sorting out dash cams based on those features.

I’m really looking forward to this update. I really like the G1W-X but I’d really like one with good battery life so that you can just charge it at night like your cell phone and use it cordless during the day while you commute.

Either way I am buying one as soon as the update comes out. I am surprised that I haven’t seen more mention of a cell phone dash cam app. Today’s cell phones have everything required to make the perfect dash cam massive battery, HD camera, flash memory, g-sensor, even wifi for uploading daily recordings to a dropbox account •. I was just looking over some Amazon entries, and the R1 seemed like one of the better ones.

Didn’t even know there was an R2. Looking at the two I can’t really see much difference (they even use the same processor and CMOS).

Regardless, I know it would be a pain to add those to the review (have to re-record scenes with previous cams plus one more set up simultaneously), but it really does seem like a good contender. The 170* field of view seemed like a good feature too — I know the review here said that over 140* can result in less detail where you need it, but looking over YouTube videos it seemed like there was still plenty of detail everywhere. I’m seeing almost no mention of this camera on the four websites you mention looking for reviews on. The amazon listing has a total of 8 reviews. This camera seems to defy a majority of the points in the, “How We picked,” section of the review. Particularly with this line, “We also shied away from cameras for which we couldn’t trace the sourcing or manufacturer.” Who is this Zero Edge company? It appears to be a good dash cam based on your review, but, I’m curious, how did this camera even make the cut to be brought in for review?

Thanks for the response. For some reason their website doesn’t come up in a google search so I didn’t see it until now. What happened to the last pick? I got the last recommended pick and it has been fantastic. There is absolutely no mention of it at all in this updated version of the article. I guess it’s true this new pick has 2560×1080 resolution, but as they mention you still can’t read a license plate unless you’re at a stop light.

Oh, and their last pick had 1080P and was 1/2 of the price ($51 for the wide angle vs $100 for this new pick) The old pick wasn’t available on Amazon, maybe that has something to do with it? Very disappointed with this “update” My suggestion to everyone looking for a dash cam, get the old wirecutter recommendation.