Dash Camera DVR devices what did you buy and would you buy it again?

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Bill
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Just looking at equiping cars with these and have read some of the threads here but many are out of date,

So I am asking what did you buy and how did it hold up, still running fine after a year or two? or what - would like to get Make and Model and how long you have had it and usage, constant during how many miles approx.

Cheers
 
Yes I am interested in this as well.
 
I've had the mini 0801 for 18 months or so now cost me 60 quid and it is still working fine. I like this one as it sites nicely behind the rear view mirror out of sight from driver also if you put a wee bit black sticky tape over the brand name on the front you don't really see it much from the outside either unless your actually looking for it. I believe the model is up to 0806 now the last time I looked. I have it hard wired so when I switch ignition on camera comes on too, cable disappears up into the roof lining then routed to the fusebox. There are more expensive ones on the go but I don't fancy a big lump sitting on my windscreen or dash, I'd find it distracting like satnavs on the windscreen .

Lots of discussions here on various brands and what they can do >> https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/
 
neil_g said:
https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/dashcam.605056/

?
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Go read it there is Little that answeres my question - But thanks for pointing a thread out!

I JUST WANT MAKE AND MODEL and maybe a little indication as to how long you have had it and if its still in good working order - most threads digress to much and just want the info asked for - its not just for me you see I am looking for REAL ownership feedback without all the guff for a bulk buy for a car club...
 
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frank said:
I've had the mini 0801 for 18 months or so now cost me 60 quid and it is still working fine. I like this one as it sites nicely behind the rear view mirror out of sight from driver also if you put a wee bit black sticky tape over the brand name on the front you don't really see it much from the outside either unless your actually looking for it. I believe the model is up to 0806 now the last time I looked. I have it hard wired so when I switch ignition on camera comes on too, cable disappears up into the roof lining then routed to the fusebox. There are more expensive ones on the go but I don't fancy a big lump sitting on my windscreen or dash, I'd find it distracting like satnavs on the windscreen .

Lots of discussions here on various brands and what they can do >> https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/
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Nice one Frank! good link is that too! very helpful indeed

PLEASE if anyone else has any real experience with a make / model then I would like to hear about it please.

Thanks in advance
 
Roadhawk HD is my primary one, and I forgot the name of the one in our other car but it is a two camera that records in one place system.

My Roadhawk HD is now about two years old, has proven very reliable. Excellent quality day and night, and very good satellite locking and recording. I would buy it again for a single camera setup.

As a bonus the camera and mount are tiny, hide away behind the rear view mirror and have excellent integration with track day software as well. As the satelite is high frequency it records it accurately. And the lens is a very good day and night wide angle and low reflection lens.
 
Transend DrivePro 200.
Paid £85
had it over 12 months, works perfect and has excellent 1080p video. even the night video is clean & clear and in colour.
it is also Wi-Fi for live viewing on the tablet etc.

I would buy another tomorrow.
 
AHILL said:
Transend DrivePro 200.
Paid £85
had it over 12 months, works perfect and has excellent 1080p video. even the night video is clean & clear and in colour.
it is also Wi-Fi for live viewing on the tablet etc.

I would buy another tomorrow.
Click to expand...

+1

Same camera, owned it since February. Proved very reliable so far and would definitely buy another.
 
Just remembered the name of the dual camera system with have in our Mercedes GL...Its the Blackvue, absolutely superb, very pleased with the quality and installation. The only think that anyone could have against it is the price...But if you are willing to pay, it is the best in my opinion. So good that I forget it is there :)
 
SJ4000 - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00NN5HPQG It's a GoPro clone that I bought in December last year and works like a charm. 1080p, WiFi, comes with almost every mount you can imagine so it's good for the windscreen, dashboard, handlebars, roof rails, wing mirror... you can read the specs on the link. When the camera is set in dashcam mode a 32gb card will record for about nine hours for me before it starts to overwrite the earliest files, records in ten minute segments. I've had it in three company vehicles and must be close to 30,000 miles of driving and it's never let me down. I have the resolution set to 720p which is more than adequate for a dashcam. I've included a short youtube vid from earlier this year, it has been compressed by me and then again by youtube but it's still good quality, watch it in 720p.
I've used the camera once as a portable gopro style and it worked just as well then.

View: https://youtu.be/JShyXA_G4e4
 
Blackvue dr500 had for over 3 years, in constant use in my works vehicle, must be getting on for 100k miles

Blackvue dr550gw front and rear in my Landrover, been there for 2 years or so, mine is a pre production model but still works fine, although the audio isn't great

Eprance g1w in my Saab, been there a year, no problems at all. For the price, this is the best of the bunch, cost about £40 whereas the other two would have cost me £300+ at the time if I'd have not been sent them direct from Blackvue.

I've tested lots of others but these are the ones that I've kept in use for long periods.
 
Nextbase 402G which I used successfully with no problems for 3 months before changing cars, but when I started to use again some 7 months later the internal battery had died and needed replacing, still using after new battery with no problems 4 months later (approx 5k miles). Dashcam batteries may not last long due to the constant charging & recharging and exposure to excess heat in the car. A dashcam with a super capacitor instead seems a better idea although they may lose settings (date/time) if the car is not used for a week or so. I have also placed some black tape over the bright name/model decals to make the camera less obvious from the outside.

Installed a Transcend 16GB DrivePro 200 in my wife's car that has been working well for 3 months, again on her request placed some black tape over the bright name/model decals to make the camera less obvious from the outside.

As a result of the above I have installed a Mobius Actioncam in my car as a rear camera which has been in operation for 3 months with no issues, it has no screen, but because of its matchbox size can be installed more neatly / covertly.

If I were starting over again, or we need to replace our existing dashcams; my thoughts are that I am erring towards the Mobius or similar type of camera as we prefer to have a very small camera that will not be too noticeable from outside. If you have to keep removing it when you leave the car you'll not use it. Suction type mounts are easiest to mount / change the location of a dashcam, but I prefer the stick on brackets; as apart from not falling off in the heat which can occur with a suction mount, it enables you to mount the dashcam more easily behind the rear view mirror out of sight as they are typically more compact. The absence of a screen is not critical as you can review/backup the videos taken on a computer. Stationary mode is probably not as useful as you would think and may drain your car battery if you do not use the car on a regular basis. Dashcam batteries may not last long - the capacitor type seems preferable (not used one yet). Wifi on a dashcam imho is not really needed. And having GPS on a dashcam can be a double-edged sword - it's a nice feature to have but if your footage for example shows your insurance company you were speeding; even a mile per hour over the speed limit, any accident will be your fault in their eyes.
 
Stationary mode is brilliant if you wire it in properly ;) then it won't drain your battery at all. It's been in our Mercedes for two years without an issue including airport long term parking.
 
dejongj said:
Stationary mode is brilliant if you wire it in properly ;) then it won't drain your battery at all. It's been in our Mercedes for two years without an issue including airport long term parking.
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Does yours have some sort of device the detects if battery power falls below a certain level dashcam will disconnect itself to conserve battery power?
 
GPS isn't really useful or even usable in some cases. The camera in my car (ePrance Ambarella) has GPS when it works, but you can only access the data from specialist software and you quickly get bored watching your route progress on a map.
 
The gps is more to prove a location of an event or the speed of event.
This can be used against you also, I've if you were speeding slightly before an accident, you could find yourself in more trouble than you thought, on the other hand it could also prove you were stationary if someone hit you, or visa Versa
 
I've recently bought an sj4000, it's primarily an action cam that comes with all sorts of fittings that are interchangeable with GoPro stuff. It was about £60 and I bought from Amazon as there are quite a few fakes out there, I bought a power lead and screen mount which was about an extra £7. It has about an hours battery life which is handy when you park at the supermarket and has the option for motion detection recording which I haven't tried. I bought the wifi version and you can control the camera via a smart phone including viewing what the camera is seeing or downloading direct to your phone. I've had it about a month and very happy so far
 
frank said:
Does yours have some sort of device the detects if battery power falls below a certain level dashcam will disconnect itself to conserve battery power?
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Indeed, on the line to the fuse box there is a gadget in between to stop it from running when the battery goes down. As my vehicle has a separate accessory battery it didn't really need it but hey the installation kit included it.


Steep said:
GPS isn't really useful or even usable in some cases. The camera in my car (ePrance Ambarella) has GPS when it works, but you can only access the data from specialist software and you quickly get bored watching your route progress on a map.
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TCR4x4 said:
The gps is more to prove a location of an event or the speed of event.
This can be used against you also, I've if you were speeding slightly before an accident, you could find yourself in more trouble than you thought, on the other hand it could also prove you were stationary if someone hit you, or visa Versa
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Fully agree. A friend of mine was able to proof he was stationary. I was able to demonstrate and validate my parking footage. And don't forget that there are many other ways it can be proven that someone was speeding, best get rid of your mobile phone as well ;)

I'm confident I will need it more to disprove my guild, as I wouldn't lie about my speed in the first place.
 
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