Polarizing filter for DR500GW-HD

[Street Guardian USA]

Looks pretty "crisp" with the filter on. Things are not as washed out looking. You can still see the dreaded lack of AEC (auto exposure correction) though. (jumping form light to dark driving in changing brightness/shade etc) Hopefully Mio is successful in enabling the unused AEC sensor in custom firmware 1.1 He showed that it works well but messed up night time recordings apparently. Full 15K bit-rate with AEC would make the DR500GW worth it. Anything less and I wouldn't really care for this thing. (I'm still shopping) The filter seems to make it even better if you can find one without sacrificing the edges.

 

[mollydog]

I've already posted this on the "General Dash Cam Discussion" but as it's more a DR500GW thing, I thought I'd re post it here

+++
I too ordered one of these Gizmon polariser from Amazon for £25

on taking a look on the back of the cpl I noticed the aperture was rather small and more than likely as it was made for the iphone/ipad it would vignette on the BlackVue DR500

but once I took a better look I noticed the cpl itself had more or less the same size aperture/diameter so thought I'd make the hole bigger and see how I got on

as it wasn't a good fit round the barrel I heated up the plastic and made it a bit more round

sad to say it looks a too much home made

all's not lost, my BlackVue came with a lens cap sort of thing that will make a good holder for the cpl and if I get time this week, I'll make a hole in the middle and supper glue the thread bit of the plastic of the cpl holder to the lens cap

I hope this is of use to some of you and may give you ideas how to fix it to your DVR camera

+++

and following on from a reply maybe using double sided tape to attach the cpl might be a better option than the lens cap that came with the DR500

 

[wozzzzza]

that's what I plan to do when mine eventually gets here, use the original lens cover.

 

[mollydog]

I got round to fitting it to the DR500GW and my advice is if you are planing on getting this same cpl I got for the DR500GW DO NOT GET IT, save your £25, there is just too much vignette, I viewed it on the iphone by wi-fi and the view was just a circle in the centre due to the vignette, I'll post some images this weekend

 

[mollydog]

OK got round to taking some photos, I used the lens cap that came with the DR500 and cut a hole in it to attach the cpl and holder

SHOCK & HORROR when I fitted the DR500 to the screen and switched it on, this is what the DR500 was capturing with the clp on

I took off the clp and I noticed that the lens cap with the hole was giving just a slight vignette in the corners so my next plan is on cutting out just a bit more off the corners and getting a larger clp something like a 27mm or a 30mm and see if I can get away with the vignette with the larger size. using the lens cap means that the clp can be taken off at any time with ease and looks more a professional finish, so just to restate these Gizmon polariser on my DR500GW produce an unacceptable vignette, unless yo like the circular image

 

[Mio]

Lens DVR - has a very wide angle
for that to there were no vignetting, it is necessary to filter glass, it was close to the lens

 

[jsan]

So I ordered a few things to polarize my dashcam lens. The filters I ordered were 37mm and 43mm.

I will assemble everything once I receive the items. The filters were around $15.

If everything works and goes to plan, I will make a different thread with instructions.

My main goal is to avoid loosing my viewing angles and make it so that the filter is removable.

 

[wozzzzza]

im still waiting for the idiots to send me mine. they sent one but the wrong one, they sent me a UV filter so I should get the proper one this week.

 

[mollydog]

So I ordered a few things to polarize my dashcam lens. The filters I ordered were 37mm and 43mm.

I will assemble everything once I receive the items. The filters were around $15.

If everything works and goes to plan, I will make a different thread with instructions.

My main goal is to avoid loosing my viewing angles and make it so that the filter is removable.

looking forward to seeing your results

 

[ironace]

Why not use a polarizing film... seems like it would be easier to work with: http://www.spectrum-scientifics.com/Pro ... 90&click=2

Just noticed that they are out of stock... but if you google "polarizing film" you will find many links.

 

[wozzzzza]

polarizing film may not work, needs to be a circular polarizing lens I think, made differently.

But any way I have successfully created one after a LONG wait for it to arrive, they sent incorrect one to begin with, now I have an actual CPL filter I have successfully made a mount out of the original lens cover just grinding the face off of it so it sits flush with the top of the lens and super glued the polar filter on it and silicone around it to make sure it doesn't come off.
Bench tested perfectly, full 100% field of view achieved with slimline look.

I got the filter from here http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/360184077592
I dismantled the outer casing easily to just get the lens itself out. just make sure you put it on the right way.
thinking about putting a UV filter on top of it that they sent me by mistake but not sure its necessary or not.

here's the pics, I will upload a youtube video of it later on when I go for a drive later this afternoon.

 

[wozzzzza]

not really impressed with first testing of this polarised filter. like putting sunglasses on, useless.

with the following videos, click the "close to play" button, not the big play button when you goto the site.
with filter going north - http://videobam.com/obNou
with filter going south soon after same stretch of road - http://videobam.com/djMRH
no filter - http://videobam.com/frejc

as you can see, im not impressed. anyone got any reason for such darkness in full day light??

 

[Hillbilly]

not really impressed with first testing of this polarised filter. like putting sunglasses on, useless.

with the following videos, click the "close to play" button, not the big play button when you goto the site.
with filter going north - http://videobam.com/obNou
with filter going south soon after same stretch of road - http://videobam.com/djMRH
no filter - http://videobam.com/frejc

as you can see, im not impressed. anyone got any reason for such darkness in full day light??

No filter is by far the best

 

[Al Drake]

not really impressed with first testing of this polarised filter. like putting sunglasses on, useless.

with the following videos, click the "close to play" button, not the big play button when you goto the site.
with filter going north - http://videobam.com/obNou
with filter going south soon after same stretch of road - http://videobam.com/djMRH
no filter - http://videobam.com/frejc

as you can see, im not impressed. anyone got any reason for such darkness in full day light??

No filter is by far the best

I beg to differ. There is a maximum that can be achieved. There can only be so much light filtered or polarized. The filter that does this best it "the best". It's simple optics. I have used many different CPL filters. When you look at the clouds and see that they can just not look any better you are using the best CPL. When you look at the bottom of the Caribbean Sea and see clearly like there is no water you are using the best. When you look through a window glass and view what is behind that pane like you were able to touch it you have reached the max. There are many perfect filters manufactured and available for a cost. Those are the best of the best. Simple optics.

 

[jsan]

not really impressed with first testing of this polarised filter. like putting sunglasses on, useless.

with the following videos, click the "close to play" button, not the big play button when you goto the site.
with filter going north - http://videobam.com/obNou
with filter going south soon after same stretch of road - http://videobam.com/djMRH
no filter - http://videobam.com/frejc

as you can see, im not impressed. anyone got any reason for such darkness in full day light??

No filter is by far the best

I beg to differ. There is a maximum that can be achieved. There can only be so much light filtered or polarized. The filter that does this best it "the best". It's simple optics. I have used many different CPL filters. When you look at the clouds and see that they can just not look any better you are using the best CPL. When you look at the bottom of the Caribbean Sea and see clearly like there is no water you are using the best. When you look through a window glass and view what is behind that pane like you were able to touch it you have reached the max. There are many perfect filters manufactured and available for a cost. Those are the best of the best. Simple optics.

So you're saying that the filter used above was of a lower quality?

And I think The auto-Exposure is what's making the video all dark. Hopefully when the newer firmware is released it will fix that. I don't know know how much difference it'll make but hopefully its noticeable.

 

[Hillbilly]

I cant get over the fact that people buy these cameras which are at perhaps Ford Model A in their development cycle and try and make them into a Rolls Royce

They do what they were intended for in a reasonably competent manner.

They will never produce high quality movies and nor were they intended for that.

They are made to capture road incidents which they do quite well.

Has even been posts of people wanting to use them for holiday snaps.

For gods sake you can buy a far better digital camera that takes 10mp photos and HD movies for a bit over $100.

Mine sit in the car and work away and if nothing happens for a month the cards get formatted and reloaded and put back in.

No need to sit and watch the contents.

The only clips I have saved was when I thought I had gone a bit quick through a speed camera and wanted verification.

Also got off a speeding ticket because a speed zone sign was covered up after road works had finished.

Have no interest in posting my business on You tube or anywhere else so am quite happy with how they work.

Rant over.

 

[jsan]

My main reason to modify this camera is to see what I can squeeze out of it. We got better quality because of the first custom firmware. We will have better auto-exposure setting due to the new updated firmware. These are noticeable difference and will aid in visual identification. Better lighting and quality can enable you to view License plates which you weren't able to see before the modifications.

And the purpose of this filter was to get rid of glare that appears on the windshield. Again this would help during identifications. I have have seen some hit and runs that were captured on dashcams and street cams and police still weren't able to identify the suspects. This was because they had a vague description of the driver and the number plate was not identifiable in the videos and they tried to narrow it down by the car color, make and model. Even still there had to success. This has happened number of times.

And it has happened to a friend of mine once. Which is why I decided to get a dashcam. The number plate on the car that he crashed into wasn't identifiable. So the suspect was caught after 6 months, when the bodyshop reported the car that was in for repairs to the police. The insurance looked at the video and agreed it wasn't his fault, but they had no third-party info.


And if someone just wanted a camera to record the incidents there are cheaper options available that do that. This camera promised better video performance which it does not give out of the box and only with modified firmware. So wouldn't you want to get your money's worth out of this?

I personally do not use any of the videos for youtube and I hope I never have to use any of the footage, but in case I do, I just want to make sure everything was done to capture the event in great detail.

 

[wozzzzza]

I cant get over the fact that people buy these cameras which are at perhaps Ford Model A in their development cycle and try and make them into a Rolls Royce

so you are saying Mio is wasting his time??
you are saying you run standard firmware out of the box??
why do you bother coming here then??
sounds like you need to just go do something more productive than waste your time here on this forum where people are trying to get the best from their cameras. like overclocking ya computer, people do it to get the best out of it.
Just let people do what they want and be happy and help them out where you can in a nice manner and go from there.
The world wouldn't be where it is today if people didn't go that extra mile to improve things. we would still be using 2 pieces of wood to light fires.

 

[Hillbilly]

I cant get over the fact that people buy these cameras which are at perhaps Ford Model A in their development cycle and try and make them into a Rolls Royce

so you are saying Mio is wasting his time??
you are saying you run standard firmware out of the box??
why do you bother coming here then??
sounds like you need to just go do something more productive than waste your time here on this forum where people are trying to get the best from their cameras. like overclocking ya computer, people do it to get the best out of it.
Just let people do what they want and be happy and help them out where you can in a nice manner and go from there.

No MIo is not wasting his time If you want to mod your camera thats fine. Yes I run standard firmware and am happy with it,

What I am saying is that out of the box they do what they were designed for reasonably well. I can read plates when needed and thats enough.

No need to upgrade anything really if you buy it for its intended purpose.

However you have your opinion and I have mine and I am not attacking yours So no need to attack mine.

However trying to use them as a happy snap holiday camera is not what they were intended for I would think.

Some of the installation threads are worthwhile and the advice has been far better than the foreign butchers on youtube.

 

[mollydog]

I cant get over the fact that people buy these cameras which are at perhaps Ford Model A in their development cycle and try and make them into a Rolls Royce

so you are saying Mio is wasting his time??
you are saying you run standard firmware out of the box??
why do you bother coming here then??
sounds like you need to just go do something more productive than waste your time here on this forum where people are trying to get the best from their cameras. like overclocking ya computer, people do it to get the best out of it.
Just let people do what they want and be happy and help them out where you can in a nice manner and go from there.
The world wouldn't be where it is today if people didn't go that extra mile to improve things. we would still be using 2 pieces of wood to light fires.

+1, couldn't of put it better myself, also thanks for sharing the photos and your experience