The APEMAN C450A (C450 Series A) is a Chinese dash cam released in July 2018. The camera is low priced and is very popular on Amazon. Unfortunately the manufacturer does not provide the processor and CMOS sensor specs of the C450A.
Video quality during the day is average and night quality is below average. The C450A records 1080p video at 30fps with an average bitrate of 12Mbps. The wide angle 170° lens also gives the videos a fish-eye effect and also is not the best at capturing details such as license plate numbers.
The camera has a 3″ screen, g-sensor and non-buffered parking mode. It does not come with GPS or WiFi. On the positive side, the camera comes with a suction cup mount which allows the C450A to be swiveled 360° to record interactions at your side windows (i.e. police traffic stop). Error notifications are displayed on the screen, there are no audio error notifications.
The C450A is not that too big at 87mm x 50mm x 15mm but the hanging rectangular form factor results in a non-discreet install. Build quality is below average and long term reliability is not the greatest.
The manufacturer appears to be responsive to questions but beyond that, the camera has limited support. We have not seen any firmware updates for this camera since it has been launched.
Note that while the C450A has a large number of very good reviews on Amazon, APEMAN provides a free gift in exchange for 5-star reviews. This may influence the ratings there.
Known problems
Heat Damage
There are numerous reports of heat related problems with the C450A. The camera melting, bulging, screen falling off and lens color fading are some examples of reported heat damage. Since the camera uses a battery instead of a semi-conductor and the plastics do not appear to be high quality, using this camera in hot environments is not a good idea.
Damaged Mounts
There have been numerous reports of damaged mounts with this camera. Could be due to the overall build quality not being the best.
Blank Screen
Numerous owners have complained of blank or white screen. While icons are visible, the recording is not. There is no known fix for this problem.
Sample Videos
Day Video
Night Video
Should I Purchase?
While the APEMAN C450A is a popular camera on Amazon, we are not impressed with the video or build quality of the camera. The camera does not do well in hot environments making this not the most reliable choice. We suspect the free gift in exchange for positive reviews has influenced the Amazon rating for this camera. The only positive for the camera is the low $50 price tag but spending a bit more for a better camera is recommended.
See what other owners have to say about the APEMAN C450A on our forum.
Specifications
Data Sheet No specs match that search. Hardware Layout ScoresTechnical Specs
Spec APEMAN C450A Brand APEMAN Model C450A Channels 1 Channel Setup Front Form Factor Hanging Release Date Jul 2018 Country China Warranty 12 months Spec APEMAN C450A Processor Unknown Video Format MOV Compression H.264 Screen Size 3" Touchscreen No Mount Suction Power Supply 5V Battery Type 180mAh Spec APEMAN C450A Parking Mode Non-Buffered Wi-Fi No GPS No Cloud Connectivity No Voice Commands No Spec APEMAN C450A SD Card Type MicroSD Max Card Size 128GB Operating Temperature -10°C to 60°C Swivel Yes Error Notification Screen Camera Units
CMOS Unknown Max Resolution 1920 x 1080p FPS 30 Bitrate 12.0 Mbps Viewing Angle 170° Dimensions 87 x 50 x 15 HDR No Ratings
Published: May 20, 2020