Hit and Run--dash cam couldn't make out the license plate

Btw Nextbase gets a bad rep, am not sure why. The cameras are rock solid Made in Surrey. Take a look at this - this American guy rode with his Nextbase in Arizona in temperatures exceeding 53C and they never stopped. The picture quality is good. The app needs a bit fiddling but it works


 
60fps can work for you or against you. In watching huge numbers of vids I've not seen any overall advantage to it. Number plates, especially the USA ones, are insanely hard to capture most of the time and it's really as much in luck as in anything else what your results will be. A really good 1080p cam will do OK, 1440p will do better, and daytime in bright light 4K will do better still. Add clouds or night and it's a toss-up; none will do well consistently.

I can see no reason to exclude Chinese cams from a list of choices. No matter where a cam is made or where that company is based at, it's going to be chock-full of Chinese components inside. And as far as security reasons, what is there to secure? Nobody in their right mind puts sensitive info in places where it can be compromised like on a phone or on an internet-connected computer. Yes it's a common practice but that doesn't make it smart. Even the world's best secured systems get hacked and none of us here are anywhere near to their level of security capabilities. Otherwise we're just handling driving videos and there's hardly anything in them needing to be deeply secured; all these need is reliable access and that seems to be happening now.

Moreso when you exclude Chinese cams from your choices you have little left to choose from. Garmin is good but Nextbase cams have serious problems being reported these days- I will not recommend them anymore and I have to question how smart someone is who does. Nothing personal but this is exactly what I'd expect from someone who thinks a Chinese cam or app is going to ruin their day or their life. Priorities need to be set correctly first, and that begins by looking at all cams which can give you what you want excluding none, otherwise you are likely to find you don't have the quality images you need when the time comes that it matters immensely no matter how secure they and you are. But everyone is free to choose as they please so choose as you wish but do not complain when your choices prove to have been bad ones- you usually get what you ask for in the end and you'll always deserve that.

Phil
 
1. When you watch on YouTube, you are not looking at 1440. YouTube by default reduces the resolution to 1080

2. I have been using GoPro as a modified security cam while cycling in london. In a GoPro it’s very easy to compare 1080, 2k vs 4K with different fps. The higher the fps, the easier it is to read number plates.

3. 2k, 60 FPS is the best. You cannot open 4K files on an iPhone. 2k 60fps files are very easy and quick to download and number plates are crisp and clear upto several lanes away.

the dashcam world is atleast 5 years behind the curve. This issue is well resolved in the GoPro community

on a moral, ethical, legal and common sense ground, I will never trust PLA servers. You want the Chinese to know your business, be my guest.

a lot of this Nextbase bias is coming out of China. As I said, watch the video, these are rock solid. They will survive temperatures upward of 178F!!! Their only issue is with the app connectivity
 
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Read what Nextbase owners are reporting here on DCT and you'll see many having reliability problems, especially with their higher-end cams. Hardly rock-solid across the board though some may be. When you get such divergent reports from the same product it indicates a QC problem since there's no consistency. And plate capture at bicycle speeds without a windshield being involved is hardly relevant to a car driver in the US where our rioad speeds are often quite a bit higher than much of the world- especially compared to the urban areas of the UK. Also there's no comparison to a GoPro or other good action cam- those always have had better images daytime but have other aspects which make them a lesser choice for dashcam usage, especially at night.

It's not biased opinions from China- the truth is clear as miost of the NB complaints we've seen here are from the UK, often from people who were happy with their first series NB cams but found the new ones were nowhere near as good. But there is a clear bias from someone who is worried that having their driving vids on a Chinese server will adversely affect them somehow, and who recommends nhot buying a product better suited to someone else's needs simply because it's a Chinese product. I harbor no such bias. I simply want everyone to have a cam that does what they need it to reliably no matter where it's made or how it functions.

Phil
 
SawMaster said:
Read what Nextbase owners are reporting here on DCT and you'll see many having reliability problems, especially with their higher-end cams. Hardly rock-solid across the board though some may be. When you get such divergent reports from the same product it indicates a QC problem since there's no consistency. And plate capture at bicycle speeds without a windshield being involved is hardly relevant to a car driver in the US where our rioad speeds are often quite a bit higher than much of the world- especially compared to the urban areas of the UK. Also there's no comparison to a GoPro or other good action cam- those always have had better images daytime but have other aspects which make them a lesser choice for dashcam usage, especially at night.

It's not biased opinions from China- the truth is clear as miost of the NB complaints we've seen here are from the UK, often from people who were happy with their first series NB cams but found the new ones were nowhere near as good. But there is a clear bias from someone who is worried that having their driving vids on a Chinese server will adversely affect them somehow, and who recommends nhot buying a product better suited to someone else's needs simply because it's a Chinese product. I harbor no such bias. I simply want everyone to have a cam that does what they need it to reliably no matter where it's made or how it functions.

Phil
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SawMaster said:
Read what Nextbase owners are reporting here on DCT and you'll see many having reliability problems, especially with their higher-end cams. Hardly rock-solid across the board though some may be. When you get such divergent reports from the same product it indicates a QC problem since there's no consistency. And plate capture at bicycle speeds without a windshield being involved is hardly relevant to a car driver in the US where our rioad speeds are often quite a bit higher than much of the world- especially compared to the urban areas of the UK. Also there's no comparison to a GoPro or other good action cam- those always have had better images daytime but have other aspects which make them a lesser choice for dashcam usage, especially at night.

It's not biased opinions from China- the truth is clear as miost of the NB complaints we've seen here are from the UK, often from people who were happy with their first series NB cams but found the new ones were nowhere near as good. But there is a clear bias from someone who is worried that having their driving vids on a Chinese server will adversely affect them somehow, and who recommends nhot buying a product better suited to someone else's needs simply because it's a Chinese product. I harbor no such bias. I simply want everyone to have a cam that does what they need it to reliably no matter where it's made or how it functions.

Phil
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Cycle speeds of 20-30 miles/hr. car speeds upward of 40miles/hr. this was a miss on a hit and run, hardly nascar speeds ....

are you questioning GoPro quality? This is what happens when you have just moved out of 1080. Man, you dashcam folks are funny! Peace
 
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mmicky5050 said:
are you questioning GoPro quality? This is what happens when you have just moved out of 1080. Man, you dashcam folks are funny! Peace
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GoPros work differently to dashcams, they are designed for making action movies, not designed for dashcam use!

Your comments on 60fps may be correct for a GoPro, and are certainly correct for movie cameras, but they are not correct for any decent dashcam.

We haven't just moved out of 1080, dashcams have been using 2K sensors for many years, few use 4K sensors because they are not as good as 2K when used for dashcam video.

If you want "Peace", you will need to do some research before posting incorrect information!
 
Nigel said:
GoPros work differently to dashcams, they are designed for making action movies, not designed for dashcam use!

Your comments on 60fps may be correct for a GoPro, and are certainly correct for movie cameras, but they are not correct for any decent dashcam.

We haven't just moved out of 1080, dashcams have been using 2K sensors for many years, few use 4K sensors because they are not as good as 2K when used for dashcam video.

If you want "Peace", you will need to do some research before posting incorrect information!
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FPS means frames per second: these cameras don’t record video per say. they are just taking 60 fast pictures per second: the higher the FPS, the more likely you are to catch the number plates in focus. Ofcourse, shutter speed needs to be considered too. All settings that a messily GoPro allows to be adjusted...

it’s just simple physics mate.....and try it
 
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It is true that 60 FPS can mean a sharper image, in the sense that when using that you can also not go to a slower exposure than 1:60 second, and that is 2 X faster exposure than what a 30 FPS camera will do minimum.
Either way, the situations / times of day that particular setting are better than 30 FPS are marginal, at least that is what i found testing 2 similar cameras side by side for a few months.

From a photo technical standpoint and capturing something that is moving fast, the exposure should not be under 1:500 second or was it 1:250 second 🤔,,,,,, at least that is what i was told in photo class in school.
And TBH i think the teacher here meant humanly fast, not automotive or rocket fast.
The pics you see of Hasmilton zipping thru a turn at 260 km/h, probably taken with a substantially faster exposure,,,,, there is a reason cameras go up to insane fast exposure times.
 
mmicky5050 said:
it’s just simple physics mate.....and try it
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Man, you are giving bad advices here and you assume that you know also physics, at least in theory. I am sure you have good intentions to help the OP, but in your case it is not working. Try to read more carefully what people like Nigel, SawMaster, kamkar are writing here because they have very much experience regarding dashcams. They are speaking about reality, they tested a lot of dashcams in all conditions.

Also you recommending some dashcams which are not famous regarding reading the license plates.

Because you like physics you know for sure that a smaller angle is better for reading car license plates. 4K can be good but only during day.
Viofo A119 V3 is a dashcam with a smaller lens angle, but more than that, it have real HDR implemented and right now maybe it is the only dashcam which can read car license plates during night, offering about 70% rate of success.
Here is a test on european car license numbers which are better compared to USA numbers:
Maybe @SawMaster or other US forum member have A119 V3 and latest HDR firmware from Viofo and he can test it during night to see how good it is in USA.

enjoy,
Mtz
 
mmicky5050 said:
the higher the FPS, the more likely you are to catch the number plates in focus.
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Both GoPros and dashcams have fixed focus lenses, the number plates are always in focus. fps has nothing at all to do with focus.
 
Indeed, if the image are not crisp, it is motion blur you see ( assuming your camera lens and windscreen are clean )

I do feel like my long range / zoom camera, are a little better at plate capture in low light, even if it have a sensor not on the same level as my regular cameras.
I feel like this is due to the more flat angle i have to the target further out thanks to the 12 mm lens, so it is more "coming strait at me" only "growing" in size, VS with a regular camera when it is in the sweet spot it is at a angle where the target are rushing past you.

Sadly no matter your camera, you can not trust plate capture, you some times get it, and very often on a summer day, but i feel you should still not count on it.
 
kamkar said:
Indeed...
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And that is why a GoPro is quite poor as a dashcam, very wide angle so that by the time the plate is visible, it is rushing passed, and it uses a relatively slow exposure time to deliberately cause motion blur, especially at 30fps, in order to make smoother and more watchable movies.
 
My 2 cents. Viofo makes a very nice product. The 3 Channel one seems to have great reviews. I'm pretty satisfied with my 2 channel A129 Duo. Havent yet ordered the 3 channel for myself. Since I missed the sale, and hardwire kit wasn't available on amazon while sale taking place, going to wait a bit on price drop. Saving up my Amazon Gift cards.

Street Guardian is suppose to have a good product. @jokiin is a very active member here so you can rest assured tech support is superior to any product. He would be the one to ask about his product line and its performance.

I've not owned a garmin, but the reviews on the cameras weren't all that stellar when I did my research on purchasing a dashcam. Maybe things have changed.
 
Driving home today was partly on a 2-lane highway, traffic in both directions was beyond legal limits at 60-65MPH, with parts of this road the speed limit maxxes out at 55MPH. And this isn't unusual here 😗 Most rural highways here are posted at 50-55MPH so with a 'closing speed' of 100MPH+ you'd think if there was an advantage to 60FPS that I'd clearly see it, but I don't; there's simply too much of a luck factor involved.

If anything matters here it's overall image quality and high bitrates coupled with moderately high resolution. 4K loses too much at night even if it's clearly better daytime. Turn up the gain in a 4K cam to improve this and image noise rises faster than IQ, the noise reducing the image sharpness which is necessary to get plates. Some 4K cams seen to do fairly well at night but the lower-spec A119V3 will match or better most of them at night while still doing pretty good daytime. The A129Plus will do even better day and night. 30FPS will get as many plates as 60FPS does in either cam on average over several day's time driving day and night. No cam will get them all 😒

So @gekisen my apologies for you getting dragged through the mess in this thread, but do check out the A119V3 and the A129Pus, either of which will make your old "Apeman" cam look as bad as it really is. And do try some of the image enhancement tricks I linked to earlier, they have worked for others sometime and they might work for you- definitely worth trying; just no promises with the results.

Phil
 
How can you guys trust Chinese brands?

I am sorry, but either you don’t read the news or have blinds on.

Every Chinese app goes through servers that give full access to PLA hackers. No one has read US intelligence warnings on tiktok? like come on...

and worst part, those Chinese cameras are so short-lived. Before getting a GoPro, I tried one from Amazon- died after a week. Had perfect ratings. I gave it an honest review and a few days later the seller emailed me with a sob story and freebies to remove the review.

My GoPro also failed after a year- GoPro replaced it free of charge, no questions asked. I have a garmin fenix watch that is 7 years old and still going great, still gets updates, connection to GPS is flawless, still like new

you guys won’t know quality even if it stared you in the face

to the OP - trust me these guys are naive. Get the Garmin 56 or 66 from Amazon, try it at 1440 60 FPS. If you don’t like it, just return it. I bet you 2k 60fps would have captured your hit and run plate

another feature of garmin cameras that I absolutely love is the ability to give voice commands. I have both ok garmin and Alexa on my sat nav and ok garmin is way more responsive. You don’t have to fiddle with any buttons - just say “ok garmin save the video”

and never trust a Chinese company even if your life depended on it
 
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Nigel said:
And that is why a GoPro is quite poor as a dashcam, very wide angle so that by the time the plate is visible, it is rushing passed, and it uses a relatively slow exposure time to deliberately cause motion blur, especially at 30fps, in order to make smoother and more watchable movies.
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you are talking out of your ****.

when you watch a GoPro footage on the app by default it’s 1080 or lower. When you download the 2k 60fps on laptop or the app, I have yet to miss a number plate.

and this is how naive you folks are - my GoPro has a 1080, 120fps. That captures EVERYTHING even your eye blinks...

lastly, and this point goes to show how naive and lost these guys are - GoPro loops can be anywhere from a few seconds to minutes to hours. You can choose those settings. Almost all dashcam loops are 5 min or less. When you have to submit an online report to London Met police, which btw I have done, they demand a footage that shows 2minutes before that incident and 2 minutes after the incident. Your measily 5min won’t satisfy the Met

Gropos eat these backward dashcams for breakfast mate. Lastly, gopros are voice controlled, there is no fiddling with any buttons. I have lived in America for a decade, the roads there are wider and traffic rules are lax. You can’t fiddle with buttons on UK roads. GoPros and Garmins are the way to go.
 
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mmicky5050 said:
When you have to submit an online report to London Met police, which btw I have done, they demand a footage that shows 2minutes before that incident and 2 minutes after the incident. Your measily 5min won’t satisfy the Met
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Last time I tried to upload a 5 minute video to the police server, it hit their file size limit, and since they only accepted original unedited files it was impossible to upload my video; so I suggest that even our "measily 5min" files are too big!

Isn't it still the case that you can't power a gopro while it is recording, so you can't record continuously anyway?
And when the battery is flat, you have to stop for a long coffee break while it recharges before you can continue?
 
mmicky5050 said:
you are talking out of your ****.

when you watch a GoPro footage on the app by default it’s 1080 or lower. When you download the 2k 60fps on laptop or the app, I have yet to miss a number plate.

and this is how naive you folks are - my GoPro has a 1080, 120fps. That captures EVERYTHING even your eye blinks...

lastly, and this point goes to show how naive and lost these guys are - GoPro loops can be anywhere from a few seconds to minutes to hours. You can chose those settings. Almost all dashcam loops are 5 min or less. When you have to submit an online report to London Met police, which btw I have done, they demand a footage that shows 2minutes before that incident and 2 minutes after the incident. Your measily 5min won’t satisfy the Met

Gropos eat these backward dashcams for breakfast mate
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Nigel said:
Last time I tried to upload a 5 minute video to the police server, it hit their file size limit, and since they only accepted original unedited files it was impossible to upload my video; so I suggest that even our "measily 5min" files are too big!

Isn't it still the case that you can't power a gopro while it is recording, so you can't record continuously anyway?
And when the battery is flat, you have to stop for a long coffee break while it recharges before you can continue?
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Where was that? Swansea?
 
Nigel said:
Last time I tried to upload a 5 minute video to the police server, it hit their file size limit, and since they only accepted original unedited files it was impossible to upload my video; so I suggest that even our "measily 5min" files are too big!

Isn't it still the case that you can't power a gopro while it is recording, so you can't record continuously anyway?
And when the battery is flat, you have to stop for a long coffee break while it recharges before you can continue?
Click to expand...
I power my gopro with a small portable power bank with a modified rain cover. I have recorded 4K 30fps in heavy rain for 2hrs plus - no issues

the aftermarket mods on gopros are very sophisticated. You are probably referring to older models
 
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