3 channel cams

noob1

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I've been using a Zenfox T3 for about a year now and the experience hasn't been great.
In cold weather (Canada) it often restarts and/or just shuts down. More frequently though, it starts beeping and stops recording for a few seconds and then re-starts recording.

Having said all that, I like the idea of 3 channel (despite not being an Uber/taxi driver etc.) and started looking for alternates. I've read about the A139 and new T130 but there isn't much information on the T130. The most appealing feature in that is the rotating lens to the window but not a huge enough feature if quality/reliability isn't great.

What do the experts recommend in the long run? One of the Viofo's or something else entirely (ideally within a similar budget).

Bonus question: Are any Black Friday deals expected for the cameras?

Thank you!
 
My A139 has been superb in every way, but I'm on older FW and don't use 'station mode' or any advanced connectivity features, just the App :cool:
I don't know if my T130 is exactly the same as today's production model but IMHO it's not in the same league :(
No experience with the Vantrue N4, but they do build quality cams in general although they can be slow-to-stopped with FW upfates and bug fixes. Seems OK :cautious:

Phil
 
Welcome to the forum.

I have only had issues with the A139 in regard to get it to perform longer parking guard duties, and i can not blame that on thermal reasons as many of my test sessions was in the evening where there was little outside influence.
But for just recording 3 cameras while driving there have been no issues, testing a range of relevant memory cards in it and it seem to be okay with most cards.
No severe cold testing going on i am aware off, and my own summer testing was sort of ruined by the fact that summer 2020 in Denmark was pretty lackluster.
I have heard about Canadians having some issues with dashcams in winter, meaning that they did not work before the car warmed up a little.
The coldest i have run dashcams in is -8 / -10 deg C as winters in Denmark now are also in general lackluster, in the past decade where i live i think the total snowfall have been under 0.5 M, last winter we got a couple of CM which melted in a day.

Even if Denmark are Canada north on the globe, we are too small and surrounded by "warm" waters, so even back in the heyday winters was often moderate.

Regarding the T3 which i was also a tester on, i had some problems finding a memory card it would like, the ones it did not like it would at random stop / start recording, but i was between a rock and a hard place cuz memory cards others has success with i did not.

The T130 i have not gotten around to throw a lot of memory cards after, i tried a Adata endurance a few weeks ago and it did not like that card, so it did the occasional reboot, same card i can hit hard with 4K/60 footage at 100 mbit in my osmo action camera and there it work just fine.
 
Thank you both for the replies. From a technical - hardware and lens perspective etc., are both the Viofo's the same? Is the primary difference the window lens facing capability on the T130?

I would like to get the newest and best - but only if it's the best. If not, A139 may be the way to go. I gave Zenfox a chance and regret it.
 
I am not sure about the cabin and rear cameras, but both deploy the popular 1440p Sony IMX 335 for front camera, just like the Zenfox T3 also use.

There are not really any brand throwing in "new" sensors into the fray, someone will of course be the first to use some "new" sensor, but it is not a position they will have for very long.
Also there are some that will deploy a sensor, but far from utilize it to its full potential, this is often seen on the cameras that predominantly Russian modders throw their love on, often you will see then extract much better low light performance but also daytime.
I am not aware how the mod scene are for the A139, but other viofo models have seen a lot of love from modders.
 
Newer isn't always better. While the A139 and T130 are very close in performance, there are some issues with the beta version of the T130 among several testers which if not addressed would not make it comparable. The build quality of the A139 seems better to me, the cables are smaller (but can't be bent as tightly), the lens aim feels tighter, the mounting scheme is more robust, and it fits tighter against the windshield which can help when fitting behind the car mirror. To me the A139 seems to be the better cam, remembering it was designed to be the "flagship" cam of the Viofo line- a role I feel it fulfills well.

I almost never recommend any new product, because until something sees widespread use there can be undiscovered problems which occasionally cannot or do not get resolved (such as happened with the T3). If you think you'd really prefer the T130 I'd wait till we see more folks use it to see if it's as good as it seems to be now.

Phil
 
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I appreciate the replies. My T3 is dying on me too much in this cold weather so it looks like it's going to be the A139.

Do you know whether Viofo usually has Black Friday sales?
 
I appreciate the replies. My T3 is dying on me too much in this cold weather so it looks like it's going to be the A139.

Do you know whether Viofo usually has Black Friday sales?

I'd say check Amazon. You are better off buying from there as it won't ship from China and you'll have Amazon behind the product if there are any issues initially.
 
Wow I didn't believe the price but it really did go that low, with that tickbox for the coupon.
 
Thank you both for the replies. From a technical - hardware and lens perspective etc., are both the Viofo's the same? Is the primary difference the window lens facing capability on the T130?

I would like to get the newest and best - but only if it's the best. If not, A139 may be the way to go. I gave Zenfox a chance and regret it.
Even though there technically should not be a difference since the front cam is the same hardware, the reality is that there is a difference.
The A139 has better image quality, less color saturation, and also has a more mature firmware with more features.

It is very possible that the T130 may reach A139 quality standards at some point in the future, but I don't think that it is there today.
 
True. how a brand or several brands utilize pretty much the same hardware can be vastly different, and this is not only image quality but also general things like stability / memory card compatibility and general features in the camera.
The only thing i insist on having in a dashcam is that my own driving get logged, and pretty much any camera can do that even some no name 20 USD camera, but i do of course like and appreciate all else i can get beside that, and i would also be willing to pay more than 20 USD for that.
But after a decade of being a user i have realized that some things i just can not have, or the improvements in regard to that are moving very slow.

And having my own driving logged, even by just a front camera, that can fend off many a outrageous claim a motorist might see against him / her
You dont have to have video of a car swerving all over the place and then rear end you to prove it was not your fault, even if the 4 people in that car claim you was the one swerving all over the place, your cheap front camera will have you driving along nice and easy in your side of the road on the dark rural road and then ,,,,, BAM !

Of course having the actual accident on video would be extremely cool too, but in the grand perspective it should not be needed unless you run into police and judge like in the 1991 movie " nothing but trouble "

iu
 
Wow I didn't believe the price but it really did go that low, with that tickbox for the coupon.

Indeed. But a reminder, Tax / Vat is charged by Amazon Buyers in the U.S. for at least 40 States. May be more now? So it's most likely $215 + Tax.


In more than 40 states, online shoppers may have met unexpected sales taxes while holiday shopping, as a Supreme Court ruling has opened the door to a digital sales tax collection model that states are using to bolster revenues, despite criticism that its complexity hurts small businesses.
 
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