Elinz DCAT308 Dashcam (Aptina AR0330, Novatek NT96655)

Agie

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Good evening everyone, back again with another dash camera review. Tonight we have a previously unknown (to me) entrant to the dash camera game, Elinz, with their product, the DCAT308. How will it fare? Read on to find out my verdict.

You can buy the Elinz DCAT308 dashcam here directly: http://www.elinz.com.au/buy/dash-cam-dvr-car-video-camera-recorder-fhd-170-nig/DCAT308-32GB

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Specifications: Aptina AR0330 sensor w/ 170 degree wide field of view, Novatek NT96655 chipset, 200 mAh in-built battery, no capacitor, 3.0 inch LTPS LCD display, usual suspects such as G-sensor and loop recording. Full HD 1080p video recorded at a constant bitrate of 11.8MBps across all lighting conditions. Audio stream constant at 512KBps (mono at 32kHz).
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Box Contents: Elinz DCAT308 dashcam, pivot suction mount, miniUSB cable, user guide, one-piece car charger, 32GB microSD card (also available in same package w/out the microSD card)
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The verdict:

For the price, this is a very decent dash camera. Colour me impressed, as I wasn't expecting Elinz to have put much work into the output from the sensor but it appears that they have. Thoroughly recommended for anyone looking for a budget-friendly dash camera, but doesn't want to break the bank.


Unboxing video:


My nitpickings:
  • Although not to the degree of worrying, this dash camera does run fairly warm in most conditions
  • Exposure changes and shadows could be handled better with the sensor
  • Resolved detail at night and focus leaves a bit to be desired (though this is endemic to many Aptina/Novatek combos regardless)
  • Lots of physical menu buttons are always appreciated, but can make the menu navigation confusing at times and requiring a lot of muscle memory



The positive:

  • Large and clear display to view footage playback on, and keep an eye while you are driving
  • Proven chipset and sensor combo which work well and reliably
  • Resolved detail during daytime and dusk conditions is fairly good - does not suffer from over-sharpening or artifacting, therefore details are able to made out well
  • Night-time footage does pick up a lot of light, which I would rather have than not have any at all (which a lot of Aptina AR0330 sensors don't do)
  • Audio pick-up is at a very high bitrate (well done, Elinz!), loud and picks up audio very well. One of the better recorded audio I have come across in a dash camera.




Close-up photos of the Elinz DCAT308 Dashcam:
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Elinz DCAT308 Dashcam sample footage:

Daytime footage, 1080p, WDR turned off:

Daytime footage, 1080p, WDR turned on:

Sunset footage, 1080p, WDR turned off:

Sunset footage, 1080p, WDR turned on:

Night-time footage, 1080p, WDR turned off:

Night-time footage, 1080p, WDR turned on:


 
Some screengrabs:
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