Help picking out first dashcam

Brett

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I've pretty much narrowed it down to these three:

http://dashcamtalk.com/compare/1/5,37,2/3h2fd-vs-mini-0801-vs-mobius/

Budget is $140 max. I don't care about gps. My main concerns are night quality and viewing angle. In your experience, is there a big difference between 100° and 135°? I've read that the 3h2f-d has poor night quality. Does anyone know how it's night quality compares to the other two cameras? The mini 0801's bitrate is 12 Mpbs while the others are 18. Is that a significant difference? Also, I do have a 1440p monitor, so I can take advantage of the 3h2f-d's 2304×1296 resolution.

Last thing. I read that the 0803 is coming out soon. Is that something I should wait for and consider?
 
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I just went for Mini 0801 without GPS and so far very happy, it works as should and quality of video is great.
 
I would also consider the GT680 (http://dashcamtalk.com/gt680w/) and the DOD LS300 (http://dashcamtalk.com/ls300w/). The three mentioned have similar night quality. I would say avoid the mini 0801 due to reliability issues. They just released an updated 0803 with an improved chip, yet it's still unproven if reliability will be better. I'm also not a fan of that mount that many have reported has loosened over time.

I am not familiar with the 3H2F, so can't comment. I do own the Mobius and can recommend it. It's tiny, records sharp video and the night performance is good, not great. It's reliable, has a huge support group and the continued improvements through firmware updates makes it a good buy.

It's difficult to choose for someone, not knowing all the factors and likes of a person. For me, size matters so I chose the Mobius. I don't want the extra real estate of a screen. I prefer a small discreet camera. If I need a screen I can use my Android phone via OTG (Mobius app) or simply plug the card into my phone.

Also keep in mind that Bitrate isn't everything. For example on the Mobius you can't tell the difference between normal and high. The difference comes in how much time you can fit on a the SD card, so most of us use normal to get an extra hour of recording time on the SD card
 
i recommend youtube if that's allowed in thins post it sealed my deal to see the real camera working and the quality

its your preference and how picky you are the one in my name had good pics and now that i have it to me night and day

are really great pics for me but i mainly just looking for clear enough for my lawyer and the cops to make a better case

yes i have a lawyer lol 3 accidents united states of we sue your butt lmao:eek::p
 
What is the sweetspot then for dashcams in terms of price and ideal night quality? I like the OP am looking for the same thing, maybe two cameras. One for the back. We just got a brand new Mazda3. Not only am I not capable of doing anything to mod the installation, I wouldn't want to considering the car is brand spanking new. The big drawback with the Mazda3 is there is only one 9 volt socket in the centre console.

Furthermore, we wouldn't mind one to activate should someone hit or key the car. However, I am not sure how that would help you because the cam would have to activate after it sensed damage, so proving that person or car that struck your vehicle might be very difficult.
 
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What is the sweetspot then for dashcams in terms of price and ideal night quality? I like the OP am looking for the same thing, maybe two cameras. One for the back. We just got a brand new Mazda3. Not only am I not capable of doing anything to mod the installation, I wouldn't want to considering the car is brand spanking new. The big drawback with the Mazda3 is there is only one 9 volt socket in the centre console.

Furthermore, we wouldn't mind one to activate should someone hit or key the car. However, I am not sure how that would help you because the cam would have to activate after it sensed damage, so proving that person or car that struck your vehicle might be very difficult.
The sweet spot in my experience for a good, quality dashcam is $180-$200+.

Currently, the dual cams aren't really up to scratch, as they usually have FHD in front and HD in the back (720p) and record very blocky videos due to low bitrate (i.e. the DR550 record in 7-5, which is really low), so you would probably be better off getting 2 separate cams.

For the one cig lighter issue, you can always use a splitter or hard wire it into the car. As a bonus of hard wiring it in, it will record 24/7 and (if your cam has a parking mode) will save the video only if it senses movement.

The button you want to save the video is the SOS/Emergency button. It saves the current clip being recorded. The WF1 records 15 seconds before the button is hit and 15 secs after.
 
What is the sweetspot then for dashcams in terms of price and ideal night quality? I like the OP am looking for the same thing, maybe two cameras. One for the back. We just got a brand new Mazda3. Not only am I not capable of doing anything to mod the installation, I wouldn't want to considering the car is brand spanking new. The big drawback with the Mazda3 is there is only one 9 volt socket in the centre console..
The Marcus 5 which is not out yet should do HD both ways.
You might still be able to run a line to the fusebox in the car with an add a fuse without hacking up any car wiring.

The button you want to save the video is the SOS/Emergency button. It saves the current clip being recorded. The WF1 records 15 seconds before the button is hit and 15 secs after.
The WF1 records about 30 seconds before and 30 seconds after the button is pressed for a 1 min locked clip. The TF2 and Marcus 3 work this way as well. Some of the cheaper, but still decent cameras lock the entire current file being recorded witch can be 3-5 mins long.
 
The sweet spot in my experience for a good, quality dashcam is $180-$200+.

Currently, the dual cams aren't really up to scratch, as they usually have FHD in front and HD in the back (720p) and record very blocky videos due to low bitrate (i.e. the DR550 record in 7-5, which is really low), so you would probably be better off getting 2 separate cams.

For the one cig lighter issue, you can always use a splitter or hard wire it into the car. As a bonus of hard wiring it in, it will record 24/7 and (if your cam has a parking mode) will save the video only if it senses movement.

The button you want to save the video is the SOS/Emergency button. It saves the current clip being recorded. The WF1 records 15 seconds before the button is hit and 15 secs after.

You might still be able to run a line to the fusebox in the car with an add a fuse without hacking up any car wiring.

The WF1 records about 30 seconds before and 30 seconds after the button is pressed for a 1 min locked clip. The TF2 and Marcus 3 work this way as well. Some of the cheaper, but still decent cameras lock the entire current file being recorded witch can be 3-5 mins long.

Thanks for the info.

I know someone who had to do some hardwiring into the fusebox and it was a royal PIA. He drives the same car we have. The glove box and and add-ons had to come apart. The mechanic/tech literally banged the glove box into place. So hardwiring is not an option. Perhaps if we can hide an auxiliary PSU somewhere like under the seat that work in place of hardwiring.

BTW, do these dashcams have an orientation sensor? I also wonder about their motion sensor capabilities. I would worry they may turn off idling in traffic and not detect anything if someone keys your car. If it was a perimeter style, that would be cool.
 
Thanks for the info.
You are welcome. It just took me a second when my alert said "Google quoted your post"

So hardwiring is not an option.
The easiest way as Xybone mentions would be a splitter. I would take it one step further and buy one with an external switch on it so instead of plugging and unplugged you just have to flip a switch. Amazon and Walmart carry them.

do these dashcams have an orientation sensor? I also wonder about their motion sensor capabilities. I would worry they may turn off idling in traffic and not detect anything
Some models have menu choices to mirror and rotate video, but I don't believe any camera has a sensor to do it on its own.

Most motion detection I have dealt with is a little slow. It's a bit of it's nature I guess. I would suggest leaving a camera always recording over motion detection until DashCams gain the ability to save X seconds before and X seconds after motion like some other camera systems. At a long light I have had the camera stop recording before because of no motion.

Any worry about keying your car or any real vandalism I would suggest an external camera system if possible over a DashCam.
 
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