1st Dash Cam Recommendations Please

[Portlanders]

I´m confusing myself as to what i need, there are many options out there, so please can i have some help?

I have a 2021 Kona Electric, and want a small dash cam, the more unobtrusive the better.
I don´t want something massive to distract me when driving.
I have purchased a Dongar adapter so i can connect the Dash Cam via my rear view mirror - thus the Dash Cam will only be powered on when the car is powered on.

I would like a dash cam that is small, my original find was the Garmin Mini 2, but for the price i wondered if i would get better?
I would like a parking mode but i don´t think that would be possible given the Dash Cam will only be switched on when the car is on.
The basic requirement is a good video resolution, a wide angle, and ease to extract any video footage onto a laptop / chromebook.

Does the Garmin sound ok, or would something like a Viofo A119 V3 be better? Is 140 degree wide enough? So confused!

Budget up to £150

Thank you so much.

 

[kamkar]

Welcome to the forum Portlanders.

The Kona as i recall do not have a super large sensor array in front of the mirror, but i do think the real estate there are taken none the less.
So you are probably forced to mount offset a little to either side of the mirror ( still as high as you can or course, and within wiper range.
So mounting to a side a wedge shaped camera like the Viofo A119 V3 you have been looking on would be ideal, but you should probably look at the A119 mini 2 instead.
If you mount below the sensor array housing, a cylinder shaped camera might be better in this location, it depend a little, if the sensor housing have a flat underside, you could mount a wedge camera onto that, though it would then be facing a lot down.

BTW mounting offset to the side of the sensor housing, you still have to space it out a little more CUZ otherwise that might be in the frame due to the wide angle lens.
You can always experiment with the camera on so you can see screen or preview footage in the APP, then you can move it around to see where it is good and not obstructed.
Mounting offset to a side of course mean you will loose a little at the very opposite edge, but i have never seen a case where that would be bad, but as the windscreen curve you will be a few degrees off to the side you mount the camera to.

Most dashcams if not mounted right in the middle of everything are discreet, if it have a screen it should turn off in seconds, having it on might actually be illegal in some places, so at worst you will have a little indicator LED going.

I can not recall what is in the Garmin mini 2, but you should look for a system with the starvis 2 sensors in them, this is IMX 675 for 1440p resolution cameras and IMX 678 for 4K cameras.

You sound set for just a front camera, and that is fine too, it record all you do, so even if someone ram you from behind, you can still prove its not your fault CUZ you did not suddenly change lane or brake / whatever the other part might claim to try and get off the hook.
Rear camera are nice and i do recommend those too, but it is for sure not a absolute must have.

Do also have in mind, in much selling material on the net some dashcams appear to be super large in the photos, but that is rarely the case.

Also browse the picture heavy " where did you mount your dashcam " thread, you will of course not find your particular car in there, but probably many with sort of the same windscreen layout as you have, and then you can see what people have done with their car / camera.

Where did you mount the camera? Post your pictures

I mounted my A139 Pro to the plastic around the sensor array in my Kia EV6. I tried Viofo's 3M tape and several other 3M tapes I saw mentioned on here, but none of them would last longer than a couple of weeks in the summer before I'd come out from work in the afternoon and find the camera...

dashcamtalk.com

 

[Portlanders]

Thank you so much, I have been so busy looking at the different dash cams, and best way to install it without cable runs, that i never considered the location.
I shall certainly have a look at that thread right now, and have added the A119 mini 2 to my short list contenders.
I am also browsing the relevant brand boards to get an idea of user information and feedback.

Thank you again

 

[Panzer Platform]

I´m confusing myself as to what i need, there are many options out there, so please can i have some help?

Welcome to the club.

 

[Nigel]

Is 140 degree wide enough?

Yes, but don't look too much at the FoV numbers, they are never accurate for comparisons.

The A119 Mini 2 has a wider lens than the V3, and is a better camera, it uses the latest Sony Starvis 2 sensor with much better HDR than previous dashcams. Depending on the mounting position, the Viofo VS1 may also be worth considering since it mounts somewhat differently.

 

[Portlanders]

Thank you for the vid reviews - i´ll be looking at more on youtube.

The mounting position is something i am now looking at in regards to which model will be best. But that Viofo VS1 on first impressions looks ideal for me.
Will take a look on the other boards if it´s been mentioned.

Thank you

 

[Panzer Platform]

But that Viofo VS1 on first impressions looks ideal for me

Ask @rcg530 if he recommends the A119 Mini 2, or the VS1.
He's tested both.

 

[Portlanders]

Quick question i see Viofo have a sale on the VS1 mini and it also comes with a 32gb sd card....... i was going to buy a 512gb card.... will the included card suffice, or am i better going for the increased capacity card?
Thank you

 

[Barneyb100]

Portlanders, I'm not recommending a Nextbase, but on their website, there is an excellent graphic which explains where the dash cam should be positioned to be legal in UK. For ref, I have a Viof Mini 2 and am happy with it so far, 32gb is OK, but will keep overwriting the files, I've currently gone for 256gb, and that keeps files quite along time before card is full and starts over writing, gives you time to download files if you want to keep some.

 

[Nigel]

Quick question i see Viofo have a sale on the VS1 mini and it also comes with a 32gb sd card....... i was going to buy a 512gb card.... will the included card suffice, or am i better going for the increased capacity card?
Thank you

For a single channel camera, 32GB is enough, but on long journeys it will overwrite the start of the journey, so it is good to have a cheap spare that you can swap in to protect things you want to be sure of keeping on the first. The Viofo cards are very high quality with long lifetimes, so it is a good offer.

there is an excellent graphic which explains where the dash cam should be positioned to be legal in UK.

Yes, essentially you want it looking through the area swept by the wipers, but you are only allowed to go 4cm into that area, otherwise it is an MOT fail, although they are unlikely to fail anything that looks sensible, and you can always dismount it for the MOT.

 

[Panzer Platform]

Quick question i see Viofo have a sale on the VS1 mini and it also comes with a 32gb sd card....... i was going to buy a 512gb card.... will the included card suffice, or am i better going for the increased capacity card?
Thank you

“Always” buy the largest capacity SD Card you can afford.
"Always" use the highest Bitrate setting available.
"Always" keep a spare SD Card in the car.
When it comes to Viofo dash cams “only” use Viofo Brand SD Cards if you value your sanity.
Of course you should be able to use any brand you desire that meets specifications, but that is not reality.
There are only 3 “approved” SD Cards for Viofo dash cams.

 

[kamkar]

512 GB is a very large card, especially for a 1 channel system, you will be just fine with 256GB, IMHO you should not go lower than that ( make sure to verify the recommended memory card brand / models for the system you decide on )

The VS1 is a very new system, but its not like i would hold that against it or Viofo, generally basic functions work on day #1 with any system, but brands like Viofo will refine and add things after launch.
Sadly i have not been privy to the latest systems from Viofo so i will have to lean on the info of my fellow dashcam addicts.

 

[Barneyb100]

Just for info, if you car goes into a dealer, make sure the dashcam works when you get car back, dealers have a habit of removing/disconnecting dashcams when cars are in the workshop.

 

[Nigel]

“Always” buy the largest capacity SD Card you can afford.
"Always" use the highest Bitrate setting available.
"Always" keep a spare SD Card in the car.
When it comes to Viofo dash cams “only” use Viofo Brand SD Cards if you value your sanity.

That is very good advice for a 3 channel dashcam, but really unnecessary for a single channel camera!

I would expect almost any micro SD card to work in the VS1, no need to stick to Viofo brand cards, and I would be quite happy with a 64GB card. I would prefer more than 32GB, but if it is only used for accident recording then realistically, 32GB is more than enough, especially if you have a spare to swap over.

Do use the highest bitrate setting, that is not particularly high on the VS1 anyway, although it still manages pretty decent image quality.

 

[Portlanders]

Thanks all, i´m surprised to see the A119 Mini 2, and the VS1 Mini are priced essentially the same, but with the latter coming with the free sd card, and the smaller footprint which i am leaning towards.
The A119 Mini 2 does show 30 & 60fps options, but i wonder if the 60fps is for a lower resolution - both models advertise 2560x144p.
I take onboard the SD card requirements, and if i go with the VS1 mini i´ll see how the free sd card goes before buying a higher capacity ones, as my journeys are not regular and all relatively short distances.
I will not bother with parking features, as will be taking power from the rear view mirror.

Sounds like, with all your help, i´ve narrowed it down to the 2 dash cams - both higher spec´d than my original thought, and cheaper too.
This is such a generous, friendly, forum.

Just to add, as there were posts when i was typing this, that the purpose of my dash cam is to just record incidents. I am a low mileage user, and only make like 4-5 journeys a week on average, and less than 25 miles each time.

Thank you for all your help so far.

 

[kamkar]

I use 256GB cards, and even with 3 channel system, and me only driving 15-20 minutes a day on average, then i have footage going back 3 weeks on a full memory card.
So just 1 channel even if you drive more every day will give you that kind of backlog.

Of course be careful if you have G-sensor on while driving, that could create a lot of false events that will eat into the dynamic memory space assigned for events, as i recall that space can grow as large as 50 GB that will take away from how much regular footage you will be able to store.
I do not use G-sensor when driving, i use the event button to save little things in traffic, and if i just go for those every 2-3 months i am more than good as i only generate 2-3 events a week.

 

[kamkar]

The VS1 dont come with a CPL filter, and i think compared to others it is a little more complicated to put on.
TBH i am not sure about the mini 2 have CPL filter in the box, it should CUZ all people need a CPL filter, if you do not you are very lucky.

 

[Nigel]

but i wonder if the 60fps is for a lower resolution

It will do 60fps at full resolution, it has a more powerful processor, and does higher bitrate than the VS1, that is why you don't get a free card for the similar price.

If you wanted parking mode then I would suggest the Mini, if you want 60fps then go for the Mini, but I don't consider 60fps to be much benefit for accident recording. If you want the very best image quality then the higher bitrate is good, but I suspect you would be very happy with either. For making movies, neither is ideal.

The VS1 dont come with a CPL filter, and i think compared to others it is a little more complicated to put on.
TBH i am not sure about the mini 2 have CPL filter in the box, it should CUZ all people need a CPL filter, if you do not you are very lucky.

Both will have optional CPL filters very soon, the Mini 2 already has optional.
If you need it or not depends on the car, but generally it is recommended if available.

 

[Portlanders]

Thank you, does sound like a larger card will be required, if i go for the VS1 i could keep the free card as a backup.

 

[kamkar]

NP.
We are senior members, and here to make sure you can make a informed decision on what to do.