Hello, I've been looking at the Dashcam Talk website for weeks and though the information on models is wonderfully thorough, I am still having difficulty picking out which camera(s) to buy. I would greatly appreciate your help, advice, and suggestions.
Considerations:
1) Temperature: I'm located in New England in the USA. In winter, it can get to 0F (-18C). In the summer, it can reach the high 90's (32C), but may be hotter inside the car. I don't have a garage to put my car in, so the vehicle will experience these temperatures. Does this limit me to capacitor models only?
2) more than one camera? I am worried about what happens to my car in the parking lot while I'm at work - that it could get hit or scratched. Would a rear-view camera be helpful in that situation? Would it be helpful when driving on the highway? I am thinking of the scenario of someone drifting from their lane and side-swiping me (which may not be captured on a front-facing camera).
3) I have a hatchback Subaru Imprezza 2011. There are airbags in the front side panels, and the fusebox is on the driver's side of the car. Not sure if this makes any difference as to what camera you'd recommend.
4) day/night: I am looking for something with good night quality. (sunset in winter can be around 4PM)
5) GPS. Do I need this? The GPS seems like a double-edged sword. What are the benefits? What are the draw backs? Note: There are many highways in my state where the speed of traffic is 10mph or greater than the posted (legal) speed limit.
6) Cost: I'd like to keep this as low as possible without compromising quality. I figure that it would easily pay for itself (even the expensive dual channel cameras) if it proved my innocence in an accident. So, let's say that cost is not an issue, but I don't want to pay extra for features that won't be used.
I plan to trade in my car in the future. Will wiring up the camera void my warranty or make it difficult to remove the cameras to put in a new car? Do I need to hire a car electrician mechanic to install wiring? For a front facing camera, I could tack the wires along the frame of the car's interior (no removing panels). Could I do that for a rear facing camera?
Considerations:
1) Temperature: I'm located in New England in the USA. In winter, it can get to 0F (-18C). In the summer, it can reach the high 90's (32C), but may be hotter inside the car. I don't have a garage to put my car in, so the vehicle will experience these temperatures. Does this limit me to capacitor models only?
2) more than one camera? I am worried about what happens to my car in the parking lot while I'm at work - that it could get hit or scratched. Would a rear-view camera be helpful in that situation? Would it be helpful when driving on the highway? I am thinking of the scenario of someone drifting from their lane and side-swiping me (which may not be captured on a front-facing camera).
3) I have a hatchback Subaru Imprezza 2011. There are airbags in the front side panels, and the fusebox is on the driver's side of the car. Not sure if this makes any difference as to what camera you'd recommend.
4) day/night: I am looking for something with good night quality. (sunset in winter can be around 4PM)
5) GPS. Do I need this? The GPS seems like a double-edged sword. What are the benefits? What are the draw backs? Note: There are many highways in my state where the speed of traffic is 10mph or greater than the posted (legal) speed limit.
6) Cost: I'd like to keep this as low as possible without compromising quality. I figure that it would easily pay for itself (even the expensive dual channel cameras) if it proved my innocence in an accident. So, let's say that cost is not an issue, but I don't want to pay extra for features that won't be used.
I plan to trade in my car in the future. Will wiring up the camera void my warranty or make it difficult to remove the cameras to put in a new car? Do I need to hire a car electrician mechanic to install wiring? For a front facing camera, I could tack the wires along the frame of the car's interior (no removing panels). Could I do that for a rear facing camera?