7 Cam Test: Mobius 1 & 2, GitUp F1 & G3, A119, B1W, Xiaomi Mijia Mini

TonyM

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Dash Cam
A139, M1S
Ever since its release in 2013 the Mobius 1 has been a firm favourite amongst many dashcam owners. Good image quality, superb reliability, extensive firmware and hardware options in a compact package with many mounting options, and all at low cost, explain this little camera's popularity.

Its successor the Mobius 2 arrived in 2016 but has struggled to reach the same level of performance. The M2 in this comparison is running one of the latest beta FW versions

So how does the M1 compare to the latest crop of action cameras and dedicated dash cameras? The GitUp F1 offers 4K resolution in a similar form factor to the Mobius. The A119 is a 1440p dashcam at a similar price to the Mobius 1. The B1W offers 1080p with a supercapacitor for even less than the Mobius and in a different compact shape. I also have the GitUp G3 and Xiaomi Mijia Mini cameras to hand, so they have made it into the comparison. The Mijia has the same IXM317 sensor and A12 processor as the F1, so the differences between them should be largely due to the lens and firmware.

For this first comparison, all cameras are set to their highest resolution at 30fps. No WDR. No CPL. No image stabilisation. Default image adjustment parameters.

The comparison video is at 4K 30fps. Individual camera frames are at their respective full resolution.

7Cam Afternoon Comparison
GitUp F1 4K : GitUp G3 1440p : Xiaomi Mijia Mini 4K
A119 1440p
Mobius 1 (Lens D) 1080p : B1W 1080p : Mobius 2 1080p

Link to Original 4K comparison video on MEGA

Frame comparison #1
zAtHHJQ.jpg


A119
3mkRz9L.jpg


B1W
qlijCiL.jpg


F1
mqLCisn.jpg


G3
QVAB9S8.jpg


M1
vwcIE78.jpg


M2
ig5eC7c.jpg


Mijia
nIlv9Wu.jpg


Frame comparison #2
SCQEFL5.jpg


A119
GpkDTaK.jpg


B1W
vgBaBZt.jpg


F1
ia68s1B.jpg


G3
4ePegDf.jpg


M1
mhsY5wu.jpg


M2
0NC4wtK.jpg


Mijia
kHu1CaG.jpg
 
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Frame comparison #3
dy2rAkv.jpg


A119
DJzs0N8.jpg


B1W
heUZbe1.jpg


F1
UEHNjwr.jpg


G3
B8vvp2O.jpg


M1
7nauABO.jpg


M2
SkR3Eng.jpg


Mijia
3x8ackc.jpg


Brief summary:
The Mobius 1 has performed well in this late afternoon light with the sun low on the horizon. Only the M2 and A119 had less motion blur, and these three were the only ones to capture the number plate of the stationary car in the third comparison. The M2 has more noise as a consequence of the higher gain required for the shorter exposure duration.
The higher resolution F1, Mijia and G3 do not perform at their best when the light level is falling, at least in terms of detail captured and motion blur. Arguably they have the better metering, dynamic range, colours and overall visual appearance in this test, along with the A119. The M1 appears a bit dark, and the M2 even darker.
The forthcoming faster 90deg lens for the F1 should improve it's dashcam performance.
The B1W puts on a good show. Its metering seems to opt for a brighter exposure than the rest, although I admit that it was aimed lower than the other cameras. The brighter exposure and higher contrast brings out car colours and other roadside features from the shadow areas, but the finer detail on number plates and street signs are not a match for the Mobius 1. The developer is considering reducing the auto-exposure in a firmware update.

I have recorded another video set later into the afternoon, with darker skies and more streetlight illumination, which I will compile and upload next week. Further comparisons that I had planned are on hold while my car is being fixed following a minor accident....
 
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That B1w could easy go up a notch in exposure timing it look, also in the top test i am amazed there are no more motion blur in the M2 compared to the others, i feel like the M2 favor dropping to slowest possible exposure timing even in the light of day.

Its insane how the good old M1 keep up so well with cameras made with much newer components.
 
That B1w could easy go up a notch in exposure timing it look, also in the top test i am amazed there are no more motion blur in the M2 compared to the others, i feel like the M2 favor dropping to slowest possible exposure timing even in the light of day.

Its insane how the good old M1 keep up so well with cameras made with much newer components.
I think the M2 is also using a significantly higher ISO to give less motion blur, hence the grainy image quality.

The B1W could maybe learn a lesson from the M2, but a lot of the time it does surprisingly well on reading plates despite a low bitrate, which may be a result of using low ISO, it is just at higher speeds that it has problems with motion blur. Since it doesn't have GPS it can't increase the ISO with car speed.
 
ISO is a measure of photographic film's sensitivity to light. It doesn't really exist in digital cameras although we often see the term used. ISO used in digital cameras was intended only to provide some continuity from film cameras and to correlate the camera sensitivity with light meters. ISO and gain are for all practical purposes the same thing on digital cameras except that to increase sensitivity the gain is increased even though the camera's sensor is no more or less sensitive to light. Interestingly, higher numbers on both mediums produce more "grain" although with film it was actual small grains of metallic silver and with digital sensors it is a form of electronic noise; a bit like turning up the volume on a stereo amplifier and hearing a hiss. (although audio is more complex than that). Anyway, I think @TonyM was on target when he said, "The M2 has more noise as a consequence of the higher gain required for the shorter exposure duration."

I'd be interested to know which metering settings were used in the "dark" M2 images. I believe there is potential for improving this using the extensive options available. Also, do any of these other cameras offer metering options similar to the Mobius 2?
 
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ISO is a measure of photographic film's sensitivity to light. It doesn't really exist in digital cameras although we often see the term used. ISO used in digital cameras was intended only to provide some continuity from film cameras and to correlate the camera sensitivity with light meters. ISO and gain are for all practical purposes the same thing on digital cameras except that to increase sensitivity the gain is increased even though the camera's sensor is no more or less sensitive to light. Interestingly, higher numbers on both mediums produce more "grain" although with film it was actual small grains of a metallic silver and with digital sensors it is a form of electronic noise; a bit like turning up the volume on a stereo amplifier and hearing a hiss. (although audio is more complex than that). Anyway, I think @TonyM was on target when he said, "The M2 has more noise as a consequence of the higher gain required for the shorter exposure duration."

I'd be interested to know which metering settings were used in the "dark" M2 images. I believe there is potential for improving this using the extensive options available. Also, do any of these other cameras offer metering options similar to the Mobius 2?
Of course ISO exists in digital cameras, see the International Standards Organisation specification ISO 12232:2006 which defines how to measure the ISO of digital still cameras.

ISO and sensor gain are not the same thing since ISO is measured based on the values in the jpg files, some cameras may have fixed gain and vary the ISO only using the raw to jpg conversion, many increase the sensor gain in large steps and use the raw to jpg conversion to make fine steps.
 
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That B1w could easy go up a notch in exposure timing it look, also in the top test i am amazed there are no more motion blur in the M2 compared to the others, i feel like the M2 favor dropping to slowest possible exposure timing even in the light of day.

Its insane how the good old M1 keep up so well with cameras made with much newer components.
The recent focus of firmware development on the M2 has been the reduction of motion blur in low light for better number plate recognition. It appears that Mobius have succeeded to a point, although the trade off is higher noise from the elevated ISO / gain. The next comparison videos I took in lower light have a better example of how much less motion blur is evident with the M2 compared to the other cameras on test.
 
Of course ISO exists in digital cameras, see the International Standards Organisation specification ISO 12232:2006 which defines how to measure the ISO of digital still cameras.

ISO and sensor gain are not the same thing since ISO is measured based on the values in the jpg files, some cameras may have fixed gain and vary the ISO only using the raw to jpg conversion, many increase the sensor gain in large steps and use the raw to jpg conversion to make fine steps.

As described in the standard, it is a method of "assigning" speed ratings, ISO speed latitude ratings, standard output sensitivity values, and "recommended" exposure index values. The ISO system specifically referring to "film speed" is the measure of a photographic film's actual sensitivity to light, not an "assigned" designation grafted onto digital.

Edit: BTW, every digital camera has something called “Base ISO”, which is typically the lowest ISO number of the sensor that can produce the highest image quality, without adding noise to the picture. Any user (or firmware) increase of ISO sensitivity settings is an increase in gain.
 
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I think the M2 is also using a significantly higher ISO to give less motion blur, hence the grainy image quality.

The B1W could maybe learn a lesson from the M2, but a lot of the time it does surprisingly well on reading plates despite a low bitrate, which may be a result of using low ISO, it is just at higher speeds that it has problems with motion blur. Since it doesn't have GPS it can't increase the ISO with car speed.
Are there any cameras that do use the GPS data to adjust ISO based on a vehicle's speed? I wasn't aware such a link existed, although it sounds good.

The B1W does appear to use a lower ISO in general, resulting in cleaner frames with less noise at low speed, but loss of detail due to blur at higher speeds.

I have tried to pick representative frames from different scenes to compare the cameras at varying speeds.
 
I'd be interested to know which metering settings were used in the "dark" M2 images. I believe there is potential for improving this using the extensive options available. Also, do any of these other cameras offer metering options similar to the Mobius 2?
The M2 settings were; centre weighted metering, with bright light priority. EV, contrast, sharpness and saturation are all at 0.

There is potential for improving the exposure using the range of adjustments available on the M2, but that's not the purpose of this particular comparison. Please also bear in mind that this is a beta FW version on the M2 so the forthcoming public release may not be exactly the same.

There are metering, EV, contrast and sharpness options in all of the other cameras, apart from the B1W which is fixed.

I could try to find the optimal settings for each camera in different lighting conditions, then do the comparisons, but that would take much more time than I can spare. Personally I prefer the M2 output on this beta firmware with the EV set to +64.
 
The M2 settings were; centre weighted metering, with bright light priority. EV, contrast, sharpness and saturation are all at 0.

There is potential for improving the exposure using the range of adjustments available on the M2, but that's not the purpose of this particular comparison. Please also bear in mind that this is a beta FW version on the M2 so the forthcoming public release may not be exactly the same.

There are metering, EV, contrast and sharpness options in all of the other cameras, apart from the B1W which is fixed.

I could try to find the optimal settings for each camera in different lighting conditions, then do the comparisons, but that would take much more time than I can spare. Personally I prefer the M2 output on this beta firmware with the EV set to +64.

Thanks!

Yeah, I kind of assumed you had the cameras in the default settings but was wondering specifically about the metering. Also, with different cameras and different FOV lenses it's essentially impossible to have the exact same amount of sky in each capture but I see you've come as close as practical.
 
Thanks!

Yeah, I kind of assumed you had the cameras in the default settings but was wondering specifically about the metering. Also, with different cameras and different FOV lenses it's essentially impossible to have the exact same amount of sky in each capture but I see you've come as close as practical.
I don't have 7 USB cables to the front (only 5) so I usually have to bring one or two cameras inside to charge the batteries on those without external power. Between re-mounting those charged up cameras, the limitations of each mount I'm using, plus the physical separation of each camera across the screen, I can't get all the cameras aligned exactly the same.
 
I don't have 7 USB cables to the front (only 5) so I usually have to bring one or two cameras inside to charge the batteries on those without external power. Between re-mounting those charged up cameras, the limitations of each mount I'm using, plus the physical separation of each camera across the screen, I can't get all the cameras aligned exactly the same.

Still, you do a pretty good job of it! :)
 
Still, you do a pretty good job of it! :)
Amen to that (y) Would be nice (but a nightmare) to see this again with optimized settings which might change the outcome considerably. There were some surprises in this for me- I expected better from the G3 and Mijia, and the B1W did far more than it's specs and cost would lead one to think.

Thanks for the very well done job :D

Phil
 
After I'm done with the testing on default parameters, I might have a go with optimised settings. Not sure what they are, yet!

I'll try to upload the second comparison in lower light on Tuesday, after editing the video on Monday.
 
Are there any cameras that do use the GPS data to adjust ISO based on a vehicle's speed? I wasn't aware such a link existed, although it sounds good.
In all the GPS cameras I have, GPS is optional so they don't do this. I would expect some of the more expensive dashcams to do it but I don't know if any do.

It is of questionable value since your speed and the speed of the car that hits you could be very different, and if the car is going in the same direction as you then there is probably little relative speed whatever the GPS says, however I do think it would be worth doing and would like to see someone try it. Your images show the difference it could make at higher speeds.


The B1W does appear to use a lower ISO in general, resulting in cleaner frames with less noise at low speed, but loss of detail due to blur at higher speeds.

I have tried to pick representative frames from different scenes to compare the cameras at varying speeds.
Hard to tell how much noise there is since the bitrate is so low the noise all gets cleaned up and not recorded, however it does seem to have a lot more motion blur than other cameras with the same sensor, eg the rear of the mini 0906. The Gitup Git1 has a IMX 322 sensor and I've used that as a side camera with surprisingly little motion blur, a very different result.

...There were some surprises in this for me- I expected better from the G3 and Mijia, and the B1W did far more than it's specs and cost would lead one to think.
...
The G3 is very good as a 1080 action camera, it is not really designed for car dashcam use and is not at its best in low light. It would probably do a better job using it's zoom to collect more plate detail since it does have a 4K sensor and is able to zoom in without using interpolation.

The B1W as the cheapest camera in the test does well, and it's a nice small simple dashcam, everything you really need.


The results might be quite different in bright light. in all of these images the cars have their headlights on, which in the UK means that it was quite dark!
Need to do a repeat test in the spring, although of course we do need our dashcams to work in mid December!
 
This is my LOW LIGHT follow-up to my 7-camera comparison, recorded about 45minutes later than the previous videos, a little while after sunset. Car headlights and streetlights are now much more prominent light sources, and there is a wider range between the bright lights and the deep shadows. Frame exposures are longer, leading to more motion blur in all the cameras.

A reminder of the camera settings, which are identical to the first comparison:

GitUp F1 4K : GitUp G3 1440p : Xiaomi Mijia Mini 4K
A119 1440p
Mobius 1 (Lens D) 1080p : B1W 1080p : Mobius 2 1080p

All cameras are set to their highest resolution at 30fps. No WDR. No CPL. No image stabilisation. Default image adjustment parameters.
The comparison video was compiled at 4K 30fps. Individual camera frames are at their respective full resolution.

Link to 4K original comparison on MEGA (1.0GB)

Frame comparison #1
tQetliE.jpg


A119
UWi7VhA.jpg


B1W
7fb01Gv.jpg


F1
5ul9H9S.jpg


G3
MyO9ky9.jpg


M1
Uf31YE5.jpg


M2
LDdEtuW.jpg


Mijia
y6rqKmw.jpg


The A119 has done well to not over-expose the number plate in front of the car, despite WDR being turned off.
The M2 is the only camera to have recorded the number plate of the passing car (YX17 TPZ).
The brighter video of the B1W shows the jogger on the pavement better than the rest.
The M1 video is noticeably less noisy than the M2, but picks up less detail on moving subjects.

Frame comparison #2
1 second later, the higher resolution A119 picks up the number plate at a greater distance, whereas the M2 loses this detail.
The F1 and G3 come closer to reading the plate, with the Mijia lagging behind.
ev1Yesv.jpg


A119
jMfe3uu.jpg


B1W
BaN8zgd.jpg


F1
qA9PaeZ.jpg


G3
XxS08Jq.jpg


M1
Iu9UWjD.jpg


M2
r3vsg64.jpg


Mijia
tEU4C9e.jpg
 
Frame comparison #3
Relative movement between a number of vehicles and a street sign, both in line with and across my direction of travel

U41d3Fh.jpg


A119
LuziFYw.jpg


B1W
Cn3xwYN.jpg


F1
1CQOJmf.jpg


G3
0hJ0PiD.jpg


M1
SaR7nfa.jpg


M2
9YY5U3L.jpg


Mijia
WSg2FLT.jpg


The A119 has produced the sharpest frame, followed by the G3 and B1W. Unfortunately the B1W has blown the highlights on the car in front. The M2 is looking rather noisy and off-colour, although please note this is still running on beta FW.
 
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