70mai S500 Dash Camera review, Sony Starvis 2 in a mirror form-factor?

[Augustus]

70mai are well-known for their releases in the last few years with the first Sony Starvis 2 4K solution in the A810, and also the innovative rotating Omni. They're back at it again with the S500, the first time a Starvis 2 sensor has been seen from any brand in a rear-view mirror. Let's explore what this dashcam is all about.



70mai S500 (SigmaStar 8826Q, Sony Starvis 2 IMX675, SmartSens SC200AI) Review

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Firmware: V1.1.23ww.2024.01.17. This is the firmware version loaded onto the device from the factory - I did not receive any further updates during the testing period.

App for testing: Android version 3.5.7, obtained from Google Play Store.
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The verdict:

It has been a number of years since I've used a rear-view mirror dashcam. Although it was aeons ago, it felt more like a novelty to me that a camera could be integrated into a mirror solution. However, with the 70mai S500, I've come around to the idea of a mirror dashcam and how it can help road users. A lot of users may not have the funds for a newer car purchase, in which case the S500 brings them forward with today's technological dashcam advancements.

70mai should be commended for implementing a Starvis 2 solution in a simple touchscreen display package. It's not just a pretty face - it has the video quality to backup its intentions.




My nitpickings:

• App options are a little barebones in comparison to its competitors (would have preferred options to include plate number, flip rear camera orientation etc). Also, why do I have to sign-up for an account just to connect to the dashcam?
• Rear camera sensor doesn't perform the best at night - but I'm sure that in coming years waterproof Starvis 2 solutions will come to market
• Niggly bugs - had a couple of instances where the camera would not power on, and also forgot my last saved camera view
• May not make as much sense for newer vehicles with ADAS hardware stalks on the front windshield, as this can obstruct the recorded view

The positive:

• Clean form factor in a well-designed retail package
• Decent video quality from the Sony Starvis 2 IMX675 sensor, sets a precedent for rear-view mirror dashcams going forward
• Clear and crisp display that isn't too reflective, with many options such as re-positioning and multi-view
• Ambient light sensor works very well in all lighting conditions, adapting quickly
• Heat dissipation solution works well (supercapacitor not battery), as the S500 doesn't overheat even with high ambient temperatures
• Rear-camera parking assist lines work well with the rear RC13 camera

 

[Augustus]

70mai S500 Dash Camera sample footage:


Daytime Footage (front): 2.7K max bitrate, HDR on:

Daytime Footage (rear): 1080p max bitrate, HDR on:

Night Footage (front): 2.7K max bitrate, HDR on:

Night Footage (rear): 1080p max bitrate, HDR on:

 

[icore]

Hi
is the night time footage better than on S1 Pro thank you

 

[hieppg]

One benefit (or drawback?) of having account logon in 70mai app is that - the connected devices come with the account. So that when you logon to 70mai app from a new phone, you see you cams there in the new phone.
The true drawback is - you cannot logon with the same account on two phones at the same time.

 

[Augustus]

Hi
is the night time footage better than on S1 Pro thank you

For front camera I would say so yes, owing to bitrates and the like. Rear camera definitely not. I haven't done a direct comparison so would be interesting to see....

 

[Augustus]

One benefit (or drawback?) of having account logon in 70mai app is that - the connected devices come with the account. So that when you logon to 70mai app from a new phone, you see you cams there in the new phone.
The true drawback is - you cannot logon with the same account on two phones at the same time.

This is true but to be honest how many folks are going to have multiple dashcams. I think that number would be in the very very slight minority. The account creation linkage with Google didn't even work correctly when I set it up either 🙁

 

[Augustus]

Just as a quick follow-up, there has been no further global firmware updates released since the last v1.1.23ww, dated January 2024.

Have searched online and this appears to have been backed up by other publications. As such, my views and conclusions on the S500 remain unchanged at this time.

 

[dashtalk]

Just as a quick follow-up, there has been no further global firmware updates released since the last v1.1.23ww, dated January 2024.

Have searched online and this appears to have been backed up by other publications. As such, my views and conclusions on the S500 remain unchanged at this time.

Wished they would update to include rear recording for parking mode

 

[dashtalk]

I just had mine installed yesterday, reverse camera mode is disappointing. The rear camera FOV is not wide enough for it to be a proper back up camera rather a dual channel camera that happens to display the rear. The lines are useless as they don’t match the FOV, you could be deep in the red line yet you have a lot of space left. The alternative is to angle the camera down but then you miss the whole picture as the camera will only me capturing the road

I found a happy medium for it to record and still work as a backup/reverse camera but expecting it to work as a back up camera like in newer vehicles is far from it

As a dual channel dashcam, it works well but if I wanted one I would’ve bought viofo separately.

TLDR: does not work well as a reverse camera due to limited FOV, it’ll only work as a surveillance rear camera

 

[hieppg]

... The lines are useless as they don’t match the FOV, you could be deep in the red line yet you have a lot of space left. The alternative is to angle the camera down but then you miss the whole picture as the camera will only me capturing the road...

I wonder if you tried adjusting the lines to better match with the camera view?

I personally don't use the reverse camera feature of S500 as my car has its own already.

 

[dashtalk]

I wonder if you tried adjusting the lines to better match with the camera view?

I personally don't use the reverse camera feature of S500 as my car has its own already.

I tried for like a good hour, I could not get it to work for both parking and rear dashcam. Lucky I already had my old A129 that I used as a rear cam.

 

[Augustus]

For those playing along at home, there's been some more updates to the 70mai APP in the Google Play Store:

70mai - Apps on Google Play

70mai App is a mobile phone software used with 70mai Smart Dash Cam.

play.google.com

The latest version is now 3.7.2 and brings the following improvements:

- added support for swiping left/right in local albums for playback
- introduced zoom and playback speed adjustments in local albums
- fixed numerous Japanese translation issues
- fixed the issue where speed units were inconsistent with video in certain scenarios
- other various bug fixes

 

[Augustus]

For those playing along at home, there's been some more updates to the 70mai APP in the Google Play Store:

70mai - Apps on Google Play

70mai App is a mobile phone software used with 70mai Smart Dash Cam.

play.google.com

The latest version is now 3.8.1 and brings the following improvements:

- added Master Watermark feature (4K images only)
- fixed some translation issues
- fixed other known issues

 

[dashtalk]

Wished they would fix the FOV on parking mode and how the screen saver recording light is not a representation of the actual status of the camera

 

[hieppg]

Wished they would fix the FOV on parking mode and how the screen saver recording light is not a representation of the actual status of the camera

I truly don't understand the description of your FOV problem.

Have you tried all of the below?
1. Adjust the physical angle of the cam (yes, I believe)
2. Adjust the view angle for the displayed image on the screen? (swiping up/down on the screen to adjust from the default views; view angle can be adjusted for normal and reverse modes independently)
3. Adjust on the screen the parking guide (red/green) lines further/closer as you like

I believe the combination of those three settings should give enough flexibility for anyone to find a sweet spot for their likes.

 

[Augustus]

For those playing along at home, there's been some more updates to the 70mai APP in the Google Play Store:

70mai - Apps on Google Play

70mai App is a mobile phone software used with 70mai Smart Dash Cam.

play.google.com

The latest version is now 3.8.2 and brings the following improvements:

- fix the issue of account registration failure

 

[Augustus]

Another update to the 70mai APP in the Google Play Store:

70mai - Apps on Google Play

70mai App is a mobile phone software used with 70mai Smart Dash Cam.

play.google.com

The latest version is now 3.8.3 and brings the following improvements:

- Omni 4K now supports Surround Scan
- A510 adds GPS time synchronisation

 

[Augustus]

There has been some more updates to the 70mai APP in the Google Play Store:

70mai - Apps on Google Play

70mai App is a mobile phone software used with 70mai Smart Dash Cam.

play.google.com

The latest version is now 3.9.0 and brings the following improvements:

- Support for new device T800
- Add auto-marking for viewed and downloaded files
- Add Malaysian regulatory information for certain devices
- Fix Master watermark time format error
- Fix some English and Arabic translation issues
- Fix other known issues

 

[Augustus]

There has been a firmware update released for the S500, taking it from version 1.1.23ww to 2.3.29ww.

Changelog:
- added product regulatory information settings
- fixed other known issues

 

[Augustus]

There has been a firmware update released for the S500, taking it from version 2.3.29ww to 2.4.30ww.

Changelog:
- fix known issues