Another What should I buy question?

[nikiangel]

Hello Dear Members,
I'm going for my first dash cam but even that I spent some time reading/researching I prefer to hear the opinion of more experienced than me users in this area...just because there are so many dash cams out there. I will number the criteria by importance for me. Budget is ~150 GBP, but if it appears that for 200 I will get something lot more better than the best for 150, I may go for it.

1.Reliability, that's most important for me, I don't want to click, tune, reset or whatever while I'm driving. Even the best image quality or richest on features camera is useless for me if for example it often bothers me to reset because of overheating, or crashes/freezes or resets itself etc.
2. Longevity, that's the 2nd most important thing for me. I saw some comments that good models lasting an year or 2 because of crappy battery etc. Investing in something that I will throw in the bin after months/year or 2 is not an option for me even if it has the best image quality in the world.
3. Image quality (not resolution). That's the 3rd most important for me. Daylight image quality is more important for me than night mode.
4. Everything else. It will be good to have but not a deal breaker for me if it's missing(as long as the first 3 are there):GPS, speed cams, dual recording (front and rear).

I have some model in mind but want to hear your opinion first as my research is only based on reading which often is completely different from IRL experience.

 

[niko]

Welcome to forum !
If at some stage you decide in favour of Street Guardian dashcam， let me know， I am going to look after you.

 

[Deleted member 46308]

Welcome to the forum @nikiangel. Street Guardian products are solid performers with outstanding service and support.

 

[SawMaster]

Based on my personal experiences along with that reported by several other people, the most reliable cam is the Mobius when equipped with super-caps. It is also at the top of the longevity list. Nothing else quite like this tiny cam exists In second place or possibly equal I'd put the SG9665GC, a very good cam itself, and though more costly it offers better video performance in low-light and has a LCD screen built in which Mobius lacks. Since you need only good daytime performance and want front and rear coverage, I'd recommend 2 Mobius cams which will be approximately on a cost parity with one SG. If you've got the extra cash then the the SG in front with the Mobius in the back would also be an excellent approach to take

IMHO no other cams reach the level of reliability these two do, not even close. With any cam there are other factors involved such as using a SD card that us known to give good service and formatting it occasionally, as well as using a good PS set-up. None of these are exactly set-and-forget but if you really care about something you'll take care of it and check it occasionally anyway which is easy enough to do There are other cam choices which may not be bad ones that offer things these two don't but if you don't need those features there's no point in going to them instead.

And welcome to DCT!
Phil

 

[nikiangel]

Based on my personal experiences along with that reported by several other people, the most reliable cam is the Mobius when equipped with super-caps.
Phil

Thank You Phil for the recommendation, Would you suggest any specific Mobius model (equipped with super cap). I didn't mention I want a supercap because my understanding was that it's a must if you want longevity for such a device expected to be frying on the car's front window.
Doing my homework I can see that the supercap pack can be purchased separately and installed (should not be a problem for me at all).
But I see there are few mobius models, different lens etc.
Do I need this one?
Mobius ActionCam | V3 | Wide Angle Lens 1080P HD Mini Lens C2

 

[SawMaster]

The "A" lens offers a 90 deg view with more clarity, but at "T" junctions and 4-way stops it may not capture cars to your sides which I consider important so I chose the "C2" lens. In milder climates a battery may not be a bad choice but in warmer climates super-caps are a must. My Mobius battery didn't last 3 months in SC USA during the summer, swelling up till the case bent. A battery will allow recording after power is cut while super-caps won't, so in a crash where power is lost a super-cap cam will shut down immediately. The caps will last longer in any climate. These are interchangeable with the V3, they simply plug into the board inside. AFAIK all the Mobius being sold new today are the V3 which is the latest version. Avoid the Mobius2 (a different cam) and avoid the "B","C ","A2", and "C3" lenses as those have issues.

Mobius is actually designed as an action cam, and the default settings are for that usage so you have to change some menu selections for dashcam use and for super-cap use. It's not plug-and-play but it's not hard to work with. It also doesn't come with a mount or PS which you'll need to buy separately. We're always here to help you get it set up. There are other newer more costly cams with more features and better vid quality but none have yet beaten Mobius for rock-solid dependability at any price- you get a lot for your money with Mobius.

Phil

 

[nikiangel]

After couple of hours researching, I'm sold on buying a Mobius + supercap + adhesive mount + usbcable + charger (actually I've already ordered them).
I want to say that I'm really happy and grateful that I came here because my initial thought was to purchase completely different, 3 times more expensive product and until today I've never heard about Mobius. I will not mention any other product brands/names which I had in mind during my research because they may be really good products and I have no rights to say bad things to them based on reading other's opinions and not owning them myself. But I will try to explain why I choose Mobius for my first dash cam (based on online research and others opinions).
1. Reliability, that was most important for me. It seems this cam has less complaints about problems compared with the other 2 I was targeting. I can make this conclusion for me based on the forum sections for the 3 brands and the comments posted there + the feedback on amazon.
2. Longevity, good feedback for Mobius, better than the other 2 brands.
3. Image quality, here the other 2 brands are winning for sure, but 1 and 2 are more important for me.
4. Extras, here again the other 2 brands are winning with tons of features compared to Mobius, but for me 1 and 2 are still lot more important.

What extra criteria made me choose Mobius.
1. Its really small, and you can use it not only as a dash cam. You can attach it to a drone, record parties, live events, you can spy with it, play with it etc. A nice toy to have with you after you leave the car. None of the other 2 can do this.
2. It's really easy (for me especially on paper) to switch from supercap to battery and use it for any purpose. None of the other 2 can do this.
3. The price... none of the other 2 can do this .

It's not impossible that later on, I may need/want any of the extras provided by the other 2 brands, but in this case I hope that I can use Mobius as rear cam.

Of course all these things I wrote are based on my online research only and at the moment I don't own any dash cam.

 

[GoodEnough]

My Mobius broke after a couple of uses.
Total junk. I would never buy it again.