Appreciate any suggestions for first dash cam please

Luv2Driv

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Canada
Dash Cam
VIOFO A119 (V2.02)
First I have to admit that I know very little about dash cams but would like to get one to record interesting portions of our road trips we sometimes take state side. Ideally I would be looking for a unit that is:

- reliable/durable
- has a screen
- basic...I don't need it to do a lot of hi-tech stuff...eg. GPS
- has a windshield suction cup mount (not adhesive)
- clear audio
- slot for SD card
- is readily available for purchase at a retail store

We are thinking about a weekend trip to NH/ME this spring and would like to maybe get one while there so any help is appreciated. Thank you all very much.
 
- is readily available for purchase at a retail store
.

this will limit your options a lot, retailers don't carry a wide range and a lot of what you would find (particularly with suction cup) is going to be low end product, maybe the Navman/Mio product if you can find that, they have a couple of reasonable models that still offer suction cup, stay away from Uniden, maybe have a look at some online stores that have retail outlets that are in the areas you intend to visit and see what they list as a starting point
 
Most of the recommended local online sellers will have your purchase in your hands within days and offer excellent after-sales service too should you need that. I've never seen a decent cam sold at a retail store and only once heard of a truck stop which offered one of the "Mini" series of cams which to me is not a stellar choice for one's first cam. A friend got a Garmin from Costco but I don't know if they still sell them and that's a members only store.

Buying direct from China is cheapest but shipping is slow and you're screwed if you need any kind of help after the sale. Buying from Amazon or Ebay can be OK with a good seller as you have better assurance of a refund should things go badly wrong. I buy locally and in-person whenever I can but this is the 21st century and there's not always any option for that these days so I've had to go with the flow to keep going, and it's not too bad once you get used to it.

Phil
 
Most of the recommended local online sellers will have your purchase in your hands within days and offer excellent after-sales service too should you need that. I've never seen a decent cam sold at a retail store and only once heard of a truck stop which offered one of the "Mini" series of cams which to me is not a stellar choice for one's first cam. A friend got a Garmin from Costco but I don't know if they still sell them and that's a members only store.

Buying direct from China is cheapest but shipping is slow and you're screwed if you need any kind of help after the sale. Buying from Amazon or Ebay can be OK with a good seller as you have better assurance of a refund should things go badly wrong. I buy locally and in-person whenever I can but this is the 21st century and there's not always any option for that these days so I've had to go with the flow to keep going, and it's not too bad once you get used to it.

Phil

Hi, and thanks for the response(s). I can buy in Canada but as you probably know we pay higher prices and sales taxes for most everything. If I buy online then I pay a premium at the current exchange rate as well as shipping charges so when these costs are factored in that makes the total price noticeably higher, then if the unit arrives damaged or doesn't work then I would need to pay to ship it back so that's why I was hoping to get a decent one from a bricks and mortar retailer in the U.S. this spring and import it back as part of my exemption.

Now, I'm kinda rethinking the purchase of a dedicated dash cam for the purpose I was intending to use it and perhaps just use the video feature on my point and shoot digital camera I already have. Initially I thought the convenience of having a hands free dash cam unit to record while driving might have been a good idea, but now, maybe not so much after reading the advise given with regards to availability. Thanks again for your input, it is appreciated.
 
Based on your list of needs just about 65% of dash cams fall into those requirements. You're far better off trying to order online vs in a retail store, most stores don't even carry them. I recommend the Yi dash cam... it's reliable and good quality and highly rated. https://www.amazon.com/gp/B01C89GCHU
 
Hi, and thanks for the response(s). I can buy in Canada but as you probably know we pay higher prices and sales taxes for most everything. If I buy online then I pay a premium at the current exchange rate as well as shipping charges so when these costs are factored in that makes the total price noticeably higher, then if the unit arrives damaged or doesn't work then I would need to pay to ship it back so that's why I was hoping to get a decent one from a bricks and mortar retailer in the U.S. this spring and import it back as part of my exemption.

Now, I'm kinda rethinking the purchase of a dedicated dash cam for the purpose I was intending to use it and perhaps just use the video feature on my point and shoot digital camera I already have. Initially I thought the convenience of having a hands free dash cam unit to record while driving might have been a good idea, but now, maybe not so much after reading the advise given with regards to availability. Thanks again for your input, it is appreciated.
 
Ok, I think I may have this figured out. I was changing my thoughts from dash camera to action camera but after doing a bit more reading I have come to realize that dash camera's can be set to record like an action camera by making a change in the 'loop recording' setting.

I believe have it narrowed down to two...the SpyTec G1W-C and Cobra CDR895D. Both have a suction cup mount which in my case is a must have as it makes it easily portable between vehicles and leaves no docking hardware behind on the windshield. The SpyTec has a large screen with navigation buttons on the front, capacitor as opposed to battery and if I understand correctly capacitor power may be the way of the future with these, quite affordable here at $79CAD and is currently available through Amazon Canada, overall generally good written and YouTube reviews and is sold by a U.S. distributor/company (I have contacted SpyTec via email for info and their customer service has been great). It's downside is a potentially weak mounting slot on the top of camera itself. As for the Cobra I have read somewhat mixed reviews on it, quite a bit more expensive at $199US in BestBuy stores in the states, uses a battery which I understand doesn't cope well with excessive heat or cold and will wear out, and has a rear facing camera which I don't care if I have or not as I can swivel to or mount the SpyTec to the rear if I feel it's really necessary.

Having said this, do you have opinions regarding the two choices I am considering. Thank you everybody.
 
The G1W-S is a better option than the G1W-C, the Cobra is nothing special

Hi, and thank you for the heads-up on this. I wasn't aware of the 'S' model, just the 'C' as that's the one I remember seeing and which had reviews. The 'S' appears to be the same except for the lens? I'm going to do some reading on this one and it also is available at Amazon Canada for the same price as the 'C' I think.

Thanks again, I appreciate the input.
 
I will also recommend the G1W-S. Mine is good enough daytime and very good in low-lighting conditions. It is a reliable, easy-to-use cam which supports 64GB SD cards for longer recording times. I'm given to understand the audio may not be very good but I don't use that so I can't offer an opinion there. These have a premium sensor made by Sony which is why their higher cost. It also has supercaps- another plus.

IMHO the G1W-S is currently the best 'bang-for-your-buck' available in dashcams, and just slightly edges out the cheaper G1W-H series of cams because of the great low-light performance which is otherwise unheard of in budget-priced cams . The G1W-C is a good cam but I feel either of these newer designs represents better value.

Phil
 
Hi, and thank you for the heads-up on this. I wasn't aware of the 'S' model, just the 'C' as that's the one I remember seeing and which had reviews. The 'S' appears to be the same except for the lens? I'm going to do some reading on this one and it also is available at Amazon Canada for the same price as the 'C' I think.

Thanks again, I appreciate the input.

I made a mistake re: pricing. It's the VIOFO G1W-S HD 1080p sold by Blueskysea that's the same price as the SpyTec G1W-C on Amazon, the SpyTec G1W-S is $99 which is only a $14 difference so after recieving a couple of responses now for the SpyTec G1W-S being a decent unit with a better lens, I'll check out some online reviews for more info on it and so far it's the ST 'S' model that is looking more attractive. Tks.
 
Right now all the G1W-S cams are exactly the same and all are made only by Viofo :cool: Spytec does have the better versions of other G1W type cams and there is a difference with them as several people make the other versions ;) Sptyec are good folks to do business with.

Phil
 
G1W-S is a new model so there are few posted reviews yet but so far so good. OCD Tronic has an Amazon listing.
 
Right now all the G1W-S cams are exactly the same and all are made only by Viofo :cool: Spytec does have the better versions of other G1W type cams and there is a difference with them as several people make the other versions ;) Sptyec are good folks to do business with.

Phil

Based on the responses I've received here, I believe it's going to be the SpyTec G1W-S dash cam. Just a couple concerns to clear things up before I order one through Amazon. Can the G1W-S be set to do continuous recording (similar to an action camera) and not loop recording so if we're on a scenic drive I can make a steady recording of it or parts thereof and lastly is there a particular brand, speed and class would you recommend to work best in a 32GB or 64GB microSD for this unit.
 
I use Transcend premium 400X class 10 cards in everything. There's a world-wide shortage of micro SD cards right now so when you order one check the expected delivery date. Transcend on Amazon is my source and the last card I bought from there took 5 weeks to arrive versus the usual few days. PNY and Samsung's premium cards are also good choices and may have better availability. Avoid SanDisk cards- they are known for giving problems in dashcams.

Loop recording will not over-write older files until the card fills, then it over-writes the oldest file first. With a 64GB card in this cam you will get about 8-9 hours recording time before over-writing begins. That's longer than I normally drive and I can download a day's driving after that if I want to. I just moved mine to where I can't check it easily, but the manual says loop recording can be turned off ;) When you do that, once the card fills up the cam stops recording until you delete the files so you might forget to do that and not capture what you badly need so I recommend you keep loop recording on with all dashcms. Just use a big enough card instead :cool:

Phil
 
...the manual says loop recording can be turned off ;) When you do that, once the card fills up the cam stops recording until you delete the files...
Some cameras will stop recording once the current file gets up to 4GB in size - the maximum supported by the FAT file system.
 
I use Transcend premium 400X class 10 cards in everything. There's a world-wide shortage of micro SD cards right now so when you order one check the expected delivery date. Transcend on Amazon is my source and the last card I bought from there took 5 weeks to arrive versus the usual few days. PNY and Samsung's premium cards are also good choices and may have better availability. Avoid SanDisk cards- they are known for giving problems in dashcams.

Loop recording will not over-write older files until the card fills, then it over-writes the oldest file first. With a 64GB card in this cam you will get about 8-9 hours recording time before over-writing begins. That's longer than I normally drive and I can download a day's driving after that if I want to. I just moved mine to where I can't check it easily, but the manual says loop recording can be turned off ;) When you do that, once the card fills up the cam stops recording until you delete the files so you might forget to do that and not capture what you badly need so I recommend you keep loop recording on with all dashcms. Just use a big enough card instead :cool:

Phil


Thank you Phil, that was the last of the information I needed before finalizing my decision to get my first dash camera. The Spytec VIOFO G1W-S I decided on from Amazon.ca is selling for $80.53 and comes with a selection of three mounts in the box as well as the other associated hardware and I'm certain I'll find this to be a useful tool to have along with my Garmin GPS which we rely on to guide us on our road trips we take in the U.S.

Also, thanks to all who have responded with their advise.
 
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