As a car dashcam which lens do you recommend ¿Lens A or C2?

As a dashcam for a car, which lens do you prefer?

  • Lens A

  • Lens C2

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Mobius Colombia

Mobius Colombia

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Bogota
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Dash Cam
Mobius
Hi, From your experience... if an user want to use a Mobius mostly as a car dashcam under the rear mirror, which lens should he choose? Lens A or Lens C2? I have the feeling and from the videos I've seen C2 is the best choice since you actually have a wider field of view, but for insurance/evidence matters... which lens would the best option? Or is it a personal preference matter?

I guess super capacitor, long cable and adapter are out of the question, they're a must have. Correct if I'm wrong. Just wanting to build the best combo for our future customers.
 
Welcome to DCT. Both are good lenses.

The standard lens makes objects appear closer, so it's preferred for number plate recognition. It's lens is flush within the camera body, so is less vulnerable to accidental damage.

The C2 lens provides more peripheral coverage, so gathers more evidence in the event of a side impact. It's superior to the A lens in low light conditions.

Both lenses offer a choice of user-selectable Field of View via the mSetup GUI, so if you choose the C2 & find its standard FOV too wide for your taste, you can select a narrower FOV, which also reduces any fisheye effect.
 
A long cable is not absolutely necessary. I have taken apart a car USB lighter adapter (12V to 5V) and mounted it in a small black plastic box (about 3x3x2 cm) stuck to the back of the rearview mirror. Two 10 cm long wires tap power from the rearview mirror (dimming type) and a short USB cable takes the 5V 1A to the camera attached to the plastic housing of the sensors on the windscreen using a magnetic mount. You need to know what you are doing though, otherwise you can blow fuses in your car or cause more serious problems.
 
russ331 said:
Welcome to DCT. Both are good lenses.

The standard lens makes objects appear closer, so it's preferred for number plate recognition. It's lens is flush within the camera body, so is less vulnerable to accidental damage.

The C2 lens provides more peripheral coverage, so gathers more evidence in the event of a side impact. It's superior to the A lens in low light conditions.

Both lenses offer a choice of user-selectable Field of View via the mSetup GUI, so if you choose the C2 & find its standard FOV too wide for your taste, you can select a narrower FOV, which also reduces any fisheye effect.
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That's very helpful, thank you. In your case, which one do you prefer?

9a6or said:
A long cable is not absolutely necessary. I have taken apart a car USB lighter adapter (12V to 5V) and mounted it in a small black plastic box (about 3x3x2 cm) stuck to the back of the rearview mirror. Two 10 cm long wires tap power from the rearview mirror (dimming type) and a short USB cable takes the 5V 1A to the camera attached to the plastic housing of the sensors on the windscreen using a magnetic mount. You need to know what you are doing though, otherwise you can blow fuses in your car or cause more serious problems.
Click to expand...

That's a really good idea, thank you. It will look nicer too. I'll think about it.
 
I'd choose the C2 too. Mainly for it's better low light performance.
 
By the way, is there a video comparing these two lenses? Yesterday I saw a thread full of videos with "lens X vs Lens Y" and now I can't find it!
 
Mobius Colombia said:
No, it wasn't that one, but thank you. It was a thread full of videos, just videos and pages full with video reviews and comparisons. I'm starting to think it was somewhere else, RCGroups or something, since I've tried all kinds of keywords to search and can't find it.

Can't believe I can't find
Click to expand...

May have to try google. I find google search better than this forum.
 
If you're going to have only one dashcam I would recommend the C2 wide-angle version. The reason is that with it, you will see more and often it is the things that happen a little to one side which matter most. The A lens may give a clearer picture but it might not see those edges and miss something important.

Normally you can see and remember a number-plate yourself even if the cam misses it, but looking at them is a habit you should develop anyway. You're only going to need the one which causes a crash which will happen quickly after you see it, and the rest can be forgotten quickly as they will not matter.

Phil
 
I'm liking the A camera in the front and C2 as the rear.
 
super max said:
I'm liking the A camera in the front and C2 as the rear.
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OP is asking 1 camera. So recommending a C2 is a good choice. With C2 you can set FOV to narrow or wide as desired.
 
Bungus said:
OP is asking 1 camera. So recommending a C2 is a good choice. With C2 you can set FOV to narrow or wide as desired.
Click to expand...
Well I've been bitten by the Dash Cam bug :D which may not come as a surprise....my "original" plan was to have one camera & move it between
2 "home" vehicles & possible take it on vacation whilst using a rental vehicle. That is still doable with the magnetic mounts that I'm using.
However, I've been rethinking "the plan" and am considering a second camera for the "other vehicle".
I have just finished the hard wire into the car & now have the suction cup mount & long wire to the cig lighter adapter for the SUV, which would then
leave it somewhat "portable" for a rental.
Obviously I'm very pleased with the Mobius (A lens) & most appreciative of all the help & guidance I've received from the forum members here.
For a second camera, I'm inclined to the "devil I know" vs. "the devil I don't" & ergo am leaning toward a second Mobius - that being said, I am indeed
open to "alternate" suggestions. If I went with the second Mobius, I was considering getting one with the C2 lens & probably use the narrow FOV.
Is there any benefit in that over just getting another A lens model ? Are there other cameras that I should short list for comparison purposes ?
TIA = Roger
 
Roger said:
If I went with the second Mobius, I was considering getting one with the C2 lens & probably use the narrow FOV. Is there any benefit in that over just getting another A lens model ?
Click to expand...

Improved nighttime video clarity. More video evidence if you get hit by a vehicle emerging from a side road.
 
Roger said:
Mind if I ask "why" ? as to the C2 in the rear....
Thanks = Roger
Click to expand...
I experimented with the C2 in the front but the FOV wasn't substantially greater due to the side pillars coming into view. The A lens in front seems to capture more detail, and I expect front images to be more important should an incident occur. The C2 has an unobstructed view to the rear due to the lift gate glass and, the wide angle is a benefit there. Some of my choice comes down to how the cameras work with a particular vehicle.

I should add that I actually mounted the A and C2 lens cameras side by side while experimenting, and compared the playback videos together on the computer.
 
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