Best options in the 200-400 USD range

[mrplowjr_ez_v]

Sorry for the newbish question but there seem to be soo many options in the low and mid range and alot of fakes out there. Being new im not sure where the best places are to buy from. I'll give a little background: I drive alot in the night time and in the winter time this is tricky for some cameras as I need something with GREAT night time performance and something that doesn't washout in bright light during the day. Honestly if I can get a clear cut top performing device with everything I want cost is not a factor. Are there any sites out there which offer a wide variety of cameras to compare?

Here are some features im looking for in order of preference:

Night time performance
Day time performance
High Picture quality 1020p @60fps (user selectable to save space if not needed)
reliable in warm weather (I cooked my hero3 black on the dash this summer.. Twice)
Built in display or wifi and android app to preview/view what is being recorded. If using wifi for display small form factor is a must as i will be mounting another device with it to function as a display and GPS.
small font date/time/text stamp with ability to disable
build quality
quick bootup and auto start
park mode
GPS
second rear mounted camera sensor would be handy but I may simply get another camera for this I haven't decided what is the best route

 

[Hillbilly]

Nothing comes to mind with everything perfect

Miracles take longer LOL

 

[Gurkha9]

I'd wait for Jokiin's new cams due before the end of the year

 

[GeorgesNJR]

Vicovation. TF 2+ and maybe the Future WF-1 we see when get released. http://www.vicovation.com/default.asp?lang=en
Blackvue is laughable the picture quality at night , FineVu http://www.finevu.com/ is good but getting outdated and lack WDR.
Have Mio 388 , http://eu.mio.com/en_gb/mivue-388.htm#.Ugr29m3XY-8 comes whit wdr someone here bought i do no about reputability of the camera.
and Lukas 7900 http://lukashd.com/ also seems a good camara whit good update , cons low bitrate slight grainy at night,

i wouldn't recommend Dod ls300w but duo a lot problems related lately it´s vanish any chance be recommended.

what i don´t get what koreans see in Exmor non R version + Texas instrument , it´s getting outdated and why finevu and blackvue don´t getting an wdr versions.

by the way a new breed generation incoming soon whit Ambarella 7 , Amba 7 promises the true 720P 60fps you wish also its does Super HD 3MP @ 30fps or Full 1080p HD @ 60fp , support WDR , wireless , GPS , low heat processor i think. http://www.ambarella.com/uploads/docs/A ... 2013-1.pdf
Amba 7 + 1.4 aperture lens 9G Lens + AR0330 or Exmor R , Wifi , small size , good to dream on :mrgreen:



if can wait for see. :mrgreen:

 

[niko]

Small typo: 1080p not 1020p.
At the moment there are no such special dash cam exist with all requirements you described with 1080p at 60fps.
If you drop 1080p 60fps need to 1080p to 30fps, then closest 2ch would be this

G-Net Classic Limited

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=1646

1080p 24fps + 720p 20fps, sony exmor, good day / night rec, wifi, android, parking etc.

I have been following lately this dash cam on Korean forums and it has good feedback, however talking to manufacturer directly, - they are not yet ready to go internationally. It will take some time.

You may also check U-Rive Albatross II

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=1133

This brand is known long time for international market but not that much english speaking feedback on that latest model yet so can not judge.

Having experience with many Korean dash cams, my personal favourite still is Panorama2 from Powerucc.
Best if you read whole thread and decide if it also fits your needs.

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1208

You will find there almost every info from A to Z. Also I have there link from my RAW video files collection ( ca. 130 raw videos ) so you can download and see real result.

To complete my "2ch project" I am keeping my Panorama2 at the front and for rear to buy latest Mobius dash / action camera ( complete review on Mobius read rcgroups forum ).

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthre ... st25170901

Having Panorama2 at the front 1080p 30fps ( 12mbps ) with very good day / night recording, WDR and all other extras ( gps, display, motion detection rec. etc ) + rear Mobius 1080p 30fps ( 18Mbps ) WDR, Android app, total full set is below 300usd and I dont know now any other solution that would beat this kind of combination as described above.

 

[jokiin]

A7-LA can do 1080p60 x 1 cam, or 1080p30 x 2 cams, it can't do 1080p60 plus another stream, not really an issue though, 1080p30 done properly is more than enough

the rest of the wish list is no issue, very basic requirement, no WiFi if you want dual 1080p30 though (at this point in time at least) but a small screen is no problem

 

[GeorgesNJR]

i am very curious to see Amba 7L Super HD 3MP @ 30fps in Car Dash cams
whit proper Cmos , lens and firmware will be superb.

Jokkin , Amba 7L Hardware support 64GB and 128GB ?

if yes maybe a new road for higher bitrates not ?

 

[jokiin]

Jokkin , Amba 7L Hardware support 64GB and 128GB ?

if yes maybe a new road for higher bitrates not ?

supports up to 2TB, there's diminishing returns at higher bitrates though so I'm not sure there's that much benefit to be had, we'll be able to do some other cool stuff on the A7 platform though, looking forward to getting this one ready

 

[GeorgesNJR]

will be funny when koreans face new amba 7L products start pop-up on market
let´s see how their sexual attraction per texas instrument react whit Amba 7L :lol:

 

[jokiin]

will be funny when koreans face new amba 7L products start pop-up on market
let´s see how their sexual attraction per texas instrument react whit Amba 7L :lol:

who knows, maybe TI has something in the works as well, it's a rapidly evolving market, I hope they do, competition drives innovation and progress

 

[mrplowjr_ez_v]

A7-LA can do 1080p60 x 1 cam, or 1080p30 x 2 cams, it can't do 1080p60 plus another stream, not really an issue though, 1080p30 done properly is more than enough

the rest of the wish list is no issue, very basic requirement, no WiFi if you want dual 1080p30 though (at this point in time at least) but a small screen is no problem

This sounds like it will have pretty much everything im looking for. Is there any ETA on devices in production with this chip? I'm not sure on board rules (PM is fine) but who to contact to get one shipped to the states when such a beast is available.

 

[mrplowjr_ez_v]

A7-LA can do 1080p60 x 1 cam, or 1080p30 x 2 cams, it can't do 1080p60 plus another stream, not really an issue though, 1080p30 done properly is more than enough

the rest of the wish list is no issue, very basic requirement, no WiFi if you want dual 1080p30 though (at this point in time at least) but a small screen is no problem

This sounds like it will have pretty much everything im looking for. Is there any ETA on devices in production with this chip? I'm not sure on board rules (PM is fine) but who to contact to get one shipped to the states when such a beast is available.

After a bit of digging it looks like the Hero3 I had has the A7 processor, with any luck something in purposefully designed for a dashcam/DVR will provide better results. Both GoPros I had locked up due to overheating to the point it was completely unusable. With wifi on and the unit powered off a 1a usb charger, I was able to consistently get it to fail within 15 minutes. I know its a completely different animal, who knows maybe they tried to do too much in that small of a package with no ventilation, or just piss poor firmware. Just something that's in the back of my mind after spending so much time and money trying to make that work.

 

[jokiin]

GoPro use an A7 processor, the A7-LA is different architecture and is designed specifically for automotive use, high temp, long running time etc

 

[mrplowjr_ez_v]

thats great news... I'll keep an eye out for something utilizing this processor.

 

[niko]

I think it worth no rush and wait a little bit for jokiin new line of dash cams, because he might be one of the only few manufacturers who actually listens to us ( end consumers ) and tries to incorporate technology into the product that meets our needs.
If all other dash cams "big giants" would have the same approach, they would have much better success and we would have what we need, not what they "think" we need.

 

[jokiin]

I think it worth no rush and wait a little bit for jokiin new line of dash cams, because he might be one of the only few manufacturers who actually listens to us ( end consumers ) and tries to incorporate technology into the product that meets our needs.
If all other dash cams "big giants" would have the same approach, they would have much better success and we would have what we need, not what they "think" we need.

I do hope we hit the mark, I've spent a lot of time here looking at common problems from cameras in general, looking at things I know could be done better and listening to suggestions and feedback from end users about what's right and wrong with different cameras, I don't think we can ever be all things to all people but hope that what we are doing finds acceptance, once we are ready for release I'll go through and detail some of things we've done and explain the thinking behind some of the choices we've made, we do have several products coming and there's some common thinking amongst them yet still differences between them, I think if you don't like what we're doing initially then hang in there as other product will be coming that might be a better fit, people have different needs and expectations which I respect so there may still be something in the pipeline that suits, we do need to be doing one version at a time though as we're using a lot of our available resources right now but hope not to have too long between releases of the different projects we're working on

I'll be looking for some people to trial different product as we get closer to help speed the development, firmware is important to us and we spend a lot of time refining it already, a lot of what we've continued to do in our last product has been based on developing our platform for the new product, we'll have some even better options coming up though due to developments in hardware and improvements in the SDK's we're working with now, there's some really interesting things we'll be able to do, particularly in the A7 based product

 

[Street Guardian USA]

I've been reading dashcamtalk threads for a few months now and haven't heard of jokiin. (please educate me) Do they have a section on here? Didn't see one. EDIT: found it viewforum.php?f=8 hmmmmm wait for new models eh? ok yeah looks like the current line has poor night recording. I like the form factor though!

I've been holding out for BlackVue but their new 550 is disappointing. (low bit rate) The DOD WDR based camera has a new GPS model that might do it for me. viewtopic.php?f=29&t=1913 (when the cheaper generic version comes out)

As I said in another post........

My top features are:
1) Camera must be discreet'ish (cylinder, or shape of rear view mirror seems best)
2) Bitrate must be high > or = 12Mbps, clear 1080P video ("decent" Audio is fine)
3) Auto Exposure responds smoothly when driving through shadows and turning into and away from direct sun.
3) Night recording must be acceptable.
4) GPS/Time
5) Supports 64GB card minimum (stable, auto loop records set it and forget it reliability)

Only after the above features are met will I entertain extra bells and whistles.
-Dual Camera
-WiFi
-DVR Playback App (PC/Mac)
-If a screen isn't built in, mini hdmi out for use with car stereo video hdmi input. (new Clarion NX603 etc)
-Battery backup (or at last the capacitor to finish writing to card works)

I'm not going through the trouble of ripping apart my car to hide wires and install a camera unless I know I'm going to be satisfied/happy.

 

[Quintas]

Here are some features im looking for in order of preference:

Night time performance
Day time performance
High Picture quality 1020p @60fps (user selectable to save space if not needed)
reliable in warm weather (I cooked my hero3 black on the dash this summer.. Twice)
Built in display or wifi and android app to preview/view what is being recorded. If using wifi for display small form factor is a must as i will be mounting another device with it to function as a display and GPS.
small font date/time/text stamp with ability to disable
build quality
quick bootup and auto start
park mode
GPS
second rear mounted camera sensor would be handy but I may simply get another camera for this I haven't decided what is the best route

DOD LS330W + G mouse, Haven't received yet. but very expecting their performance.
I heard that it has a super GPS logger.

 

[hometechnc]

Do Not understand why Hillbilly would post, if nothing comes to mind.

I am still researching dash cams after a serious bout of Buyer's Remorse, having spent $900 on two FineVu CR-500HD's (w'gps/filters).

Someone else mentioned waiting for the new Jokiin Cams (?) I've seen video from the A2S60, and it's not impressive, at all.

Now take a look at the Video capture from the Vacron CDR E-22, 1080P @30fps/720p @60fps, ($285): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0Z6YSFKeeY
The video from the Varon is comparable to my Sony HDR-CX560 camcorder (and a darn fine one at that), recording at 1080P 60fps on my dashboard.

Which brings to mind, I have purchased a heavy-duty, low-profile mount, and plan on mounting the Sony camcorder on my dash. I bought the Sony, used off of Ebay
for less than what I paid for one of the FineVu units. Getting tired of waiting, and waiting for a Great Dashcam!

 

[niko]

Do Not understand why Hillbilly would post, if nothing comes to mind.

I am still researching dash cams after a serious bout of Buyer's Remorse, having spent $900 on two FineVu CR-500HD's (w'gps/filters).

Someone else mentioned waiting for the new Jokiin Cams (?) I've seen video from the A2S60, and it's not impressive, at all.

Now take a look at the Video capture from the Vacron CDR E-22, 1080P @30fps/720p @60fps, ($285): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0Z6YSFKeeY
The video from the Varon is comparable to my Sony HDR-CX560 camcorder (and a darn fine one at that), recording at 1080P 60fps on my dashboard.

Which brings to mind, I have purchased a heavy-duty, low-profile mount, and plan on mounting the Sony camcorder on my dash. I bought the Sony, used off of Ebay
for less than what I paid for one of the FineVu units. Getting tired of waiting, and waiting for a Great Dashcam!

Jokiin A2S60 was previous project. New project is different.
Vacron brand sells well in Russia with good feedback and it has interesting features, which most dash cam users dont need ( LDSW / "Strelka" - radar detectors via GPS ) and all this puts price up.
12 layer lenses is something unique I havnt seen in any other dash cams, but it's means nothing if other components are not in balance.
Youtube video is not a "proof". Youtube is not the best place to judge videos. Need to see RAW video files from 4 different timings: sunny day, evening, night street lights, pitch dark. Then can be made some conclusions, but even then it will be not final judgement, because it need to put two competitor / rivals dash cameras side by side, record video in same light conditions and only then is fair final conclusion.