Brand I have never Heard of Question - Focuway T5

[jsmith]

Has anyone ever heard of this brand?

https://focuway.com/products/t5

This is not something I would personally buy, but a acquaintance found this on Amazon and asked me to install in their vehicle. I'm guessing this is an upscaled 1080p ---> 4K Chinese Productt (some reviews claim that anyway?)

Has anyone ever tested these cams? Are they reliable or just junk?

It seems the hardwire parking kit for this camera only shuts off at 11.6 volts? Which would completely drain your battery? Can that be right?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/B0BG5DM5CL

 

[Agie]

Has anyone ever heard of this brand?

https://focuway.com/products/t5

This is not something I would personally buy, but a acquaintance found this on Amazon and asked me to install in their vehicle. I'm guessing this is an upscaled 1080p ---> 4K Chinese Productt (some reviews claim that anyway?)

Has anyone ever tested these cams? Are they reliable or just junk?

It seems the hardwire parking kit for this camera only shuts off at 11.6 volts? Which would completely drain your battery? Can that be right?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/B0BG5DM5CL

Yeah probably upscaled 4k at that price i would say, and not the best quality components.

Amazon been caught out for years now with paid reviews so wouldn't trust them.

Honestly, would rather invest in a known brand such as Viofo, Vantrue, Blackvue, Thinkware, 70mai etc. that actually have decent after-sales support and quality image sensors.

 

[jsmith]

Yeah probably upscaled 4k at that price i would say, and not the best quality components.

Amazon been caught out for years now with paid reviews so wouldn't trust them.

Honestly, would rather invest in a known brand such as Viofo, Vantrue, Blackvue, Thinkware, 70mai etc. that actually have decent after-sales support and quality image sensors.

Agreed. I tried telling person I have never heard of this brand, but she went with Amazon Reviews which obviously get faked these days. I will install for her but just make sure I emphasize that I make no promise here about quality and reliability.

What worries me is hardwire kit. Seems voltage cutoff is set to 11.6? That seems very strange, so you certainly wouldn't want your vehicle sitting for days without driving.

 

[Nigel]

I'm guessing this is an upscaled 1080p ---> 4K Chinese Productt (some reviews claim that anyway?)

I'll guess that it has a Sony IMX415 genuine 4K sensor, with a decent image when the sun is out. It wont match the latest Starvis 2 dashcams, but OK for the price.

What worries me is hardwire kit. Seems voltage cutoff is set to 11.6? That seems very strange, so you certainly wouldn't want your vehicle sitting for days without driving.

Yes, I would not use parking mode with that, although it doesn't claim to have a parking mode anyway!

 

[Dashmellow]

It's not a bad looking camera design but it is obviously one of those gimmicky generic Chinese cams.

A real giveaway is the set of two front facing IR LEDs and the claim that it can light up a dark garage. Of course, two small LEDs would not be powerful enough to do that but more imporatantly, anyone who knows a thing or two about how things work would know that the LEDs would reflect off the windshield and right back into the lens, thus obliterating views of the environment outside the car. The images used to promote the camera are a complete fabrication.

Apparently, it does claim to have parking mode. Nigel must have missed it.

 

[Nigel]

Maybe checking for Parking Mode by using the Find button was not the best plan!

 

[jsmith]

I'll guess that it has a Sony IMX415 genuine 4K sensor, with a decent image when the sun is out. It wont match the latest Starvis 2 dashcams, but OK for the price.


Yes, I would not use parking mode with that, although it doesn't claim to have a parking mode anyway!

Hello,

The website claims sony starvis. I am not sure if it's genuine version 1 sony starvis or an upscaled 1080p -->2k or 4k. This camera doesn't have much of a presence on the internet... No Name Brand.

Do you see a Specification Sheet anywhere by chance?

The website says it does having parking mode, but the voltage cutting off at 11.6 is what worries me for sure. 11.6 is a dead car battery...But I am guessing the camera only records if the car "shaken" by some sort of impact I.E. G-Sensor?

https://focuway.com/products/t5

Supercapacitor and 24Hours Parking Monitoring Adopted with a high-performance super-capacitor protect the car cam in extremely hot weather and give it a longer lifespan. Parking monitor allows dashcam to auto power on and records emergency video when detecting a collision, get evidence if your car was hit or stolen. To use the 24 hours parking monitor function, you need to hard wire the dash cam, sold separately ASIN: B0BG5DM5CL.

Hardwire: https://www.amazon.com/gp/B0BG5DM5CL
Low Voltage Protection - Built-in sensitive power management chip, once the voltage is lower than 11.6V, it will cut off the power supply to dash cam, leaving enough power to ignite the engine.

Acquaintance ordered hardwire kit and camera... I will install, but I almost fear I'll be wasting my time putting in this no name camera into their car, because the person won't be happy with results. I tried to express my concerns but they are happy with "Amazon Reviews". It is an older person who wants camera that I know. She found a "Good Price" and "Good Review" more than better and more reliable brands to be acceptable.

 

[jsmith]

It's not a bad looking camera design but it is obviously one of those gimmicky generic Chinese cams.

A real giveaway is the set of two front facing IR LEDs and the claim that it can light up a dark garage. Of course, two small LEDs would not be powerful enough to do that but more imporatantly, anyone who knows a thing or two about how things work would know that the LEDs would reflect off the windshield and right back into the lens, thus obliterating views of the environment outside the car. The images used to promote the camera are a complete fabrication.

Apparently, it does claim to have parking mode. Nigel must have missed it.

I think you, Agie, and Nigel are right here that this dash camera is a gimmicky Chinese Brand with a lot of "Faked" or "Paid" Reviews. I have tried to tell person I don't recommend this camera, but seems like a lost cause. So I wanted to at least ask questions because I have not heard of Focuway myself.

You are also right, no high end brand (Thinkware, Blackvue, etc) uses IR LEDS to capture light in dark areas. If these IR LED's were truly "superior", other brands would be adopting them at all price points.

The older lady who asked me to help her install I think saw big claims by manufacturer, but a lot of these cheap Chinese Brands make claims that are fabricated. If image was so good at night, why not use REAL IMAGE and not a simulated image!

Ugh, I see this person being very disappointed with purchase after I install camera.

 

[Dashmellow]

I think you, Agie, and Nigel are right here that this dash camera is a gimmicky Chinese Brand with a lot of "Faked" or "Paid" Reviews. I have tried to tell person I don't recommend this camera, but seems like a lost cause. So I wanted to at least ask questions because I have not heard of Focuway myself.

You are right, no high end brand (Thinkware, Blackvue, etc) uses IR LEDS to capture light in dark areas. If these IR LED's were truly "superior", other brands would be adopting them at all price points.

The older lady who asked me to help her install I think saw big claims by manufacturer, but a lot of these cheap Chinese Brands make claims that are fabricated. If image was so good at night, why not use REAL IMAGE and not a simulated image!

Ugh, I see this person being very disappointed with purchase after I install camera.

Yeah, you did state that this was not a cam you would purchase for yourself. It might be "OK", at least for a while. Also, if the IR LEDs are a problem I noticed that you have the option to turn them off. In fact, I think the default is off, so it might not be a problem in the first place.

If your acquaintance has trouble with the camera perhaps you can then steer her towards a better, more mainstream camera.

 

[jsmith]

Yeah, you did state that this was not a cam you would purchase for yourself. It might be "OK", at least for a while. Also, if the IR LEDs are a problem I noticed that you have the option to turn them off. In fact, I think the default is off, so it might not be a problem in the first place.

If your acquaintance has trouble with the camera perhaps you can then steer her towards a better, more mainstream camera.

My personal feeling is it seems like one of those situations you tell someone there is better, but all they care about is price and reviews, without knowing about the product or that reviews are probably not genuine.

I hope the camera will work fine, but I almost expect worst here. I cannot find a single "Video Sample" from this camera brand at all. That tells me not many people use or trust it either.

I just hate to waste my time installing only to have camera fail or not function well. However, I guess that is acquaintances issue for choosing this model.

 

[Nigel]

The website claims sony starvis. I am not sure if it's genuine version 1 sony starvis or an upscaled 1080p -->2k or 4k. This camera doesn't have much of a presence on the internet... No Name Brand.

I still think it will be an IMX415, a decent sensor, at least during sunshine.

The website says it does having parking mode, but the voltage cutting off at 11.6 is what worries me for sure. 11.6 is a dead car battery...But I am guessing the camera only records if the car "shaken" by some sort of impact I.E. G-Sensor?

That seems quite likely, in which case I wouldn't worry too much, when sleeping they don't normally use much power. Might be worth checking the battery voltage after a week or two though!

These parking modes that wake up only after an impact are generally not much use, especially when they take several seconds to start recording, as is likely here, but you get what you pay for. Parking mode is not very important for many people.

It may turn out to be junk, but from what I've seen, I'm expecting an OK result, as long as you don't expect every plate to be readable at night, or at dusk.

I wouldn't chose it, or recommend it, but I don't see why you shouldn't install it.

 

[Dashmellow]

My guess is that the camera may perform ok initially but the price suggests poor build quality and perhaps some lower quality components so it may not last too long or problems may begin to manifest.

 

[Agie]

My personal feeling is it seems like one of those situations you tell someone there is better, but all they care about is price and reviews, without knowing about the product or that reviews are probably not genuine.

I hope the camera will work fine, but I almost expect worst here. I cannot find a single "Video Sample" from this camera brand at all. That tells me not many people use or trust it either.

I just hate to waste my time installing only to have camera fail or not function well. However, I guess that is acquaintances issue for choosing this model.

That's exactly it, you had your suspicions and you came here wisely to either allay or confirm those suspicions. Unfortunately as you said, it is up to your friend now and if that's the choice they made then so be it.

You did warn them and you wont be surprised if the dash camera ****s itself in a year or two, if not sooner.

 

[jsmith]

That's exactly it, you had your suspicions and you came here wisely to either allay or confirm those suspicions. Unfortunately as you said, it is up to your friend now and if that's the choice they made then so be it.

You did warn them and you wont be surprised if the dash camera ****s itself in a year or two, if not sooner.

Correct. I had my suspicions, but the fact this brand isn't even listed or mentioned on Dashcamtalk (or really anywhere for that matter), pretty much says it all. Everyone here seems to agree this is a low end Chinese Camera, too. I'll install with a caveat emptor speech that I am not responsible if this camera doesn't work or last very long.

Someone mentioned Starvis 2 now came out. Not to derail my thread (but everyone has answered my questions already on Focuway), how big of difference in real word testing is there in Starvis and Starvis 2 image quality? Is improvement significant in night time? Daytime?

My own camera is a couple years old and uses Starvis.

 

[Agie]

Correct. I had my suspicions, but the fact this brand isn't even listed or mentioned on Dashcamtalk (or really anywhere for that matter), pretty much says it all. Everyone here seems to agree this is a low end Chinese Camera, too. I'll install with a caveat emptor speech that I am not responsible if this camera doesn't work or last very long.

Someone mentioned Starvis 2 now came out. Not to derail my thread (but everyone has answered my questions already on Focuway), how big of difference in real word testing is there in Starvis and Starvis 2 image quality? Is improvement significant in night time? Daytime?

My own camera is a couple years old and uses Starvis.

I'm sure the experts here on DCT will add further information, but Starvis 2 appears to add some better capabilities when it comes to deciphering licence plates at night (reflections etc), along with better resolved details during the day.

Vortex Radar has some good comparison videos on YouTube where he reviews the Viofo A139 Pro and shows how much better it can be in certain situations. Others including myself have also tested the Vantrue Nexus 4 Pro.

These are just the Starvis 2 sensors at 4k with IMX678, there is also the IMX675 that's 2K resolution, and the Viofo A119 Mini 2 has it -- again videos on YouTube cover the improvements the Starvis 2 has made.

My previous dash cam was the A119 v3 from viofo and that had Starvis 1 IMX335, and I have to say I like the improvements the Starvis 2 has made. Not super mind blowing, but it's welcome improvements all the same.

 

[Dashmellow]

how big of difference in real word testing is there in Starvis and Starvis 2 image quality?

The Starvis 2 has some flaws but it is a big leap forward in sensor technology, especially with dynamic range and low light sensitivity. Basically, state of the art at the moment.

If you were considering a Starvis vs Starvis 2 camera there is no question that you would want the 2.

 

[jsmith]

Dashmellow and Agie thanks.

I checked out Vortex Radar's video on youtube. Very informative.

 

[Agie]

Dashmellow and Agie thanks.

I checked out Vortex Radar's video on youtube. Very informative.

No worries that's what we're here for, hopefully you come to a new purchase decision soon

 

[Bob R]

I think the answer to the the first question and the expected quality and support can be found in the first 4 letters of the brand name, just sayin'.

bob

 

[jsmith]

I think the answer to the the first question and the expected quality and support can be found in the first 4 letters of the brand name, just sayin'.

bob

The exact same thought I had.... Foc-U if it works and Foc-U if it doesnt. However, I didn't want to insult someone here if this was their company. Strange name though for a Product!