Choice between Viofo A119v3 and A129

[Deleted member 25537]

Good day,

Im trying to decide which camera to buy, the A119 v3 (no GPS) or the A129 (with GPS, no dual setup).

I don't really care that much about GPS so it's not a deal breaker to me, though nice to have.
I also don't care about parking mode.

Price difference for where I can get them is around 40% more for the A129.

Which of these cameras is more reliable/stable and well supported in terms of firmware updates and bug fixes?

Are there better options? All I care about is for it to be as inconspicuous as possible, with capacitor (had 4 swollen batteries in my Git2), and for it to be stable, since I always leave it in the car so will probably have to stick it on the windshield.

Thanks!

 

[Nigel]

The main advantages of the A129 are wifi and bluetooth, so you can have a remote lock button, and can easily access the footage from your phone.

The main advantage of the A119 V3 is the resolution.

I would go for the A119 V3 for a single camera. The resolution is a significant advantage over the A129.

There is an A129+ coming soon, which has the same resolution and sensor as the A119 V3, so when that arrives I will probably change my recommendation because the wifi and bluetooth are good to have.

The GPS is useful for keeping the time correct, I would always go for GPS.

Of the two, I think the A119 V3 has been doing better on bugs/faults, but they are both good.

 

[SawMaster]

Another vote for the V3. It's a more developed product with fewer and less severe known issues. Not to say the A129 isn't as good or won't become a better choice- only that right now the V3 is the one I'd choose.

Phil

 

[Deleted member 25537]

Any feedback on the Viofo WR1?

 

[Nigel]

Any feedback on the Viofo WR1?

Last generation sensor, A119 V3 has far better image quality.

If you want a cheap wireless dashcam then the Blueskysea B1W is probably a better choice than the WR1, they both use the same sensor but I think the B1W does the better job.

 

[SawMaster]

Any feedback on the Viofo WR1?

Older cam no longer being supported. Apparently the design has been handed over to another company who markets it as the "RSC Nano". An older cam with lower specs and audio issues which AFAIK were never resolved. Get something newer and better

Phil

 

[Deleted member 25537]

Thanks gents; if only I could find a capacitor instead of a battery for my Git2 all of this would be moot.
Wouldn't happen to know anything about such a thing would you?

 

[Privateer]

Not had the Viofo A129.

I've had the Viofo A119 v3 since November 2019 and so far I'm very happy with it. The day and night resolution is good.

The GPS is useful for keeping the time correct, I would always go for GPS.

I agree with Nigel. GPS is definitely worth it for keeping the date and time accurate. In addition, I like to have the footage display the speed and coordinates. I try to keep within the posted speed limits so showing the speed isn't a problem for me. You can also take screenshots and send to SatNav company to update their map data for speed limit signs, blocked roads, etc.

The main advantages of the A129 are wifi and bluetooth, so you can have a remote lock button, and can easily access the footage from your phone.

That is a nice to have option, but how often do people use it? I guess that some would use it a lot and other not at all.

I run dual cameras with the Viofo A119 v3 up front and a RoadHawk on the rear. When the RoadHawk dies (it will) I will get another Viofo A119 v3 for the rear. This gives me 'swapability' contingency should the front camera fail - I just move the rear one to the front.

Regards,

 

[Nigel]

Thanks gents; if only I could find a capacitor instead of a battery for my Git2 all of this would be moot.
Wouldn't happen to know anything about such a thing would you?

I've tried a super capacitor in the Git2, the capacitor always runs out of power before the Git2 gets around to checking the voltage. Not successful.

There is a super capacitor version of the Gitup F1, nice action camera and it works fine as a dashcam, but it does set exposure etc. for movie making rather than detailed dashcam footage, so I recomend a dashcam if you are using it for recording incidents rather than making road movies.

That is a nice to have option, but how often do people use it? I guess that some would use it a lot and other not at all.

If you like pressing the lock button, the bluetooth lock button is much safer and easier, you can press it without taking your eyes off the road.

If you have an accident, being able to transfer the important footage to your phone so you have a safe backup is good, being able to show the incident to the police on a reasonable size phone screen instead of a tiny dashcam screen may be useful. Some people can't cope with life unless they are able to tweet footage immediately.

Most people will not use either bluetooth or wifi much, definitely not an essential, but everyone is different.

 

[Deleted member 25537]

Went with a V3 in the end, turns out it has GPS as well.
Thanks for all the input, appreciate it.