CPL with VIOFO A119 mini2

[Nedla]

Normally a polarization filter can/must be twisted in front of the camera lens until optimal function is achieved. With the VIOFO A119 mini2 you cannot twist anything; at most you can push the CPL onto the dash cam, twisted by 180 degrees.
How can you achieve the optimal rotation of the CPL with this type of installation?

 

[Karagandinez]

Normally a polarization filter can/must be twisted in front of the camera lens until optimal function is achieved. With the VIOFO A119 mini2 you cannot twist anything; at most you can push the CPL onto the dash cam, twisted by 180 degrees.
How can you achieve the optimal rotation of the CPL with this type of installation?

 

[Nedla]

@Karagandinez
Thanks for the quick help. I wasn't aware of the rotatability of the lens in the adapter and VIOFO didn't reveal it when I bought it. A tip in the packaging would also be helpful

 

[Nigel]

and VIOFO didn't reveal it when I bought it. A tip in the packaging would also be helpful

It is not supposed to need adjusting, so there is no reason to include a tip.

When it was first introduced, there were a number that were not correctly adjusted at the factory, hence a few threads and Youtube videos on adjusting them, but judging by the lack of discussion on this over the last few years, I think they must be nearly all be correct from the factory now.

Nice to see that the new Viofo CPLs are designed so that it can't be incorrectly adjusted 🙂

 

[Karagandinez]

but judging by the lack of discussion on this over the last few years, I think they must be nearly all be correct from the factory now.

This is wrong. These questions arise from time to time on various DVR forums.
I myself recently bought a filter for Mini 2 and the adjustment mark was set incorrectly.
The same as on the A229 Pro and A229 Plus. I had to move the marks a few degrees.

 

[Chuck McCoy]

It is not supposed to need adjusting, so there is no reason to include a tip.

I think they must be nearly all be correct from the factory now.

Why would you discourage someone from wanting to confirm & verify proper operation of their equipment?
CPL Filters may rotate loose due to vehicle vibrations over time.
Just because it's "new" does not mean it's "good".
People make mistakes.
Always conform & verify especially when it's your butt that's on the line.

This is wrong. These questions arise from time to time on various DVR forums.
I myself recently bought a filter for Mini 2 and the adjustment mark was set incorrectly.
The same as on the A229 Pro and A229 Plus. I had to move the marks a few degrees.

Correct.
RCG530 recently discovered the CPL Filter for his A229 Pro was off by a few degrees, and required adjustment.

 

[Nigel]

I myself recently bought a filter for Mini 2 and the adjustment mark was set incorrectly.

That is disappointing, maybe a lot of people using them ineffectively then!

The same as on the A229 Pro and A229 Plus. I had to move the marks a few degrees.

They can be adjusted though, just turn them.
Although there do seem to be people who do not notice the marks anyway and just push them on completely unadjusted, I have even seen dashcam reviewers do that!

Like I said, the VS1 CPL solves the problem, that cannot be fitted incorrectly, either at factory or in the car.
Maybe they should change the A119 CPLs to the same design.
Not sure about the A229 / A139 CPLs, it would solve some issues if they were changed to a design similar to the VS1 CPL., but that would require changes on the camera.

Why would you discourage someone from wanting to confirm & verify proper operation of their equipment?

I wasn't intending to, I was just pointing out that they shouldn't need adjustment, since the OP appears to wrongly believe that they should need adjustment. If he watched the video that Karagandinez posted then he already knows that it is good to check!

 

[Karagandinez]

They can be adjusted though, just turn them.
Although there do seem to be people who do not notice the marks anyway and just push them on completely unadjusted, I have even seen dashcam reviewers do that!

I know how to set up a filter for the DVR.
I have been in the subject of DVRs for more than 10 years. 😉

Like I said, the VS1 CPL solves the problem, that cannot be fitted incorrectly, either at factory or in the car.
Maybe they should change the A119 CPLs to the same design.
Not sure about the A229 / A139 CPLs, it would solve some issues if they were changed to a design similar to the VS1 CPL., but that would require changes on the camera.

To be honest, I like it better when I can check the filter settings myself and, if necessary, adjust it.

 

[GPak]

Any DVR is first and foremost a consumer product, so it needs to be consumer-friendly (plug and play) so that the average person can install and use it.
And even more so for such a simple addition as a CPL filter.

The fact that the average Joe has to rotate the rectangular frame to see if the filter angle is correct or not, then mark it if necessary, then rotate it accurately, then check it again, then affix it to the frame, then make sure it is not installed upside down is insane!
The average Joe has no idea that the correct "angle" exists!! He has no idea that the view through filter supposed to be green or black!

It's just poor quality control in production, on top of a bad design to begin with.

This filter should be precisely adjusted and permanently bonded into the frame, and the frame should be designed so that you cannot install it in the wrong orientation, utilizing some type of key/groove/slot/protrusion etc.

It's called “idiot”-proof design, and we can all be “idiots” from time to time. No offense to anyone.

There's nothing complicated about it.

 

[Nigel]

It's called “idiot”-proof design, and we can all be “idiots” from time to time. No offense to anyone.

That is what we have with the VS1 filter, a rectangular filter mounted in a rectangular frame, you can't insert it at the wrong angle (180° out does not matter).

The A119 filters are circular filters mounted in a rectangular frame, allowing the factory to mount them at any angle, there are bound to be some mounting errors at the factory.

The A229 filters are round filters in a round frame, allowing the customer to mount them at any angle, and the customer often doesn't know that the angle is important, so many of them will be mounted very inaccurately.

I've been saying since before the A119 filters were released that we should be using rectangular filters in a rectangular frame so that there can be no errors, and that they don't need to be CPLs, a simple linear polarising filter will work just as well, the extra layer in a circular polarising filter does nothing useful!

 

[Kremmen]

Old dashcam now but in my experience with the A119 V3, the supplied CPL's were already optimised, in the factory, for the best setting

 

[checkmate]

Hi everyone, I saw this thread and would like to share my experience with the Viofo CPL-100 filter. I apologize for my imprecise English, but I'm Italian and I'm relying on Google for translation.

For a few weeks now, I've been the happy owner of a Viofo A119 Mini 2, and its features have fully met my expectations, except for the CPL filter, which I purchased as an accessory.

Unfortunately, I have to completely agree with those who said that the filter's design is very disappointing compared to the quality of the camera, as the adjustment is complex and very annoying if, as happened to me, the filter's factory setting was completely off-axis.

And I can't explain why, but despite the YouTube adjustment video guide I watched in the second post, in my case, even though I carefully followed it and rotated the lens as directed, I didn't see a solid black or a solid green. And even when I made the best adjustments by positioning the darkest color possible at a 45° angle with the fins facing outward, once I mounted the filter on the cam in the car, the dashboard reflection correction was nonexistent.

So, still in the car, I methodically rotated the lens to each position until I covered the entire 360° arc, and with each rotation "click," I had to attach and remove the filter a dozen times from the cam until I found the least-worst compromise. I say least-worst because even with the current solution, I can't say I'm completely satisfied, as the presence of reflections in the videos has improved slightly but hasn't completely disappeared. I'm sorry, but at least in my case, this filter is a disservice to Viofo, as it wasn't properly adjusted at the factory, and improving alignment with a "do-it-yourself" approach is very laborious for a normal user.

I don't like comparing products with such different performance levels, but here I want to highlight the Vantrue E-series' superior CPL design: months ago, I purchased two Vantrue Element 1 dashcams, one as a standalone rear view camera on the same car as the Viofo, and the other as a front view camera on another car. I equipped both with a CPL filter that wasn't even an original Vantrue filter, but rather one from a reputable competitor. After a quick and easy adjustment of the screw ring, both showed excellent reflection blocking. I have no further comments.

Therefore, in my opinion, the CPL polarization functionality in the Viofo A119 Mini 2 and similar cameras absolutely needs improvement.