Welcome to the forum warren256.
In spite of their name no dash camera install like that, you can of cours whip something up somehow but you are in DIY territory then.
you can browse the where did you install your camera thread it is pic heavy and might give you ideas in relation to your particular windscreen layout, the common sensor array housings in new cars do challenge install a little, but there is usually a way to get by.
I would browse that thread from the newest page and then work your way back in time.
https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/where-did-you-mount-the-camera-post-your-pictures.502/page-66
Dashcams are wide angle so even if you have to mount a little offset to a side, it will still be fine.
Night vision in dashcams are a sales trick for cheap stuff, well at least when it come to the front & rear cameras, but the interior cameras some have will require IR light to see anything in the dark.
But the main cameras well they rely on a image sensor sensitive enough to see stuff, but you for sure still want light to be around.
All dashcams have a build in G-sensor that can be triggered by a bump / crash force, and so lock the event so it can not be overwritten as part of the normal routine of deleting the oldest stuff on a full memory card to make room for new stuff.
Personally i do not like to have the G-sensor on, CUZ i run a plenty large memory card ( 256 GB ) so i would have to be pushed down a cliff and also end up there with a car still running or at least powered, and then be there for many many hours before the actual event of the crash would be overwritten if it was not locked.
I do however often use the manual event button all dashcams also have to lock little stuff in traffic, CUZ otherwise my tired old memory goo between the ears just forget it, i would also use that in a crash if i was not knocked out of course.
Loop recording are normal. usually you can choose 1-2-3-5-10 minute segments, i personally prefer 3 minutes.
Most cameras today also have wifi and a accompanying APP, it is just fine for doing settings, and i assume if you have young fit eyes also reviewing of footage, as a Dane i would never need to share any footage at the site of a event, cops here are plenty happy if i bring it to them a little later at my convenience.
Same go for insurance companies.
There are tonnes of,,,,,, well,,,,,, systems that have not been featured on this site, often these will see little support or upgrades, you for sure do not want to shop in some mom and pop shop ran out of a garage in China, even if almost all systems are made there.
On average i only drive like 20-30 minutes a day, so with 256 GB camera i have footage going back weeks, so i do not have to rush, regarding little events i have saved, well that memory space are often dynamic so i have stuff in that folder going back a year easy as it do not see too much traffic, traffic a G-sensor on while driving + poor roads will make good use off. mind you even the RO folder / memory space, when full most will also recycle that memory space to make room for new stuff.
But if you do not have a lot of false events you can relax and pull footage when you like, i do it about 1 time a month for a YT upload of silly Danish drivers.
