discreet vs normal sized dash cam?

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I'm not sure which one to buy here. Is discreet more important than a normal sized dash cam which may offer a little better video quality and a few options?

It seems most people want a discreet camera. The reason I can't decide is that I assume the best way to use a dash cam is to have it up all the time. If you are worried about leaving a normal sized dash cam installed all the time then that will defeat the purpose of having it up all the time because of being lazy and not having it installed.

What do you guys think, would you leave a normal sized dash cam up all the time or is it too risky where a discreet one makes more sense.

Thanks
 
Depends on area and "culture" you leave your car.
 
If you buy a glass hugging tiny wedge shape one it looks like a rain sensor from the outside and is pretty safe to leave up 24/7. (Or remote lens type)

If you get a long hanging one, no so discrete.
 
Thanks, do you consider the Street Guardian SG9665GC a glass hugging wedge shape one?
 
I have our GT680Ws mounted behind the review mirror and hardwired. Except for white letters, they're all black. Behind the mirror it doesn't create an additional feature and unless your looking for it, it's tough to notice. I mounted a dash cam in the rear window and had coworkers wondering why I had a camera in the car. Even though the sidewalk ran in front of the car, they saw the rear cam, but not the front.

I had a camera without display that just went into the heap. Adjusting the angle and camera settings is just too big a hassle without a display.

Since most units are small, for my money I prefer placement, hidden wires and display over an even smaller package.

Something to consider - My first GT680W is in flawless service for more than a year. Their newer Shadow GT880S with gps captures OBD info. I didn't think much about that until I read the OBD connector powers the unit. In other words, your car is pre-configured for a hardwired connection. Even better, you can switch to parking mode without finding another circuit.

As to cost, great units are available for $100. If you need a dash cam once, I suspect another fifty bucks is the last thing you'll need.
 
In some countries it has become a common scam to jump infront the car and fake a claim. Sometimes the eye "witnesses" that appear out of nowhere work together with "victim". Dash cams are very popular in those places, especially the big obvious ones, so the scammers know in advance that they better save their energy for another car.
 
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