Driver's window cop watching camera

[Rivertenderrivertender]

Wanting a camera that:

1. Records a cop at the driver's window

2. Can be rotated to watch a cop if they approach the passenger window

Not sure any of the cameras I see listed can do this.


Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Paul Iddon]

Vava do at least one that rotates almost through 360 degrees.

 

[kamkar]

A dashcam that can do that ( cover both side windows by turning it ) is a tall order, you will probably have to look at the ones that "dangle" from the windscreen on a stalk ( which often have a ball joint )
But even then you can get into problems as if you have the camera to one side of the mirror or a sensor array housing on the windscreen, it might be obscured for filming the other side.
Personally as i have my phone in a dock ( off fixed glass on driver side door ) i would just use its camera if i had to, and it can be turned to cover the other side.

My problem is i dont like people hovering over me, so when i get pulled over i get out of my car,,,,,, which is totally fine to do here in Denmark
It is recommended here to film interactions with Danish police as they sadly have become terrible bad, not even knowing extremely basic laws in out constitution and code.

I am happy getting a shot of them approaching and then have audio from the camera.
There is no doubt i will be able to identify these 2 guys i met some years ago ( i dont get pulled over very often )

EDIT : Pardon my manners,,,,, Welcome to the forum Rivertender

 

[Mtrev]

If you get a camera with an internal camera you could mount it on a ball joint mount which would then allow you to move it should it be required.
I have the Viofo A139 and have the internal camera on a suction cup ball joint mount which has held firmly for approx a year now. It the mount also came with another bracket so it could be stuck down with 3m tape rather than the suction cup.

 

[Ukraine Visitor]

There is no doubt i will be able to identify these 2 guys i met some years ago ( i dont get pulled over very often )

EDIT : Pardon my manners,,,,, Welcome to the forum Rivertender

Kamkar, That video is all around so pristine! What (rear) dashcam was used? Thanks.

 

[kamkar]

This was recorded with the old mini 0906 i think it is called.
I managed to kill my test sample pretty fast, but other testers had better luck.

 

[KANNINA 2.0]

I've been looking for something like this for awhile as well.

A 3-channel dashcam with front/rear cams and an interior cam on a swivel that I can move around to observe either front side window would be the holy grail for me.

Considered a Garmin Mini 2, but they have no internal battery, and I don't wanna have to hardwire another cam. Most other action cams are too big, have an unfriendly footprint/form factor, or would be too much of a pain to get it pointed at the right spot and have it reliably stay there (Mobius).

I want it to be inconspicuously hanging out under my driver side visor or attached to the back of my mirror with just the lens peeking out so as not to attract the man's attention...

There are a lot of small cams available on Amazon, but most of them suck.

I've been eyeballing this relatively new Insta360 GO 2. Battery powered so it can just sit there at the ready and I can turn it on and start recording with one button push when needed. Magnetized attachment to all its various mount options. Has a clip-on mount that would work well on the visor. Also has a pendant that you could keep in the car and throw on quickly, pop in the magnetized cam right to your chest and keep right on recording if the cops make you get out of the car. That seems very potentially useful. Reviews seem to be generally favorable.

Major downside (for me, anyway): they only make it in white. Not inconspicuous at all. Soon as they make it in black, I'll probably buy more than one...

Buy GO 2 - World's Smallest Action Camera - Insta360

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store.insta360.com

 

[Dashmellow]

A discreetly placed Mobius cam would be ideal for this purpose. Others here on DCT have done this in the past. Among several placement options it can be mounted on the passenger side A pillar, pointing towards the driver's side window. A cop standing at the window would not likely even see it. With a Mobius you can swap out the wide angle-of-view factory installed lens for one that is more of a telephoto so that your coverage captures details primarily from the window area only. Mobius cameras happen to have excellent audio capture (especially the M1) so that any conversations will be recorded clearly. Mobius cameras are modestly priced and this could be a permanently aimed, dedicated camera that would not need to be turned towards the window at a moments notice.

 

[kamkar]

There is also the keychain cameras, and i dont know if there are any nanny cams that pose as a air fresher or something plush you might have in a windscreen.
But these are not really geared to live in a car.

Cops are public figures and so can expect to get filmed, but it is also true they do not like it, and who wouldn't be if you are that bad at your job and so risk getting called out in public.
You can also post that video on social media and what not.
That will however soon change i think, just yesterday a cop was held up by 2 punks at gunpoint and forced to hand overt his 9 mm, they did find the gun pretty fast, but the 2 none indigenous guys are still at large.
And in general cops see much more threats now, which come as a total surprise to some, me not so much, if you invite people from a culture that embrace violence this is what you will get.

Another few days ago cops in a car chase actually shot at the car they was chasing, no one was hit, but must take some for a Danish cop to do that cuz pulling the gun here is frowned upon., so something that happen very rare not least in a pursuit.

So i fear poilice here will soon be wearing ski masks, and it is a shame and embarresing on a level i lack English words to convey my feelings.

 

[KANNINA 2.0]

A discreetly placed Mobius cam would be ideal for this purpose. Others here on DCT have done this in the past. Among several placement options it can be mounted on the passenger side A pillar, pointing towards the driver's side window. A cop standing at the window would not likely even see it. With a Mobius you can swap out the wide angle-of-view factory installed lens for one that is more of a telephoto so that your coverage captures details primarily from the window area only. Mobius cameras happen to have excellent audio capture (especially the M1) so that any conversations will be recorded clearly. Mobius cameras are modestly priced and this could be a permanently aimed, dedicated camera that would not need to be turned towards the window at a moments notice.

Agreed. I think the hat clip would work great on the visor. Plus the ability to charge it in the car without removing it (and messing up the aimpoint) are major pluses. If they ever get the supercap battery in it as an option, then I think it's a clear winner for in-car. I like the picatinny rail mount option as well.

It looks like they have a factory-direct wide angle lens option available now too.

The ability to pop out the Insta360 and slap it right on my chest outside the car is pretty cool though.

 

[kamkar]

The new insta mini cam is indeed very cool, i have looked for a excuse to buy one, but sadly i did not find any,,,,, and i am usually good at finding excuses like that.

 

[Dashmellow]

Agreed. I think the hat clip would work great on the visor.

I'm not a huge fan of visor mounts except for temporary use in rental cars for the reason that they are sometimes not that stable and if you need to flip the visor it can be a problem. Many people like them though and it's certainly an option.

You don't even need a hat clip as you can purchase a dedicated visor mount made specifically for this purpose.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/223587568403

 

[Lothar]

Wanting a camera that:

1. Records a cop at the driver's window

2. Can be rotated to watch a cop if they approach the passenger window

Not sure any of the cameras I see listed can do this.


Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

Something that already faces the window is fine. Something that you will have to rotate after a traffic stop if they approach your window is not.
The last thing I'd want is for a cop to think I'm reaching for a gun or something.

 

[kamkar]

It is extremely rare i use a sun visor.

 

[KANNINA 2.0]

Something that already faces the window is fine. Something that you will have to rotate after a traffic stop if they approach your window is not.
The last thing I'd want is for a cop to think I'm reaching for a gun or something.

Honestly, that seems to me like too much worrying.

Never have I ever been pulled over and not waited several minutes for the cop to sit in his car and run my plate. Plenty of time to get out my license, insurance and registration, roll the window down, and turn on my interior lights.

Then again, I know where all my stuff is and I don't have to rummage though the whole car to find it...

That, and the cam would be in the sun visor/rear view mirror area, so your hands aren't really hidden.

If he's walking up to your window already, sure--wait.

 

[Lothar]

Honestly, that seems to me like too much worrying.

Never have I ever been pulled over and not waited several minutes for the cop to sit in his car and run my plate. Plenty of time to get out my license, insurance and registration, roll the window down, and turn on my interior lights.

Then again, I know where all my stuff is and I don't have to rummage though the whole car to find it...

That, and the cam would be in the sun visor/rear view mirror area, so your hands aren't really hidden.

If he's walking up to your window already, sure--wait.

That is not worrying at all.
In my almost 20 years of driving, I have never been pulled over by a cop for a traffic stop or anything else.

But if I am pulled over, I will roll the window down and keep my hands on the steering wheel where they can see them and wait for them to arrive at my window. When they come to my window and ask for my license, insurance, and registration, then I get it for them. They can then go back in their car and run whatever reports that they want to run with the documents that I provided.

There is no need for me to provide anything in advance unless they ask for it when they come to my car window, and I also choose not to make any movement unless they are at my car window. That is where we differ I guess.

 

[Dashmellow]

Honestly, that seems to me like too much worrying.

Never have I ever been pulled over and not waited several minutes for the cop to sit in his car and run my plate. Plenty of time to get out my license, insurance and registration, roll the window down, and turn on my interior lights.

Then again, I know where all my stuff is and I don't have to rummage though the whole car to find it...

That, and the cam would be in the sun visor/rear view mirror area, so your hands aren't really hidden.

If he's walking up to your window already, sure--wait.

Worrying too much about having a cop think you might be reaching for a gun when all you're doing is simply fishing for your license and registration might depend on the color of one's skin.

 

[Triggerfish]

Vava do at least one that rotates almost through 360 degrees.

Vava's are complete garbage for use as an actual dashcam, but as a "driver window cam" or interior cam it would be fine IMO (just no IR). Years ago I got the puck looking VAVA and tested it and it couldn't pull a tag # in the best of conditions on close cars LOL. I called VAVA and they sent me the 2K puck camera in replacement, and it was not good that good clarity wise either. This was before my days of being enlightened and being willing to spend $400-$500 for a Blackvue.

So what did I do with my Vava 2K? mounted it on the drivers side just left of the rear view mirror and used it as a "backup" to my Blackvue (during the phase of the overheating issues on the 900) and when I parked or had I got pulled over I could easily swivel it over to the drivers side window for side coverage. Worked great for that!

Now I run an extra 2-CH camera setup and record both sides of my car like many do now.. but the downside is (like many have mentioned) if someone walks up to your car (like a cop or road rager) you will not be able to see them 100% as they will be in the peripheral.

 

[tolamik]

I have a Blueskysea b1w mounted with adhesive to the map light on the headliner, above the rear view mirror. In addition to normal front and rear cams. Because it is so small, it doesn’t hang down very far. It is aimed at the drivers window, and captures the driver torso up and steering wheel. It captures the driver window but probably would not be visible to an officer who is standing up. Because of the 360 rotation of this lipstick camera, you could probably rotate it to the passenger window. But personally I wouldn’t want to fiddle with anything out of sight of cops.
The hardest thing to remember is to turn the car into the mode where the accessories are on but motor off. So I practice that every now and then.

 

[kamkar]

Well here people not having the pale Danish complexion are pulled over a lot more, but for good reasons i would say looking at the crime statistics.
It do worry me that they can pull you over for nothing though, or that is they use the sobriety excuse most often, they can also insist on doing a inspection of the cars handling and safety features, and if they want to see what you have in the boot they will ask to see your warning triangle which are most often stored there.

If i was in charge, this grey area ( as so many others in this country ) is also where i would clean up and make things simply black / white.

It do also insult me that when pulled over, and they found nothing, they dont say sorry to bother you,,,,,,,,, that is a insult to me, at least from people like that.
As they dont do this, to me it indicate that i / everyone are criminals until the opposite is proven, but not proving this outside of a court do not count.
And officially it is the other way around, everyone are good until proven guilty of a crime.
Cops should be more respectful for me as a strand up citizen, it is after all me who pay their wages, criminals on the other hand they can treat as they please, cuz i know criminals do that with other people.

PS. my friend was pulled over so often in the old days ( several times daily and often while he was still in sight of where he lived ) he complained and 2 cops was also warned for their obsession with my friend.
Even if it was by no way not mandated really, he / we was very naughty back then i am personally glad i never had that focus by the police, i pretty much was under their radar all the time.