Expensive dashcams worth it?

[Blink982]

I'm considering fitting a dashcam in my 2017 Cayman. I believe that hard wiring will invalidate my warranty so I'm going to just connect it up to one of the 12v connections (once I've figured out which one shuts down after 30mins).

I'm looking at something discrete like the Blackvue and Qvia models as they are both discrete and are the ones featured here, however, they are too far away. However, after browsing this forum I came across the Blueskysea B1W which is a similar shape and size. How would this compare to the Blackvues in terms of picture quality and overall reliability?

 

[kamkar]

The B1W are a fine little camera for its price, i was given one on day #1 and it still work fine in my car many months and a hot summer later.
It is of course not the best footage out there with that price it have, but its not garbage by a long shot, looking at price its pretty darn good, i even think the B1W are a good deal smaller than the blackvue and qvia cameras.
Qvia are hard to deal with in case you need assistance, they do sell worldwide but it seem like only the home Korean market have their interest.
Blackvue seen fussy, not least with memory cards, dont fall for the "smarts" in them.

 

[SawMaster]

The B1W is a bargain for what you get from it. Mine has good video day and night; not the best available but far better than it's price would indicate. Mine also has an almost perfect "G-sensor" and a relatively fast on-time when it is activated; bump the car slightly and it gets that, but winds don't set it off. May or may not catch a 'keying' alone. Reliability with the recommended hardwire kit is excellent. As to the Blackvue, the only thing they have better than others is in their parking mode. Their video quality is less than a much cheaper A119/A129 or any Street Guardian cam, their features other than parking mode don't work well, they are fussy about which SD cards are used, the factory support and updates aren't good at all compared to many other brands, and of their current offerings only one model (not their latest) has any reputation of being a really good cam. I don't know much about the Qvia, but in my experience none of the top-priced cams have proven themselves any better than some of the mid-priced cams. You're spending for only a name with them, not spending for a good cam. Your money, your choice but with a Cayman I'd want the best cam no matter who's name is on it or whether it is expensive or not. And I'd want a seller and manufacturer who are happy to make and keep me happy after I've bought their wares. Even the lowly B1W does better than the top-priced brands with that aspect.

It takes some effort and time, but in the forums here on DCT you'll find real-world-people sharing their real-world experiences with their cams, especially problems they've found and solutions for those if they can be found. No biased opinions, no shill or uneducated reviews, no hyped-up reputations. Read about the cams you're interested in here on the forums, look at the raw video files many have posted to see what you're going to be getting, paying extra attention to how good people's after-sales support really is. Only after that should you decide on which cam to get.

Phil

 

[Blink982]

Thanks for the replies. I'm after a discrete camera with the form factor of the Blackvue and B1W. I'll do some more research. I don't think I can use parking mode despite it being a feature I would like due to the fact that I cannot hard wire.

 

[kamkar]

The piggy back fuses used to hardwire into the fuse box leave no trace, unless you do something really wrong and burn down your car.
It is not recomended to cut into the existing wire harness, it cant be done but better to tap into a existing fuse with a piggy back fuse.

 

[DashcamDPR]

I'm not sure the 12v shuts off after 30 minutes, but yeah, expensive dashcams aren't worth it. You may find them packed with a list of features that you just don't need, and they're not necessarily more reliable than a sub £100 cam

 

[SawMaster]

The B1W draws less current than any other dashcam. As long as you drive daily and don't park for more than about 12 hours you may be able to let it record constantly like I do with mine.

Phil

 

[RLS]

I would recommend a premium dashcam with higher quality image sensor (IMX291 Starvis) and good audio, esp since you have a sporty car.

Do you have the PASM option for your car? How about sport exhaust? With stiffer suspension and louder exhaust, you run across the issues of noisy/muddled audio. Basically all dashcams will need modifications for optimal audio (wind noise, vibrations from drone/bumps/etc, loud exhaust)

Hardwiring DOESNT affect your warranty; you are basically tapping a fuse (I have hardwired both Panamera S and Macan S).

I currently am getting solid video/audio quality from my Street Guardian SG9663DC and Qvia QR790 (1440p Starvis) in my GTR. See here:

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

. QR790 is on top. Audio is from SG9663DC.




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[RLS]

I don't know much about the Qvia, but in my experience none of the top-priced cams have proven themselves any better than some of the mid-priced cams. You're spending for only a name with them, not spending for a good cam. Your money, your choice but with a Cayman I'd want the best cam no matter who's name is on it or whether it is expensive or not. And I'd want a seller and manufacturer who are happy to make and keep me happy after I've bought their wares. Even the lowly B1W does better than the top-priced brands with that aspect.

I have had surprising success with Qvia’s latest QR790 with 1440p Starvis, and with the Lukas LK919 that shares the same sensor, but has display and takes a standard SD card + a MicroSD Card. The Lk919 is not stealthy though...lol.

Previous Lukas/Qvia cams always had issues (LK7900, etc).




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[Blink982]

I would recommend a premium dashcam with higher quality image sensor (IMX291 Starvis) and good audio, esp since you have a sporty car.

Do you have the PASM option for your car? How about sport exhaust? With stiffer suspension and louder exhaust, you run across the issues of noisy/muddled audio. Basically all dashcams will need modifications for optimal audio (wind noise, vibrations from drone/bumps/etc, loud exhaust)

Hardwiring DOESNT affect your warranty; you are basically tapping a fuse (I have hardwired both Panamera S and Macan S).

I currently am getting solid video/audio quality from my Street Guardian SG9663DC and Qvia QR790 (1440p Starvis) in my GTR. See here:

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

. QR790 is on top. Audio is from SG9663DC.




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I've got PASM in my car and to be honest after test driving three models with the standard (fixed) suspension, I wish I had saved my money! I don't have the sports exhaust. The standard one is noisy enough for me and the sports one just droned when sitting at a steady speed.

The premium dashcams you mention (Qvia) are six times the price (UK) of the little B1W. You clearly think that it is worth that.

 

[RLS]

I've got PASM in my car and to be honest after test driving three models with the standard (fixed) suspension, I wish I had saved my money! I don't have the sports exhaust. The standard one is noisy enough for me and the sports one just droned when sitting at a steady speed.

The premium dashcams you mention (Qvia) are six times the price (UK) of the little B1W. You clearly think that it is worth that.

The QR790 is like $350 and sometimes around $300 in the CA. Most premium dashcams are around $400.


I definitely think that it’s worth it; for most things in life, you get what you pay for. Once you start opening up these dashcams (a hobby of mine), you will understand what I mean. Quality control, embedded component selection, image sensor choice, CPL options, housing material, etc.

B1W has IMX323 which is above average for night performance, but it’s nowhere near as capable as the IMX291 Starvis. The motion detection isn’t buffered, WiFi connection isnt the most stable (few are), and the audio quality seems below average. Also, it’s a single channel camera.

I enjoy the peace of mind, “set and forget”, knowing that I’ll have reliable footage at any time, not just when driving, but also when parked.

I know the PASM helps deal with bumpiness, and I like the ride height adjustability (I have to be so careful not to scrape with my other cars lol), but if you drive your car in any sporty manner, then you definitely won’t regret spending more for a quality setup. As for stock exhaust, it’s definitely loud enough, and since the car is small, you will notice the effects of the sound/vibration noises in your audio...


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[Nigel]

If you want it just as an accident camera then the B1W does a pretty good job, if you want to use the footage to make movies then something like the Viofo A129 is clearly better for video and considerably better for audio, spending more than that doesn't get you significantly better video or audio, just differences in functionality, parking mode etc.

 

[RLS]

If you want it just as an accident camera then the B1W does a pretty good job, if you want to use the footage to make movies then something like the Viofo A129 is clearly better for video and considerably better for audio, spending more than that doesn't get you significantly better video or audio, just differences in functionality, parking mode etc.

Definitely agree! A129 duo is a solid mid-range dual channel, with similar hardware to the SG9663DC. I like the Bluetooth remote, and the GPS mount plate

A129 audio is much better than B1W, but still not up to the SG’s esp when it comes to wind noise (windows down), vibrations, bumps, etc.

I have installed 3x A129 duo’s in friends’ cars.


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[Nigel]

Definitely agree! A129 duo is a solid mid-range dual channel, with similar hardware to the SG9663DC. I like the Bluetooth remote, and the GPS mount plate

A129 audio is much better than B1W, but still not up to the SG’s esp when it comes to wind noise (windows down), vibrations, bumps, etc.

I have installed 3x A129 duo’s in friends’ cars.


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What is the difference in wind noise etc.? I guess it is just a matter of volume? My A129 seems to cope with almost any volume, maybe the SG is more sensitive?

 

[RLS]

What is the difference in wind noise etc.? I guess it is just a matter of volume? My A129 seems to cope with almost any volume, maybe the SG is more sensitive?

The audio gets noisy/interference, which becomes more and more evident at higher speeds.


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[Nigel]

The audio gets noisy/interference, which becomes more and more evident at higher speeds.

I've not noticed anything increasing with speed other than road and wind noise, which is expected! And occasionally, on a hot day, I have a rattle from my mirror.

Of course, I have only tested up as far as the speed limit, but I probably wouldn't have the windows down if I was going much faster anyway. Plenty of "(windows down), vibrations, bumps, etc.":

 

[RLS]

I've not noticed anything increasing with speed other than road and wind noise, which is expected! And occasionally, on a hot day, I have a rattle from my mirror.

Of course, I have only tested up as far as the speed limit, but I probably wouldn't have the windows down if I was going much faster anyway. Plenty of "(windows down), vibrations, bumps, etc.":

Road and wind noise is a big problem on cars with stiffer suspension, sport tires, etc. Tons of noise from turbos, loud exhaust (which can cause vibrations from drone), etc.

Placement of the mic unit, the foam on it, and the location of it on the PCB relative to its surroundings all can lead to those rattles and muffled noise.

I have videos from friends who have the A129 duo, from Mexico of course, at pretty high speeds, and there’s definitely affected audio, even without windows down. Lemme find them and see how to upload them.





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[RLS]

I've not noticed anything increasing with speed other than road and wind noise, which is expected! And occasionally, on a hot day, I have a rattle from my mirror.

Here is a low speed clip from a friend:
[MEDIA]

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[Blink982]

Q. Why are none of the premium dashcams listed on the best dashcams of 2018 page? The only brand name camera listed is a Garmin 55.

I'm not too fussed about audio. I have action cameras to use if I want to film a road trip.

 

[RLS]

Q. Why are none of the premium dashcams listed on the best buy page? The only brand name camera listed is a Garmin 55.

I'm not too fussed about audio. I have action cameras to use if I want to film a road trip.

BestBuy doesn’t sell premium dashcams except the F800 (non-pro). I wouldn’t recommend buying a dashcam from them. Most of the dashcams they sell aren’t even capacitor based.

Action cams are good, but have their limitations. They tend to overheat, and the high resolution is usually overkill esp in filling up your memory card. I use Garmin Virb Ultra, Sony FDRX3000 and GoPros for track use and telemetry from OBDII sensors. Just don’t expect any action cam to be able to record non-stop, even with wire to battery pack. They all have max operating temp around 140F lol.

Dashcams are designed for non-stop recording of audio/video for evidence.


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