F500LHD - 2nd or 3rd version

jst3712

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Hi guys. I am interested in the F500LHD - 2nd or 3rd version. http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dl ... 0361071483 and http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dl ... 0672647481 both sold by estore009 on eBay. I have asked the vendor to provide me with a user manual, but after having a flick through, I have my doubts that this camera does everything that most proper dash-cams do. The link to the manual I was given: http://l13.yunpan.cn/lk/QvSrjMexZSxQL

I have a few questions in relation to this... unfortunately the vendor wasn't all that helpful (maybe it's the language barrier)... You may answer with reference to the question numbers if that makes it easier ;)
1) Is this really supposed to be a "car dashcam" or is it just a portable video/photo camera that can be used as a dashcam?
2) What happens when you connect it to the cigarette lighter? Does it power up automatically and start recording? Does it shut down automatically as soon as power to the cigarette lighter shuts off?
3) The vendor told me that the LCD screen stays on all the time. Really? That would be annoying, especially at night.
4) The plate that attaches to the camera (to connect to the windscreen bracket/tripod), can it be attached to either side, or just on one side? Which side?
5) I was thinking about not using the windscreen bracket/tripod, and instead attach it to the windscreen itself. If I was to stick the 'plate' onto the windscreen using special silicone or double-sided tape (that can handle high temperature; you can buy that stuff), would that allow me to attach/remove the camera easily (from/to the plate), or is this impossible?
6) Are there any LED indicators on the camera, or is absolutely everything communicated via the LCD screen?
7) With reference to the 2 vendor links above, do you believe these cams are real or fake? What about the Firmware? Will I experience issues with the picture quality if it's upside-down with this version?

Sorry, I'm full of questions!!!! I've been through 3 dash cams already over the last 1 or 2 years and have had some issues, so I'm doing more homework this time! :D
 
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I'll try to answer your questions:

1) It is a car dashcam. Has a mount, auto start, auto stop and loop recording.
2) If your cigarette lighter only has power when the car is on, it will power up automatically and start recording when you turn the car on. It shuts down automatically as soon as power to the cigarette lighter shuts off.
3) LCD screen stays comes on automatically. You can turn it off by manually moving the joystick left. There is no setting to turn off the LCD automatically after a set amount of time.
4) Attaches to the side that doesn't have the LCD screen
5) It could be possible but you need to check the angle of your windshield. The lens only rotates a bit so you may need to build something to get the right angle.
6) LCD screen tells you everything. The power button appears to have an LED but I have not seen it lit up.
7) estore009 is quite reputable and have sold thousands of dash cams. These are real from all user accounts. The listing indicates the V6.9T2L-KH model. This is decent firmware, no issues with the flipped video quality. The GH models are newer and perhaps suffer from that problem.
 
Thanks for the info DashCamMan... that's great. Appreciate your time to answer all questions :D

Regarding the windscreen installation (number 5), yeah I gathered I'd have to pack it up a bit. I guess it depends on how the plate sits on the camera itself (close fit / bit of a gap?)... I'm guessing around 5mm packing should do it you reckon?
I'm not sure if you have one of these cams in front of you to check for me, but would you know how difficult it is to remove the plate from the camera?
I've actually done this with one of my older cams (had an adjustable camera lens head) but I didn't get one of those plates you attach to it so you can mount it on the windscreen bracket (it was missing) so I mounted it up high on the windscreen using special double-sided tape; but without the plate, it was a permanent fixture. I want to be able to take it down when I park my car on a sunny day.

Now with your answer to number 3 (LCD screen).... does that mean you need to move the joystick to the left every single time (after ignition is switched on) to turn it off? :roll: They should have made it so you have to press a button to activate it, not the other way around! Lol. I'm sure most people would want it OFF initially.

-Jason
 
Hi jst3712,

The plate clips on quite tight to the camera and it is not that easy to remove. One of our members has modified it to have a quick release option. See the thread here. What you will notice if you try to attach the F500L directly to your windshield is that the camera will not be angled low enough. You will need to build a triangular mount to get the angle right.

The LCD screen being on by default is a negative. Installing it right behind the rear view mirror is an option (if it fits) and the screen won't be a problem then.
 
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jst3712 said:
Hi guys. I am interested in the F500LHD - 2nd or 3rd version.

just for curiosities sake, what's your opinion of the price of this model, good value for what you get, expected price etc?
 
I think it is good value for the money for these reasons:

Video quality is good during the day
Camera has proven to be quite reliable
Price is under $100
Battery is easily replaceable (Nokia cell phone battery) - undersized batteries have caused many problems in other cameras
Firmware is readily available if one chooses to upgrade
Has an LCD Screen (some people want this but not necessary in my opinion)

The negatives are:
Average / below average night time video depending on lighting
Size (not huge but it is not small)
Firmware upgrades can be risky
No GPS or G-sensor

For a basic camera, this is a great choice. It is getting a bit dated now but I'm not sure if there is a better camera for under $100.
 
DashCamMan said:
Hi jst3712,

The plate clips on quite tight to the camera and it is not that easy to remove. One of our members has modified it to have a quick release option. See the thread here. What you will notice if you try to attach the F500L directly to your windshield is that the camera will not be angled low enough. You will need to build a triangular mount to get the angle right.

The LCD screen being on by default is a negative. Installing it right behind the rear view mirror is an option (if it fits) and the screen won't be a problem then.

Ah, I obviously haven't given this much thought :? That lens head doesn't tilt much... right. Pity. Otherwise I probably would've bought this camera.
My current camera's adjustable lens head can tilt a fair bit (either way) and therefore doesn't need any special triangular mounts like you suggested... just a 5mm or so spacer to allow for the protruding (but adjustable) lens head - refer to the picture link I mentioned in my previous post. I think the manufacturers should design more cams that can be mounted directly to the windscreen for discreetness but at the same time ease of attaching/detaching, similar to the Blackvue cams. Those common suction cup windscreen mounts are bulky and makes it very evident that a dashcam is onboard.
 
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Hi guys,

After reading through this interesting discussion, I'm still not clear on which version to buy.

I was set on buying v2 and emailed the recommended vendor in late Jan 2013.
However he wrote that they would be shut down for the Chinese new year and wouldn't be shipping anything for a couple of weeks. And now (late Feb 2013) I see that there's v3, which is about $100 more expensive (v2 was ~$100, v3 is ~$200).

So is the new version worth the money?

In case v3 is preferred, I can wait for a while if the prices are expected to go down.

Thank you,

Daniel
 
jokiin said:
What's meant to be different about the v3? Can't see it being worth $200

If I recall correctly (it's been a while since I was looking into this camera), the 3rd comes with an extra bracket/clip that can be attached to your pants when/if not using it as a dashcam. Cannot explain the huge diff in price between 2nd and 3rd though, but I would go for the 2nd if you don't need the extra bracket/clip. If you scroll down on that page, you will see what it looks like. Other than that, I don't think there really is much more different.
 
Now the 3rd gen is back to ~$100 so there's only a couple of $ price difference between 2nd and 3rd gen.
 
wisniak said:
Now the 3rd gen is back to ~$100 so there's only a couple of $ price difference between 2nd and 3rd gen.

Yes the prices of most dash cams (in general) have been going up and down dramatically I've noticed. Not sure as to the reason why.
See my reply above for jokiin as the extra bracket I think is the major difference between the V2 and V3.
I really don't want to get into the more technical stuff... might leave that with the pro's (e.g. DashCamGuy). Good luck!
 
wisniak said:
Here's the eBay listing.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/3rd-F500L-HD-Fu ... 1e6cb25d39

I see that he has updated the price back to ~$100.
Until a couple of days ago it was ~$200.

So again, just to verify, this dash cam would be my best bet?

I think it's not uncommon for some of these sellers to bump the price up when they run out of stock, keeps their ad active and they just put it back down when they have stock again, a few of them that seem to do this a bit
 
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Hi wisniak,

The Dash Cam 1 is a SD DVR-027 that is worth $17.50. They are selling it for $50 so not a good deal.

The SmartCam HD2 is a Novatek based camera that is likely similar to the K2000. Worth about $40 and they are selling it for $150. Another bad deal.
 
My understanding is the 2nd version and 3rd version are identical cameras. The difference lies in the longer power adapter in the 3rd version and an extra bracket.

When prices jump up it is just due to low/no inventory. As jokiin mentioned, they don't want to end the ebay ad so they just raise the price until they get more inventory.
 
Thank you, guys.

I'm completing flight training and I want a good quality camera to record my flights.
I won't be flying at night so this functionality is less important.
But I do want 1080p.

So unless you guys recommend a different product, I'll purchase the F500LHD from estore009 in eBay, who was recommended in this great site.
By the way, I did read about the variants of this dash cam. I wrote the vendor in order to clarify which version he sells, but did not receive a reply.
 
it will power up automatically and start recording when you turn the car on. It shuts down automatically as soon as power to the cigarette lighter shuts off
not a good choice, as we see in road rage videos. Sometimes the most brutal action starts when the engine is off and the driver steps out of the car. I think there's an option "Auto power off", so the camera keeps recording until battery empty.

I wanted to buy F900LHD, but noticed a recomendation "Buy the F500LHD instead."
Ok, so here the confusion begins: it looks like F500LHD is obsolete, and now they sell "New F500L HD" and "3rd F500L HD", that's at recomended estore009. One costs 4 dollars more, but I haven't figured out yet why.

It looks like ShenZhen Saddle Technology Co., Ltd. is not selling them any more, and I'm not gonna buy from other two with mixed reputation, so estore009 seems to be the only choice right now. But, as someone mentioned in this message , even buying at estore009 can be confusing...

So, should I just go for the most expensive F500L at this address and hope for the best ?
 
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