front vs. rear camera placement for DR900S vs. DR750s?

[nusrat]

I had an unopened DR750S-2ch when I first saw a 3-way split-screen comparison -- posted, I think, by Vortex Radar -- of the DR900S and two other cameras. Seeing the superior performance of the DR900S in recording readable license plates compared to the other two cameras (one at 60fps) convinced me almost immediately to buy the DR900S-2ch. I've installed it part-way -- cameras mounted and recording, but wires still hanging, and power not yet connected to BV battery or PM Pro.

At first I considered selling the unopened DR750S, but decided to keep it because I already knew I wanted a 4-camera set-up, even if this combination might be a bit of over-kill -- I was recently T-boned by the SUV of a cop who wasn't watching the road, while driving our small hatch-back (now totaled), and I bitterly regret not having side cameras I could use to prove his recklessness.

I originally thought I'd put the DR750S's front camera in my rear window, and then use the two rear-channel cameras for the left and right windows. But then I saw this post which showed the inferior night performance of the DR900S https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threa...nd-750-solely-the-4k.33896/page-2#post-402835 , which has also been discussed at
https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/blackvue-900s-vs-750s-with-night-vision-on-thoughts.34597/
And now I'm wondering -- for purposes of "evidence collection / preservation", might it make more sense to put the DR900S in back and the DR750S in front? On the one hand, in daylight the DR900S would be better for capturing the rear license plate of a car which is in front of me (and cars are a lot less likely to be missing the rear plate than the front). On the other hand, Evad's post makes it look like the DR900S at night can barely even capture a car, let alone a license plate.

 

[SteveFL]

"...I wanted a 4-camera set-up, even if this combination might be a bit of over-kill "

If 4 cameras is over-kill, then what would you call a 6 camera setup? This is what I have.

Anyway, I world recommend both front camera facing front, and rear cameras facing rear, one backing up the other should something get missed. I have started driving and only while driving find out that one camera has not booted up completely or was not on. The "not on" camera is attached to the Power Magic Pro and will reboot or turn itself off when I start the car, so I have to turn it back on. This could be a firmware issue, I don't know. (It's the DR900S.)

As far as your idea about the left-right camera idea, let me know how you accomplished this as I too would like to have as much as a 360 degree view as possible.

 

[M8TJT]

As far as your idea about the left-right camera idea, let me know how you accomplished this ......

Stick them on the side windows?

 

[Lola]

Stick them on the side windows?

That was hilariously funny.

 

[nusrat]

That was hilariously funny.

Well. give @SteveFL the benefit of the doubt. (A) He might merely have meant, "Let us know what You finally decide about the camera locations"; and (B) he might have been asking, "Where on the sides would you mount them?", e.g. directly on the glass? are the windows stationary, or openable? are they on a door? or might you mount them. on the headliner using this guy's method: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/257951-new-dashcam-install-blackvue-dr900s-2ch.html

 

[SteveFL]

Stick them on the side windows?

Obviously, but not feasible, unless of course you never open the back doors or roll the windows down.

 

[jokiin]

Obviously, but not feasible, unless of course you never open the back doors or roll the windows down.

or it's a vehicle with fixed windows, plenty of vehicles have fixed windows that aren't in doors

 

[SteveFL]

My rear doors have a fixed windows along with regular windows. Unfortunately, they are on the part of the door that swings out when the door is opened. However, I have now be presented with a unique challenge, and that is finding a way to make this idea work!

 

[nusrat]

or it's a vehicle with fixed windows, plenty of vehicles have fixed windows that aren't in doors

Exactly. In fact, @M8TJT, exactly like mine:

 

[nusrat]

...finding a way to make this idea work!...

Steve, there are several ways if, unlike the 4Runner pictured above, you don't have any side-glass which isn't in a door. One way is too ridiculous to mention.

Another way is to hang the camera from the headliner, as pictured for a tail-gate window in the 4Runner thread linked-to above. One concern about doing it that way for a passenger door, however, is to avoid interference with any airbags in the headliner.

A third way, if you're willing to do semi-heavy modding, is to run the wires through the corrugated rubber conduit in the door-hinge, which carries the wiring for power windows; then you can have the wires emerge from the top or rear of the door panel, and mount the camera either on the stationary window, or on the top of the door panel.

Finally, in some cars (your profile doesn't identify yours), there is rear-facing glass which continues forward from the rear corner sufficiently far to allow a side-view.

 

[nusrat]

...recommend both front camera facing front, and rear cameras facing rear, one backing up the other should something get missed. I have started driving and only while driving find out that one camera has not booted up completely or was not on

Steve, interesting idea, but I won't need to worry about failing to notice that the camera isn't operating. I've purchased a Wi-Fi Android tablet expressly for the purpose of mounting it in my car as a camera monitor ("Live View" direct to the camera in the BlackVue app).

 

[Triggerfish]

I had an unopened DR750S-2ch when I first saw a 3-way split-screen comparison -- posted, I think, by Vortex Radar -- of the DR900S and two other cameras. Seeing the superior performance of the DR900S in recording readable license plates compared to the other two cameras (one at 60fps) convinced me almost immediately to buy the DR900S-2ch. I've installed it part-way -- cameras mounted and recording, but wires still hanging, and power not yet connected to BV battery or PM Pro.

At first I considered selling the unopened DR750S, but decided to keep it because I already knew I wanted a 4-camera set-up, even if this combination might be a bit of over-kill -- I was recently T-boned by the SUV of a cop who wasn't watching the road, while driving our small hatch-back (now totaled), and I bitterly regret not having side cameras I could use to prove his recklessness.

I originally thought I'd put the DR750S's front camera in my rear window, and then use the two rear-channel cameras for the left and right windows. But then I saw this post which showed the inferior night performance of the DR900S https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threa...nd-750-solely-the-4k.33896/page-2#post-402835 , which has also been discussed at
https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/blackvue-900s-vs-750s-with-night-vision-on-thoughts.34597/
And now I'm wondering -- for purposes of "evidence collection / preservation", might it make more sense to put the DR900S in back and the DR750S in front? On the one hand, in daylight the DR900S would be better for capturing the rear license plate of a car which is in front of me (and cars are a lot less likely to be missing the rear plate than the front). On the other hand, Evad's post makes it look like the DR900S at night can barely even capture a car, let alone a license plate.

I don't always bring up older threads (it's not THAT old though), but I'm curious what you did here.

I installed my DR900S-2CH in the front, 2nd cam in rear, then I run 2 individual cameras in my side windows (power them with a USB Brick or USB Cig Lighter adapter). I also run a 2nd camera in my front window (I've used a VAVA and currently using an A119 for better low light coverage).

As far as "overkill", I'd say that running your DR900S-2CH and your DR750S-2CH together is most definitely not... I think that overkill would be buying 4 DR950S-1CH's and putting them in all 4 sides of your car because you want 4K in each direction

 

[M8TJT]

And night vision worse than the 750? So put 4 of them in as well. And tag on a power bank the size of a Winnebago and your set to go.

 

[Skybird]

Here's an idea, why not talk to Google and see if they can mount their rooftop cameras they use for street mapping, on your car roof. That's 360' view for you XD.

I also learned about Blackvue through Vortex too! I too was also considering the 750s and it's cheaper and does 60fps. But I wanted to read number plates more than just 10cm away LOL big LOL and since the 900S does better in this department as to justify the hefty price difference between the 900 and 750s, I went with the 900S.

The thought has crossed my mind about getting TWO single 900S (not the 2-CH version) that way you could have both a front and rear 4k dash cam. But it's a dream I'm not actually going to put into reality.