How important are good headlights for good dashcam performance at night?

[TonyM]

I recently bought a Viofo A139 Pro and I soon realised that I was not getting the same results as other people with the same camera.

@Mtz captured this image at a vehicle closing speed of ~200km/h

By comparison this is one of my best captures at 40+40 = 80mph = 130km/h


There are many factors that could explain the difference in contrast and number plate definition, including:
- Firmware version
- Bitrate / quality
- Number plate text size and background reflectivity, and cleanliness

How much difference would dull vs bright headlights make? It's not really something I can test because I'm stuck with the car I have. I have an old car (12 years, 140000 miles). The halogen EDIT: Xenon HID headlamps are cloudy, bad enough that they needed a polish to pass the annual roadworthy check 2 months ago. This is how they look now:


Would an upgrade to LED lights improve my dashcam performance?

Do vans, trucks, SUVs or other vehicles with higher-placed headlights have an advantage over cars?

Does the legal limit on headlight brightness & light pattern vary around the world?

 

[Nigel]

I think the main difference there is your beam pattern. In Mtz's image, his LED headlamps are reflecting light off the plate, in your image your headlamps are avoiding putting light on the plate in order to not blind the driver of the other car. LED lamps have more accurate beams and can auto-level almost instantly so can be aimed much better.

Possibly your headlamp beams could be adjusted to aim higher without failing the MOT test.
Aftermarket LED lamps are unlikely to have good beam patterns.
There may have been a HID headlamp option for your vehicle which would give out a lot more light, I'm not sure how much they help with the beam pattern though.
You can get the mirror surfaces in your headlamps refurbished, which could make a big difference on old headlamps:

Head Lamp Re-Silvering | Chrome Restoration Specialist

Re-silvering of headlamp reflectors including sealed beam units. Taken apart and completely refurbished including the repair of lamp holders and rims.

www.chromerestorationspecialist.co.uk

Also possible to do a DIY restoration, but opening up your headlamp units is serious DIY!

 

[Kremmen]

In my experience we have no chance of getting such number plate captures in the UK. Our plates appear to be far more reflective than other countries. I have LED headlights and they wash out oncoming front white plates giving just a bright white rectangle.

 

[Nigel]

Does the legal limit on headlight brightness & light pattern vary around the world?

I think Mtz has the same EU based rules as us, however his car will have a dynamic leveling system for the headlamps, which means he is allowed much brighter headlamps than your old car is. Just putting LED headlamps in yours would probably be an instant MOT failure. Not sure on the regulations for beam pattern and if that is affected by having a dynamic leveling system.

 

[Nigel]

In my experience we have no chance of getting such number plate captures in the UK. Our plates appear to be far more reflective than other countries. I have LED headlights and they wash out oncoming front white plates giving just a bright white rectangle.

They will wash out with any dashcam other than the A139 Pro!

 

[TonyM]

I think Mtz has the same EU based rules as us, however his car will have a dynamic leveling system for the headlamps, which means he is allowed much brighter headlamps than your old car is. Just putting LED headlamps in yours would probably be an instant MOT failure. Not sure on the regulations for beam pattern and if that is affected by having a dynamic leveling system.

My car has auto levelling headlamps so I can't adjust them myself - I know because the levelling sensor was fixed to pass the MOT, in addition to cleaning the headlamps. It was an expensive service for an old car.

 

[Panzer Platform]

Wow Tony,
I wish you had told me your car had projector beam headlamp housings.
These are way better than reflector type housings. You are a prime candidate for LED replacement bulbs because you will almost be guaranteed to get a perfectly focused beam pattern from the LED bulbs.

What is the YEAR / MAKE / MODEL of your car, so I can suggest some different types / brands od LED bulbs.

My car is 19 years old with 162K Miles, and the original reflector headlamp housing are badly oxidized, and need to be replaced. But I still haven’t replaced them because the LED bulbs perform so well in the cloudy, hazy assemblies.

Here is what you can expect in the difference in brightness swapping your old halogen bulbs fo LED. Just watch the first 50 seconds of the video.
The LED bulbs In the video are around 3-4x as bright ad the halogen however they only use 37 Watts, compared to the halogen 56 Watts. I wish you lived in the US, I would send you a pair for free. Nilight LED, and Auxito LED just asked me to review some more bulbs on my YouTube channel, (I always get extra pairs to giveaway) but I declined so I could put all my time into testing the A139 Pro.

Would an upgrade to LED lights improve my dash cam performance?
Yes, yes, and yes. Lol

Do vans, trucks, SUVs or other vehicles with higher-placed headlights have an advantage over cars?
I don’t think so.
(The headlamps and every light source in any headlamp unit shall be located at a height of not more than 54 inches nor less than 22 inches, California Code, Vehicle Code - VEH § 24400)

Does the legal limit on headlight brightness & light pattern vary around the world?
There is no “legal limit” on headlight brightness & light pattern in the US.
They must be DOT compliant, or DOT certified. (department of transportation).

My car has auto leveling headlamps so I can't adjust them myself.
Even though you headlights auto level, there is still a base adjustment. It might be in your owners manual.

LED bulbs are around $30-$50, C’mon it’s worth a shot. Lol
If they don’t work, and you get them from Amazon, you can return them for a refund.

-Chuck

 

[Kremmen]

Auto levelling probably means HID's which are better than halogen.

My OEM LED's provide a low wide even beam and as such they do not need any form of cover/deflector for driving abroad. The downside for dashcam is that they illuminate oncoming number plates more so than my previous halogen car

 

[Panzer Platform]

Here’s my same car with oxidized, cloudy, headlamp assemblies (2004 Ford Crown Victoria 162K Miles) on the highway at night with no street lamps. I even get a license plate capture at 1:50 when a car passed me on the right. Lol (in the US we are supposed to pass on the left).

Filmed with A119 Mini, 2K60fps raw video footage, no editing.

 

[TonyM]

Wow Tony,
I wish you had told me your car had projector beam headlamp housings.

A picture tells a thousand words, which is why I posted my headlamp image. I don't know headlamp tech at all so I couldn't tell you what I have installed

My car is a 2010 Mazda 6 Sport 2.2d

Stock web image:

 

[Kremmen]

when a car passed me on the right. Lol (in the US we are supposed to pass on the left).

Maybe because were stuck in the centre lane with the right lane empty ?

 

[Lothar]

How much difference would dull vs bright headlights make? It's not really something I can test because I'm stuck with the car I have. I have an old car (12 years, 140000 miles). The halogen headlamps are cloudy, bad enough that they needed a polish to pass the annual roadworthy check 2 months ago. This is how they look now:
View attachment 62885

Can't tell much from the picture but if they still look bad or not to your satisfaction, I would try this product below:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/B00429NKWK
Not sure if this product is sold on your side of the Atlantic (either Amazon or a physical store). I used it on my previous '09 Honda Accord back in 2019 and it worked wonders.

Best Headlight Restoration Kit Buying Guide - Consumer Reports

Shopping for a headlight restoration kit? Read about types, features, and other must-know topics in our headlight restoration kit buying guide to make an informed choice.

www.consumerreports.org

Sylvania Headlight Restoration Kit ($21)
The Sylvania Headlight Restoration Kit provided the greatest improvement in illumination and appearance with no noticeable degradation over time. It involves a total of six steps, including progressively finer grades of emery paper, rinsing, and a final coat of UV-blocking polymer coating that is best applied with rubber gloves and in a well-ventilated area. Applied entirely by hand, it reduces the risk of damage to surrounding paint. The Sylvania sanding papers are larger than those included with some other products, making them easier to use, but the best results do require some effort.

Consumer Reports’ Take
All the headlight restoration kits worked to some degree on at least some headlights, but only the Sylvania could be used with all tested lenses. Further, the Sylvania product also provided the best and longest-lasting results. 3M provides similar performance at a lower price, but it carries the risk of scratching painted surfaces abutting headlights and should only be used by those comfortable with using power tools. Turtle Wax is the bargain-basement product of the bunch, at less than half the cost of the top-performing Sylvania. But neither Turtle Wax nor Fast Brite lasted as long as the others.

Video instructions:

 

[Dadi_T]

My car has auto levelling headlamps so I can't adjust them myself - I know because the levelling sensor was fixed to pass the MOT, in addition to cleaning the headlamps. It was an expensive service for an old car.

You have xenon headlamps. Have you ever changed the light bulbs?
They can be very realiable and last for years and years. The downside is they can also reduce the the lux power.
The first thing would be to change the bulbs with new ones. It could be illegal to put in your xenon headlamps LEDs bulbs.
You could try those bulbs https://www.osram.com/ecat/XENARC NIGHT BREAKER LASER-Xenon headlight lamps-Car lighting-Automotive/com/en/GPS01_3043387/

Another thing with xenon headlamps is with those lens/magnifier? I don't know how you call it in english. I will put a photo. Ok, those things get smoked. In 99% cases they cannot be cleaned and need to be replaced




I also have xenon headlamps on 2012 car, also auto leveling but they can also be adjust.

 

[Panzer Platform]

Maybe because were stuck in the centre lane with the right lane empty ?

Fair enough Kremmen. lol
I was purposely "stuck" in the middle lane just for the sake of gathering test footage.
I wanted to evenly capture as much of the road ahead as possible.
Can you at least give me credit for speeding 72MPH, (7MPH over the posted 65MPH limit). lol
-Chuck

 

[Panzer Platform]

According to the Sylvania bulb guide the 2010 Mazda 6 uses H7 halogen bulbs, or an optional HID D2S. If you had the optional HID’s I don’t think you would be complaining about light output, (unless both HID’s have malfunctioned).

I would try these Beamtech H7’s for $37.
I have the same pair in H13 size installed in my 2010 Mercury Grand Marquis, (I have 2 cars). Here is a before & after with the halogens on my car;

 

[Harsh]

With such wide angle lenses, HDR, no HDR, nighttime is mostly going to be a miss. Your telephoto must have captured the plate.

Good headlights + telephoto, mostly you'll get the plate.

 

[Kremmen]

The only other comment about PP's testing is that the other vehicles are travelling in the same direction. The real test is trying to capture them on oncoming vehicles.

It doesn't bother me as my V3 night-time footage easily captures what is going on in good quality should I need it.

 

[TonyM]

With such wide angle lenses, HDR, no HDR, nighttime is mostly going to be a miss. Your telephoto must have captured the plate.

Good headlights + telephoto, mostly you'll get the plate.

On this occasion the 4K HDR out-performed both my telephoto cameras, when considering number plate capture only. 100% crops from all 3 camera below:

A139 Pro, 4K STARVIS 2 HDR (wide angle)


1080p IMX291 STARVIS 1 (6mm F1.2)


1080p IMX291 STARVIS 1 (8mm F1.8)

 

[Nigel]

On this occasion the 4K HDR out-performed both my telephoto cameras, when considering number plate capture only. 100% crops from all 3 camera below:

It appears that the A139 Pro has more "Telephoto" than your 6mm telephoto? And although the 9mm has more pixels/plate, I'm not sure that it is recording more detail, even when ignoring the obvious relative lack of dynamic range on the telephotos?

Do you have a similar set of images for daylight that you could post?

 

[TonyM]

It appears that the A139 Pro has more "Telephoto" than your 6mm telephoto?

I used the best capture from each camera, not necessarily at the same moment in time, so that would account for the scale difference. The other car is a bit closer in the A139 Pro capture.