How much does it cost to buy a good dash cam?
- Thread starter mimie
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ImpliedConsent
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I estimated $USD600.00 for a complete good 256GB kit + installation. That's near the top of the range IMO. I base that off of my latest Blackvue DR900X-2CH purchase. There are dozens of great cheaper alternatives.
kamkar
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Welcome to the forum mimie.
You do not have to pay that much, the problem if to settle on a brand with some support.
65 USD will get you a Blueskysea B2K on Amazon, the brand have people active in here too
This is just a single front camera for the windscreen, but it will log everything you do with your car just fine, and so claims of you running red lights or changing lanes when you did not are easy to fight.
And in the case of your hit and run you might be lucky to capture the plate, though it is always best to see it yourself and call it out for the microphone to record, cuz it is far from sure a plate will be captured.
You can spend more and get a 2 channel system and so also have a camera in the rear window, it is recommended but not a absolute must have.
Hit and run events will always be hard to deal with for a dashcam not least if it is dark as that significant lower the chance of a plate capture at speed.
You do not have to pay that much, the problem if to settle on a brand with some support.
65 USD will get you a Blueskysea B2K on Amazon, the brand have people active in here too
This is just a single front camera for the windscreen, but it will log everything you do with your car just fine, and so claims of you running red lights or changing lanes when you did not are easy to fight.
And in the case of your hit and run you might be lucky to capture the plate, though it is always best to see it yourself and call it out for the microphone to record, cuz it is far from sure a plate will be captured.
You can spend more and get a 2 channel system and so also have a camera in the rear window, it is recommended but not a absolute must have.
Hit and run events will always be hard to deal with for a dashcam not least if it is dark as that significant lower the chance of a plate capture at speed.
SawMaster
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Several good choices in the range of $75- $150 US, this includes cost for a card which isn't normally supplied. Some to consider would be the Blueskysea B2K and the Aukey DRA5 Mini. The B1W has just gotten a hardware update I think; it could also be good. If you can still find one the original 70mai was good and dirt cheap ($35 plus card) but it used a LiPo battery instead of supercaps- a problem in hot climates. The DDpai Mola M3 may also be worth considering.
You don't get what you don't pay for and with dashcams reliability and/or image quality are the first things lost on cheaper cams, so I won't recommend anything less than these.
Phil
You don't get what you don't pay for and with dashcams reliability and/or image quality are the first things lost on cheaper cams, so I won't recommend anything less than these.
Phil
NARider
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Based on personal experience, when you're looking at camera specifications be sure to check the operating temperatures vs. your expected in-car temperatures. Cameras with built-in batteries often can't handle extreme temperatures that cameras with super-capacitors can handle. When the internal temp of my car reached +130 F (+54 C - yes, I measured it) my camera-with-battery stopped working. I returned it and got a Street Guardian SG9663DCPRO (front and rear cameras, 'dual channel') and have not had any problems with it through in-car summer temps of 130 F and higher nor winter temps of +12 F (-11 C).
Puffnstuff
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My Thinkware U1000 made it through a hot FL summer without any issues as did the Cellink NEO powering it. You get what you pay for when it comes to dash cameras so you have to determine how much your car is worth to you. My U1000 gave the sheriff's office a beautiful view of a guy violating my right of way through my green light and right into the front of my SUV.
It can read license plates even in low light which also gave the same SO the plate of a hit and run driver who was trying to run away from his deed that he just happened to perform right in front of me. Its excellent night vision allowed me to witness thugs roaming through my neighborhood at 2AM right after I installed it. Collision avoidance also warns me when idiots are getting too close front or rear which has allowed me to adjust my heading to avoid them.
So the question is what are your expectations from a dash camera and how much are you willing to spend towards them? Once you budget yourself then you will have a much clearer picture of what you are looking for.
It can read license plates even in low light which also gave the same SO the plate of a hit and run driver who was trying to run away from his deed that he just happened to perform right in front of me. Its excellent night vision allowed me to witness thugs roaming through my neighborhood at 2AM right after I installed it. Collision avoidance also warns me when idiots are getting too close front or rear which has allowed me to adjust my heading to avoid them.
So the question is what are your expectations from a dash camera and how much are you willing to spend towards them? Once you budget yourself then you will have a much clearer picture of what you are looking for.
