I really need some help in deciding on the right cameras.

[Lola]

@Lola

Whatever you're using for your decision making process on what to buy, I don't get the sense you're including one the most valuable assets out there. If a picture can say a thousand words, then a video would have to say a million, at least. Whatever camera you're curious about, simply type it into YouTube search (or this forum's reviews section) and you'll most likely find some video that would answer a lot of your questions far better than reading or just looking at pictures, like this for example:

You do things your way and I'll do things my way M Basta, I have no idea what you are even talking about!

 

[Lola]

I'm not sure I understand your question. The SGZC12RC is a two part system. The tiny "remote camera" (aka RC) is attached to the glass via 3M, out the side the long wire is connected to the main unit. Main unit has the touch screen, memory card, CPU inside.

Pier28, I didn't know that you could just use the little barrel section (the Lense) to stick to the windshield and the other unit was separate on a long wire (I thought they were stuck together).
I found a review showing how it was installed and liked it a lot, what I was calling the little 3 x 3" (the LCD screen interface) can then be stored under the seat, in the dash, any where. This is a whole new idea to me from the cameras I've seen. Like you said "a two part system.
This will be the first one I want to get for the rear camera.

 

[Dashmellow]

I just don't have the experience necessary to pick the right cameras and need the help of you guys that are really in the know. I have a 2001 Black Toyota Tacoma 2 door, Extended cab, totally stock, electric doors and windows.
This has become an extreme necessity for me because of people hitting me in the rear of my truck, another good hit and I might very well be in a wheel chair the rest of my life or worse!!

What I need or want, budget is 2 to $300.00 plus.

Cams I can depend on with a excellent/really good manufacture warranty. 3M stick pads to install the cams, I do NOT want suction cups, there are to many stories about them falling off!! All necessary wiring and accessories or place to get quality parts needed.
2 channel, or 2 separate cam connected together to run off the cars battery one for the dash and one for the rear, By far the rear camera is the most important to me as this is where I keep getting hit, but I would like the dash cam to be of excellent quality also. Both to be easy to service, take off mount and/or remove storage card

If I need an internal battery for some reason I want "capacitor's", to withstand the heat better.
Excellent quality video or as good as I can get, on a loop with 32 GB or hopefully larger storage that is easy to find. That I can take out, put in a formatted spare, put the original one in my computer and store files or reformat for the next exchange into the cam's.

I really don't care if they have a parking mode I don't need it, if sound/voice record I need a way to disable it. Not legal in my state. Jerks in my state want to protect the criminals!

I really don't want anything from China because of their reputation for producing junk or it taking a month or more to send something back for service.

I sure hope you guys can help me, every thing I said above is from reading on the Internet for the last few days day and night. NO practical experience!
If you see something I said that's wrong pleas tell me. Anyone wanting to make any suggestions whatever please don't hesitate to expound to your hearts content.

I'm editing this at 5.55 est to add that having "WDR" would really be great because of the enhancement of images/video.

@Lola, I happen to drive a Toyota Tacoma extended cab pick-up truck too and have four cameras in the vehicle which include a Street Guardian SG9665GC in the front and three Mobius cameras facing out the two side windows and the rear. All four camera have super-capacitors. The Mobius cams have been extremely reliable and very discreet and are a good complement to the Street Guardian. If you need good coverage of the rear of your pick-up, the Mobius camera mounted on the headliner facing out the top of the rear window will do an excellent job. I like that the rear camera provides coverage on either side of the bed as well as behind the truck. Another benefit is that when away from my truck I can run the cameras on a power bank and keep an eye on the cargo. I've been running one like that for nearly two years with very few if any problems.

One advantage of the Mobius over other options is the modest cost compared with the others along with the availability of spare parts and choices of different FOV lenses.

Here are some examples of rear views from the Mobius in my Toyota.





Here is a view of how one of the side cameras is mounted. The rear facing mount is similar but attached to the headliner.

 

[Lola]

Dashmellow thanks for your reply. I did some research on the Mobius because a lot of people here like them a lot. Supposedly the new ones have a different lens and people seem to be complaining a lot about the lenses, it is said to be an all new design!
Do you happen to know which lenses you have? What size in the New
Your pictures/images are really nice and I would love to be able to consider the Mobius, however the lenses worry me. However if you have the new lens I would be very satisfied!!
I'll see if I can find the article on the lens change so you /me/ and everyone will know more of what's going on. I'll come back and let you know what I find out.

Edit 26 July 2016
Here is an article not the one I was talking about but this one is from Mobius https://www.mobius-actioncam.com/new-wide-angle-lens-c2-to-replace-the-original-c-lens/.

It includes ways to tell if you have it (C2) or not, somewhat.

On your side mount, are they the mounts that came with Mobius? I'm thinking about using your mounting technique, simple, strong, and looks really great.

 

[Dashmellow]

Dashmellow thanks for your reply. I did some research on the Mobius because a lot of people here like them a lot. Supposedly the new ones have a different lens and people seem to be complaining a lot about the lenses, it is said to be an all new design!
Do you happen to know which lenses you have? What size in the New
Your pictures/images are really nice and I would love to be able to consider the Mobius, however the lenses worry me. However if you have the new lens I would be very satisfied!!
I'll see if I can find the article on the lens change so you /me/ and everyone will know more of what's going on. I'll come back and let you know what I find out.

Edit 26 July 2016
Here is an article not the one I was talking about but this one is from Mobius https://www.mobius-actioncam.com/new-wide-angle-lens-c2-to-replace-the-original-c-lens/.

It includes ways to tell if you have it (C2) or not, somewhat.

On your side mount, are they the mounts that came with Mobius? I'm thinking about using your mounting technique, simple, strong, and looks really great.

There is a new version of the Mobius (2) just out but I wouldn't recommend purchasing one just yet as there are issues that need to be sorted out first.

The original Mobius is a mature, polished and affordable camera system and certainly worth considering if you are willing to be just slightly geeky. Many of us find it great fun as well as highly useful and practical.

The Mobius was initially introduced with an 86 degree "standard" lens known as the "A" lens, which is still available. Then they came out with a wider angle version lens called the "B" which is what you are seeing in the screen shots above. Then they came out with an even slightly wider lens called the "C" which had a serious problem with the sensor causing focus problems and it was discontinued. After that they came out with an excellent wide angle lens called the "C2" which is currently available and that you can buy with confidence. I use the C2 on my side cameras. The original "B" lens is no longer available but the C2 is actually a better but similar lens.

One nice feature of the Mobius is that there are settings in the GUI menu for "Wide" and "Narrow" so you have some control with each individual lens regarding how wide the FOV (field of view) coverage will be.

The mount in the photo above is just from an inexpensive helmet mount (less than 4 bucks) with the strap and detachable base plate removed and some 3M VHB tape added.



I'm sorry that I don't have much more time at the moment but I will try to follow up with more details, hopefully tomorrow.

In the meantime check this link for a (slightly out of date) comparison of the different Mobius lenses. (original "A" & "B" lens .......does not include the newest C2 lens) At least it will give you some idea of how all this works on the Mobius. (Different settings on each lens give different results and capabilities.)

Finally, one way or another, whatever you do end up purchasing, one reason for my post above was simply to give you an idea of what you can actually expect when you mount a dash cam facing out the rear window of a Toyota Tacoma pick-up.

 

[thancam]

View attachment 24807

View attachment 24808

what software did you use to take the screenshots of video ? it looks great

 

[Dashmellow]

what software did you use to take the screenshots of video ? it looks great

I'm using a Mac, so it's built right into the OS X operating system.......keyboard.......Command> Shift> 4> then use the target crosshair cursor that appears to drag select the image area you want from the screen. When you let go of the mouse you hear the sound of a camera shutter and the screen shot appears on your desktop.

See THIS LINK for more info.

 

[SawMaster]

I'm one of the Mobius fans A very solid, reliable,tiny cam with options so you can get what you want from it. The 'A' and 'C2' lenses are regularly available and the others can be had separately. Both work very well. The pros: cheap, rugged, relatively easy to set up and use, very adjustable settings (though the defaults are good), and a solid proven history. The cons: no viewscreen, older chipset and CMOS (which limits resolution), cam usually sold sans mount. Every part is available for DIY repairs and is as fully developed and reliable as it gets. There are better cams (Sony CMOS, newer chipsets) but those start at 50% more cost and go higher quickly. It's not quite plug-and-play but if I can do it you can too. I personally rate it as the best cam under $100.

Is this the rear cam for you? Probably but there are better cams so that's your call. Mine is my primary front cam and I feel totally safe with it there-I'ill be buying 2 or 3 more of these eventually. The SG cams are every bit as good, reliable, and solid; can't go wrong with them either.

Phil

 

[Module 79L]

what software did you use to take the screenshots of video ? it looks great

Sorry for the off-topic @Lola but I have to ask @thancam this: you don't know how to take screenshots or get screen grabs on a computer?

 

[Dashmellow]

Sorry for the off-topic @Lola but I have to ask @thancam this: you don't know how to take screenshots or get screen grabs on a computer?

Why not PM him?

 

[Module 79L]

Why not PM him?

You're right. I keep forgetting about PMs.

 

[thancam]

Sorry for the off-topic @Lola but I have to ask @thancam this: you don't know how to take screenshots or get screen grabs on a computer?

I think this will be interesting with others ppl. So i will answer here.
I did try to take a screenshoot from my window 7 laptop. But the result is not good. Maximum resolution of screenshoot is resolution of my laptop screen: 1024 x 768. Even it's a clip of 4K video.
Since then, i reazile: i have a better laptop or intall a better screen (4k) to enable see all image quality of a video.
I also tried to use snap shoot function from MPC - HC player. Output of this player is only 1024 x 768p too. So it can't be used too.
Because i can't play VLC from my computer, so i have tried many...many video players. Then I stop at gom player. Output of snapshoot function from this player is the same resolution of video resolution. I think it's good.
Then i saw a picture from Mac' Dashmellow. It's better than any screenshot picture i've ever take from mobius. yeah, Apple's product - it's expensive for reason ! He did't even use any software, just used screenshot function from Mac. And it's still better than mine.
I guess I have to keep looking for another video player.

 

[Dashmellow]

My screen shots are from a 1920 x 1200 pxl display.

 

[Lola]

There is a new version of the Mobius (2) just out but I wouldn't recommend purchasing one just yet as there are issues that need to be sorted out first.

The original Mobius is a mature, polished and affordable camera system and certainly worth considering if you are willing to be just slightly geeky. Many of us find it great fun as well as highly useful and practical.

The Mobius was initially introduced with an 86 degree "standard" lens known as the "A" lens, which is still available. Then they came out with a wider angle version lens called the "B" which is what you are seeing in the screen shots above. Then they came out with an even slightly wider lens called the "C" which had a serious problem with the sensor causing focus problems and it was discontinued. After that they came out with an excellent wide angle lens called the "C2" which is currently available and that you can buy with confidence. I use the C2 on my side cameras. The original "B" lens is no longer available but the C2 is actually a better but similar lens.

One nice feature of the Mobius is that there are settings in the GUI menu for "Wide" and "Narrow" so you have some control with each individual lens regarding how wide the FOV (field of view) coverage will be.

The mount in the photo above is just from an inexpensive helmet mount (less than 4 bucks) with the strap and detachable base plate removed and some 3M VHB tape added.

View attachment 24827

I'm sorry that I don't have much more time at the moment but I will try to follow up with more details, hopefully tomorrow.

In the meantime check this link for a (slightly out of date) comparison of the different Mobius lenses. (original "A" & "B" lens .......does not include the newest C2 lens) At least it will give you some idea of how all this works on the Mobius. (Different settings on each lens give different results and capabilities.)

Finally, one way or another, whatever you do end up purchasing, one reason for my post above was simply to give you an idea of what you can actually expect when you mount a dash cam facing out the rear window of a Toyota Tacoma pick-up.

Hi Dashmellow, You said not to buy a Mobius right now because of some issues, are you talking about the "Lens" and how will I know when they have worked out all the issues, I'm interested, but do you see my point? I would rather have a new version with with the bugs worked out. Oh, I saw Mobius chart of their Lenses Your "B" is a 116 deg. The new C2 is 132 deg. I would think your 116 would have better resolution for the truck rear, but like you said they don't have it any more.
The Mobious cameras with all the different models is confusing to me. Then they call one the action camera!
Are they all the same camera/and size with different lenses. I would be afraid of the C2 V3 right now when Mobius even says it has problems!
I ask about the size of them because if I was to order the wrong one the mount might not fit

Thanks a lot for all the help I really appreciate it.

 

[Dashmellow]

The original Mobius that has been on the market for about two years now is an excellent camera with mature bug free firmware and is very much worth purchasing. There is only one model camera available, so don't be confused. The one camera that is available can be purchased with the "A" lens or the "C2" lens and you can use it with a battery or a super-capacitor. The Mobius is an "action camera" that happens to also be a great "dash camera". It's one and the same.

You can also buy either the "A" lens or "C2" lens separately and very easily remove the existing lens from your Mobius camera and swap in the other one. You only need very minor skills to do that. It's really, really easy. The camera comes with a battery installed but you can buy the separate super-capacitor inexpensively and swap it for the battery. It just plugs in and takes about a minute or so to do that and is the proverbial piece of cake to perform.

So, again, it's not that there are so many models, it's all the same model with different components of the owners choice installed.

There is a brand new version of the Mobius that was finally just released about a week ago after a very long wait. It is called the Mobius 2. Unfortunately, it looks like it will take quite a while until they work all the bugs out and I don't recommend buying one right now. Eventually, it may be a very impressive camera but it is not ready for prime time until the developer fixes the firmware and slowly adds all the features that make everyone love the M0bius 1.

 

[Dashmellow]

Oh, I saw Mobius chart of their Lenses Your "B" is a 116 deg. The new C2 is 132 deg. I would think your 116 would have better resolution for the truck rear, but like you said they don't have it any more.

Oh, @Lola, I forgot to respond about your other concern above. It's not the resolution really, it's the coverage or FOV. (field of view) You want a good balance between wide angle and actually getting a good look at the cars behind you, like at license plates. Lenses that are too wide angle can make things look too far away.

With the Mobius if you have a C2 lens installed but use the "narrow setting" in the menu, the result will look quite a lot like the 116 degree B lens, if that is a concern for you. The nice thing if you were to buy a Mobius is that you can try it both ways and see what works best for you. This is one of the reasons why some people have so much fun playing around with this camera.

 

[thancam]

My screen shots are from a 1920 x 1200 pxl display.

Colour in your screen shots is so much better than mine. it's wonderful.
Your screen is 1920 x 1200, that's enough for display mobius quality. My screen only has 1024 x 768. You can see detail of my screen shots below.

And i remember msetup of mobius was written: 2304 x 1296 reduct to 1920 x 1080p by using pixel binning. I think it's the same way my laptop use to display when i play video 4K, 2K. It make 2k video looks better than 1080p. But it's still 1024 x 768p.
So, i think mobius 2 is using the same way. Truly resolution of mobius 2 is at least 1296p or can be 1440p

 

[Dashmellow]

Colour in your screen shots is so much better than mine. it's wonderful.
Your screen is 1920 x 1200, that's enough for display mobius quality. My screen only has 1024 x 768. You can see detail of my screen shots below.

And i remember msetup of mobius was written: 2304 x 1296 reduct to 1920 x 1080p by using pixel binning. I think it's the same way my laptop use to display when i play video 4K, 2K. It looks better than 1080p. But it's still 1024 x 768p.
So, i think mobius 2 is using the same way. Truely resolution of mobius 2 is atleast 1296p or can be 1440p

I'm not quite sure this is the thread for this as it seems unfair to @Lola, but here goes, with apologies.

You probably can't do much about the resolutions unless you buy a nice hi-rez monitor to hook your laptop up to but you can still improve how things look.

As you know, I am a photographer and so I always calibrate the two monitors on my computer system to have accurate color and proper gamma settings. I even have a special gadget with special software for this but the computer has its own tools for this built into the OS.

Your Window 7 laptop has excellent color and display calibration tools built right in, including a built-in wizard called "Calibrate Display Monitor," which will guide you through the process of fine-tuning colors, brightness, contrast, and text. Also try doing some searching on the internet about "monitor calibration". I'm confident you will be happier with your results after you go to the trouble of doing this. Everyone should do this but most people don't.

 

[thancam]

thank you
After calip, my laptopc is still the same. So i have to get a better monitor.

 

[Dashmellow]

thank you
After calip, my laptopc is still the same. So i have to get a better monitor.

I might have know a geek like you would already have done the calibration.

These days you can find some decent monitors for not too much money. Maybe that's the answer.