Looking for a dash cam for around $100-150

Simplicity

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Hello,
I'm looking to buy two dash cams one for myself and one for my brother on his birthday. I don't fully understand how certain features work in certain cameras. I found some cameras that have some good reviews and features. Hopefully I can get some help on the pros and cons of each one.

VIOFO Spy Tec A119s
https://www.amazon.com/gp/B01MFAK888
This camera is listed at $117 but does not come with a sd card or filter. If I were to get this camera it would cost around $150 with the filter and card. Is the filter necessary for this camera? How does the parking mode work exactly? Will it start recording after it senses movement or is it always recording and saves video after it senses movement? Is the QC good? I've seen a lot of good and bad reviews on here and on amazon.

Street Guardian SG9665XS V2
https://www.amazon.com/gp/B0755QKJ1N

This camera is listed at $120. This camera does come with a sd card but not a filter. Same question for this camera, is a filter necessary? I don't see much info about it so I'm a little bit in the dark on that one. Any pros or cons with this camera? Is the QC good?

Street Guardian SG9665GC v3
https://www.amazon.com/gp/B00U0OJMYG

This camera is listed at $150. This one comes with a lot of stuff in the box including a card and filter which is pretty nice. It seems like it has the same features as the XS but with a wedge design so it would be less visible. Any other pros or cons with this camera? Is the QC good?

This will be our first dashcams, so I don't need anything fancy but I want to make sure it lasts and if I do get into an accident I want to make sure that everything is visible. Are there any other questions that I should be asking myself when looking for a dash cam? If there are please let me know. Also, don't hesitate to recommend any other dash cams that may be better. Thanks!
 
Welcome @Simplicity. Street Guardian is a solid brand with outstanding service and support. The SG9665GC is a camera that will perform reliably for a long time, and would be my choice.
 
All the cameras you have found are excellent drive recorders.
A CPL filter are not 100 % needed it depend some of your car and what level of dashboard and A pillar reflections you see in the footage, but in general i would recommend to use a CPL filter.
I have been on board with SG cameras and the GC line since day #1 many years ago, and my V1 camera still work, though it have been replaced in my friends car by a newer version of the GC
I also tested the V1 of the XS and it also worked just fine, and i am sure if it was still in use it would also be working just fine.

As for discrete install the wedge type cameras seem to be the best, but it is a little dependent of the options on your windscreen, as you probably know some cars have huge silly sensor arrays right where its the optimal place to put a dashcam.
My cameras are installed on the dotted area of my windscreen with just the lens part peeking out below, so it is pretty much just 1/3 of the small camera that is visible from the outside.
the SG models you are looking at don't support good parking mode features, if you like that now or maybe in the future you need to look at other models, but other than that fine dashcams.
Not sure how the viofo 119S do with parking mode.

It seem like modern parking mode is made up of constant time papse footage ( 1 - 10 FPS footage )
In the old days the cameras either dident have a short pre buffer and was activated with G - sensor, but they did record regular 30 FPS video then with sound.
The new time lapse parking mode cameras cant really do that and then revert to regular recording with sound as there would then be a second or two gap in the change from time lapse to regular recording mode.
That is a bit sad IMO cuz to me it would be optimal, so lets hope future chipsets will allow for this fast switching of recording modes.

Most cameras also have motion detect, but its not something i can recommend you use as anything will create a event file and then you might as well record all the time anyway.

The time lapse parking mode are / was implemented in general as i understand it to cut down on camera internal heat generation, so they should stand a larger chance of being able to do parking mode in a hot environment without going to thermal shut down.
 
Hello,
VIOFO Spy Tec A119s
https://www.amazon.com/gp/B01MFAK888
This camera is listed at $117 but does not come with a sd card or filter. If I were to get this camera it would cost around $150 with the filter and card. Is the filter necessary for this camera? How does the parking mode work exactly? Will it start recording after it senses movement or is it always recording and saves video after it senses movement? Is the QC good? I've seen a lot of good and bad reviews on here and on amazon.
The three cameras you found are all good, also you can consider VIOFO A119, the cost will be a little cheaper than A119S, so together with CPL and hardwire kit, it can be less than USD150.
In parking mode, if there is movement, the camera will record, if not for about 60s, it will enter into standby, if there are shock/G-sensor, it will save the video.
You can refer to: https://dashcamtalk.com/a119/
 
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