Looking for very cheap dash cam

[jokiin]

Cheap camera? I paid $54.99 for it. It recorded great, with the exception of not recording any audio on certain files. So I decided to send it back for a full refund.

so it was good and cheap, but not reliable, and that was $54.99, now you find something with the same hardware spec for $20.99, how do you reasonably think it might compare?

I know you weren't necessarily recommending it but rather pointing out the fact that it exists, doesn't take much constructive thinking that to know that it's not going to be great and that there has to be compromises to reach that price point

I'm not saying all cheap cameras are a problem, there are product out there that are a value proposition, this isn't one of them though

 

[Rick Needham]

so it was good and cheap, but not reliable, and that was $54.99, now you find something with the same hardware spec for $20.99, how do you reasonably think it might compare?

I know you weren't necessarily recommending it but rather pointing out the fact that it exists, doesn't take much constructive thinking that to know that it's not going to be great and that there has to be compromises to reach that price point

I'm not saying all cheap cameras are a problem, there are product out there that are a value proposition, this isn't one of them though

Oh come on now jokiin. Even the best of cameras can have problems and issues, therefore unreliable....until corrected/repaired/returned for another.

If someone is dead set on cheap/not paying too much, then the camera someone else suggested IS definitely well worth $20 IMO. And everyone is entitled to his own opinions/beliefs

 

[jokiin]

It would cost more than what it is selling for, that's a warning sign also

 

[kamkar]

Well any dashcam are better than no dashcam.
BUT !
It still have to work when you need it, and for most of us thats either before we got our first dashcam, or maybe like me 3-4 years after i got the first dashcam, and 3 decades after my first ever car crash.
Which funny enough both times was me getting rear ended, first time by a drunken clown second time probably a phone junkie in a 4x4.
So to me it make little sense to buy a camera that have a little chance of working when you need that,,,,, probably years down the road.

If you just want something to film the idiots in traffic to share like i also do, well then you can get by with just about anything as countless of Russian dashcam compilations on yourube show.

The biggest reason for me today to spend some money on a dashcam are to get one build on newer hardware that will actually alert you if the camera are not able to record, a issue we have seen in here so many times with people getting a cheap or moderate priced dashcam, slam in a memory card, and then forget all about it until 2-3 years down the road when they have a crash, and nothing recorded.

 

[Rick Needham]

Reportedly daytime video from the same $20 dash camera...the Elecwave EW-D200

 

[Nigel]

Reportedly daytime video from the same $20 dash camera...the Elecwave EW-D200

You can't recommend a dashcam that you have no experience of based purely on a video recorded in perfect lighting conditions that may or may not be from that dashcam, and which has terrible audio quality!

OK, it appears you can recommend it as being good value, but just because you can doesn't mean you are right!

 

[Rick Needham]

You can't recommend a dashcam that you have no experience of based purely on a video recorded in perfect lighting conditions that may or may not be from that dashcam, and which has terrible audio quality!

OK, it appears you can recommend it as being good value, but just because you can doesn't mean you are right!

I think you're taking this topic way too seriously. The one who started this topic was looking for recommendations for a good, cheap $20 dash cam...or the best that his $20 would buy him. Then someone else pointed out this dash cam first. I just happen to think it's worth $20. I never said he should buy it. If you enjoy bullying me with your posts, have at it ...and have a nice day!

 

[SawMaster]

Well FWIW my G1W clone is still working with around a year's total use. But as I said, they may have made changes to it since I bought it- this commonly happens with cheap cams. Here's a LINK to my review, the listing on that page is still active. I did have to replace the PS since I wrote that review and if you get one you are on your own- I am not recommending this cam.

Phil

 

[winchester11]

cheap, good, reliable, pick any two

If I can get any two, I'm going with cheap and reliable.

Ok, so you're looking within the $20-40 price range I'll try looking within that price range.

Yes, $20-$40 is on the table.

Here is some sample video I found of the Elecwave EW-D200 on YouTube. Not too bad under very dark road conditions in addition to rain.

This quality is quite good - better than I need, I'd say.

Some people have been mentioning cameras with included memory cards - that would be nice, and I'd pay a little more for that since I wouldn't have to separately purchase a memory card. A 16GB card won't have all that much storage, but that doesn't really matter for my purposes.

Again, I'm grateful for all the help and I'll be continuing to look into your recommendations.

 

[Rick Needham]

I bought me one of these Elecwave EW-D200 dash cams because I wanted to see for myself just how it would perform. The price was right at only $20.99 on eBay...free two day shipping...and it also includes a 16GB memory card (Toshiba Exceria). It is a 1296P or 2K camera. I have it mounted beside my Viofo A119S. Here are some frames for side by side comparison. I had the Elecwave set to 2304x1296 @ 30 fps. and fine sharpness. The A119S set to 1920x1080 @ 60 fps. and also the CPL filter attached...high bitrate and strong sharpness. The A119S has a 135 degree wide angle lens. The EW-D200 is reported as having a 170 degree wide angle lens, but to me looks more like 130 degrees. The Viofo A119S has a f1.6 lens, while the Elecwave EW-D200 has a f2.0 lens. The A119S has the Novatek 96660 chipset and the Sony Exmor IMX291 sensor. The EW-D200 has the Ambarella A7L50 chipset and the OV4689 sensor. The Elecwave EW-D200 also has GPS tracking, but sadly there is no support to have vehicle speed and GPS coordinates displayed on the video files. But does work in dash cam players.

**I have the resolution wrong in the named Elecwave files. I have it as 2560x1080 when they should be 2304x1296**

First set:


Second set:


Third set:


Fourth set:


Fifth set:

 

[Rick Needham]

Thoughts on whether or not it was worth the $20 or so? This Elecwave EW-D200 was $20.99. My Viofo A119S V2 w/GPS and CPL filter cost me $99.97 in total. IMO, well worth the $20.99

 

[SawMaster]

Most cheap cams fall down in the dark. It was only when the IMX322/323 sensor came to market that this changed but you're still looking at ~$50 to get a cam with one.

Phil

 

[mandudebreh]

Does the $20 include an SD card? Cause I hope not. Decent SD cards are around $10 if their on sale so that would only leave $10 for teh cam!

 

[Rick Needham]

Does the $20 include an SD card? Cause I hope not. Decent SD cards are around $10 if their on sale so that would only leave $10 for teh cam!

Yes, it did come with a free 16GB memory card and it was a decent one...a Toshiba Exceria. I have seen all kinds of price ranges for this particular dash cam. Ranging between $17.99 to $90 something. Every listing states the free memory card.

 

[Nigel]

Yes, it did come with a free 16GB memory card and it was a decent one...a Toshiba Exceria. I have seen all kinds of price ranges for this particular dash cam. Ranging between $17.99 to $90 something. Every listing states the free memory card.

Hmm, $19 on Amazon, so the camera is worth $1.99?

As well as not working well in the dark, you also have the problem of it using a battery so will have a lifespan of 1 year, 2 if you are lucky, 6 months if you are unlucky. So I would still go for the Blueskysea B1W which will work in the dark, has a super capacitor instead of a battery so may last 10 years, and in a sale is available at under $50, although the memory card will be extra! We are still looking at less cost than a tank of fuel, for something that may save you $1000s, only if it is still working at the time you need it.

 

[jokiin]

if it lasts longer than 6 months I'd think he got his money's worth

 

[SawMaster]

I thought like that with my G1W clone and it has exceeded my expectations of lifespan many times over, but it's use has been as a side cam, not a primary cam.

Reliability is paramount in your primary cam with everything else taking a back seat to that

Phil

 

[Rick Needham]

It remains to be seen, but I bet the camera will easily last 1-2 yrs or better. I do not live in a hot climate. I'm lucky if temperatures reach over 90 degrees F for a week or two during the summer. In the winter, it could get down to -25 degrees F during the night for a week or so. I would guess the average year round temperature for my location would be somewhere around 40 degrees F +/-. It's daytime performance nearly rivals that of my A119S (see side by side photos posted earlier) and seems more than adequate right through dusk until nightfall. But it suffers some compared to the better light gathering performance of my A119S without question.

 

[Nigel]

if it lasts longer than 6 months I'd think he got his money's worth

If it is replaced every 6 months then after 5 years the total cost will be 10 x $20.99 = $209.90, while the B1W would still have cost under $50 and still be working well, except for complaining that it needed a new SD card since the original would be worn out. Of course the cheap camera just stops recording when the card wears out and doesn't warn you!

In the winter, it could get down to -25 degrees F during the night for a week or so.

That is a problem, if you charge a lithium battery while below freezing then it will not last long, instead it develops short circuits within the battery and then turns itself into smoke and flames a few weeks later.

 

[dash riposki]

Try to find firmware updates for elecwave on their website. (You can't) I was given an elecwave for review a year ago or so, don't remember anything remarkable, just that I couldn't find any sort of aftermarket support. I tend to get rid of any cams I don't like or can't find aftermarket support, usually to somebody casually interested in a dash cam. (who will lose interest or never figure out how to use it)

(Just looked it up, and it was a DW200. Its one of the cams I used for a few weeks, left in the box with friends in thailand. Don't know if anyone ever used it?) $18 on Amazon at this point, with the card of questionable heritage. I can see it being OK for a starter cam to see if somebody is really interested, but not sure I'd count on it beyond a few months, except as a rear cam.