Looking to buy a high quality dual lens dashcam

spaceballsrules

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Dash Cam
AGPtek GD26 > F70/i1000 > FineVu CR2000G > Mini 0906
So, I have been using an i1000 for a few years and it's time to upgrade to a serious setup. The i1000 is great as far as form factor and ease of use, but the reliability and image quality leave much to be desired.

I have already done a lot of research, and I think I have it narrowed down. I am looking for a top quality dual lens system with a screen and a front camera that is easy to remove/replace from the car. I won't be using it as a parking cam, so no need for it to be low key. Budget is ~300-400 USD.

The frontrunner at the moment is the FineVu CR2000g. It seems to fit the bill and I can get it for $316 shipped. I am having trouble finding any negatives about this camera.

Other cams I am considering are the Lukas LK-9350 and the Blackvue DR75oGW. The only problems are they both have low bitrate video, and the Blackvue has a delicate coaxial connector for the rear camera which may not be conducive to constant removal and replacement.

Other cams that did not make the cut are the Itronics ITB-7000FHD (dual screens!?), the Powerucc Panorama X2 (weak mount), and the Vicovation Marcus 5 (not easy to mount quickly).

If anyone has any suggestions or opinions on why I should or should not buy any of these cams, especially the FineVu, I would appreciate it.
 
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Finevu CR2000G has failed in Korea due to poor Ambarella support and bugs in firmware.
Lukas had very good reputation with 1ch in the past, but not much feedback from their 9350 series.
Blackvue DR750GW is Ok choice but ONLY with Russian custom firmware.
Havn't heard for long time somebody discussing Marcus 5. Some time no news is good news, but usually not in DCT forum.
Panorama X2 has very strong mount, don't know where you taking from "weak mount" info ? X2 is very fussy for memory cards and works with 633x series MLC cards ( Lexar ) or Fat32. Firmware is still under polishing.
ITM-7000FHD dual screen is not yet tested and no feedback.

Unfortunately there are no dual channel dashcams out there yet that would be without any issue.
But for you actually is much better to go with two single hihg-end dashcams, because you don't need parking mode.
 
I guess weak mount is incorrect. What I meant is that the mount doesn't look very quick to remove/replace the camera.
 
@Pier28 did have an adaptor that screwed in the top of the X2 and gave a screw mount which makes it quicker to remove you may be interested in.

I've tried a lot and seen lots of raw footage and the X2 still has the best picture quality yet of any dual channel product
 
Finevu CR2000G has failed in Korea due to poor Ambarella support and bugs in firmware.
Lukas had very good reputation with 1ch in the past, but not much feedback from their 9350 series.
Blackvue DR750GW is Ok choice but ONLY with Russian custom firmware.
Havn't heard for long time somebody discussing Marcus 5. Some time no news is good news, but usually not in DCT forum.
Panorama X2 has very strong mount, don't know where you taking from "weak mount" info ? X2 is very fussy for memory cards and works with 633x series MLC cards ( Lexar ) or Fat32. Firmware is still under polishing.
ITM-7000FHD dual screen is not yet tested and no feedback.

Unfortunately there are no dual channel dashcams out there yet that would be without any issue.
But for you actually is much better to go with two single hihg-end dashcams, because you don't need parking mode.


I read through some of the drama about the FineVu English software. Doesn't seem to be too many issues, at least as far as I can tell. Also, in the video review on the CR2000G that USDashCamera did, it seems to operate alright, and is using the .168 English firmware. I also have a 1 year warranty from BlackBoxMyCar with the FineVu, which is nice.

What's holding me back about the Lukas is the low bitrate, which I am getting from watching reviews of other cams, such as the 9700 and 9750, which are comparable. Also, I would be ordering it from Korea, so customer support from the seller might be iffy, although Lukas itself has great support.

Ugggh!

Option 1 (ball socket can be popped out)


Option 2 (T-bracket adapter)

Plus


Neither of these options are as "stable" though as the vertically fixed teeth U-bracket.

The T-bracket would be what I would go with. How "unstable" is it?
 
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I guess weak mount is incorrect. What I meant is that the mount doesn't look very quick to remove/replace the camera.
Yes, I agree with you on this.
I have one solution, but it need to be te-tested first. After tests confirmed, I'll let know.
 
I read through some of the drama about the FineVu English software. Doesn't seem to be too many issues, at least as far as I can tell. Also, in the video review on the CR2000G that USDashCamera did, it seems to operate alright, and is using the .168 English firmware. I also have a 1 year warranty from BlackBoxMyCar with the FineVu, which is nice.

What's holding me back about the Lukas is the low bitrate, which I am getting from watching reviews of other cams, such as the 9700 and 9750, which are comparable. Also, I would be ordering it from Korea, so customer support from the seller might be iffy, although Lukas itself has great support.

Ugggh!



The T-bracket would be what I would go with. How "unstable" is it?
I,m glad to hear If they managed to fix all issues with Finevu and buying from reputable reseller with good aftersales support is way to go in case there are still bugs.
 
The T-bracket would be what I would go with. How "unstable" is it?

The adapter itself is very stable since solid metal. I just recommend finding a different mount. Once you have the adapter installed you can use any universal T bracket. The one I linked to just happens to be the only one I have in stock and is designed for the lighter SGZC12SG
 
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Decided to pull the trigger on the FineVu CR2000G. Thanks for the opinions and advice. :D
 
Decided to pull the trigger on the FineVu CR2000G. Thanks for the opinions and advice. :D

Would be interested to see raw / original video footage and your opinion after few weeks of tests.
Finevu CR-500 was for many years one of the best discrete ones and well respected models, especially in Russia.
Hope CR-2000G has also good performance.
 
Would be interested to see raw / original video footage and your opinion after few weeks of tests.
Finevu CR-500 was for many years one of the best discrete ones and well respected models, especially in Russia.
Hope CR-2000G has also good performance.

I will definitely be active in testing some of the settings to see what effect they have, such as the Wide Dynamic Range and brightness. I may also get the optional CPL filter, as my dashboard does reflect onto the windshield with my current cam. Once I get all that sorted, I will certainly post some footage of day/night and front/rear footage. :)
 
I read through some of the drama about the FineVu English software. Doesn't seem to be too many issues, at least as far as I can tell. Also, in the video review on the CR2000G that USDashCamera did, it seems to operate alright, and is using the .168 English firmware. I also have a 1 year warranty from BlackBoxMyCar with the FineVu, which is nice.

What's holding me back about the Lukas is the low bitrate, which I am getting from watching reviews of other cams, such as the 9700 and 9750, which are comparable. Also, I would be ordering it from Korea, so customer support from the seller might be iffy, although Lukas itself has great support.

Well bro. If you are looking for Lukas dash cam, you don't have to order it from Korea that far away. Although you are in USA, but there is a closer Lukas distributor in Vancouver BC which they can ship the products to you too. More important is the currency for US dollars to exchange Canadian dollars now which makes you feel it will be a good price to get with. If you are looking for a budget between $300 to $400, the Lukas 9750 or 9350 should be the great one to suit your need.
When you are comparing Lukas and BlackVue. The main pro of the lukas and BlackVue is the video quality, g sensor and motion sensor. However when you are comparing the cons, the BlackVue will be a bit worst in my opinion. It is because the Black Vue cannot fix the overheat in high temperature area and you have to purchase an extra battery box pro for low voltage cut out. On the other hand, Lukas is quite a big as a dash cam in people's sight, but Lukas can operate perfectly in any situation and you don't have to worry about your car electricity that much.
 
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the product as delivered is not that great, the Russian firmware improves the performance

I thought the Russian hack only improved the bitrate ?

As with most ok and up dashcams, footage is so varied that they all appear the same. The form factor of the DR750 is very attractive but then power draw of 6.6W to 10W is very high
 
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