Need a New Dashcam

[Helimaker]

My Garmin Virb died on me just a few months after the one-year warranty expired. As such, I'm looking to buy a new dashcam. I have a 2013 BMW 5 series which I do not use as a daily vehicle. In addition, I drive rental vehicles very often. As such, I'm looking for a dashcam that is portable and that can be easily mounted.

Since my drives are usually longer and less frequent, I do not wish to run a power cord across my windshield. As well, I often travel so I'm looking for a high-quality dashcam as I like to save recordings of my drives in various cities. Currently, I'm leaning towards the Street Guardian SG9665GC at $276 Canadian. Alternatively, I'm also considering the GoPro Hero 3/4. Can anyone else provide some good recommendations for dashcams suitable for my needs (preferably available in Canada)?

 

[jokiin]

GoPro is a great action camera but a poor choice for a dashcam for anything beyond very occasional use, it's not something they're designed for

 

[Street Guardian USA]

I would avoid using an actioncam as a full time DashCam.

 

[albertson]

If you want very portable unit that parks on the dash, look at "dbusguy" drives a public bus, and has to carry his cam to any vehicle in the fleet. No power outlet available. He has the battery and cam attached to each other and can just set them on the dash. You have to recharge the battery each night. https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/how-to-battery-power-for-8-hours.6520/
You could remove/modify the post from the Garmin pad and attach to this, if the camera had enough height to view the traffic.

 

[russ331]

... I drive rental vehicles very often. As such, I'm looking for a dashcam that is portable and that can be easily mounted.

Welcome to DCT. This is my sunvisor mount setup for use in rental vehicles ...



The camera shown is a Mobius, however, the mount would also work with a JooVuu X, etc.

 

[CDNinHH]

Can anyone else provide some good recommendations for dashcams suitable for my needs (preferably available in Canada)?

Calgary Dashcam can hook you up with a quality system with excellent after sales service as a bonus.

http://www.calgarydashcam.com/

 

[Boxerman]

Have you tried contacting Garmin? in my experience their back up is second to none.

Frank

 

[dash riposki]

A Mobius with a suction cup mount. Small enough I carry one on vacation to use in rental cars. Yeah, you will have to deal with the wire.

 

[Beca]

I haven't tried GoPro but have seen videos from one and they look great. I have the street guardian and I love it. It's the perfect size, the design is great and how it attaches to the window. The camera is right up against the windshield so less glare from the sun. The mount is better then a suction cup because if you get hit it won't fall like the suction cup will, it would come in handy too if it was a hit and run. The night time video is great! I have tried four different cameras, got on here and everyone suggested the street guardian. So I bought it and I have no regrets. I LOVE Everything about it.
One more thing, my dashcam just now stopped recording. The red record light was blinking but the timer wasn't counting and the other red light wasn't blinking. Long story short I reset it numerous times, finally I put a new memory card in it and that fixed it. I just wanted to add this little info because I thought it would say on the screen that the memory card was full because other dashcams have and when there isn't a memory card in the slot it tells you to put one in.

 

[CDNinHH]

I just wanted to add this little info because I thought it would say on the screen that the memory card was full because other dashcams have and when there isn't a memory card in the slot it tells you to put one in.

I take it you don't have it set on loop record?

 

[jokiin]

There is no loop off option, the timer won't count if in motion detect mode and there's no motion to trigger it though

 

[CDNinHH]

There is no loop off option, the timer won't count if in motion detect mode and there's no motion to trigger it though

Ok, so then the card was not "full" it was defective correct?

 

[Beca]

I don't think I have loop turned on. I wasn't sure about the button I have on mine when there's an accident or asave that file. I didn't know if loop record would write over those files, so I didn't turn it on, each dashcam is different so I didn't turn it on.

 

[jokiin]

Not sure, need more info to be able to work it out, could be card issue or a configuration issue

 

[jokiin]

Best when not sure to reset default settings and see how it goes then

 

[Beca]

I reset it numerous times, took card out, put same card in. The only thing that worked was putting a different card in. I also thought that the card became corrupted because the day before I put it in my computer and took the files that had bad drivers on it to make a compilation, but this morning it was working fine so it wasn't from that, I safely remove or reject the card too so that it doesn't become corrupted.

 

[jokiin]

What card was it?

 

[Beca]

The old one that was in it and the one that came with the camera when I bought it is a transcend brand. I've never heard of that brand. I bought the camera from Canada.

 

[jokiin]

What card are you using now?

 

[Beca]

Usually SanDisk, the one that came with the camera is a brand I've never heard of. I bought the camera from Canada.