Need help with a gift.

[Squint]

Hi.

I know nothing about dash cams. I want to buy my husband one for Christmas. He has a small cheap one and for several years, I've had in my list for him to get him a Vantrue N2 because I saw a video on it an they recommended it. But he really hasn't wanted a new one ... until now, I see he put on his xmas list a Garmin Mini 2.

I had all but decided to get him the Vantrue because it was on sale for a really good price. Actually not much more than the Garmin. He's not a rideshare driver or anything, he just wants it for security if something were to happen. The differences I see are that the Garmin is a lot smaller (a plus), has voice control (how useful is that?) and has a 512 GB card capacity vs. 256 GB, but that the N2 has a wider field of view, a screen, and an interior camera. (Again, is that useful for a regular driver?)

Then, the other option I just ran across is the Vantrue E1 that is on sale right now for actually less than the Garmin.

Can anyone help me out here? I don't want to miss these sales before deciding.

Thanks,
Squint

 

[Nigel]

Vantrue N2 is long out of date now.

has voice control (how useful is that?)

Some people love it, others will never use it! Do you use Siri or Alexa? If you do then you would probably like it.

but that the N2 has a wider field of view,

Don't trust the numbers, they are not good for making comparisons because they don't match what you see in the recorded image! And wider is not necessarily better anyway. Most dashcams have a reasonable field of view, so you don't need to consider it.

a screen,

A screen is not necessary, especially if the camera has a good voice, but some people do like to have it, and having one is not a problem, it should turn off when not being used anyway. It is only needed for setup, and unless you have good eyes then a phone screen via Wi-Fi tends to be easier for that, much easier with a small dashcam.

and an interior camera. (Again, is that useful for a regular driver?)

If you don't have a rear camera, then an interior camera that can see out the back will record when someone rear ends you, and they can also see something out the sides, but most people do not consider an interior camera essential. A rear camera is nice to have, but again it is not essential, the front camera will record that you were driving sensibly when someone hit your rear, the impact will be visible and audible, so for insurance purposes a rear camera doesn't often make much difference. Having a rear camera does make the installation more complex. You might move your existing camera to the back if you are upgrading.


For a fully up to date dashcam, how about:

A119 MINI 2 Best-In-Class 2K HDR Image Quality, Sony STARVIS 2 Sensor 5MP IMX675, 2K 60FPS 5GHz Wi-Fi GPS Dashcam with Novatek 9

2K HDR dashcam A119 Mini 2, using Sony’s latest STARVIS 2 IMX675 sensor and boasting a range of impressive features, which greatly enhances low-illuminance performance and ability to capture clear license plates. A119 Mini 2 is the newly upgraded version of our A119 Mini dashcam, making leaps...

viofo.com

I would suggest getting it from here if they hadn't sold out because it is so good! Maybe try Amazon:

Dashcams | Dash Cam | Dash Cameras | Car Cameras

DOD, Dome Technologies, VicoVation, Viofo...etc. Capture Your Action has a wide selection of quality Dashcams.

www.captureyouraction.com

 

[Squint]

Thank you so much for your feedback. That Viofo is on sale on Amazon right now for about the same price as the Garmin. Maybe since he asked specifically for the Garmin, I'll give him that one. I wasn't sure if he was just asking for something less expensive or if the Vantrue would have been better, but you answered my questions on that. That said, I will compare the Viofo and the Garmin before I make my final decision. Thank you so much for your help and quick response.

 

[Nigel]

The Viofo is significantly better, next generation image sensor, works much better at night. At the same price it is definitely the better choice and well liked by everyone.

 

[Panzer Platform]

Garmin Mini 2.

You’re such a lovely wife to be so considerate.
If he NEVER drives at night, and ONLY drives during the day the Garmin Mini 2 will be just fine.
If he drives at night the Garmin Mini 2 will have poor image quality, and not show fine details like license plates.

If he does drive at night the Viofo A119 Mini 2 has the best night time image quality of any dash cam currently on the market.
However, that might change when Viofo releases the firmware update for the A229 Pro to fix the night time HDR performance.
The difference in image quality between the Garmin Mini 2, and these two Viofo models is about 5-6 years.
The A119 Mini 2 is on Amazon US black friday sale for $99.
And there’s a promotion for a Viofo 256GB SD Card for 50% off with camera purchase.

The Vantrue E1 is junk, and the whole Vantrue Brand is 1-2 years behind Viofo in overall product development;

Vantrue E1 Test & Review PP

Hey guys, Just a few hours ago I received a Vantrue E1 for testing & review sent by Vantrue. Shoutout to @rcg530 for passing my name along to his Vantrue Representative. Thanks Robert. When I first learned of this dash cam I read the specifications, and on paper this camera appears to be a...

dashcamtalk.com

 

[Squint]

Thank you SO much you guys! Yes, I'm going to seriously consider the Viofo now. The one thing someone mentioned was that the software that goes with the Garmin is really user friendly. Does that go for the Viofo, as well? (Not that I have any idea what one would do with that software.)

Not a lot of night driving, but now that DST has ended, he drives home in the dark.

You guys rock! Thank you!

 

[Nigel]

The one thing someone mentioned was that the software that goes with the Garmin is really user friendly. Does that go for the Viofo, as well? (Not that I have any idea what one would do with that software.)

The phone app that goes with the Viofo is pretty good, it doesn't come with any other software.

Many people use Dashcam Viewer: https://dashcamviewer.com/resources/videos/ , for playing videos at home, but most people don't need to view their video very frequently, so it is not really worth it. The videos recorded by the dashcam can be played on any video player, and they can be viewed reasonably well on the phone app, which allows downloading them to the phone so that they can be put onto social media or police/insurance websites.

 

[LateralNW]

Hi.

I know nothing about dash cams. I want to buy my husband one for Christmas. He has a small cheap one and for several years, I've had in my list for him to get him a Vantrue N2 because I saw a video on it an they recommended it. But he really hasn't wanted a new one ... until now, I see he put on his xmas list a Garmin Mini 2.

I had all but decided to get him the Vantrue because it was on sale for a really good price. Actually not much more than the Garmin. He's not a rideshare driver or anything, he just wants it for security if something were to happen. The differences I see are that the Garmin is a lot smaller (a plus), has voice control (how useful is that?) and has a 512 GB card capacity vs. 256 GB, but that the N2 has a wider field of view, a screen, and an interior camera. (Again, is that useful for a regular driver?)

Then, the other option I just ran across is the Vantrue E1 that is on sale right now for actually less than the Garmin.

Can anyone help me out here? I don't want to miss these sales before deciding.

Thanks,
Squint

Lots of advice from the forum.
Things to consider that aren't really technical just an opinion.

Viofo support is very good.
Vantrue support I haven't had to use.
Garmin I don't have any first hand experience with

Dashcam with screens.
They are necessary when first configuring them. If you are very competent with devices then using the phone app won't be to much of a hassle.
I like a screen as it gives me instant feedback eg Is it on, what is it looking at, any warnings on the screen etc.

Using apps
Viofo can drive you insane getting it to work first time. Again if you understand devices then it won't be a problem.
Vantrue's app is a dream to use. I find it just works. You never had to worry about turning off recording before changing the settings or disabling the LTE (Phone ) 4G data to get it to display images on screen - iPhone specific I believe) Make sure you get the right one lol they have 2 on the app store just to confuse everyone. Ver 1.x is the one to use.

I have used many Viofo dashcams. I have an old A129 Duo that just keeps working. Being an early model it has a problem with focus but you can still see who smashed into you lol.
All dashcam models have pluses and cons of course just like anything.

The only unit I have tested for Vantrue is the Nexus 5 (N5) which is a very expensive dashcam.
I installed it and haven't had to do anything to it. It just worked.
It has voice recognition which I find really a great feature. I never have to touch the camera or the app.
Getting the memory card out of the unit is a little fiddly but no big deal.
Image quality is very good for a 2K unit. I can't compare it to the Viofo Mini 2 latest release as I don't have one.

I am also testing the Viofo A229 Pro 3x camera unit. Again a very expensive dashcam.
This also has a screen.
You can talk to it with strict commands (similar to Siri lol but not like a true AI system) just like the Vantrue but it also talks back which I really love. It is confirmation it did what you asked.
The app is exactly the same for any of the viofo dashcams. There is talk Viofo will be releasing a new app. No date set.


It is easy to see who from the manufacturers on this forum will respond to my post first. I assume it will be Viofo.
@viofo @VIOFO-Support @Jeff_Vantrue

I think both brands make good dashcams.

Lucky Husband of yours.

All the best.

 

[Nigel]

It is easy to see who from the manufacturers on this forum will respond to my post first. I assume it will be Viofo.
@viofo @VIOFO-Support @Jeff_Vantrue

1 hour 13 minutes for VIOFO-Support...

but it also talks back which I really love. It is confirmation it did what you asked.

Other dashcams talk to you as well, but many talk far too much, and you can't shut them up! Viofo have got that just right, a very nice feature

 

[ozguy]

I like having a screen for the following reasons...
1. My old but still working DOD dashcam has no screen...the app does not work anymore and I cannot format the damn thing without a screen.
2. If I do not have my phone I can format if needed.
3. Instant feedback if needed.
4. Nice to take a quick glance to see the view that it is recording.
I also think a rear or internal camera is very important, although not critical.

I would go viofo A119 mini 2, as Garmin support is absolute rubbish. But the garmin camera is a good cheap small dashcam, but not good at night.
If rear or interior cam needed, then A229 series cams will do fine.
ANY dashcam is better than none.
You will find alot of members here lean heavily toward Viofo.