New to this site, been looking at dashcams

Wolfie

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Seeing the various videos on YouTube where you see some people being jerks then suddenly getting a deserved dose of karma, as well as people causing accidents, etc, my interest in finding a decent dashcam has been sparked (again).

The last time I really checked was a few years ago, when even low end dashcams were still well over $50 unless on sale. So, with my interest sparked again from the videos, I'm trying to learn what I can about the different products available.

What I'm interested in finding a list of cams (and hopefully buying one) that fit these criteria...
1. High quality is a must. I'm not expecting cinematic quality where you can zoom in on a building that is a mile away and see a couple of people making out. However, being able to read a license plate, street signs, etc, without having to be within 10 feet is definitely desired. Fairly decent night recording, as in, not crap, and 18+ fps using a reasonable bitrate. (I'm guessing the bitrates are fairly standard, but wanted to add that in just to be sure.)
2. GPS is also a must. Can be quite useful, especially if someone is challenging or questioning where something took place.
3. Speed of the vehicle. Preferred by not required and if available, would like the option to disable it, though push come to shove, ability to turn it off is only a minor preference.
4. Somewhat discreet. The more discreet the better, of course, but my focus and interest is that it's not an eye sore. A couple of cams that I came across from browsing this site and looking on Amazon, are the Dome D201 and DAB202. To me, the 202 is acceptable, but the 201, not so much.
5. Minimum of 64gb microSD support, prefer 128gb or higher.
6. Date/time configuration - Prefer year/mm/dd but mm/dd/year is acceptable if other isn't an option. I insist on 24hr format for the time though.
7. Audio switch (can disable audio if I want).
8. Automatically recycle the space on the microSD card. I know some (or all?) break the videos down into segments, usually by amount of time recorded. Highly prefer loss-less recording. If I play a few pieces back to back, no jumps, cluing you in to the fact that there was a file change. For ones that record based on amount of time, being able to select the file sizes would be nice, though not too important.
9. Ability to press a button (or two?) to protect a segment from being overwritten. Also some sort option where I can turn the cam off or have it in standby mode or 'motion detect' mode. ** See below
10. Best bang for the buck, of course. :)


** My vehicle, 2004 GMC Envoy XL, is one of those where the outlets are "always on" even when the vehicle isn't. So cams that rely on active power to toggle recorder or not isn't a reliable setting for me. Thus being able to press a button to turn off recording is desired. Having it auto-resume based on amount of movement could make things easier as well. If there is an easy way for a cam to detect that status of the vehicle (engine on or not) despite the outlets, that works too.

I hope that I'm not seeming like too much of a noob and I hope what I listed isn't asking the impossible. The list isn't really in order of priority, though quality, gps, storage and date/time stamping are of importance. I'm taking a guess that a couple of things I listed are pretty standard among most cams, but felt it better to include vs assuming.

Thanks in advance for responses.

P.S.
If it's permitted, then I can provide a couple of links to videos that show where some of my renewed interest came from. One is a somewhat popular video of an accident on the highway (decent quality video) and other is of a minor fender-bender (also decent video, but has GPS information on it).
 
low end dashcams are still over $50, anything below that is really only rubbish, what you want realistically is going to cost more

most of what you listed is pretty much standard on any half decent product

if the Dome models are on your shortlist you'd do well to speak to @CaptureYourAction as he sells and (more importantly) supports their models in your market, in fact I think he's the only seller that offers any proper support for their products, it's the type of product where it's preferable to buy locally so that you get support, and actually get what you order, some of the online sellers are a bit loose with the spec and you don't always get what what you want or order, better to buy on home soil and the benefits that come with that
 
I think the Dome DAB202 or DAB205 covers most of your list. I don't sell the DAB201 anymore. You can't remove the speed stamp though. Not sure I'd rely on motion detect to turn recording on and off full time. Unless your parking somewhere with no movement, the camera may stay on more than off. Hardwiring would probably be a better option (and easy).
Check out the cameras on my site and let me know if you have any questions.
 
low end dashcams are still over $50, anything below that is really only rubbish, what you want realistically is going to cost more
What I meant by low end, and I should have been more specific, are those that are basically junk. Granted, there were a few that were roughly $50 or a little more that were worthy of the price, but I recall back then when reading reviews, that a lot of people were mentioning how the quality wasn't as claimed, among other issues.

A camera I bought a couple of years back was an "HD 1080p K5000" camera, which doing a search, may be a Polarlander brand. I spent only about $34 for it (on a sale) and it's a rather decent camera. Considering the amount I paid and the product I got, I consider myself lucky to have gotten one that wasn't junk. As nice of a camera as it is, though, I consider it more or less to be my version of a starter cam.

I think the Dome DAB202 or DAB205 covers most of your list. I don't sell the DAB201 anymore. You can't remove the speed stamp though. Not sure I'd rely on motion detect to turn recording on and off full time. Unless your parking somewhere with no movement, the camera may stay on more than off. Hardwiring would probably be a better option (and easy).
Check out the cameras on my site and let me know if you have any questions.
Do you happen to have a store on Amazon? Where possible, I prefer to keep a limited number of sites that I shop from. Security concerns aside (you obviously have a good reputation since others are endorsing you), it's about simplicity.

And while writing this post, I decided to do a search and now I know why the name sounded familiar. Indeed you are on Amazon. Though taking another look, I think I was a bit hasty in saying the DAB202 was acceptable. It looks like it's just as big as the 201 in regards to the shutter (I guess is what you would call it?). The length of the body doesn't bother me, it's how much it pokes out. Then again, I was using those two models as examples.

As for my list...
- The removal of the speed limit is a minor thing. Given the choice of having it available (and can't be removed) vs not available at all, I'll go for having it.
- The motion detection, I was thinking more of when I go shopping and having it 'come back on' when I start driving. I was a bit tired when I was making my post, so obviously I wasn't explaining things correctly. Not sure how I would phrase what I'm looking for, other than a way to have it in a "soft off" mode, where, if I forget to turn it back on, it will detect a great deal of movement, possibly a change in GPS location, and turn back on itself. Though if it's not hard to hardwire it to turn on and off automatically with the engine, that would be great. My only concern is if there is an instance where I want to continue recording despite the engine being off.

Now to try to be clear about something, I'm not looking for any particular shape, so the 201 and 202 examples I used aren't because of looking for that shape. I did forget to mention wanting a screen to view. I know some don't have screens, so I should have mentioned that before. But shape isn't a factor, just so long as it's not bulky/awkward/eye-sore.

I already have your site opened up and will be looking through it, only hoping to have suggestions on a narrowed down list or what to look at. Don't need it to do anything extra/special, like playing the theme song to "Transformers" while changing from a dashcam to a jetfighter (or anything that is actually realistic but bumps the price up a tremendous deal).

Thanks to you both for your replies so far. I really appreciate the help.
 
The DAB202 lens housing is just a little bit smaller than the 201. As far as depth, including the lens, it's about 1.4". The DAB202 and 205 are about the same.

Not sure about any camera with a "soft off". Sounds like motion detection is close to what your talking about. Not sure I'd rely on it to turn the recording on or off on a full time basis. You may miss recordings, like at a long light with minimal movement around. Hardwire is the better option. You can use something like the VicoVation Power Plus if you want to run the camera for period of time while parked somewhere without risking battery drainage.
http://www.vicovation.com/product.asp?IDno=55&lang=eng
 
The DAB202 lens housing is just a little bit smaller than the 201. As far as depth, including the lens, it's about 1.4". The DAB202 and 205 are about the same.

Not sure about any camera with a "soft off". Sounds like motion detection is close to what your talking about. Not sure I'd rely on it to turn the recording on or off on a full time basis. You may miss recordings, like at a long light with minimal movement around. Hardwire is the better option.
By a 'soft off', I mean like if I turn it off manually, it could automatically turn back on if movement is detected. Or in another manner of speaking, I'd be stopping it from recording, but then it would start again when moving. From your response, though, I'm wagering that it's not an option.

To take things in a different direction, are there any that meet most (or all) of my preferences but also includes navigation? I'm aware it would likely raise the cost a bit, but since I'm looking at GPS tracking, was curious about that.

Based on the "side by side" comparisons on this site, the D201 is looking to be the best match. Knowing that the DAB202 and DAB205 are essentially the same, I'm wondering, what differences are there? Same maximum storage limit (512gb, though I don't see myself even getting a 256gb anytime soon)? Suction mounts (same or improved since the 201)?

Here is a list of ones I've narrowed down to from the list of available DashCams on this site.
https://dashcamtalk.com/compare/1/84,52,82,60,26,5,78,3/

It's not a definitive list of what I would pick, just more or less a list of cams that (a) have GPS or is optional, (b) has a screen, (c) suction mounting available, (d) 64gb or higher maximum storage limit. I moved the 'SD' card ones to the far right of the list and the rest are basically in an order of highest maximum storage. I've ignored the prices for now, with the idea being to learn more about pros and cons to be mindful of. When I am considering a purchase, I try to do some research to ensure that I am making a good choice and getting a good deal. I did this same thing when preparing to buy my first SSD and feel that I benefited from it, thanks to helpful people with knowledge and experience on them.

Also, in my first post, I was mentioning about frame rates, but when I was looking at lists, I was confusing it with bitrates. So, 18+ on the bitrates, even though the list above includes several under that. If I'm not mistaken (and I probably am), the higher the frame rate, the better for getting a single frame isn't as blurred due to movement, as compared to a lower frame rate?

For hardwiring, are there any particular videos that you personally recommend?
 
The only differences between the DAB201, 202 and 205 are the casing and screen size. 202 and 205 have a 3" screen. The hardware and specs are basically the same.

Motion detection is what your referring to as "soft off". Problem is it may stop recording at times when you want it recording and visa versa. Just not a reliable option for what your talking about in my opinion.

In theory, the higher the bitrate, the better the picture. The bitrate on the Dome A12 dash cameras are around 20, but there is a modified firmware version that pushes the bitrate up into the 40's. I don't really see a big difference though. Plus, it eats up a lot more space on the memory card.
 
The only differences between the DAB201, 202 and 205 are the casing and screen size. 202 and 205 have a 3" screen. The hardware and specs are basically the same.
I noticed that the mounting point on the cameras are seemingly different. Is that a model difference, or a random luck of the draw for either one?

In theory, the higher the bitrate, the better the picture. The bitrate on the Dome A12 dash cameras are around 20, but there is a modified firmware version that pushes the bitrate up into the 40's. I don't really see a big difference though. Plus, it eats up a lot more space on the memory card.
Well of course. I take it there are custom firmwares for many different dashcams, so it would be interesting to explore what is out there.

What about GPS navigation though? Any good dashcams that support that (and meet most of my preferred specs)?
 
What about GPS navigation though? Any good dashcams that support that (and meet most of my preferred specs)?

there are a few, nothing great out there, it's a flawed application really to put the two together though as the ideal mounting location for a nav unit and the ideal location for a dashcam are two different places
 
Yes, the mounts are different on each one. That's part of the casing difference. The 202 has a suction mount that screws into the camera casing. The 201 and 205 have suction mounts that slide into the casing.

Garmin and Magellan are the only two that I'm aware of that do navigation as well. The Magellan is only 720p though.
 
there are a few, nothing great out there, it's a flawed application really to put the two together though as the ideal mounting location for a nav unit and the ideal location for a dashcam are two different places
Garmin and Magellan are the only two that I'm aware of that do navigation as well. The Magellan is only 720p though.
So is it not really worth it to try to get both as one combined unit? I mean push come to shove, my Galaxy S5 can be my navigation device when I need directions getting somewhere. Otherwise, I'm usually well off without one, other than just for the fun of it.

Yes, the mounts are different on each one. That's part of the casing difference. The 202 has a suction mount that screws into the camera casing. The 201 and 205 have suction mounts that slide into the casing.
Drat. I like the appearance of the 202 but not a fan of having to screw it on... From your experience, are there any other dashcams that are better than the Dab series (with respects to my preferences)? So far it's looking like they are top notch in regards to features and, based on what you've said, unless I'm reading too much into it, they are of high/reliable quality to boot. Wondering if there's anything out there that you believe is better on some level and if so, why? Purpose here is to learn instead of just jumping on the first thing that looks good, so I don't look back on it and think, "Why didn't I try to learn more first..."

Thank you both for the responses.
 
Yes, the mounts are different on each one. That's part of the casing difference. The 202 has a suction mount that screws into the camera casing. The 201 and 205 have suction mounts that slide into the casing.
Okay, ordered the 205 and the Dome GPS module through Amazon using your store, order number ending in 2228. Don't let me down, dude. :)
 
I ship most items Priority 2-day and it has been surprisingly good.
Got it on Monday (you blackmailing someone high up at USPS or something?). Finally tried it out on Friday and Saturday, noticing a few issues and have a couple of questions.
Issues:
1. Rather frequently, it shuts down and powers right back up. The interval seems random.
2. Might be related... Some of the recordings seemed to have vanished or simply not existed.
3. One time I stopped it from recording, changed a setting, then tried unplugging and replugging the power (at the outlet, as it's easier) to try to give it more of a 'pure test'. It locked up with the red light one, black screen, and wouldn't let me power it off or on, regardless of holding the power button down for several seconds.

Note:
-- I already thought about the possibility of the mSD card being incompatible. Here's what I'm using (it's not SanDisk): https://www.amazon.com/gp/B00T9QONOU-- Also updated the firmware to 2589 (I think it is?). Haven't tried it out since then, but from the description of the update, it's basically a change to response times of the buttons.

Questions:
- Is there a way to keep the screen always on while driving? Since I'm still 'toying with it,' it's easier to glance at it to see how it's doing without having to reach over to turn the screen back on every few minutes.
- Is there a way to view the GPS coordinates without using the CarDVPlayer software? When using it, the video display is very fragile. It will go grey and not return until it's playing a new video. I was hoping to see the GPS coordinates on/in the video, if possible. If not, the fact that the GPS info is still in there is good. On the pro side, if I ever upload a video, it won't be as easy to figure out where I'm at. Just would like options on being able to view the GPS info, if there are any.

Edit:
Forgot to point out.. Using max resolution, 2560x1440, in case that makes any difference. Didn't have audio recording, though I imagine that shouldn't matter.
 
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not sure how suitable that card is, would certainly try something else, 32gb cards are best for testing as they are the most widely supported, I'd still go with a brand name card though
It's a good card, just not sure if it's able to handle the write speed for the amount of data being written. The dab205 supports up to 128gb, so I know the storage size isn't an issue. Hopefully CYA will have some insight. He seems rather knowledgeable about the products he sells, so he might have handled an issue like this before.
 
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