Rear view mirror dash cam buying guide

inlifing

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Dash Cam
AZDOME M06P Real 4K Dash Cam
Rear view mirror dash cams are a great addition to your vehicle as they provide additional safety and also help with reversing. These cameras can also come in handy when you need proof in court after an accident or when making an insurance claim. And so it is always important to make sure that you get the best by considering the following factors when shopping for one.

Resolution
Resolution of the dash cam determines the image quality that you get and so it should always be one of the first things to consider. And the simple rule here is to always settle for the best resolutions that you can afford. However, you should never settle for anything less than 720p HD as this is the minimum resolution you require in a dash cam to be able to make out things like license plates, car models, and faces.

Obstructive Design
A good rear view mirror dash cam should not obstruct anything and it should just occupy the same space or even less as your rear view mirror occupies. But, you still have to make sure that it has a large enough screen that lets you view the video and images without straining. Going for models that are mounted high on the windscreen is a simple way to ensures that it does not cause obstruction.

Look Recording
Loop recording is one of the most important features to consider when shopping for a dash cam as it makes it more convenient. It is a simple feature that ensures that the recording does not stop when the camera runs out of memory as it will overwrite the oldest content. And this means that it will continue recording indefinitely.

Night Vision
You still need to use the dash cam when driving at night, and so you should always go for ones with night vision. Although headlights and street lights can sometimes provide enough illumination for the camera you cannot always rely on them. And so the best thing is to make sure that the dash cam has a built-in feature for recording at night.

Other Features
Dash cams will come with different features and the more the features the better the model will be, but it will also be more expensive. While some of these features are not always necessary, they add to the convenience and performance of the dash come. As you are shopping for the best rear view mirror camera you should look out for extra features such as G-sensor, motion detector and auto on/off.

Conclusion

Nowadays vehicles will come with some advanced features aimed at improving your driving experience, and they include things like built-in reverse cameras and GPS. But if you have an older model without these handy features, you can always add them later one. And one of the best places to start is by installing a rear view mirror dash cam. And with our reviews above of some of the best rear view mirror cameras and buying guide you now have an idea of what to buy. But, also make sure that you compare between different models before settling on one for your vehicle.
 
This is great, however, there are a few caveats. First, most rear view mirror cams are wobbly, which is super irritating (at least for me). Second, you won't be able to tilt the mirror or use the light sensor (if you mirror has one) to avoid being dazzled. Third, most mirror cams are poorly designed (technically) and often fail fairly quickly, which may be very inappropriate. Overall, I did not find any good quality mirror dash come to use and decided not to use any of those. The only big advantage of this type is their discreet design, they don't attract much attention from the outside.
 
Most mirror cams suffer from not having an automatic darkening feature. The tinted mirror is darker than wanted during the day and allows to much glare at night. Unless a self darkening circuit is added to a mirror cam night driving requires adjusting the mirror so headlights of cars behind you do not shine in your eyes.

A well designed mirror cam would completely replace the factory mirror by fastening to the mirrors factory mounting location instead of using a pair of straps to hang on the original mirror.
I would not accept anything less than 1080p for resolution.
 
Most mirror cams suffer from not having an automatic darkening feature. The tinted mirror is darker than wanted during the day and allows to much glare at night. Unless a self darkening circuit is added to a mirror cam night driving requires adjusting the mirror so headlights of cars behind you do not shine in your eyes.
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interestingly I have a car with an auto dimming rear view mirror and I hate the thing, reversing out my driveway at night it goes dark and can't see anything
 
This is great, however, there are a few caveats. First, most rear view mirror cams are wobbly, which is super irritating (at least for me). Second, you won't be able to tilt the mirror or use the light sensor (if you mirror has one) to avoid being dazzled. Third, most mirror cams are poorly designed (technically) and often fail fairly quickly, which may be very inappropriate. Overall, I did not find any good quality mirror dash come to use and decided not to use any of those. The only big advantage of this type is their discreet design, they don't attract much attention from the outside.

so the anti-glaring design is very important for rear view mirror dash cam. PG01 is such a rear view mirror dash cam.
 
Most mirror cams suffer from not having an automatic darkening feature. The tinted mirror is darker than wanted during the day and allows to much glare at night. Unless a self darkening circuit is added to a mirror cam night driving requires adjusting the mirror so headlights of cars behind you do not shine in your eyes.

A well designed mirror cam would completely replace the factory mirror by fastening to the mirrors factory mounting location instead of using a pair of straps to hang on the original mirror.
I would not accept anything less than 1080p for resolution.

I agree with you, the rearview mirror dash cam resolution must more than 1080P
 
I know this thread is about advertising a product sold by OP but here are my 2 cents.
The best rearview mirror dashcam is the one which is using only the original car mirror. Papago have some dashcam like that, the GS200, but the mount implementation is not so great.
e8356590-c0d5-40f8-950c-f4b797642d68_1.6f5b126372be203f584deed642431c5f.jpeg

enjoy,
Mtz
 
I know this thread is about advertising a product sold by OP but here are my 2 cents.
The best rearview mirror dashcam is the one which is using only the original car mirror. Papago have some dashcam like that, the GS200, but the mount implementation is not so great.
e8356590-c0d5-40f8-950c-f4b797642d68_1.6f5b126372be203f584deed642431c5f.jpeg

enjoy,
Mtz

To me the concept of a good rear view mirror dash cam is that you have a very stealthy camera installation that looks like an OEM factory supplied rear view mirror. So, I'm not so sure about this Papago idea. I wonder what this one looks like from outside the vehicle?
 
The Papago is not looking OK from outside because the lens part is bulky and stupid.
images
s-l225.jpg


Just imagine a small camera like Mobius with the lens where are the buttons and glued on the back of the mirror of your car and you can imagine the difference. More than that, for actual days when Wi-Fi is easy to implement in dashcams and the smartphones are big, the LCD screen is not needed.
For such idea of dashcam the most sensitive point is how to attach the camera to the mirror. Then the small details about how to point the lens into the right position.
But until now the dashcam market is not going to the idea I have about a mirror dahscam and described in these two posts. The Papago was a little different coming with a idea like mine I had from 2014, but the result is not what I expect from this solution.

enjoy,
Mtz
 
The Papago is not looking OK from outside because the lens part is bulky and stupid.
images


Just imagine a small camera like Mobius with the lens where are the buttons and glued on the back of the mirror of your car and you can imagine the difference. More than that, for actual days when Wi-Fi is easy to implement in dashcams and the smartphones are big, the LCD screen is not needed.
For such idea of dashcam the most sensitive point is how to attach the camera to the mirror. Then the small details about how to point the lens into the right position.
But until now the dashcam market is not going to the idea I have about a mirror dahscam and described in these two posts. The Papago was a little different coming with a idea like mine I had from 2014, but the result is not what I expect from this solution.

enjoy,
Mtz

Thanks for showing what the Papago looks like from outside. You are right, it's a good idea but not well implemented. I like your concept for a small module attached behind the mirror that could be controlled remotely. I think the one thing it would require is a method to aim it separately from the adjustment of the mirror. The Papago, for example, looks like it would be aimed at whatever angle the mirror is adjusted to.
 
The Papago is not looking OK from outside because the lens part is bulky and stupid.
images
s-l225.jpg


Just imagine a small camera like Mobius with the lens where are the buttons and glued on the back of the mirror of your car and you can imagine the difference. More than that, for actual days when Wi-Fi is easy to implement in dashcams and the smartphones are big, the LCD screen is not needed.
For such idea of dashcam the most sensitive point is how to attach the camera to the mirror. Then the small details about how to point the lens into the right position.
But until now the dashcam market is not going to the idea I have about a mirror dahscam and described in these two posts. The Papago was a little different coming with a idea like mine I had from 2014, but the result is not what I expect from this solution.

enjoy,
Mtz

Thanks for showing what the Papago looks like from outside. You are right, it's a good idea but not well implemented. I like your concept for a small module attached behind the mirror that could be controlled remotely. I think the one thing it would require is a method to aim it separately from the adjustment of the mirror. The Papago, for example, looks like it would be aimed at whatever angle the mirror is adjusted to.
 
The Papago can be adjusted left-right and up-down from the mount but also the lens have a little angle like 15 degrees to be pointed up-down.
But the camera with actual mount is a heavy unit and the mirror will not feel great with such weight attached.

enjoy,
Mtz
 
The Papago can be adjusted left-right and up-down from the mount but also the lens have a little angle like 15 degrees to be pointed up-down.
But the camera with actual mount is a heavy unit and the mirror will not feel great with such weight attached.

enjoy,
Mtz

OK, thanks. I couldn't tell from the photo and it didn't look like it does that. Yeah, the camera looks too big and out of place.

With today's tiny high resolution cameras in smart phones it should be relatively easy to build a hidden camera directly into the rear-view mirror, no?
 
interestingly I have a car with an auto dimming rear view mirror and I hate the thing, reversing out my driveway at night it goes dark and can't see anything
I have never had an auto dimming mirror. I only know having a blue tinted mirror makes the rear view darker than wanted in the day and brighter than wanted at night.
I do not see a way to include a typical mirror assembly that flips the mirror from light to dark into a mirror cam without risking moving the camera angle every time the mirror is adjusted to deal with headlights or daylight. If that could be done it would be the optimal solution.
 
I have never had an auto dimming mirror. I only know having a blue tinted mirror makes the rear view darker than wanted in the day and brighter than wanted at night.
I do not see a way to include a typical mirror assembly that flips the mirror from light to dark into a mirror cam without risking moving the camera angle every time the mirror is adjusted to deal with headlights or daylight. If that could be done it would be the optimal solution.

My truck's rear view mirror adjusts for headlights internally at the flip of a switch. It does not require changing the angle of the entire rear view mirror in any way. Many vehicles today have mirrors like this.
 
Unfortunately, if you share a car with other people, most will adjust the mirror to their height and liking, causing the camera angle to change. It would drive me nuts if my wife kept changing the mirror, thus the camera, everytime she used my car. Might be grounds for divorce!
 
I have never had an auto dimming mirror. I only know having a blue tinted mirror makes the rear view darker than wanted in the day and brighter than wanted at night.
I do not see a way to include a typical mirror assembly that flips the mirror from light to dark into a mirror cam without risking moving the camera angle every time the mirror is adjusted to deal with headlights or daylight. If that could be done it would be the optimal solution.

not a fan of those blue tinted ones at all, terrible idea whoever came up with that one, the mirror I have in my car has a tint to the glass but it's a darker tint and is a good balance between night and day performance without the need for a manual switch or any extra electronics
 
interestingly I have a car with an auto dimming rear view mirror and I hate the thing, reversing out my driveway at night it goes dark and can't see anything

I detest almost all automated car features unless they are user-adjustable and can also be turned completely off. I can do my own thinking and I don't like having someone else's ideas of what is best forced onto me.

Phil
 
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