Recommend me a cam

[alpaca]

I'm looking to spend less than 60, preferably closer to 40. I can stretch that a little bit if needed. All I need is something that is relatively reliable, has decent low light performance, and lets you adjust the resolution. Basically I want to keep an archive of videos so I'd like to record in a format/resolution that does not take up crazy amounts of hard drive space.

Oh yeah I'd like it to be relatively discrete. Motion activation is a plus.

 

[jokiin]

G1W is probably the best choice given your limited budget, its not everything you've asked for but for the budget there will always be some compromise

 

[alpaca]

G1W is probably the best choice given your limited budget, its not everything you've asked for but for the budget there will always be some compromise

will that record in lower resolutions?

Here's my list of priorities:

#1 low resolution capable
#2 decent (doesn't have to be great, just not horrible) low light
#3 is stealthy/small

 

[jokiin]

What do you mean by low resolution?

 

[HunkaBurninLove]

If you can clarify what you mean by "low resolution". Usually, you always want higher resolution

 

[alpaca]

What do you mean by low resolution?

the ability to adjust the recording resolution so the files will be smaller at the sacrifice of video quality... I don't want to be only able to record in 1080p since I plan on storing a lot of footage.

edit: nevermind this answers my question for the G1W
1920*1080(1080FHD)
1280*720(720P)
848*480(WVGA)
640*480(VGA)

On most cams, how large of a file would say an hour of video be?

 

[Xybone]

You're better off saving some more money for a better SD card, because the one time you need 1080p video to read A license plate, you won't have it.

 

[alpaca]

I'll be getting a class 10 memory card.

Bump for how large of a file a hour would be.

 

[jokiin]

There's a recording calculator on the front page of the site, I'd give you the link if I wasn't posting from my phone

 

[alpaca]

There's a recording calculator on the front page of the site, I'd give you the link if I wasn't posting from my phone

yeah I saw that but I don't know what bitrate the g1w records in
What camera would you recommend if I bumped my budget up to $80? I like the mobius but I'd be pretty concerned about heat.

 

[jokiin]

GT680W is also worth a look, I think you're starting to get to there if without GPS, you'd have to buy out of China though, @FoxOffer is probably best if you're happy to buy from China

G1W bitrate can either be 12mbit or 15mbit, depends on the version, there are many variants of this same looking model

 

[alpaca]

GT680W is also worth a look, I think you're starting to get to there if without GPS, you'd have to buy out of China though, @FoxOffer is probably best if you're happy to buy from China

G1W bitrate can either be 12mbit or 15mbit, depends on the version, there are many variants of this same looking model

thanks

 

[TallTom]

If you want super low budget, you could probably just get away with using an old Android phone with a windshield mount and the largest memory card it can hold.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dailyroads.v

 

[GJHS]

yeah I saw that but I don't know what bitrate the g1w records in
What camera would you recommend if I bumped my budget up to $80? I like the mobius but I'd be pretty concerned about heat.

At $85 for the Mobius combo (camera, cable, USB adapter, mount) it's a good starting point. I think many would agree that the Mobius heat issue is not really an issue. For me, it's a do all camera inside and outside the car. At that price, and with finally stable firmware, you could also look at the mini 0801.

 

[CheckYourLights]

My G1W is the 12MB version and a 3 min file at the highest setting is 276MB.

Not to pick on TallTom or anything, but i would not recommend using an old android phone because not only will the camera offer low quality video, but heat may also cause problems. Heat from the phone it self and heat from inside the car, and the FOV might be to narrow.

I've been on tight budgets before, and sometimes things are still tight. I've dealt with some of these low quality knock off cheap DashCams before, and i would not give one or advice anyone get one below the 52 dollar G1W. You might save money in the short term, but the long term hassle, headache, and frustration are not worth it.

I have archived a lot of footage over a few cameras during my DashCam driving days (Knock off DVR-027, Real DVR-027, GS8000, Vico TF2, G1W, and Vico WF1)

 

[HunkaBurninLove]

My G1W is the 12MB version and a 3 min file at the highest setting is 276MB.
I've been on tight budgets before, and sometimes things are still tight. I've dealt with some of these low quality knock off cheap DashCams before, and i would not give one or advice anyone get one below the 52 dollar G1W. You might save money in the short term, but the long term hassle, headache, and frustration are not worth it.

Agree with CheckYourLights. I've tried buying lower quality items before, but ended up regretting it.

I read on another forum..."If you buy quality, you only cry once".

 

[CheckYourLights]

I read on another forum..."If you buy quality, you only cry once".

Unless it's an Apple product and you run out of space. Then you cry twice. Seriously though i never herd that. It's a neat way to mention things.

I'm also curious why alpaca is looking at recording on a low resolution. I understand wanting to archive a lot of footage. I've archived complete trips before in the highest quality setting with no issue.

I also leave my WF1 or TF2 on all night in case something happens to my car over night and not had any issue with a 32GB card. I used to run my GS8000 as low as possible to keep it from over heating and the videos were horrible.