Recommendations for a RELIABLE camera

[nuts]

After 1.5 yr. both of my Aukey 4k Dashcams with supercapacitor fails to retain a charge and reset every time I turn the ignition off. I guess their supercapacitor is not that "super" after all. Replacing those capacitors involves skills of a microsurgeon which I don't posses.
Since I am not in the mood of replacing my cameras every year and a half, can someone recommend a good RELIABLE camera that will serve me at least 5-6 years. Doesn't have to be 4k.

 

[SawMaster]

Welcome to DCT @nuts

Most of the better cams will give 3+ years service, usually more. Aukey isn't one of those better cams. Probably the most reliable and longest-living cam is the original Mobius, but it's no good at night and only 1080P which is OK but better can be had now.

With so much to choose from lets narrow things down
How much can you spend per cam?
Do you need a screen or are you OK with using a phone app? (If app control is OK which phone do you have?)
Do you drive much at night?
Are there any form-factors you prefer?
Do you use parking modes?

With these answers we can offer some suggestions on a cam which should last far longer

Phil

 

[DT MI]

While probably a bit biased based on my hands-on experience, my recommendation would be a Street Guardian product if they otherwise fit your needs. I bought 2 SG9665GC V1 cameras in March 2015 (as well as others since then) and they're both in daily use today. Definitely not the cheapest dash cams available, based on initial cost, but reliable.

 

[Dashmellow]

Most of the better cams will give 3+ years service, usually more.

$150.00 to $200.00 or more for a product that "might" last 3 years? Maybe more if you get lucky? What's wrong with this picture? This is why I keep saying that the dash cam industry is selling us nothing more than overpriced consumer gadgets rather than what can legitimately be described as real cameras.

As for StreetGuardian, my experience was quite different. It took five different units of the SG9665GC until I finally got one that worked properly and then I continued to have serious exposure problems that Street Guardian denied existed for over a year until they quietly fixed the issue. For a while I had good reliability from the SG9665GC but both cameras died from their well known boot looping problem and I got nothing but lip service and a run around from the company principals. (you know who) I consider Street Guardian to be perhaps the most overpriced, over hyped cameras promoted on this forum. I recommend friends and acquaintances avoid them as you can do better elsewhere for far less money.

 

[nuts]

Welcome to DCT @nuts

Most of the better cams will give 3+ years service, usually more. Aukey isn't one of those better cams. Probably the most reliable and longest-living cam is the original Mobius, but it's no good at night and only 1080P which is OK but better can be had now.

With so much to choose from lets narrow things down
How much can you spend per cam?
Do you need a screen or are you OK with using a phone app? (If app control is OK which phone do you have?)
Do you drive much at night?
Are there any form-factors you prefer?
Do you use parking modes?

With these answers we can offer some suggestions on a cam which should last far longer

Phil

I was hoping to stay in a $100 neighborhood. I don't care if it has a screen or not and I'm an Android user . Most of my driving is during a day time. As for a form factor: doesn't really matter, as long as it's not too bulky. I don't use any parking mode

 

[SawMaster]

At that price, the A119V3 is as good as it gets- well developed, very reliable, good in low-light. It's a 'wedge' cam and smaller than the pics may seem to appear which lets it hide well in most of today's cars. There's also the B4K doing real 4K video and doing better with image details in good lighting, but not as good otherwise. The B2W is also good but the supplied suction mount is bulky. All these use supercaps for long cam life and high heat tolerance. They have LCD screens so you con't need an app but the latter two have one if you wish to use it. The Mola M3 and the 70mai Lite are LiPo battery equipped and do good video but may not last as long because of that.

Never been a better time for cams in this price range, just be sure to buy from a reliable source and use an SD card that other owners of that cam recommend and you'll be good-to-go for a long time

Phil

 

[Dashmellow]

The Viofo A119 V3 is probably the best bargain in an affordable, reliable dash cam with excellent video quality on the market at the moment. It is available for less than $100 direct from Viofo if you don't want the GPS option. For not much more you can buy it for $105.99 with the GPS module.

 

[nuts]

Thank you guys so much for your detailed input. I will definitely check that camera out.