Review: Viofo A119 Dashcam (A Second Take) [GearBest.com]

Agie

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Dash Cam
A229 Pro, VS1, Nexus 4 Pro, S1 Pro, A119 v3/v2/v1
My second review here on DashCamTalk, enjoyed the first one a lot so i'm back again. Today I will be talking about the first dashcam I ever bought, and a VERY solid performer: the Viofo A119. There are two versions, one with GPS and one without. I will be reviewing the non-GPS version.

You can buy the Viofo A119 (non-GPS) here: You can buy the Viofo A119 (with GPS) here:
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Specifications: OmniVision OV4689 sensor w/160 degree field of view (six glass element with F/1.8 aperture), Novatek NT96660 chipset, 2.0 inch TFT LCD display, capacitor (no battery). Full 2K (1440p) footage recorded at 24MBps bitrate with 96KBps audio recording bitrate (mono at 32KHz). 1080p at 60fps also available (for smoother-looking video).
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Box Contents: Viofo A119 dashcam, instruction leaflet, two sets of 3M adhesive, adhesive removal tool, set of small mounting clips, car charger.

The final verdict: The Viofo A119 does almost nothing wrong, and sets the gold standard for which other dashcams are to be compared to. With solid image quality, great customer and software support, Viofo are a force to be reckoned with. Just buy it already.

Unboxing video:

My nitpickings:
My only gripes with the Viofo A119 are its slow exposure changes, and tendency to not cope well with sun glare which other cameras such as the Chupad D501 are better tuned to deal with. Although I now have the emergency button downpat as muscle memory, it could have been bigger to make access easier.

The positive:

  • The build and durability of this device is fantastic - Viofo have done a great job of modernising the design of its predecessor (the A118) and maintained its discreet look. Convenience of installation cannot be stressed enough, and even removal of the camera by simply sliding up on the adhesive mount.
  • High level of box contents, in case one needs to re-position the dashcam or move it to another car, along with the use of high quality mounting clips. This makes the installation process far easier and an enjoyable one too. Two USB ports on the car charger, along with its detachability makes it far easier for USB cable replacement (if required later).
  • Capacitor use is commendable, and in this hot Australian summer climate I have not experienced any lens distortion / plastic melts / component failure, due to its use.
  • Lens adjustment is also great, not rubbing up against the windscreen and being able to rotated to the left and right also.

  • Image quality is second to none. Details are crisp and colours accurate and not overly saturated. Licence plate details and surrounding objects are able to be made out very easily. Also picks up a lot of light in night-time recording, without too much smudging.
  • Even though audio is recorded at the relatively low bitrate of 96Kbps, the microphone placement and directional recording is far better than competitors. At loud volumes of music playing in my car, the Viofo was still able to capture my voice clearly (something that the Chupad D501 couldn't do without a measureable amount of distortion).
  • Menus are well laid-out and present with a ridiculous degree of customisation options. The fact that just about everything can be turned on or off (text/date/GPS/car info stamps, system beeps, image quality, image rotation etc) is something that every dash camera should have.
  • Software stability is very high and support by Viofo in the case of firmware updates and listening to feedback is exceptional. The fact that the company listens so attentively to users, and is wholly transparent in their dealings, bodes well for anyone who purchases this dashcam.
 
Viofo A119 Dashcam sample footage:


Daytime footage, 1440p, WDR/HDR off:



Sunset footage, 1440p, WDR/HDR on:



Night-time highway footage, 1440p, WDR/HDR on:
 
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