I'm not a reviewer, there are a lot more capable folks out there that do a great job of it and there are existing reviews already out there. These are just my general comments on the camera and the experiences I've had with it.
Apparently something I said in my SG9665GC first impressions dialog resonated with Calgary Dash Cameras (CDC Canada) as they asked me if I would be interested in looking at their newly arrived SGZC12RC. OK, I have a second vehicle with nothing installed behind my rear view mirror, so I said 'why not' ...
So this camera is a bit different, the 'RC' in the product number signifies that it is a remote camera and includes a different set of accessories. On opening the box we have a pretty tiny remote camera, a main control unit, two power adapters (one with a straight connector and one with an angled connector, use the one that works best for your install), two data cables (a long one and a short one) a micro USB data cable, a spare 3M pad if you need to reinstall the camera and a sticky rubber dash mat which I assume is a non slip mat if you wanted the main unit sitting on the dash. Surprisingly, there were none of the usual Street Guardian stickers, no memory card, no memory card reader and no documentation. I already had every thing I needed, so the missing items were not a big deal, but it might be to someone else ... just be aware that your box of goodies might not include them and it also needs to be noted that this unit does not include support for a GPS.
Installation was pretty straight forward, just determine where you are going to mount the camera and head unit, route the wires up in the headliner and down the A pillar to where you are mounting the head unit. I put this one in the glove box for now and routed the power adapter under the dash ... if this was going to be a permanent install I would use a hard wire kit and route the wires a little differently, but for now it is nicely tucked out of sight. Once the unit is powered on the setup is pretty easy with the GUI being pretty intuitive ... simple to set date/time/time zone, language, video size and length of recording segments, turn beep on and off, format the microSD card, LCD standby, G-Sensor and reset to factory defaults if you really mess it up. And speaking of formatting the microSD card, this unit support cards up to 128GB ... very nice.
Video specs are comparable to the SG9665GC, it uses the same Sony Exmor IMX322 CMOS Sensor, is capable of recording full HD (1080P) at 30fps @ 15Mbit/sec and has a 135 degree viewing angle. I'm in the enviable position of having both units mounted in the same vehicle right now, so it is quite easy for me to compare video quality in identical conditions. I'm a bit disappointed that the images are not as sharp as the SG9665GC but the two cameras do use different lenses. Color rendition is quite good but license plates and road signs are not very sharp and it is next to impossible to read plates/signs off to the side. Now I do understand Street Guardian is working on updated firmware and a new lens which may (hopefully) provide better image quality. When the new lens is available, and if I can get my hands on it, I will redo some testing and update my comments.
Some of the other features the camera supports are event recording, G-Sensor, motion detection/parking mode, Super Capacitor, WDR (Wide Dynamic Range) and a built-in microphone. I don't have an appropriate hardwired kit available so I was not able to test motion detection/parking mode. Microphone works well as long as you don't have the main unit buried in the glove box and the SuperCap is going to be a real bonus up in Canada with our temperature extremes (+35 all the way down to -35).
So, I'm probably not fully understanding the concept of this device as a single channel unit, but it seems the design would lend itself very well to being a multi-channel unit with the ability to be 1, 2 or even 4 channel ... perhaps a future release. Also, I don't believe there is a a CPL filter available at this time, but it would certainly be a worthwhile addition to cut down on some the the glare when you hit the sun just right.
All in all I'm pretty happy with the performance of this unit, and I love the size of the remote camera. I can see the main unit being awkward to situate in some cars, mine is great as I have plenty of nooks and crannies to place/hide it in. I would love to see the improved lens and firmware update before making a final judgment on video quality but this definitely a camera I would buy for my vehicle.
My commentary wouldn't be complete without mentioning the level of support I have seen by Street Guardian and their Distributors and Resellers in the DashCam Forums. It's been a while since I have seen such dedication in supporting their products and making their customers happy. I would specifically like to thank Calgary Dash Cameras (CDC Canada) for their support on my previous purchases and for giving me the opportunity to try out this unit and comment on my impressions.
Apparently something I said in my SG9665GC first impressions dialog resonated with Calgary Dash Cameras (CDC Canada) as they asked me if I would be interested in looking at their newly arrived SGZC12RC. OK, I have a second vehicle with nothing installed behind my rear view mirror, so I said 'why not' ...
So this camera is a bit different, the 'RC' in the product number signifies that it is a remote camera and includes a different set of accessories. On opening the box we have a pretty tiny remote camera, a main control unit, two power adapters (one with a straight connector and one with an angled connector, use the one that works best for your install), two data cables (a long one and a short one) a micro USB data cable, a spare 3M pad if you need to reinstall the camera and a sticky rubber dash mat which I assume is a non slip mat if you wanted the main unit sitting on the dash. Surprisingly, there were none of the usual Street Guardian stickers, no memory card, no memory card reader and no documentation. I already had every thing I needed, so the missing items were not a big deal, but it might be to someone else ... just be aware that your box of goodies might not include them and it also needs to be noted that this unit does not include support for a GPS.
Installation was pretty straight forward, just determine where you are going to mount the camera and head unit, route the wires up in the headliner and down the A pillar to where you are mounting the head unit. I put this one in the glove box for now and routed the power adapter under the dash ... if this was going to be a permanent install I would use a hard wire kit and route the wires a little differently, but for now it is nicely tucked out of sight. Once the unit is powered on the setup is pretty easy with the GUI being pretty intuitive ... simple to set date/time/time zone, language, video size and length of recording segments, turn beep on and off, format the microSD card, LCD standby, G-Sensor and reset to factory defaults if you really mess it up. And speaking of formatting the microSD card, this unit support cards up to 128GB ... very nice.
Video specs are comparable to the SG9665GC, it uses the same Sony Exmor IMX322 CMOS Sensor, is capable of recording full HD (1080P) at 30fps @ 15Mbit/sec and has a 135 degree viewing angle. I'm in the enviable position of having both units mounted in the same vehicle right now, so it is quite easy for me to compare video quality in identical conditions. I'm a bit disappointed that the images are not as sharp as the SG9665GC but the two cameras do use different lenses. Color rendition is quite good but license plates and road signs are not very sharp and it is next to impossible to read plates/signs off to the side. Now I do understand Street Guardian is working on updated firmware and a new lens which may (hopefully) provide better image quality. When the new lens is available, and if I can get my hands on it, I will redo some testing and update my comments.
Some of the other features the camera supports are event recording, G-Sensor, motion detection/parking mode, Super Capacitor, WDR (Wide Dynamic Range) and a built-in microphone. I don't have an appropriate hardwired kit available so I was not able to test motion detection/parking mode. Microphone works well as long as you don't have the main unit buried in the glove box and the SuperCap is going to be a real bonus up in Canada with our temperature extremes (+35 all the way down to -35).
So, I'm probably not fully understanding the concept of this device as a single channel unit, but it seems the design would lend itself very well to being a multi-channel unit with the ability to be 1, 2 or even 4 channel ... perhaps a future release. Also, I don't believe there is a a CPL filter available at this time, but it would certainly be a worthwhile addition to cut down on some the the glare when you hit the sun just right.
All in all I'm pretty happy with the performance of this unit, and I love the size of the remote camera. I can see the main unit being awkward to situate in some cars, mine is great as I have plenty of nooks and crannies to place/hide it in. I would love to see the improved lens and firmware update before making a final judgment on video quality but this definitely a camera I would buy for my vehicle.
My commentary wouldn't be complete without mentioning the level of support I have seen by Street Guardian and their Distributors and Resellers in the DashCam Forums. It's been a while since I have seen such dedication in supporting their products and making their customers happy. I would specifically like to thank Calgary Dash Cameras (CDC Canada) for their support on my previous purchases and for giving me the opportunity to try out this unit and comment on my impressions.
