Shenzhen Dome Z7 1080p Dashcam Review

VIIVIIIXIII

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Canada
Dash Cam
ITB-100HD, SG9665GC, Mobius B & C2, T1, Z970WD
Thanks to Gearbest for supplying this unit.
Product link: Coupon code: DOMEZ7 GBZ7
Price after the coupon: $41.99USD $37.99USD with free shipping.


Review:

The Dome Z7 is built on the Novatek NT96650 platform and the Aptina AR0330 CMOS, which is a proven and well recommended combination. A number of other popular dashcams and action cams use these components, including: G1W, Mobius, DODtech LS300W, SJCAM SJ4000, etc.

What sets this dashcam apart from the others is the surprisingly good build quality and discrete form factor. The small square body measures approx. 2 inches long and wide (the shorter width of a credit card) and features all the standard dashcam functions, such as auto start up/shut down, seemless-loop cycle recording, motion detection, G-sensor and a really good microphone.

Daytime video quality is as we have come to expect from Novatek NT96650 dashcams, producing clear HD videos that are sharp enough for easy identification of road signs and license plates. Night time video quality is lacking as it is rather blurry, however, it is brighter than most dashcam units. I’m not sure if the “Wide Dynamic Range” and “Infrared Lights” features can improve or worsen the video quality (will update review with further observations).

This unit is lithium battery-based which raises concerns regarding long-term reliability -- a capacitor-based dashcam would have better resilience against extended heat and cold temperatures -- but so far so good.

The Dome Z7 is currently one of the best value 1080p dashcams available on the market and it is one also of the cheapest, priced at under $50USD. I would recommend it to those on a budget or just looking for a simple plug-and-play unit.


Sample Clips:

Link to raw video (.mov) file: https://mega.co.nz/#!50tS1KyL!zjy2wCc_wXD06hgNsm2cylPZ4cWyLPfI07kUEaI9Ef0

Link to raw video (.mov) file: https://mega.co.nz/#!Y99mWKzL!XkIZce10SFtT6TK38BZKGsBGad-7GteXL-qjJo9Y200

Link to raw video (.mov) file: https://mega.co.nz/#!0lsngTAK!a0AdrGZbUOV5HNefaWYTQ6TsnS8aOawciQgr-Ch0de0

Link to raw video (.mov) file: https://mega.co.nz/#!lkESFYIZ!e-nBWEbMt2nXo7bi8O1srpNceyTT_44BIQ4l93nwv-s

Stock photos:


iIOkOhXyFbWMXJ56XX6uZwVG7N3FJp1xKrAPHByPAqCc5aqwZkKFfn6ugOwqjCmyWBqKqRnNt1BVxzvYWkUi2kTVoecLws1w0O_yKUKuAyKP08HzPgU3ByQk1XnN0lPmew


wgUxPQrVDPVXu9Cx-ZvNZtKacGFlu_Eayhr6JruMM1jgiGDVcXVwR3lMoI1RGN73ULrZ5OzqXXq4Mq6XvUvTjG3asxfTN59rIDSrZduWEtEkYyvAYNYe-8xVreNL3YZw5Q


9hh8_wLDtCTajEAgF60NGQkpDmvu033e8RCXERu8wmDIUGpGOjLaMyfLQssEPR6rNb-9rZeSfxnA8v8WYU2ooNrSmRYaepyozmfZq-0r3gmrlxIL-AAC5lHrLEYNtIV4wg


CoC_I01GmptZfgZnIuUJxS-OFi1wZoT_4jFhf5KBkwiTw7Z8A4UgmlLgFsvcBItSij-Pdgu6BhpesXO7E2inaI683gDL51nIU6p_RXNBw5KKrS8MsQWKm6P-QuPd8LRRXw




Feature list:
  • 2.0 inch LCD screen, 1080P FULL HD video
  • Advanced H.264 photography compression technology
  • 4X digital zoom
  • 10.0MP image resolution
  • 140 A+ grade high-resolution wide angle lens
  • 30 frames per second for smooth video flow
  • Support HDMI full HD video transmission
  • Seamless loop-cycle recording function
  • Motion detection function
  • G-sensor function
  • Support TF memory card, up to 32GB (not included)
  • 230mAh lithium battery
  • Novatek NT96650 CPU
  • Aptina AR0330 3Mpixel CMOS

Bitrate Information:

  • 1080p/30fps - This camera records at 12Mbps during both day and night

Box contents:

  • 1 x Dome Z7 Car DVR
  • 1 x Car Charger
  • 1 x Mounting Bracket
  • 1 x Micro USB Cable (not mini USB, as commonly found with other dashcams)
  • 1 x User Manual

Mount details:

The suction cup mount provided has a similar design to those of the LS300W, GT680W and G1W, utilizing a T-bracket to lock the camera securely into the mount. Positioning of the dashcam is adjusted via a rotating ball joint mechanism. I prefer this T-bracket locking design over the tripod screw design mounts which tend to loosen over time. I would also like to point out that this suction cup mount is much more secure than the others I have tried, it takes a lot of force to get it off the windshield.

Currently, there are no variants of the mount (ie. 3M tape) compatible with the Dome Z7.
Note: this particular suction cup mount is physically smaller and will not be interchangeable with the mounts of any other dashcam (that I know of).

Ports and buttons:

5BTkQM4hHuXldkqT_Jm3DTtqDvlNaieoQi2Xs_XFEOHEGCJJVW6gTN2zJD-uifTrvHjTa6cvQLOw36SCFQqVRNt4A4ushILKqDS5qH7KRBGOBMDqhO5-OK49tAspP0kfIw



File locations:
  • Data is written to \CARDV\MOVIE like most NT96650 cameras.

Firmware:
  • This camera shipped with firmware 2014071901

*I will continue updating this review with new information and images
(Credits to reverend @ dashcamtalk for review template)
 
Last edited:
*I will continue updating this review with new information and images
(Credits to reverend @ dashcamtalk for review template)
Blimey - you definitely copied and pasted a bit more than just the headings from the original :)
 
Any raw / original files dowload link ?
 
Blimey - you definitely copied and pasted a bit more than just the headings from the original :)

That's true. I figured the stock photos and specifications would be more or less the same if I copied from else anyway. Let me know if you would like me to change it, I'm not making any royalties off this review :)

Any raw / original files dowload link ?

Not at the moment, I can upload some later tonight. Does anyone know which site will allow uploads over 300MB? I usually use box.com, but a 300MB (3 minute) video exceeds the limit.
 
That's true. I figured the stock photos and specifications would be more or less the same if I copied from else anyway. Let me know if you would like me to change it, I'm not making any royalties off this review :)



Not at the moment, I can upload some later tonight. Does anyone know which site will allow uploads over 300MB? I usually use box.com, but a 300MB (3 minute) video exceeds the limit.
U may use: mega.co.nz
 
Note: this particular suction cup mount is physically smaller and will not be interchangeable with the mounts of any other dashcam (that I know of).
What does the size of the ball joint look like? The Vico Marcus 3 has a smaller ball joint size then the G1W if I remember correctly. Might be able to hack a Z7 joint and clip to a Marcus 3 3M stick mount.
 
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NEW LOW PRICE
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Coupon code: GBZ7
Price: $37.99USD w/ free shipping
**150 units in stock, new batch I suppose?
 
Where did you find the GBZ7 code ?
It was given to me about 3 weeks ago in private by Gearbest for buying 2 pcs of Z7 :confused:
 
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