Simple requirements, but so many choices.

[hdkeith]

I am new to dash cams and have been watching and reading reviews to the point my eyes hurt. We have a pair of Volvo XC40s that have a huge section of the upper windshield dedicated to the car camera/electronics as seen in the picture. On top of that I have a 4-5 inch strip across the top of the windshield tinted.

That said I don't I want to hardwire as the cars sit days at a time and I don't want to screw around with battery drain. If I hardwire it will be to a fuse that goes off with the car or use the cigarette lighter.

I am less worried about coverage when parked than evidence in an accident.

Here is my straight forward list of requirements.

2 Channel
Good low light since 1/3 my driving is when it is dark out as I go to work at 5am.
Highly reliable (I don't want to miss the one time I need it)
Ideally it will audibly notify me when it has a problem recording.
Want better video quality over bells and whistles.


I feel like 2K is probably a good compromise as 4K is gimmicky, power hungry and likely not going to have good night details since sensor pixels are smaller. I am not adverse to FHD if the video quality and clarity is there.

I have bounced all over between:

Blackvue DR750X Plus
Viofo A129 Plus Duo
Thinkware Q800 Pro (not a fan of their high cost SD card requirements.)

Next tier I have been looking at is
SG9663DC/DR
Garmin 57

The challenge is the positioning I have available without interfering with my field of view.

 

[DT MI]

My camera vote would be for one of the Street Guardians, or possibly the SGGCX2Pro+ with optional rear camera. I've never had any SG camera fail to record.

As for mounting my preferred location is on the sensor housing (Position 1?). It keeps the camera more out of direct sunlight, it's off the glass which could be a legal issue in some jurisdictions, and to the casual observer from outside the vehicle doesn't look as much like an add-on device as it would mounted elsewhere. My experience is what little of the camera that shows below the RVM is minimal and doesn't impair my view at all.

Best place to put cam?

I know the best place to typically place these cams is in the center usually behind the mirror. Problem is my car has a lane keep system located behind the mirror, kind of like in this image http://cdn0.mos.techradar.futurecdn.net/art/car tech/2017 Ford Fusion/2017 Ford Fusion mirror-420-90.jpg...

dashcamtalk.com

 

[OzzieMike]

As a new owner (2 months now) of a Blackvue DR750X-2CH Plus dash cam system, I would recommend this. It's very slim and doesn't take up a bunch of room on your windshield. (It does this by not including a display screen like so many others do, which to me is pointless as we'd all be viewing the files on our phones or computers).

This model includes a built-in voltage monitor so that, when you hardwire it, it doesn't drain your car's battery below a certain threshold. (And in the app's settings, you can have it automatically turn off when parked after a specified period of time, rather than use the voltage monitor).

The low light videos from this camera seemed to be much better than any others I checked out before buying it. Yes, Blackvue offers a free cloud service, but I don't use it...it's not mandatory. The only advantage I can really see with the cloud service is if you travel a lot and park your car at an airport, but want to be notified immediately if an impact is detected when you're miles away from your car. I'm retired, don't travel that much anymore, and the car is kept in a garage at our house when I'm not running errands our out golfing.

It's probably more expensive than the SG camera recommended by DT MI, but support is excellent...especially if you purchase from www.thedashcamstore.com. Their pre-purchase and post-purchase support is top notch.

 

[hdkeith]

My camera vote would be for one of the Street Guardians, or possibly the SGGCX2Pro+ with optional rear camera. I've never had any SG camera fail to record.

As for mounting my preferred location is on the sensor housing (Position 1?). It keeps the camera more out of direct sunlight, it's off the glass which could be a legal issue in some jurisdictions, and to the casual observer from outside the vehicle doesn't look as much like an add-on device as it would mounted elsewhere. My experience is what little of the camera that shows below the RVM is minimal and doesn't impair my view at all.

Best place to put cam?

I know the best place to typically place these cams is in the center usually behind the mirror. Problem is my car has a lane keep system located behind the mirror, kind of like in this image http://cdn0.mos.techradar.futurecdn.net/art/car tech/2017 Ford Fusion/2017 Ford Fusion mirror-420-90.jpg...

dashcamtalk.com

Street Guardian has been an appealing option because I do see many postings about their reliability and durability.

As a new owner (2 months now) of a Blackvue DR750X-2CH Plus dash cam system, I would recommend this. It's very slim and doesn't take up a bunch of room on your windshield. (It does this by not including a display screen like so many others do, which to me is pointless as we'd all be viewing the files on our phones or computers).

This model includes a built-in voltage monitor so that, when you hardwire it, it doesn't drain your car's battery below a certain threshold. (And in the app's settings, you can have it automatically turn off when parked after a specified period of time, rather than use the voltage monitor).

The low light videos from this camera seemed to be much better than any others I checked out before buying it. Yes, Blackvue offers a free cloud service, but I don't use it...it's not mandatory. The only advantage I can really see with the cloud service is if you travel a lot and park your car at an airport, but want to be notified immediately if an impact is detected when you're miles away from your car. I'm retired, don't travel that much anymore, and the car is kept in a garage at our house when I'm not running errands our out golfing.

It's probably more expensive than the SG camera recommended by DT MI, but support is excellent...especially if you purchase from www.thedashcamstore.com. Their pre-purchase and post-purchase support is top notch.

I did not realize the DR750 had a time delay power off in park mode. That is appealing as I can then have it connect to my home wifi every day long enough to unload relevant data and then power off after 30 minutes or an hour.