Vantrue E1 Pro testing and comparisons with VIOFO A229 Pro

[Hack_man]

Full Disclosure: Vantrue supplied me with an E1 Pro 4K camera for testing. Thank you Vantrue.

My first impression was WOW this thing is TINY!
My wife named it Cubebert because she said it's a cute little cube.

I'm comparing the size below with my Viofo A229 PRO:

I think a lot of people are going to like the small footprint of this 4K camera.

My first thought was "how can a 4K camera this tiny stay cool" so I measured the temperature using my IR gun. Not as good a test as using thermal imaging equipment but its all I have.

I removed the GPS module from both the A229 Pro and E1 Pro and powered each unit for 60 minutes while recording with both cameras at 4K resolution 30 FPS WIFI OFF at an ambient temperature of 69 F (20.5 C).

The hottest temperature (116 F, 46.6 C) I found was on the bottom between the buttons where you see the red dot.

in comparison, the highest temperature I found on the A229 Pro measured around 111 F (44C) on the rear where the GPS Module would be mounted.

Considering the size difference, I'm surprised there was only a 5 degree F , 2.4 C delta. I think Vantrue is doing a pretty good job dissipating heat with this one channel camera (it does not support a rear camera).

Other noteworthy points:

The E1 Pro advertises a 158 degree viewing angle compared with the A229 Pro FOV = 140 degrees. I'll perform some viewing angle tests eventually.

The E1 Pro uses a Sony STARVIS 2 IMX678 Image sensor which is the same as the A229 Pro front camera so the spec. difference must have to do with the lens.
Maybe somebody (@Nigel ?) can jump in here with some thoughts.

My initial impression of the video quality is that it's excellent. I'll be posting some Video footage soon.

 

[sorka]

Here are some thermal images of the E1 Pro vs the A229 Pro. My full review is coming in the next day or two.

First are the E1 Pro running at steady state with ambient temperature around 60F in my garage. Click to enlarge.


Max is about 132F.

Compared to the A229 Pro:

So not quite as hot, but within 12 degrees of each other at the hottest point.

In parking mode for the E1Pro:

So about 7F cooler than fully on.

Compared to the A229 Pro:


There is no difference in A229 Pro's normal running mode and parking mode interestingly.

Given how small the E1 Pro is, it's remarkable it is able to keep as cool as it does. I think parking mode running temp is far more important because nobody is going to be driving around in a car that is 110 to 150F inside like many cars will experience parked with the windows closed in the sun.

Also, it's hard to say if one camera's hot temperature is worse for it than another camera's cooler temperature depending on how it was designed.

 

[Nigel]

The E1 Pro advertises a 158 degree viewing angle compared with the A229 Pro FOV = 140 degrees. I'll perform some viewing angle tests eventually.

The E1 Pro uses a Sony STARVIS 2 IMX678 Image sensor which is the same as the A229 Pro front camera so the spec. difference must have to do with the lens.
Maybe somebody (@Nigel ?) can jump in here with some thoughts.

In general, you should not believe the viewing angles given in the specifications! They are probably correct for the lens, but don't tell you much about the recorded image. So put both cameras in the same position, record some video, and look at the recorded image to see which is the wider field of view and by how much. They are probably very similar, or maybe one is 2% wider than the other, which is enough detail for most people!

If you can, measure the horizontal field of view of the recorded image, then we can compare it with all Panzer Platform's figures, but it is not too easy to do if you don't have a test rig. Most phones have a compass app that will let you measure the angle of items at the edges of the live view image, with probably enough accuracy for most people, if you are in a large open space.

It is unlikely that they use the same lens, but the E1 may have a cheaper version of the same design, so it is possible they have the same field of view but one is better at other things, such as dealing with lens flare/reflections when driving straight into the sun, and consistency of focus across the image. Also look for purple fringing of bright edges towards the corners of the image.

Considering the size difference, I'm surprised there was only a 5 degree delta. I think Vantrue is doing a pretty good job dissipating heat with this one channel camera (it does not support a rear camera).

On a hot day, a 1 degree difference is enough to put a memory card into high temperature derate mode, where it stops working fast enough for live recording. A 5°C difference could mean that it fails on 5% of summer days instead of 0.5%. You are working in °F, so the difference is less, but still significant.

I suspect that when mounted in the car, the E1 will cool better than the Viofo, because of the mount design, they may be about equal in real use.

Can I encourage you Usanians to use °C for temperature measurements, the rest of the world can cope with you using miles per hour for speed, and inches for screens, converting those is not too difficult, but for accurately comparing temperatures of dashcams, it would be much more convenient for everyone to use °C... unless Trump has banned the use of scientific units?

I think parking mode running temp is far more important because nobody is going to be driving around in a car that is 110 to 150F inside like many cars will experience parked with the windows closed in the sun.

Only the Australians drive with those temperatures inside the car, but some of them actually do!

 

[Hack_man]

Here are some thermal images of the E1 Pro vs the A229 Pro. My full review is coming in the next day or two.

First are the E1 Pro running at steady state with ambient temperature around 60F in my garage. Click to enlarge.
View attachment 77894View attachment 77895View attachment 77896

Max is about 132F.

Maybe I'm not interpreting properly but the center image shows Max = 137.7 F

 

[Hack_man]

In general, you should not believe the viewing angles given in the specifications! They are probably correct for the lens, but don't tell you much about the recorded image. So put both cameras in the same position, record some video, and look at the recorded image to see which is the wider field of view and by how much. They are probably very similar, or maybe one is 2% wider than the other, which is enough detail for most people!

If you can, measure the horizontal field of view of the recorded image, then we can compare it with all Panzer Platform's figures, but it is not too easy to do if you don't have a test rig. Most phones have a compass app that will let you measure the angle of items at the edges of the live view image, with probably enough accuracy for most people, if you are in a large open space.

I'll try to do something at least a little similar to what Panzer did. It will be interesting since there is a rather significant 18 degree difference in the spec.

Can I encourage you Usanians to use °C for temperature measurements, the rest of the world can cope with you using miles per hour for speed, and inches for screens, converting those is not too difficult, but for accurately comparing temperatures of dashcams, it would be much more convenient for everyone to use °C... unless Trump has banned the use of scientific units?

Ha ha, of course not all scientific units are banned who would be that crazy 😉
but I do understand an executive order is forthcoming to ban the Metric system
They are now considered "fake units" 😱
Yes I will endeavor to include °C in the future

 

[sorka]

Maybe I'm not interpreting properly but the center image shows Max = 137.7 F

You're reading it correctly. That's the left side's hottest spot.

 

[Hack_man]

My original plan was to attempt to measure the actual FOV for both cameras but I found it extremely difficult to line up the cameras accurately. The slightest tilt made a huge difference in the view. The best setup is what Panzer had, a ruler in the background. The lighting was not great but my the takeaway is I don't see the wider view on the E1 Pro which I expected considering its FOV specification is 158° vs 140° for the A229 Pro. The FOV appears to be similar.

I do however notice the Vantrue color is more vibrant compared with the VIOFO which appears more washed out and dull.

 

[sorka]

My original plan was to attempt to measure the actual FOV for both cameras but I found it extremely difficult to line up the cameras accurately. The slightest tilt made a huge difference in the view. The best setup is what Panzer had, a ruler in the background. The lighting was not great but my the takeaway is I don't see the wider view on the E1 Pro which I expected considering its FOV specification is 158° vs 140° for the A229 Pro. The FOV appears to be similar.

I do however notice the Vantrue color is more vibrant compared with the VIOFO which appears more washed out and dull.

View attachment 77911 View attachment 77912

I don't think it's color. I think it's exposure. Either the Vantrue has lower exposure than the Viofo or the Vantrue is doing a better job with HDR.

 

[Hack_man]

I don't think it's color. I think it's exposure. Either the Vantrue has lower exposure than the Viofo or the Vantrue is doing a better job with HDR.

HDR was off in both cameras. The VIOFO has a polarizing filter but the Vantrue does not.

 

[sorka]

You're reading it correctly. That's the left side's hottest spot.

So yea, I realized I missed the middle image's max. So in parking mode, it's about 12 degrees cooler on the left side.

Also, the E1 Pro's power consumption with motion detection on and video buffering on as opposed to power saving is about 220 mA vs the A229 Pro's 280 (in single channel mode). Also, there's no reduction in power consumption in power saving mode. I wonder if that's a bug. For now, I've left it in pre buffering mode with motion.

If I switch to "collision" only, the power consumption drops to an amazing 100 mA. What I haven't figured out is if it can do motion AND g-shock recording like the A229 Pro can. There's no reason why the hardware wouldn't be capable, but when I select motion, it deselects "collision" but maybe it's still using the g-shock sensor anyways?

 

[sorka]

HDR was off in both cameras. The VIOFO has a polarizing filter but the Vantrue does not.

Interesting. Usually the CPL lowers the exposure on the sky when the CPL is rotated to reduce interior reflections off the glass making the sky bluer but in this case the Vantrue shows less exposed sky while the A229 is more washed out. Why did you leave the CPL off the E1 but not the A229 for the comparison?

 

[Hack_man]

Interesting. Usually the CPL lowers the exposure on the sky when the CPL is rotated to reduce interior reflections off the glass making the sky bluer but in this case the Vantrue shows less exposed sky while the A229 is more washed out. Why did you leave the CPL off the E1 but not the A229 for the comparison?

The E1 Pro did not come with a CPL Filter.
I really should have removed the VIOFO CPL filter for an equivalent comparison but I had so much trouble installing it, I didn't want to mess with it again.

 

[TonyM]

I do however notice the Vantrue color is more vibrant compared with the VIOFO which appears more washed out and dull.

HDR was off in both cameras. The VIOFO has a polarizing filter but the Vantrue does not.

Do you have PlatePix enabled on the E1 Pro? That has an effect on the exposure. Also the two cameras may have different metering patterns, or exposure bias towards preserving highlights or for boosting shadows.

 

[Hack_man]

Do you have PlatePix enabled on the E1 Pro? That has an effect on the exposure. Also the two cameras may have different metering patterns, or exposure bias towards preserving highlights or for boosting shadows.

The PlatePix timer was OFF. It does seem like an exposure difference.

 

[sorka]

The E1 Pro did not come with a CPL Filter.
I really should have removed the VIOFO CPL filter for an equivalent comparison but I had so much trouble installing it, I didn't want to mess with it again.

Interesting. The one they sent me had the CPL filter in the box.

 

[Hack_man]

4 second clips showing reading license plate in front. I think Vantrue has the edge.
When I play these videos in this post they dont look as good as on my computer in Quicktime.
Ahhh I see. You have to select the gear icon in the Utube video (in this post) and select 4K Quality

 

[Karagandinez]

The E1 Pro did not come with a CPL Filter.
I really should have removed the VIOFO CPL filter for an equivalent comparison but I had so much trouble installing it, I didn't want to mess with it again.

You may have received a test sample without a CPL filter, but it is listed as part of the package on the Vantrue website. I received the E1 Pro with a CPL filter.

 

[Karagandinez]

4 second clips showing reading license plate in front. I think Vantrue has the edge.
When I play these videos in this post they dont look as good as on my computer in Quicktime.
Ahhh I see. You have to select the gear icon in the Utube video (in this post) and select 4K Quality

I think you need to adjust the lens angle on both models the same.

Changing the exposure when changing the shooting angle.

 

[Karagandinez]

I removed the GPS module from both the A229 Pro and E1 Pro and powered each unit for 60 minutes while recording with both cameras at 4K resolution 30 FPS WIFI OFF at an ambient temperature of 69 F (20.5 C).

The hottest temperature (116 F, 46.6 C) I found was on the bottom between the buttons where you see the red dot.

Could you please provide the bitrate that both models worked with when measuring the temperature?
A229 Pro has a maximum bitrate of 59.8 Mb/s, while E1 Pro has a bitrate of 31.9 Mb/s.

 

[Hack_man]

During temperature testing, bit rates were:

A229 Pro 37.68 Mbit/sec
E1 Pro 31.95 Mbit/sec