VIOFO A119 Dashcam review (NT96660, Capacitor, GPS, Rotatable Lens, 2K or 60fps)

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VIOFO A119 Dashcam review (NT96660, Capacitor, GPS, Rotatable Lens, 2K or 60fps)

Thanks to @viofo for supplying this unit.

Official website: http://www.viofo.com/home/30-a119-1080p-60fps-dash-cam.html

Review:

Up for review is the newly released Viofo A119. Viofo has some history in the dashcam market as one of the manufacturers for the well-received A118C (yes, there are different manufacturers producing the same units but with different levels of QC). It appears that Viofo may have some affiliation with other notable units, such as the G1W, Mini 0805, and GitUp action cams.

The A119 dashcam is an all-new original design, built from the ground up. It retains the wedge shaped form factor from its A118C predecessor, but that’s about it. The A119 boasts upgraded hardware, such as the Novatek 96660 and OV4689 CMOS sensor allowing for video recording at 1440p 30fps or 1080p 60fps. It features a freely adjustable lens (along both X-Y axis), 2” LCD display, super capacitor, and a compact slide-mounting bracket (GPS optional). It has all your typical dashcam features, such as auto start/stop, loop recording and G-sensor.

Video quality from the A119 is decent. While the colors and brightness seem to be pretty good in both day and night, the video footage isn’t all that sharp. As you can see in the sample clips, there is some fuzziness/blurriness(?). Samples from other A119 users seem to produce better video, so perhaps my unit may be suffering from a heat-related focus issue (I park in the sun a lot). VBR from the clips is well above 20mbps so there should be a lot of detail. The built-in microphone picks up audio quite well.

Overall, the A119 is a recommended dashcam with a great set of features, sans WiFi and pre-buffered parking mode. It has a lot to offer at a very competitive price. Viofo is active on the dashcam forums and responds well to user feedback. They are constantly releasing firmware updates with improvements.

It’s worth noting that an A119S model (using a Sony sensor) has been in the works and should be released in the near future. Some other dashcams worth checking out at this price range: Xiaomi Yi, Mini 0826, and Mini 0807.

Note: I’m having issues playing video files correctly in Registrator Viewer. It doesn't seem to read GPS log data either.

Sample clips:


Photos:

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Specifications and feature list:
  • Chipset: Novatek 96660
  • Sensor: OV4689
  • Lens: 6G F1.8, 160° FOV
  • Display: 2“ inch
  • Video Resolution: 2560*1440 30fps; 1920*1080 60fps; 1920*1080 30fps
  • Video Format: .MP4
  • Microphone & Speaker: Built-in
  • Sensors: G-sensor, Motion Detection
  • GPS Logger: Supported (Optional)
  • CPL Filter: Supported (Optional)
  • Wi-Fi: No
  • Dash Cam Features: Loop Mode, Auto Start/Stop, Vehicle Identity Text
  • Video Out: AV Out
  • Languages English/French/Portugal/Italian/SimplifiedChinese/Traditional Chinese/Russian/Japanese/Deutsch/Espanol
  • Ports USB2.0, AV-Out
  • MicroSD Card Slot Storage: Up to 64GB MicroSD Card
  • Battery & Charging: NO battery, uses capacitor, 5V 1A
Box contents:

1 x A119 Dash Camera
1 x Non GPS Mount
1 x GPS Mount (Optional)
1 x Dual USB Car Adapter
1 x USB Cable
5 x Cable Management Clips
1 x Mount Detaching String
1 x English User Manual

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Sorry, but I think both clips shows some fuzziness.

Did you remove the protection tape on the lenses?
 
I see a Pokemon Go reflection in your night video.:)
 
My mate has just bought the VIOFO A119 Dashcam and in one of his video clips that he posted on YouTube the lens appears to be a Fish eye Lens. The road crossing in front of him to his left is as flat as a pancake but it looks like it going downhill, the vehicles approaching from his right appear to be coming up a rise also, which gives me the feeling that is indeed a fish eye lens.

A still shot is attached along with the full video.

 

Attachments

  • FIOFO A119.jpg
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Last edited:
Sorry, but I think both clips shows some fuzziness.

Did you remove the protection tape on the lenses?

Yes, the tape in front of the lens has been removed. I'll try to clean the windshield again, but I don't think that's the source of the problem.

I see a Pokemon Go reflection in your night video.:)

Gotta hatch those eggs y'know.

My mate has just bought the VIOFO A119 Dashcam and in one of his video clips that he posted on YouTube the lens appears to be a Fish eye Lens. The road crossing in front of him to his left is as flat as a pancake but it looks like it going downhill, the vehicles approaching from his right appear to be coming up a rise also, which gives me the feeling that is indeed a fish eye lens.

Generally, any wide angle lens will have some distortion, especially towards the side. 160° is pretty wide imo.
 
You are right on the money with viewing angle & distortion, especially when your mind is telling you that that particular section of road is dead flat.
The extra $70 - 80 AUD I spent to buy the SG9655GC V2 makes me even happier than I already was.
 
Another member who's currently reviewing the same cam stated that the format warning frequently comes up, even with that setting disabled. Do you have similar experience?
 
You are right on the money with viewing angle & distortion, especially when your mind is telling you that that particular section of road is dead flat.
The extra $70 - 80 AUD I spent to buy the SG9655GC V2 makes me even happier than I already was.

That is a great dashcam. I did a review on the SG9665GC V2 last year and continue to use that one daily.

Another member who's currently reviewing the same cam stated that the format warning frequently comes up, even with that setting disabled. Do you have similar experience?

Nope. Haven't had that happen to me. I'm using a Samsung SD card without any issues.
 
Updated with 1080p 60fps videos.
 
Updated with 1080p 60fps videos.

Strange, but in that newly posted daytime video the picture is crystal clear while you're waiting at the traffic light, then right before the light turns green, there is some kind of hick up in the video and everything turn a bit fuzzy. What happened there?
 
Couple of questions if I may....

How long does the 'capacitor' hold a charge for? I've tried some cheap chinese dashcams in the past, but power to the dashcam has always been the issue.

What is that thing mounted on the windshield that you have attached to the dashcam? A windshield-mounted battery? Cool! I can't find it! What is it?

Thanks
-Shane
Austin TX
 
Couple of questions if I may....

How long does the 'capacitor' hold a charge for? I've tried some cheap chinese dashcams in the past, but power to the dashcam has always been the issue.

What is that thing mounted on the windshield that you have attached to the dashcam? A windshield-mounted battery? Cool! I can't find it! What is it?

Thanks
-Shane
Austin TX
Capacitors will only hold power for a few seconds.
That's the GPS mount on the windshield.
 
Does the camera switch of when you turn car key to ON position, and wait for a few seconds then crank the engine?

I used some generic G1W-C that use capasitor, when I do above step to start my car, the moment I crank engine no electricity go to the lighter port and cause the cam turn off. This doesn't happen when I used a battery power dashcam.
 
Does the camera switch of when you turn car key to ON position, and wait for a few seconds then crank the engine?

I used some generic G1W-C that use capasitor, when I do above step to start my car, the moment I crank engine no electricity go to the lighter port and cause the cam turn off. This doesn't happen when I used a battery power dashcam.
This highly depends on your car and if it still sends power to the sockets in ON position. Some cars do some don't. Some cars only do if you have turned the engine on and then turned it off sitting in that position. Battery powered works because its able to keep it powered for a few minutes and capacitor is operating exactly how it is suppose to keeping it powered for a few seconds before turning off to avoid corrupting the file.
 
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