VIOFO A119 V3

[MikeJ]

So happy I can finally confirm that on 2.6T fw with auto-hdr (on from 18:00 to 8:00), 21:9 2k, 30fps, -1/3 ev, calibrated cpl, highest bitrate, my a119v3 front cam produces readable plate numbers on freeze frames during both day (non-hdr) and night (hdr) times at 70kph (have yet to test higher speeds). Freeze frames are sharp. Especially at night, the footage looks very very similar as what @Karagandinez has posted here. Now I am playing with a119v3 rear cam which is exactly the same setup as my front cam, but there's rear factory tinted glass installed plus I have added some aftermarket darkening foil to it. I guess tuning EV value is my only option there.

 

[Kremmen]

Won't be till next week but I'm very tempted to give this a go.

 

[MikeJ]

So it turns out plates are readable even at 70kph, I've uploaded some screenshot from yesterday's test drive.

 

[Karagandinez]

Did you think that the screenshot is a montage?
https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/viofo-a119-v3.39023/page-74#post-565756

 

[MikeJ]

Absolutely not a montage. Seems like this dashcam is very capable, with the right settings I am going to test highway speeds soon, let's see how that goes.

 

[Kremmen]

The V3 is indeed a very good dashcam. Mine has never failed.

We each have different requirements and mine are primarily daytime freeze frame screenshots for another website.

When I get to my PC after Xmas I'll load 2.6T up and give it a whirl day and night with the HDR switching in and out.


Just thinking out loud, but, when you enter and leave a tunnel in daylight the EV does seem to react to the changing light levels. I wonder if HDR on and off could be linked to the same algorithm that the EV seems to use.

 

[SawMaster]

Just thinking out loud, but, when you enter and leave a tunnel in daylight the EV does seem to react to the changing light levels. I wonder if HDR on and off could be linked to the same algorithm that the EV seems to use.

I think this would be the best possible scheme for auto-HDR control. I hope it can be done

Phil

 

[Mtz]

I expect that EV change to be done by CMOS, but the HDR enabling should be done by dashcam. Not forget that the camera needs restart when enabling/disabling HDR.

 

[Nigel]

Just thinking out loud, but, when you enter and leave a tunnel in daylight the EV does seem to react to the changing light levels. I wonder if HDR on and off could be linked to the same algorithm that the EV seems to use.

That is the way it needs to be done, but unfortunately Novatek, who provide the processor and SDK, don’t consider dashcams to be their primary target for HDR, so it may be some time before they make this possible. However HDR is improving, maybe some day the image sensor will be able to do the entire job, making it easy to implement.

 

[Kremmen]

Not forget that the camera needs restart when enabling/disabling HDR.

Oh, so on my weekly journeys that start in darkness but end in almost daylight could have a HDR issue.

 

[mariomart]

Oh, so on my weekly journeys that start in darkness but end in almost daylight could have a HDR issue.

In my experience it doesn't actually power cycle the camera, it merely stops recording, applies the new setting and then restarts recording. It only takes a few seconds and the transition is almost unnoticeable.

 

[Mtz]

Yes, you are right. I wrote wrong about camera restart.

 

[CaptureYourAction]

Question for those testing this new beta firmware with Auto HDR. If your running the camera @60fps and have HDR set to turn on at night, does the camera switch back to @60fps when the HDR turns off during the day or does it default back to 30fps? I would assume it would revert back to it's previous setting, 60fps, but wanted to check.

 

[user4840]

This is the reason why VIOFO is not perfect at night. Shutter speed goes to 1/15 a second, that's too slow to capture moving objects.

It would be nice to have an option to set minimum shutter speed. I know the image can be darker but there is a big chance to capture clear licence plates at night. That's why people set EV below 0, camera set lower ISO and in "some" places when ISO is low enough shutter speed goes to 1/20 seconds and higher. It causes that licence plates looks better. Records in daylight from VIOFO have shutter speed near 1/50 - 1/100s. It's quite easy to check what shutter speed camera is using at the moment using a "photo mode", press MENU when the camera is recording, then read exif of this photo.

In my opinion the only way to improve night records is to lower shutter speed but I doubt that VIOFO will add such option to it's firmware. There should be an option to set minimal shutter speed, for example 1/15, 1/20, 1/25, 1/50, 1/100s.

 

[msurucu]

Hello there,
When I upload the firmware file of vvs49 (2.6T), a red horizontal line appears on the screen. Is this normal?
Thanks

 

[MARTIN.BG]

Hello there,
When I upload the firmware file of vvs49 (2.6T), a red horizontal line appears on the screen. Is this normal?
Thanks

Hello there,
When I upload the firmware file of vvs49 (2.6T), a red horizontal line appears on the screen. Is this normal?
Thanks

Yes, the line disappears in 30sec. Push the camera's eye so that it's in the middle of the screen. That's why she's there.

 

[msurucu]

Yes, the line disappears in 30sec. Push the camera's eye so that it's in the middle of the screen. That's why she's there.

Thanks a lot

 

[msurucu]

I am using the customized firmware setup mentioned here. Unfortunately, the files that I locked by pressing the lock button are deleted. Have you experienced a similar situation?
Thanks

 

[Kremmen]

Have you searched the whole card as 'saved' shots are often moved to different, often, read only folders.

 

[msurucu]

Have you searched the whole card as 'saved' shots are often moved to different, often, read only folders.

Yes, I looked through the contents of the entire card. Unfortunately those files have been deleted or overwritten. For example, I am sending the images where the file does not exist when I press the lock button.