VIOFO A129 non-IR 1080p Modified Firmware MODs Archive

Honest question......When I looked on Amazon to order a camera, I noticed there are tons of similar looking Cameras to the Viofo A1299. Bit different on button setup but pretty much identical appearance. Is the Street Guardian just a variance of the Viofo like the others?

even cameras that look identical can have different internals, lots of that happening in the market

I don't know about other models and any similarities they might have to the Viofo, our product is not the same, the same chipset and processor, lots of other cameras running the same chipset and processor in the market also, similarities pretty much end there though
 
even cameras that look identical can have different internals, lots of that happening in the market

I don't know about other models and any similarities they might have to the Viofo, our product is not the same, the same chipset and processor, lots of other cameras running the same chipset and processor in the market also, similarities pretty much end there though

How is your camera different? Why do you guys use 127 degree viewing angle instead of 140? Does 127 offer less a fish bowl? Also, what else is unique on the street guardian vs Viofo?
 
a wider lens will have more fishbowl effect, that's just physics

Yes I understand that one. I guess you are missing my point. Does the street guardian use a 127 Degree Lens to avoid Fish Bowl effect and have a more natural viewing angle?
 
Yes I understand that one. I guess you are missing my point. Does the street guardian use a 127 Degree Lens to avoid Fish Bowl effect and have a more natural viewing angle?
I believe the easiest way is if you look at YouTube videos (A129 and SG) and see which viewing angle suits you best.

P. S. In my opinion It is not that important about viewing angle you find on datasheet, but more about the quality of the lens used and their performance in difference environmental conditions. In many cases it's just comes to the personal perception.


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we choose our lenses based on how well they perform, I'm not a fan of very wide lenses, narrower lenses have less of that effect but it's not the sole reason we choose them
 
Good night, as you can see I'm Brazilian and I came here to thank you immensely for the feedback on this camera and it was thanks to your work that I bought it, I got it at banggood in real BRL it leaves for min for 790.00 but was a great value seen the cost / benefit of this equipment and I am also even more satisfied with the work of your mod which was something very surprising know, look I understand little of cameras in some aspects and I want you to know that you did a great job and I will recommend to my friends.
 
we choose our lenses based on how well they perform, I'm not a fan of very wide lenses, narrower lenses have less of that effect but it's not the sole reason we choose them

Viofo A129
StreetGuardian

Looks like both use the same processor, sensors, etc? Viewing angle and Less Fish Bowl (due to 127 Degree Viewing Angle / Lens) appear to be biggest difference. Which can be a huge factor, considering Fish Bowl capture is a give and take. You get a wider view angle on 140 degree, but a less true image compared to the 127 Degree. I.E. 127 Degree Lens will capture a more natural image.
 
Viofo A129
StreetGuardian

Looks like both use the same processor, sensors, etc? Viewing angle and Less Fish Bowl (due to 127 Degree Viewing Angle / Lens) appear to be biggest difference. Which can be a huge factor, considering Fish Bowl capture is a give and take. You get a wider view angle on 140 degree, but a less true image compared to the 127 Degree. I.E. 127 Degree Lens will capture a more natural image.
Same processor and sensor does not mean the same result, in fact the result can be very different.

You need to decide if you are making movies or capturing evidence.

For evidence you want a fairly wide lens and fisheye distortion doesn't matter, anything that happens off the edge of the image is not recorded and that might be the evidence you need. The only reason not to record the entire field of view of your windscreen (around 200 degrees) is to obtain enough pixels per degree to be able to read number plates at whatever distance you choose. The field of view of most dashcams is limited by the use of 1080 resolution sensors which are used to obtain better performance in the dark and the desire to be able to read number plates of nearby cars.

If you are making movies then the requirements are completely different, you will probably want a relatively narrow lens to avoid windscreen reflections, a 4K or maybe 8K sensor so that you can process out all lens distortion and allow some zoom/pan during editing and wait for good lighting conditions...
 
I am running stock 1.50 firmware, have 0 sec boot delay, and never had an issue. Must be a bug in the modded firmware.
I guess so, mine worked fine for a week on stock 1.5 fw.
Changes in temperature causing a longer startup time for your engine and thus delay the 12v circuits in your car could be the difference, rather than the modified firmware. In any case, 5s delay is generally more reliable than 0s for most people.
 
Same processor and sensor does not mean the same result, in fact the result can be very different.

You need to decide if you are making movies or capturing evidence.

For evidence you want a fairly wide lens and fisheye distortion doesn't matter, anything that happens off the edge of the image is not recorded and that might be the evidence you need. The only reason not to record the entire field of view of your windscreen (around 200 degrees) is to obtain enough pixels per degree to be able to read number plates at whatever distance you choose. The field of view of most dashcams is limited by the use of 1080 resolution sensors which are used to obtain better performance in the dark and the desire to be able to read number plates of nearby cars.

If you are making movies then the requirements are completely different, you will probably want a relatively narrow lens to avoid windscreen reflections, a 4K or maybe 8K sensor so that you can process out all lens distortion and allow some zoom/pan during editing and wait for good lighting conditions...
So is it correct to assume that most narrower dashcam lenses pick up license plates better than if they had a wider lens?
 
A good quality wide lens can be better than a poor quality narrow one, it's not as simple as a certain type of lens is going to guarantee a certain result
 
So is it correct to assume that most narrower dashcam lenses pick up license plates better than if they had a wider lens?
Yes, in general, the narrower the lens, the easier it is to read license plates. The plate is captured by more pixels so you get better definition of the details. However longer focal length lenses are more subject to motion blur from car movement, and the narrower FOV is more likely to miss what is going on to the sides of the scene. There's also a lot more to consider such as contrast, aperture, depth of field etc. And as Jokiin says, the quality of the lens makes a big difference too.
 
So is it correct to assume that most narrower dashcam lenses pick up license plates better than if they had a wider lens?
Yes, but only if the license plate appears within the narrower field of view!

A few years ago I installed an 0903 with 1080 sensor and relatively narrow field of view good for reading number plates; on my second journey with it someone came out of a car park just as I was passing and failed to stop at the stop line, I slammed the brakes on and skidded to a stop just avoiding them colliding with my front wing. On the 0903 they never appeared in the video, there was no clue as to why I had hit the brakes, on my 0806 with relatively high resolution and wide field of view it was very clear, the video contained their plate and face and the rather startled face of their passenger!

1080 isn't really enough resolution, we only use it because it provides better night vision, but that is not always the right compromise.
 
So is it correct to assume that most narrower dashcam lenses pick up license plates better than if they had a wider lens?

Good quality Wider Lens = Fish Bowl Perspective but a Wider Field of View....
Narrower Lens = More true field of view (less fish bowl)

Both can pick up license plates just fine depending on lighting conditions, lens used, etc. The caveat of a narrower lens is you are reducing the field of view...So if you get broadsided, the lens may or may not catch what lead up to the incident.
 
Yes, but only if the license plate appears within the narrower field of view!

A few years ago I installed an 0903 with 1080 sensor and relatively narrow field of view good for reading number plates; on my second journey with it someone came out of a car park just as I was passing and failed to stop at the stop line, I slammed the brakes on and skidded to a stop just avoiding them colliding with my front wing. On the 0903 they never appeared in the video, there was no clue as to why I had hit the brakes, on my 0806 with relatively high resolution and wide field of view it was very clear, the video contained their plate and face and the rather startled face of their passenger!

1080 isn't really enough resolution, we only use it because it provides better night vision, but that is not always the right compromise.

What do you mean 0903 and 1080?

And what you said is very true. A wider field of vision is critical to catching the action. While narrower lens will provide more pixels, a clearer focus (if a quality lens), it suffers from a reduced field of view. So as you stated, you might catch the accident very clearly, but not what lead up to the wreck.
 
Good quality Wider Lens = Fish Bowl Perspective but a Wider Field of View....
Narrower Lens = More true field of view (less fish bowl)

Both can pick up license plates just fine depending on lighting conditions, lens used, etc. The caveat of a narrower lens is you are reducing the field of view...So if you get broadsided, the lens may or may not catch what lead up to the incident.
That's why some people choose to have 2 front facing cameras - one wide angle and one telephoto.
 
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