Viofo, let’s go! A229 Pro 3-Channel Dash Camera review (+ RTC300 telephoto review & Vantrue Nexus 4 Pro shoot-out!)

[Agie]

Fairly high chromatic aberration seems to be normal with this telephoto lens in some lighting conditions, and doesn't really affect the license plate reading. Not ideal for photography, but that is not what it is for.

Can't have everything perfect i suppose, but as you say its not what it's for. Camera does its job and does it well, that's all we're worried about

 

[Dashmellow]

Fairly high chromatic aberration seems to be normal with this telephoto lens in some lighting conditions, and doesn't really affect the license plate reading. Not ideal for photography, but that is not what it is for.

I'm not seeing any significant chromatic aberration (color fringing) in footage we've seen from this telephoto lens. We do see some significant glare and perhaps a bit of lens flare in the first few moments of the first video presented in THIS post caused by the bright sun at a low angle hitting the lens from an oblique direction but that is not chromatic aberration. Perhaps the lens could benefit from a short lens hood which is the cure for such problems. All in all the lens provided by Viofo is quite well corrected.

Perhaps you can show us exactly what it is you are complaining about Nigel that you feel is worthy of such a niggling complaint?

 

[mentadent]

If they had Cloud + AI then it would be great

 

[Nigel]

We do see some significant glare and perhaps a bit of lens flare in the first few moments of the first video presented in THIS post caused by the bright sun at a low angle hitting the lens from an oblique direction

Yes, it would have been good if they had built a lens hood into the CPL-500 to lessen that issue, you can have a decent lens hood on a telephoto lens without it causing vignetting. Much easier to make a DIY lens hood for the telephoto than for the normal dashcams if someone wants to give it a go...

but that is not chromatic aberration

Correct, but there is clear chromatic aberration later in that video and in Panzer Platform's videos, @mentadent was correct with his comment. It doesn't stop the camera reading license plates though, it is not a problem.

 

[Dashmellow]

Correct, but there is clear chromatic aberration later in that video and in Panzer Platform's videos.

Please provide a link, I would like to have a look at what you are characterizing as, "Fairly high chromatic aberration". I've been scrutinizing various sample videos that have been presented but I haven't seen any optical flaws worthy of concern. Maybe I've missed the ones you are talking about?

Also, @mentadent seems to be reacting to the video @Agie has posted, which as I've pointed out is glare and perhaps some lens flare, but is not chromatic aberration (color fringing) .

 

[Agie]

If they had Cloud + AI then it would be great

AI is such a silly buzz word to me, sure it has some important usage sometimes. Cloud yeah maybe as an option but doesn't seem essential to me (yet)

 

[Dashmellow]

AI is such a silly buzz word to me, sure it has some important usage sometimes.

The term "artificial intelligence" was coined in 1956 by computer scientist John McCarthy at a famous conference that launched the field of study in the subject at Dartmouth College, in Hanover, New Hampshire, not too far from where I live. So, I guess it took 68 years for it to become a silly buzzword. Despite all the remarkable things that are happening in the field the term AI has definitely become over hyped and over used even for things that have little to do with AI, but that seems to be the way of things.

Then again, I recently learned that here where I live they've begun using AI enabled robots to sort through and separate the tons of recyclable items that come into the primary waste management facility every day and this is making it cheaper and easier to deal with all that material and keep it out of the landfill. People here are pretty into recycling and public mass composting but all that stuff has to get processed somehow and that doesn't feel silly at all.

 

[Agie]

The term "artificial intelligence" was coined in 1956 by computer scientist John McCarthy at a famous conference that launched the field of study in the subject at Dartmouth College, in Hanover, New Hampshire, not too far from where I live. So, I guess it took 68 years for it to become a silly buzzword. Despite all the remarkable things that are happening in the field the term AI has definitely become over hyped and over used even for things that have little to do with AI, but that seems to be the way of things.

Then again, I recently learned that here where I live they've begun using AI enabled robots to sort through and separate the tons of recyclable items that come into the primary waste management facility every day and this is making it cheaper and easier to deal with all that material and keep it out of the landfill. People here are pretty into recycling and public mass composting but all that stuff has to get processed somehow and that doesn't feel silly at all.

That's a pretty good usage of it, and as you say its overhyped and overused. What a world we live in lol

 

[Dashmellow]

Holy chromatic aberration batman

Fairly high chromatic aberration seems to be normal with this telephoto lens in some lighting conditions

Perhaps you can show us exactly what it is you are complaining about Nigel that you feel is worthy of such a niggling complaint?

Correct, but there is clear chromatic aberration later in that video and in Panzer Platform's videos

Please provide a link, I would like to have a look at what you are characterizing as, "Fairly high chromatic aberration". I've been scrutinizing various sample videos that have been presented but I haven't seen any optical flaws worthy of concern. Maybe I've missed the ones you are talking about?

Since nobody seems willing or able to reply with actual examples of "chromatic aberration" from the RTC300 telephoto lens, at this point I have to assume that you guys can't provide any.

Most lenses, especially dash cam lenses will have some level of chromatic aberration but most of the time it is so negligible that it is not worth bothering about when it comes to dash cam footage. Chromatic Aberration is also sometimes referred to as Color Fringing. It is often purple but it can be any color such as green, red, blue, etc. Very high end lenses from manufacturers like Hassllbadd, Schneider, Leitz, etc., will effectively manifest no noticeable chromatic aberration whereas lower end fixed focus/fixed aperture M12 lenses we see in dash cams are more likely to have some, but these days most M12 lenses we see in quality dash cams are of excellent quality and design and optical flaws are minimized. Cheaper dash cameras that come with lenses that might use some plastic lens elements would be more likely to have a problem with chromatic aberration.

There are two types of chromatic aberration, axial and lateral. Axial chromatic aberration is a variation in the length of each wavelength of light (color) when they hit the film plane (the sensor) and lateral chromatic aberration is a variation in the magnification of the different colors of light, becoming more visible at the image periphery. Axial chromatic aberration results in blurred colors in front of and behind the focus position (sensor plate) due to the differences in each color’s focal point. It can be noticeable at the peripheries of extremely bright portions of an image. Lateral Chromatic Aberration is the cause of color fringing. It is only seen at the edges of an image. Lateral chromatic aberration is reduced to some degree by combining different separate lens elements with different refractive indexes in the design of the lens, but optically speaking, it can never be completely eliminated.

Here are some examples of what chromatic aberration actually looks like for anyone who wants to look for it in their dash cam videos.

 

[mentadent]

the

 

[Nigel]

Since nobody seems willing or able to reply with actual examples of "chromatic aberration" from the RTC300 telephoto lens, at this point I have to assume that you guys can't provide any.

As I perviously answered, there is some in the opening scene of the video @mentadent was referring to, and it can also be seen in Panzer's footage, not a big problem, but it is clearly there, even if you can't see it:

Holy chromatic aberration batman

 

[Dashmellow]

As I perviously answered, there is some in the opening scene of the video @mentadent was referring to, and it can also be seen in Panzer's footage, not a big problem, but it is clearly there, even if you can't see it:


View attachment 73262

You obviously really had to dig to find what you are alleging to be chromatic aberration. You didn't present any links like I asked for but apparently, you are referring to the first video in @Agie's posts of RTC300 samples. How about a time mark or stamp for the video so we can examine your magnification in context and can see where this extreme crop magnification is taken from in the video. Also, I note that although you allege aberrations in "Panzer Platform's videos", you avoid posting any links or documentation there as well.

I'd need to see something more definitive before I am convinced that there is significant chromatic aberration to be concerned about. I'm not saying it can't or didn't occur but the proof you've offered is unconvincing and questionable under the circumstances.

 

[Nigel]

How about a time mark or stamp for the video

00:00:00.0

Also, I note that although you allege aberrations in "Panzer Platform's videos", you avoid posting any links or documentation there as well.

That is where my screen grab is from.

significant chromatic aberration to be concerned about.

I have said in every post that it does not significantly affect plate readability, so there is no need to be concerned, but it does have more chromatic aberration than Viofo's other recent lenses, which tend to be very good. The VS1 lens is exceptionally good.

 

[Dashmellow]

00:00:00.0

00:00:00.0? This seems like some kind of joke?

Also, I note that although you allege aberrations in "Panzer Platform's videos", you avoid posting any links or documentation there as well.

That is where my screen grab is from.

Really? So where's the damn link I've asked for twice now????

I have said in every post that it does not significantly affect plate readability, so there is no need to be concerned

Yet you felt the need to quote mentadent's comment: "Holy Chromatic Aberration Batman".

This isn't documentation, it's obfuscation, word salad and game playing!

 

[mentadent]

It's on everything, that light pole has one yellow side and one purple side. The wheels have purple. Could be fixed with AI

 

[Dashmellow]

It's on everything, that light pole has one yellow side and one purple side. The wheels have purple. Could be fixed with AI

You don't need AI. I haven't seen the RTC300 camera in person to examine close-up but quite a few dash cam manufacturers, especially Viofo have been installing apochromatic lenses in their cameras and these tend to minimize chromatic aberration to a large extent. It would be interesting to know if the RTC300 has one. I believe it might.

As I mentioned previously in this thread, most dash cam lenses will manifest some chromatic aberration but in most cases, it is so negligible that it is not even worth discussing. I believe that to be the case here. Over all, this lens performs quite well.
If you need to magnify the image to an extreme degree to see chromatic aberration, it isn't really a problem. If color fringing is blatantly obvious in normal viewing, then that's a different story but viewing @Agie's samples that is just not the case. I do see some of what you are claiming but you really need to zoom in and look for it and even then it is rather subtle.

Most lenses, especially dash cam lenses will have some level of chromatic aberration but most of the time it is so negligible that it is not worth bothering about when it comes to dash cam footage.

And once again, like Nigel, you too provide no documentation or examples for everyone to examine. You merely want us to take your word for it.

 

[Nigel]

You don't need AI. I haven't seen the RTC300 camera in person to examine close-up but quite a few dash cam manufacturers, especially Viofo have been installing apochromatic lenses in their cameras and these tend to minimize chromatic aberration to a large extent. It would be interesting to know if the RTC300 has one. I believe it might.

I don't think any dashcam manufacturers are using apochromatic lenses, far too expensive.

Most of the advances in dashcam lenses over the last decade have been from the use of computer lens design software, coupled with the development of new types of glass for use with new lens moulding technology, enabling high quality aspheric lenses to be designed and manufactured at reasonable cost.

 

[Agie]

Full review of the Viofo RTC300 now posted by Wideorejestratory24.pl on YouTube here:

 

[Nigel]

Full review of the Viofo RTC300 now posted by Wideorejestratory24.pl on YouTube here:

"Spectacular", "Wow", "More effective at night than many cameras recording during the day.", "A revolution, not an evolution".

Interesting to see him turn HDR off at night, and still be able to read the license plates, nice video

 

[Dashmellow]

I don't think any dashcam manufacturers are using apochromatic lenses, far too expensive.

Most of the advances in dashcam lenses over the last decade have been from the use of computer lens design software, coupled with the development of new types of glass for use with new lens moulding technology, enabling high quality aspheric lenses to be designed and manufactured at reasonable cost.

Sorry it was a very hot and humid yesterday and my brain was fried, I meant to say aspheric lenses, not apochromatic. Aspherics these days are pretty well corrected even for color plus advanced modern multi-coatings help to prevent scattering of some red, green and blue light. All M12 lenses have some degree of chromatic aberration, even asperics but with the advent of high quality small digital cameras the quality of the lenses we see in our dash cams has improved dramtically since I purchased my dash cam in 2010. This phenomenon has been concurrent with advances in sensor design and resolution.

Either way, I'm just not seeing any chromatic aberration from the RCT300 lens at levels to make a fuss over. The whole kerfuffle seems kind of alarmist and unneccessary to me. All in all I'm impressed with the RTC300 lens and feel that @viofo has done a fine job with this product. A small lens hood would be a nice additional accessory for this lens.