Want Dash cam with specific features - here they are:

[jmhare53]

First off, thanks for any knowledgeable assistance and input. Just joined the forum.
I've been using an Akaso camera for a few years, but I want to upgrade to a dash cam with these specific features - I got a Rove 2-4K a few days ago but I'm not sold on it yet...

1) 4K 30fps or better
2) GPS info automatically recorded
3) WIFI that does not need to be turned ON through the menu system every time power cycles - my Rove 2-4K is a pain in this regard, I might have to send it back.
4) iOS app for file transfer, etc.

The cam should have decent video and stabilization features, and it would be nice to set the recording angle from narrow to wide(r). I've found that much wide angle cams get real fish-eye'd and distorted.

I'd like to keep the price below $200 if possible.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

Jim

 

[kamkar]

Welcome to the forum.

4K/30 is as it get these days, the Sony IMX 415 sensor are used a lot, and as a consequence 4K cameras dont perform as good in low light as 1440p or 1080p sensors due to the smaller pixels on 4K sensors, and so 4K are less light sensitive.
It is not garbage, i will get my own first 4K camera in a few months, also using the IMX 415 sensor, i am however very down to earth on my demands for night footage, i want to have traffic lights recorded, and my own driving in relation to roadside and lane markings, and just about any dashcam will do that just fine.
Be aware of the many fake 4K cameras out there, extrapolating 4K footage from a 1440 p or even smaller sensor, so really not better image quality even if the output footage are 4K indeed, it is just a lesser resolution up-scaled in the camera.
GPS is about standard, and get recorded, speed and time /date are watermarked on footage,,,, or not most often up to you,,,,,, you still have to account for Daylight savings handover.
you can view the footage using a dedicated dashcam player that allow you to have footage and GPS info going in a map, some brands have their own player, or there are a few 3 party players.
Personally i have no interest in GPS aside for the time date + speed stamped in the footage, so i just use a regular media player to view the video.
I think a few cams have wifi as default on, it do add to heat generation and power usage not least if you are in parking mode, they still aint particular snappy even if you are connected on 5GHZ, latest WIFI standards are not supported.
IOS are also supported, but the poor bastards on that do seem to have more problems than the poor bastards on the android OS, personally i dont care as i only use my phone for calls and TXT messages in general, i would never DL footage from a dashcam, but doing dashcam settings changes on a larger phone screen my tired old eyes like.

No dashcam have stabilization like you would see in a action or phone camera, if the mount are bad you can get jello in the footage like seen on quadcopter footage or on older action cameras that did not have EIS.
EIS also only work in the daytime, at night EIS even in a gopro 10 camera are far from as good as it would be in the daytime, it need to see clearly defined things in order to smooth out things, and that you dont see much off in low light footage.

Most action happen on the front camera, well at least for me in the past 10 years, as a American, and probably living in a 1 plate state, you should get a 2 channel system as the rear camera is your only chance of capturing a plate on the back of a car after it have passed by you.
Also be aware smaller US plates, often with additional stuff on making them even harder to read,,,,, leagues harder than capturing simple large EU license plates.
BUT ! it can be done just fine at speed, but as always there are things that can swiftly ruin that, so do not bet your life on a plate capture by any priced dashcam.

There are much better and bigger sensors out there, 4k too, but then you will have to cough up at least a two grand for a dashcam system, so no one make systems like that as they would not sell very much.

 

[jmhare53]

Much thanks for the feedback - I should have noted that I do little ( < 20% ) night driving, and I'm not concerned about parking features or dual channel - I'm not a Uber driver or anything. I figure what I may have to do is watch each of the 1,287 Youtube videos proclaiming "The best dashcams of 2022" and see which three or four appear most often... I'm seeing good things about the Nextbase 622 but it's towards the high end of my budget. Also, the Viofo A129 and the Nexar Pro seem to be favorites among several reviewers. I'll keep looking...

 

[estore009]

I'd like to keep the price below $200 if possible.

Have a look at our BlueSkySea B4K dash cam. $100 bucks on amazon, add $25 more for an optional Sony sensor rear camera; It is a real 8MP IMX415 sensor 4k resolution dashcam, with many features, such as GPS, WiFi, Motion Detection, Event Parking mode, and card-error audio alerts, etc.

 

[kamkar]

The current 4K cameras while not super in low light, if you are not focusing on little detail capture ( which no dashcam will do anyway ) then the 4K cameras are still doing what they must in my perspective, and they will log everything you do for sure.
I have not tested the Blueskysea B4K estore make and support, but other of their models worked fine for me in testing those, but it is one of the cheaper ways to get into a 4K dashcam, the people that did get to test it, i cant recall anyone reporting major problems with it.

Browse the sub forums for the models you are keen on, if they have that on this site.

I think i saw that some modders are looking at modding the B4K formware for even better performance, but how that have panned out i cant say as i can not keep up with everything, i am just a dedicated dashcam user, not a super dashcam geek.