What we should really get from a Dashcam Manufacturer...

[jokiin]

I'm not looking for "cinematic" footage, just saying that one of my earlier Dashcams, a TRYWIN (can't remember the exact model number), didn't seem to have Fish-Eye effect at 140 degree field of view...

got any screenshots from your old camera so that people understand your expectations?

 

[BradE]

Everytime I try to upload a 1080P photo, it says "File is too large"...

I've attached a jpeg of it instead (but jpeg is lossy and some detail is lost).

 

[jokiin]

that's a full size shot though?

 

[BradE]

Yes, from 2016. The detail is bad, but at least there is no Fish-Eye (which was what I was pointing out to you as asked)

 

[jokiin]

viewing angle is around 100° which is why there's not too much fish eye effect

 

[BradE]

Oh well, the Manufacturer claimed the FOV was 140 degrees.

 

[jokiin]

marketing departments get a bit loose with the truth, makes comparisons based on numbers pretty useless really, best to view actual video and compare results yourself

 

[BradE]

A 256GB card can record 5.4 hours at 100Mbps. Not quite 6 hours.

I have other cameras, so I don't mind if this one only has a short retention period.

The F1 can indeed record similar quality at 1080p instead of 4K. See Falsificator's MOD FW page:
GitUp F1 Mod#1.6 - Sharpness TEST: 2160p, 1440p, 1080p
GitUp F1 Mod#1.6 - Sharpness TEST: 2160p, 1440p, 1080p

I'll record some 4K30 and 1080p30 driving samples sometime soon.

A few questions about the F1 (with modified firmware, NOT a lens change - not sure I would feel up to doing that on a new Dashcam!)...

1. Can it start recording as soon as it gets Power when you start your car (or plug it into the Cigarette Lighter Socket, like mine - which is always on in my car by manufacture) ?
2. Does it support a 256GB Card? The box on a YouTube review of it only says up to 128GB. (The VIOFO A129 apparently though, does support 256GB.)
3. Forgive me if it is a silly one... Can it record Video at 1080P @ 30 fps, but take a 4K Photo every few seconds that you specify (or does the Photo have to math the Video resolution) ?

 

[TonyM]

A few questions about the F1 (with modified firmware, NOT a lens change - not sure I would feel up to doing that on a new Dashcam!)...

1. Can it start recording as soon as it gets Power when you start your car (or plug it into the Cigarette Lighter Socket, like mine - which is always on in my car by manufacture) ?
2. Does it support a 256GB Card? The box on a YouTube review of it only says up to 128GB. (The VIOFO A129 apparently though, does support 256GB.)
3. Forgive me if it is a silly one... Can it record Video at 1080P @ 30 fps, but take a 4K Photo every few seconds that you specify (or does the Photo have to math the Video resolution) ?

1. Yes, it has a dashcam power option (starts recording upon receiving external power, stops recording a few seconds after losing external power)
2. The largest I have is 128GB. I think some F1 owners over at RCG have commented that they use 256GB cards.
3. Yes, I think that's possible. It's been a while since I tried that video+photo option.

There is a 90deg lens version of the F1 which has a smaller FOV, but much less distortion, that may suit you.

Note that it is currently battery-only, which may rule it out for you. The F1 itself runs remarkably cool despite the high resolution & bitrate, but an Australian summer might be too much for it. GitUp are apparently working on a capacitor-based version.

 

[kamkar]

Yeah that's a lesser FOV for sure, you cant even see the A pillars, all cameras i have on top of windscreen in front of mirror you can see the bottom 10 - 15 CM of the A pillars even with wedge cameras that have their lens like 15 mm from the windscreen.
The claimed FOV of cameras / lenses have always messed up things for us in here, some list actual FOV but then its diagonal and not horizontal, others seem to just throw some 3 digit number out there.

 

[TonyM]

I'll record some 4K30 and 1080p30 driving samples sometime soon.

4K video samples : https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/gitup-f1-with-f1-6-a129-lens.36320/post-457427
1080p video samples : https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/gitup-f1-with-f1-6-a129-lens.36320/post-457449

 

[BradE]

Hmmm... Somehow the shots from the A129 look better? Is that because of the CPL filter on the A129?

The images from the F1 look lighter.

 

[TonyM]

Hmmm... Somehow the shots from the A129 look better? Is that because of the CPL filter on the A129?

The images from the F1 look lighter.

I removed the CPL from the A129.

I try to present my video and photo samples without opinion over which is better, since we all have our own preferences when it comes to contrast, saturation, sharpness etc. I value certain aspects of the F1 video that may not appeal to you, such as the wider dynamic range with less clipped highlights, preservation of finer detail and less compression artefacts.

Yes, you could say that the F1 video looks lighter. Using the naming of image profile settings from my DSLR, I would use the term natural, or faithful to describe the F1, whereas to me the A129 is more vivid.

 

[BradE]

Has anyone done a benchmark of how much power is consumed recording 4K Video with 100 Mbps, EIS on, etc...?

I like the F1, but the huge bitrate means I can't record much video on a 256GB Card before it has to loop... I sometime have to leave my car parked in a spot for more than 8 hours where people can reverse into it and drive off. It happened once with a courier driver - thankfully it was captured on my dashcam. I showed the footage to their Head Office and passed it on to the Police. It was only then that the driver offered his insurance details to me.

 

[jokiin]

you don't have to run the bitrate that high, bitrate has diminishing returns the higher you go, can wind it back without giving too much away

 

[BradE]

you don't have to run the bitrate that high, bitrate has diminishing returns the higher you go, can wind it back without giving too much away

What's the sweet spot for 1080P and 4K for you?

 

[jokiin]

it varies depending on which chipset the camera uses, Ambarella you need to run higher bitrate than Novatek to achieve the same results, 100mbit is overkill though

 

[BradE]

What would you (or anyone) recommend for an F1?

 

[jokiin]

@Falsificator is maybe the best one to comment about what works best for the F1

 

[TonyM]

you don't have to run the bitrate that high, bitrate has diminishing returns the higher you go, can wind it back without giving too much away

I agree that you don't need to run the camera at 100Mbps. I've done that to establish a benchmark for future testing. In time, I will try different quality (i.e. bitrate) settings and compare them.