Where did you mount the camera? Post your pictures

[Milamber]

Front and rear cams:

 

[Reg dashcam]

Not exactly hidden, but for now, it'll have to do. I've had it installed there since July and had no problems, except for the suction cup melting off the windshield due to our hot summers. I'll either shelve this dash cam or use it as a rear-cam once I finally get my Mini 0801 sometime within the next month.

 

[jginnane_]

You are correct, the camera does pick up some of the dotted area. Well spotted .Only the bottom few lines though, and only enough to show on about the top centimetre or so on the footage.

Looks very good. Keep this location, because if you ever need to present videos in a court, there may be need to establish exactly where the camera is mounted in your car. (Hope it's never needed! )

Is there a reason that, on a right-hand drive and with no built-in monitor, you would not mount the camera in the top right corner of the windshield shooting through the tinted glass? Just curious... I tended to first put my cameras on the centerline too, and then realized the videos produced wouldn't have less data if they were offset left or right. Mounting high (above the driver's view) might interfere least with the all-around view, just as putting a rear-view camera directly behind the driver would be the least interfering with operating the car. As far as the tint, most cameras have automatic exposure compensation if it's not too dark, and in any result a monocolor capture could be easier to discern scene details than full color.

 

[Milamber]

Looks very good. Keep this location, because if you ever need to present videos in a court, there may be need to establish exactly where the camera is mounted in your car. .

And how does this contribute to whether the evidence is valid or not, are you suggesting that if the dashcam is moved slightly this affects the verdict of the case!!!? The judge doesn't care where the dashcam is mounted, I have absolutely no idea how you came to that conclusion but it's funny.

 

[jginnane_]

... if the dashcam is moved slightly this affects the verdict of the case!!!? The judge doesn't care where the dashcam is mounted, I have absolutely no idea how you came to that conclusion but it's funny.

Opposing counsel would be the one to make an issue -- not a judge, which is a ridiculous suggestion. Start with the fact that dashcam videos are distorted from "normal" perspective because of the wide-angle requirement, so what is seen is not represented as the human eye would see it. After that, counsel may note cam location on the windscreen significantly alters the perspective. Take opposing diagonal locations; one would be preferred for a given incident; an opposite location would be least-favorable in terms of being able to see and understand what happened. We're not talking "moved slightly", as you put it. The image must be able to identify where it is recorded from. Dots on the screen make this precise.

The bottom line, in the event of a challenge, is to be able to identify exactly where on the windshield your cam was located at the time of recording and allow opposing counsel's forensics experts time to examine this ... to see whether further objection could be made to the reliability of the evidence.

This won't happen in most routine fenderbenders, but if potential liability stakes are high, it's worth it to have your side's presentation as bulletproof as possible.

 

[jokiin]

Its a very hard thing to photograph at the best of times

 

[jginnane_]

Seriously, I have looked at all the mounting pictures in this thread and some people are taking the most ridiculous angled photos to make their camera look more hidden than they are. Its quite laughable.

My personal opinion is that a car parked with a blinking, visible dashcam is going to be a deterrent in a majority of casual circumstances. During driving, a nonstealthed camera may also deter some aggressive driver actions. But "stealth" is good if you have to leave your car on the street in a remote, unsavory place, and you're afraid it will entice someone to smash your glass (or break into the car) to steal the electronics.

A number of cars in the 2013-214 range don't give you an option for a center, rear-view mirror mount any more, alas. Advanced options for lane-changing, smart cruise control, etc. need a high center mount for their electronics. My 2014 Mazda has something called "Smart City Braking", a glass-mounted radar for low-speed impact avoidance. But Mazda was in such a rush to market, they didn't realize they'd need heavier glass to support the electronics, and user forums have a number of reports of breakage caused at least in part by the weight of the SCB system. It would have been preferable to mount this back on the headliner shell.

 

[jokiin]

My 2014 Mazda has something called "Smart City Braking", a glass-mounted radar for low-speed impact avoidance. But Mazda was in such a rush to market, they didn't realize they'd need heavier glass to support the electronics, and user forums have a number of reports of breakage caused at least in part by the weight of the SCB system. .

got any links for reference?

 

[CheckYourLights]

Its a very hard thing to photograph at the best of times

This is true. I've been trying to get a good shot from the front of my car with the camera in and it is damn near impossible due to glare and that everything reflects in the picture.

 

[jginnane_]

got any links for reference?

The user forum is at --> http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?294-Mazda-CX-5-Forum

One user comment (with picture) is here:

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/show...ess-than-1-month&highlight=smart+city+braking

I remember reading in the forum about this breaking issue happening occasionally, but it's not a constant topic, in part because a lot of CX- owners don't get all the options like the SCB. No one seems to know what's inside the SCB modules -- laser? automatic rain sensor? -- and the OEM glass is apparently on the order of two layers each 1/16" thick (with plastic laminate between), retailing at ~$900. I hope not to become the forum expert. ;p

 

[sludgeguts]

My personal opinion is that a car parked with a blinking, visible dashcam is going to be a deterrent in a majority of casual circumstances. During driving, a nonstealthed camera may also deter some aggressive driver actions. But "stealth" is good if you have to leave your car on the street in a remote, unsavory place, and you're afraid it will entice someone to smash your glass (or break into the car) to steal the electronics..

A blinking, visible dashcam in a parked car is more likely to attract unwanted attention.
The blinking light draws all attention towards it. Most would walk on by, but the opportunist thief would note the fancy electronic gizmo stuck to the screen & figure it'll buy his next fix...
As for the nonstealth camera deterring aggressive driving actions - sorry, but it's not easy seeing through tinted screens & anyone driving like a tool is unlikely to be looking into cars - they are simply looking ahead at gaps & what other (oncoming) traffic might be doing.
The majority of my YT vids are taken from the screen of a bus with a dirty great big DR32 dangling down from a very visible suction cup - the fact that this setup is very visible to the outside world really blows the "nonstealth...deter...aggressive...actions" theory out of the water.

 

[jginnane_]

The majority of my YT vids are taken from the screen of a bus with a dirty great big DR32 dangling down from a very visible suction cup - the fact that this setup is very visible to the outside world really blows the "nonstealth...deter...aggressive...actions" theory out of the water.

Interesting! There are two lights visible through the back window of my CX-5 -- (1) the red + blue LED-lit extender for the powerpoint, which is down near the right-hand cargo space, and (2) the flashing red LED on the GoPro. I've seen aggressive cars behind me back off visibly when the drivers look through to see traffic ahead. Without turning this into a psychological analysis thread -- is it possible that aggressive drivers aren't as afraid of a bus as another, equally nimble car? Or that they seen BUS and think: hired driver with no interest in the company's gadgets to keep him safely working?

My "casual circumstances" comment is along the lines of daytime street parking, daytime mall parking... places where a break-in might not be wise but the added deterrent being that a miscreant would understand he'd already been recorded just by being close enough to look at the car. You cited "... it'll buy his next fix", and of course we're thinking the same sorts of things re: druggies not having level heads to begin with. My wife solves all this by disconnecting and storing everything out of sight, which is probably a smarter stealth solution than going over the bright marks with a black Sharpie pen. However, as I have explained to her, then the "parking" dashcam function is useless, so she should drive a car with the $52 G1W instead of the $183 Panorama2.

 

[sludgeguts]

People who drive aggressively don't think clearly, just look at YT clips - people cutting up, pulling out on roundabouts, even trying to nudge others off the road.

And you should see the state of my bus! I 'recently 'inherited' this one when the last driver retired. It's got loads of dents & scratches, paint scrapes and rusty bits - yet still the idiots come.
And despite lots of ironwork hanging off the back (tail-lift is 2ft off the ground, floor of bus is about 3' off the ground), people still love to drive insanely close (I would love a dual cam system here).

The only way to get drivers to back off is to slow down by easing off the gas - they soon get the idea.

In any case, so few drivers have a clue about dashcams that I doubt any would have a clue what your flashing LEDs mean - also, those LEDs would be constantly visible therefore, a driver would notice them as they get closer and not get too close rather than have to tailgate you, look through to traffic ahead THEN back off.

It's also interesting to note that despite cctv in shops, malls, supermarkets - people still go in with the sole intention of nicking stuff. The same applies to car parks - having cctv doesn't stop cars getting broken into. You even get muppets robbing banks who look directly into the camera!

 

[Milamber]

My dashcam caught a recent incident that involved an attempted breakin to my vehicle, thanks to the Powermagic Pro the camera was still running with enough juice in my car battery. The result was four patrol cars, a pissed of K9 and a SGT that was looking for a fight

EDIT: They got the guy and he was formally cautioned.

 

[jokiin]

EDIT: They got the guy and he was formally cautioned.

got to hate that all that good news ends with a slap on the wrist

 

[Reg dashcam]

My dashcam caught a recent incident that involved an attempted breakin to my vehicle, thanks to the Powermagic Pro the camera was still running with enough juice in my car battery. The result was four patrol cars, a pissed of K9 and a SGT that was looking for a fight

EDIT: They got the guy and he was formally cautioned.

YouTube video coming soon?

 

[Milamber]

got to hate that all that good news ends with a slap on the wrist

I had the choice of charging him, he kept saying arrest me then. I decided to let it go... the intimidation was enough to let it pass and he definitely learnt his lesson - bumped into him a week later and he nearly tripped over with surprise! The point being he wasn't a crim, but trying to be a smart ass with the intention of leaving the doors open.

YouTube video coming soon?

I do have the clip, but dont want to ID the individual which will also blow my cover online.

 

[jginnane_]

... bumped into him a week later and he nearly tripped over with surprise! The point being he wasn't a crim, but trying to be a smart ass with the intention of leaving the doors open.

Save your video(s) to disc with a second backup copy for safety ... that's reasonable protection for the next few years. And in the off chance he ever amounts to something -- he sounds young -- keep the copy. Some day a decade or two from now, if he's running for elective office or trying to move up in a corporate environment, the videos could be very, shall we say, beneficial to you.

But you're right -- don't share them now, unless you're actively prosecuting. You could run afoul of libel/slander laws in your country. They're worth more the way you have them, like an unredeemed lottery ticket.

 

[Milamber]

Save your video(s) to disc with a second backup copy for safety ... that's reasonable protection for the next few years. And in the off chance he ever amounts to something -- he sounds young -- keep the copy. Some day a decade or two from now, if he's running for elective office or trying to move up in a corporate environment, the videos could be very, shall we say, beneficial to you.

But you're right -- don't share them now, unless you're actively prosecuting. You could run afoul of libel/slander laws in your country. They're worth more the way you have them, like an unredeemed lottery ticket.

Great advice, thanks buddy

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

 

[AgentSmith007]

Here is my Mobius mounting solution for the rear windshield.