Will motorcycle cam work for my car?

[Dong]

I need your help and your suggestions and ideas and opinions.

I'm looking for a dash cam that is small and stealthy. Believe or not, I have gone through a lot shopping, online or onsites, and it's difficult. Most of the dash cams in the market are basically a camera with a LCD display! The ones that were redesigned as dash cams are still BIG. I understand if a dash cam comes with many things, such as LCD, battery, SD slot, or wi-fi, you can't ready make it small. Unfortunately, A lot of thieves in this big city, and I don't want to attract attention so someone to break in my car because of it.

I can't understand why almost everyone has to make the dash cam to attach a LCD, or otherwise build-in wi-fi, to make it so bulky. Why can't make a small cam, stand alone cam without power or storage, then connect via a cable to the display unit? Nowadays, stand-alone camera can be very tiny, therefore, small and stealthy.

Well, rant aside, here is what I'm looking for, and I found only motorcycle cam can be like that. Unfortunately, they are far more expensive than "regular" dash cams. I understand the waterproof, and more stabilization, and dual cameras, etc. Besides those, any reasons that I should not use motorcycle cam in my car?

What is your opinions, and pros and cons?

 

[dash riposki]

Have you looked at a Mobius?

 

[Dong]

Dear Dash Riposki,

Thank you for your reply, but Mobius is still BIG in my opinion, because again, it has battery and memory build-in. Once you have those, you can't really make it small. And most importantly, it was originally designed as action camera, not dash cam, but used (or modified) as dash cam.

 

[russ331]

I'm looking for a dash cam that is small and stealthy.

Welcome to DCT. They don't come much smaller or stealthier than Mobius & SGZC12RC ...

 

[Module 79L]

I'm looking for a dash cam that is small and stealthy.

(...) I found only motorcycle cam can be like that.

I don't know where did you get that idea from. Motorcycle cams aren't either small or stealthy.

(...) because again, it has battery and memory build-in.

If not having either a battery or the memory built-in are a "must" to you, then I'd suggest the Street Guardian SGZC12RC. It's all that, plus small and stealthy.

 

[Dong]

Dear Module 79L, I really appreciate your reply. But "not having battery and memory" was not my point. My point was camera should be "small" in size. If there is build-in battery and memory, there is no way they can make it small. btw, SGZC12RC still big because it has wi-fi build-in.

 

[Module 79L]

Dear Module 79L, I really appreciate your reply. But "not having battery and memory" was not my point. My point was camera should be "small" in size. If there is build-in battery and memory, there is no way they can make it small. btw, SGZC12RC still big because it has wi-fi build-in.

Again, I don't know where are you getting your info from. The RC doesn't have WiFi.

 

[Dong]

Dear Module 79L, motorcycle cameras are small - I'm talking about the cameras, NOT the display unit. Thanks!

 

[kamkar]

A camera ( motorcycle ) like the Bullet HD pro is more or less the same as the SGZC12RC, but yes its camera unit is a little different so from a head on view i do think that appear to be even smaller as its lens in end of cylinder, where the SGZC12RC is lens on side of cylinder type.

But yes you can use just about any motorcycle camera i would say, i cant see how you should not be able to do that.

The Biker mate camera is the same as the bullet HD pro, it just dont have the wifi option.
And SGZC12RC dont have wifi, but even if it did like the bullet HD pro the wifi is in the main unit you will be stashing somewhere out of sight anyway.

You can even get a waterproof camera unit for the SGZC12RC if you want to stash the camera unit somewhere else than the windscreen, just be advised that you will then have to clean the camera lens manually as it dont have a build in wiper like your windscreen have.
https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threa...of-external-camera-for-sgzc12rc-series.15933/

Please link to the even smaller cameras, cuz i seem to have been missing out.

Normally motorcyclists seem to have a gopro strapped or glued to something, but a gopro 5 is 3 X larger than the SGZC12RC camera module.

 

[Bungus]

Dear Module 79L, motorcycle cameras are small - I'm talking about the cameras, NOT the display unit. Thanks!

What's your idea of "small". What dimensions sizewise are you looking for? My avatar shows size of Mobius relative to key fob.

 

[dash riposki]

Dear Dash Riposki,

Thank you for your reply, but Mobius is still BIG in my opinion, because again, it has battery and memory build-in. Once you have those, you can't really make it small. And most importantly, it was originally designed as action camera, not dash cam, but used (or modified) as dash cam.

Damn, I must have been doing something wrong? I've got one Mobius A that has been used as a dashcam in a tractor trailer for 2 years. Often 24/7 for 3-4 weeks at a time.


Just how big do you think these batteries are?

 

[kamkar]

I hope he dont judge by the size of the cameras as they appear on the screen here, cuz then the mobius in russ331 picture is one big ass camera.

I hope we can get to see those small motorcycle cameras, i hate to miss out and i need some ultra small cameras for the side windows of my car.

 

[russ331]

I hope he dont judge by the size of the cameras as they appear on the screen here, cuz then the mobius in russ331 picture is one big ass camera.

He'll doubtless pull a credit card out of his wallet, so he can better appreciate how small these cams are

 

[Raytis]

I'm looking for a dash cam that is small and stealthy. Believe or not, I have gone through a lot shopping, online or onsites, and it's difficult. Most of the dash cams in the market are basically a camera with a LCD display! The ones that were redesigned as dash cams are still BIG. I understand if a dash cam comes with many things, such as LCD, battery, SD slot, or wi-fi, you can't ready make it small. Unfortunately, A lot of thieves in this big city, and I don't want to attract attention so someone to break in my car because of it.

I can't understand why almost everyone has to make the dash cam to attach a LCD, or otherwise build-in wi-fi, to make it so bulky. Why can't make a small cam, stand alone cam without power or storage, then connect via a cable to the display unit? Nowadays, stand-alone camera can be very tiny, therefore, small and stealthy.

Well, rant aside, here is what I'm looking for, and I found only motorcycle cam can be like that. Unfortunately, they are far more expensive than "regular" dash cams. I understand the waterproof, and more stabilization, and dual cameras, etc. Besides those, any reasons that I should not use motorcycle cam in my car?

What is your opinions, and pros and cons?

We have a product that may be what you're looking for, most of your description fits. Catch is you must live in the US or you're out of luck, if interested look for my thread in the US vendor subforum.

Like you said, dashcams designed for motorcycles have different priorities compared to those designed for cars. You likely won't need waterproofing, so it makes little sense to pay for waterproof. But, brushing aside the excess, if everything else matches your wish list, then I don't see why you shouldn't buy a motorcycle dashcam for your car.
The only real obstacle I can imagine is mounting the cam, since a lot of motorcycle dashcams are designed to be attached via a mount that can be bolted on to the handlebar or stuck to the curvature of a helmet. Also, they tend to be rather long in size, which may not really work for windshield mounting.

 

[Dong]

Raytis, Thanks! I checked your product. Raytis ENFORCER DX1. Anyway, I'm interested, and yes, this is exactly what I'm looking for. But I have a few questions, not really on your product, but on dash cam in general. Why this kind of model (remote cameras) is far more expensive than "regular" dash cam, even when we compare the similar spec line-by-line. Seriously, Double the price? I understand most of the motorcycle cameras are more expensive than regular dash cam. As my original post mentioned, waterproof, and more stabilization, and dual cameras, etc. Are There any more figures and functions that make it more expensive?

 

[kamkar]

Dashcams with a remote camera need additional chips to work, this is mostly a send/receive chips, a send chip for the camera end and a receive chip in the main unit.
You have to go this route as you otherwise cant transmit the standard signal off the sensor that far. ( this is normally restricted to 20 CM or less )
I dont think those 2 chips are that expensive.

You can also get cheap dual channel cameras, but then they are often not with both cameras on wires, and as you get what you pay for its likely they wont last long.
And they might be build with inferior hardware, so IQ might not be so good.

You can also buy a 50 dollar smartphone, but there is no doubt it will be less enjoyable to use, and it will properly also last a lot shorter than a more expensive major brand smartphone.

 

[Raytis]

Raytis, Thanks! I checked your product. Raytis ENFORCER DX1. Anyway, I'm interested, and yes, this is exactly what I'm looking for. But I have a few questions, not really on your product, but on dash cam in general. Why this kind of model (remote cameras) is far more expensive than "regular" dash cam, even when we compare the similar spec line-by-line. Seriously, Double the price? I understand most of the motorcycle cameras are more expensive than regular dash cam. As my original post mentioned, waterproof, and more stabilization, and dual cameras, etc. Are There any more figures and functions that make it more expensive?

I'm glad that you've found a potential candidate, stick around and see if other members have more recommendations for you, hope you get one that really fits the bill.

As for your question, I can't really comment on that, sorry.

 

[Dong]

Kamkar, thank you for your reply. I think ALL digital cameras have a "send" chip and it should be a very matured technology. I even doubt why 20CM length in wire? Old video cable can go far longer. As you said, it should be NOT expensive. Is the digital video compression chip also on the camera side - meaning compressed and processed BEFORE transmission via cable to the main unit to display?

 

[jokiin]

to send digital signals over any significant length of cable requires a send/receive chipset with this solution, the distance the sensor can be from the processor is otherwise quite limited, even 20cm is pushing your luck

 

[Dong]

I understand the camera has a chipset inside. My point is, why it's so expensive, as it should be a matured technology, and have been in the market for so long. Is there "stabilization" inside there, as the car is moving, rather than fixed, like video surveillance cameras?