Zenfox T3 recived

[EGS]

O and BTW i just looked over the entire drive from the front camera perspective, it seem like my GPS issue have evaporated with the resetting of the camera this morning

don't know for how long that is going to stay true. Mine just had GPS issues earlier today even though I performed a factory reset yesterday in which it had fixed the fading shutdown and corrupting files. I posted a video in the original Zenfox tread.

 

[kamkar]

Okay maybe the SP elite memory card was not all that good.
I have not seen any corrupted files with it, but i am now seeing a revert to a default creation 2016 date ( i assume ) for parts of a drive session yesterday, but other date/time relating to those clips are fine, dont know why those files are suddenly created in 2016.
And for all my driving today i have some short F files all of a sudden, but there are no corresponding short I or R files, so i assume those have been kept to length.
Also loss of parts of the drives.
I have made a screen grab video where you can see the file structure on the card, and the strange mid drive small F files.

PS: i put in the 256GB SP elite card i had instead.

 

[kamkar]

I will change to H.264 for a few days and see how the camera and the SP elite card like that.

 

[SawMaster]

Wondering if the GPS issue is impacting the time/date setting- maybe corrupted data from the GPS receiver? If so, when viewing vids the two events would occur together I would think.

Phil

 

[kamkar]

Just inspected a short drive in H.264 format and everything are in order there, but it was also a short drive with a lengthy break in the middle chatting with the pretty little girl on the gas station.
I am also going on a longer drive tomorrow, so if it is in the mood to cough up irregular small files in H.264 mode after it heat up a little i should see it tomorrow.
I am going to visit my light brown hairy friend with 4 legs, and take her for a long walk in the forest, i need the calming effect she have on me as i am pretty stressed these days.

 

[HonestReview]

Just a thought....But it might be wise for everyone to explain their setup when using camera.

1. Camera to 12V / Cigarette
2. Camera to Battery Pack (Cellink Neo, etc)
3. Hardwire and what kit.

My Memory Card + Viofo Hardwire should show up this week, and then I'll start contributing. My Setup will be a Volvo S60 + Viofo Hardwire + 256GB Sandisk High Endurance. Camera will be mounted on Rear Glass with 80% tint (20 percent light visible) and 20% front tint (80 percent light visible).

 

[kamkar]

Okay the SP elite are also a no go, just drove a hour long drive assuming i would have some nice T3 footage to make a time lapse of the drive.
BUT the T3 stopper recording 10 minutes into my drive.
The files it have recorded like my drive to the Gas station and after that the car wash + the 10 minutes or so into my drive are all okay, and there are no strange small files or corrupt files.
So for sure giving up on this one now, and to make damn sure i can get some footage in i am putting in my Trancend ultimate card ( 64 GB and a card with dashcam warranty and a U3 speed so can write 70-80 MB/s as i recall )
With these problems i am sort of regretting i took out my SG9663DC when i put in the T3, only that i have my zoom camera and my side system make me feel a little relaxed.
I will also be ordering a couple of new memory cards later today, which i hope i can pick up tomorrow.

I have always tested with the highest image quality / bitrate setting, for me personal it is all that matter though the #2 high one might also be good.
Anyways when the settings are there the camera must also be able to do it, and it probably also can, just not with the memory cards i have tried so far.

 

[Nigel]

I will also be ordering a couple of new memory cards later today, which i hope i can pick up tomorrow.

Like I said before, I suggest an A1 rated card, A2 is unnecessary, the camera can't use the extra bits.

 

[kamkar]

Yeah, clearly the old stuff i have tried so far will not cut it.
And that is also perfectly okay i did not have high hopes for that, but i just had to try cuz the first thing people will do after getting a T3 is probably to put their old memory card in it.
But that will probably not go down well for many people, at least now i know what cards to advise against using, and a few more will probably be added over the summer.
But i must get a suitable card in the camera soon, the T3 are my only front & rear camera ( cant use the zoom camera for much if it is up close )
So imperative i get something that work tomorrow, and then i can start experimenting when i have gotten one or more cameras on the windscreen soon.

 

[Nigel]

At maximum bitrate with 3 channels it is running at about 10MBytes/sec while writing 3 files, updating the folder information and occasionally deleting files, all simultaneously. It does seem unrealistic to expect any old class 10 card to work, and it does need more than just a high sequential write speed. The only specification that guarantees good performance for a situation like that is the A rating (A=Application).

Might be interesting to try the lower specified cards at lower bitrates.

 

[kamkar]

Yeah i have seen this before, with memory cards with write speed well over what the camera actually do, but still it do not work.
Strange how that work, but seem to be the name of the game.

 

[kamkar]

O man i got a corrupted set of files on the transcend ultimate, the last files as i turn off my car at the gas station
But other than that no problems.

I would have sworn this would be good enough, though it dont say A1 anywhere but it do write of 60MB/s so that would be more than enough i would assume.

But now i even doubt my kingston U3 card will work, though both it and my Transcend ultimate can handle the 4K/60 - 100 mbit from my action camera.

If thats the case i will be driving with unreliable F&R recording untill Thursday when the memory cards i have ordered at Amazon.de arrive ( not able to find any card i wanted in stock in Denmark )

 

[Nigel]

O man i got a corrupted set of files on the transcend ultimate, the last files as i turn off my car at the gas station

Normally I would suggest that was due to a failed super capacitor, have you already discounted this possibility?
Maybe try turning it off with the camera power button instead of the car key to check.

 

[SawMaster]

Reading the bottom line of that package- "Speed may vary"... which means they're probably telling you it's average write speed, not it's absolute write speed.

I think Nigel has a good point in someone trying lesser cards at lower bitrates, but that should be done later after it's first tested in the way most people will use it. That knowledge could be useful for diagnosis later on when someone's card is suspect but they have only a lesser one on hand to swap it with.

I am concerned about the last -file corruption you're seeing. Probably a card speed issue but could also be firmware-related (shutting down too quickly) or that the supercaps being used are marginal in capacity (which will get lower with wear). Nigel just posted on this point as I wrote.

Phil

 

[kamkar]

I have tried to force the camera to create corrupted last files / files in general, by letting it power up and record a few seconds and then turn it off ( car key or power button ) but i have not been able to make files corrupt that way.
On day #1 i was experiencing a fizz out shutdown with no chime, and after a while i got to think maybe that was one of the times i used the power button to turn it off, so i tried that several times but was not able to replicate.
TBH i have not noticed the camera fade to black like that again, i an focusing on hearing the shut down chime every time i turn off my car.

But as this is very random i dont think it is the capacitor that do it, though it is a very likely culprit.
I could open it and look at the caps in there, but that will probably not make me any wiser.

ATM i focus my efforts on just finding a memory card in my collection that let the camera record,,,,, period, and not just stop mid drive, corrupted files once in a while at the end of the drive sessions i can live with for now.

 

[kuoh]

I get the impression that it's not just the memory card speed or super cap causing this. My initial testing was on a test bench with a 12V supply and it encountered multiple occurrences of fading out when power was removed on multiple on/off testing sessions over different days. I used a new Kodak 128G, not a real name brand I know, but it did test with at least 30MB/s write and all 128GB verified. I thought it might've been an issue with exFAT, but there have been a few failed shutdowns even with the card formatted to FAT32. Now it's installed in the car and I'm swapping between the Kodak and a Samsung Evo Plus 128G and both cards save fine during drives, but there was at least 1 failed shutdown resulting in corruption.

If the super cap were not charged, I would expect the camera to go black very quickly rather than the slow fade out. I can't predict when it will corrupt, but when it does, the camera stays on in recording mode for a few seconds rather than immediately changing to the shutdown screen and playing the chime. I might consider setting up my old camera to record the screen on the T3 during shutdowns, but mounting it would be an issue. Going to have to think that through some more.

There are also other issues that seem to point to some firmware bugs. Last night when I pulled out of the garage to test low light picture quality, the clock ended up with a Jun 15 date and 1pm time, yet the GPS was reporting the speed just fine. I've never set the clock and know it had auto set via GPS previously and the footage from earlier in the day had the correct date and time, yet even after 20 minutes of driving the clock never returned to the correct time. And testing again just now in the garage, the GPS turned green within a few seconds of powering on and the clock updated to the correct date and time, plus shutdown correctly using the Kodak card after being on for only 30 seconds. Another odd thing is there seems to be times when the rear and interior recordings truncate the text overlay on the right side so the last digit of the seconds is not displayed.

KuoH

TBH i have not noticed the camera fade to black like that again, i an focusing on hearing the shut down chime every time i turn off my car.

But as this is very random i dont think it is the capacitor that do it, though it is a very likely culprit.
I could open it and look at the caps in there, but that will probably not make me any wiser.

 

[EGS]

I just finished reviewing my footage after getting home from driving around town, Maybe 45 minutes to an hour worth of road time. Happy to report I didn't have any missing footage or corrupted files and the GPS seemed to be on point this time.
I have set it to max bitrate, 2 minute loop recording, H265. Using one of my older Samsung Evo Plus 128GB. I shut the vehicle off to go in to walmart and camera turned off properly and last when I got home. Oh, and the polarizing film taped to the front camera made a huge difference in the picture quality .
Will continue to test the Evo to see if it gives any trouble in the future. Don't know if the GPS issues I had the other day where related to the Sandisk Extreme Plus I was using the other day.

 

[HonestReview]

Reading the bottom line of that package- "Speed may vary"... which means they're probably telling you it's average write speed, not it's absolute write speed.

I think Nigel has a good point in someone trying lesser cards at lower bitrates, but that should be done later after it's first tested in the way most people will use it. That knowledge could be useful for diagnosis later on when someone's card is suspect but they have only a lesser one on hand to swap it with.

I am concerned about the last -file corruption you're seeing. Probably a card speed issue but could also be firmware-related (shutting down too quickly) or that the supercaps being used are marginal in capacity (which will get lower with wear). Nigel just posted on this point as I wrote.

Phil

While not stated as A-1 or A-2 the card is specifically marketing itself as 4K HD compatible. The card is also MLC vs TLC memory, mostly found in high endurance cards. So either the transcend is incompatible or the camera is very fickle right now with lots of bugs.

 

[HonestReview]

I just finished reviewing my footage after getting home from driving around town, Maybe 45 minutes to an hour worth of road time. Happy to report I didn't have any missing footage or corrupted files and the GPS seemed to be on point this time.
I have set it to max bitrate, 2 minute loop recording, H265. Using one of my older Samsung Evo Plus 128GB. I shut the vehicle off to go in to walmart and camera turned off properly and last when I got home. Oh, and the polarizing film taped to the front camera made a huge difference in the picture quality .
Will continue to test the Evo to see if it gives any trouble in the future. Don't know if the GPS issues I had the other day where related to the Sandisk Extreme Plus I was using the other day.

You raise a VERY GOOD POINT. People are complaining of corrupted video. At what loop setting are people recording? 2 Minutes, 5 Minutes, 10 Minutes? Maybe the longer and larger the file, the more likelihood of corruption? Be it incompatible sd card or a firmware bug.

 

[runtohell121]

I'm having issues with recording; files seem to be from a few seconds to a minute long only and might stop recording afterwards and retry recording and so on. Using a Sandisk Endurance 128gb card. Video playback on the recorded clips are extremely choppy (slow, dropping frames, etc.)