i1000 / F70

i1000 / F70

The HD 720P Dual Lens Model camera has recently gained popularity.  This dual lens DVR can record 720p at 30fps for the front camera and 480p for the rear camera.  The daytime video quality from the front camera is good and the rear camera is slightly below average.  Night quality is below average for the front camera and poor for the rear camera.

The rear camera is mounted separately on the rear window  rather than being part of the main unit.  This setup has better rear picture quality than the all-in-one dual cameras since it only records what is happening outside the car rather than inside the car.

Most of the these dash cams are using the Allwinner F20 processor as pictured below.

i1000 with an F20 Processor 2

There are a few models with the SQ909B-L processor as pictured below.

Flytec FT101 with an SQ Processor

Like most Chinese cameras, there are many manufacturers with different specs.  Some of the differences are as follows:

  1. Low end models record in AVI format, high end in MOV format.  Avoid cameras with the AVI format
  2. Some models use a suction cup, others use 3M tape, some models come with both (3M tape is preferred)
  3. Most cameras have the date / time on top left in hollow white letters (F20 processor).  Some cameras have date / time in black letters on white background on the top / middle (likely a Zoran processor),
  4. Some have a rear camera with no LEDs, others have LEDs
  5. Lower end models do not have a remote, higher end models have remote

HD 720P Dual Lens Models

This camera, like many Chinese cameras, has a number of different names:

  • HD 720P Dual Lens Dashboard Car vehicle Camera Video Recorder DVR CAM G-sensor (Most popular, sold on ebay with this name)
  • F70 (A popular model name)
  • i1000 (Another popular brand name, many manufacturers)
  • X6 (Quite popular brand name but also the name of another dual lens camera)
  • NEI DVR232 (Not popular brand name, one manufacturer makes this)
  • Recordeye DC770 (this is only available in Russia)
  • B6 on Aliexpress (likely a “fake” version given the low price and AVI recording)
  • Flytec FT-101 (Primarily sold in Taiwan)
  • Crossover GoShot C1000 (Primarily sold in Korea)

DM300 Model

The DM300 (sometimes referred to as the K7000) is a similar camera that claims to have 1080p recording.  The DM300 apparently runs on the popular Ambarella A2S60 processor.  The camera typically sells for over $100 and has an HDMI port.  Note that some of the DM300’s come with a low quality Novatek processor. Unfortunately it appears that the DM300 is a single lens camera, not a dual lens camera.  It has a AV-Out not an AV-In port.  See this eBay listing for the most popular DM300 sold to date and notice it is only a single lens camera.  Some ads show the DM300 as a dual lens camera but these ads appear to be misleading.

DM300 HDMI

DM300 HDMI port

versus the i1000 / F70 AV Out port

i1000 AV Out

We have not been able to verify the quality of the DM300 and there is very little information available on this camera to date.

i1000L Model

There is another version of this camera that comes with a larger 2.7″ LCD screen instead of the 2″ LCD screen.  As can be seen in the picture, the i1000L is larger than the i1000/F70 model.

i1000L

Known problems

Since this is a relatively new camera, there have not been many reliability problems noted yet.

Runs Hot

Some users have noted that this camera gets very warm / hot.  There have been no reports of problems related to this yet though.

Rear Camera records mirror image

Some users indicate that the rear video is a mirror image.  There apparently is no way to flip the image in the dash cam.

Rattling Buttons

Some complaints of rattling buttons in this dash cam.  This may be an isolated incident.

G-sensor setting

There is a report that the G-Sensor setting does not work.  When a G-sensor option is selected (low, med, or high) the dash cam switches off.  When the dash cam is turned on, the setting is back to OFF.  This may be an isolated incident.

Mounting the camera

i1000 Mount
i1000 Mount 2

Sample Videos

Day Front Camera

Day Rear Camera

Night Front Camera

Night Rear Camera

Should I Purchase?

While the picture quality is not the greatest, this camera performs adequately for a dual lens camera particularly in the day.  Poor night quality is the biggest drawback.  The size of the camera is small and the price is very attractive.  If you are looking for a dual lens camera and can live with the picture quality, this dash cam may be for you.

Firmware

Currently there is no publicly known way to extract or upgrade the firmware in these dash cams.  There are numerous known firmware versions that have been sold:

  • ver_20120509
  • F20_20120726
  • 007 F20_201209277 (Note that this version appears to have the date / time stamp in yellow)
  • V2.0.JXS120621

Specifications

Detailed Specifications

Read Review
Camera Type Dual Channel
Form Factor Wedge
Country China
Processor Allwinner F20
CMOS Front Unknown
CMOS Rear Unknown
Channels 2
Screen 2"
GPS No
G-Sensor Yes
Wi-Fi No
Parking Mode No
Lock Files Auto
Max Resolution Front 1280 x 720p
Front Frames Per Second 30
Max Bitrate Front (Mbps) 7
Max Resolution Rear 720x480p
Rear Frames Per Second 30
Max Bitrate Rear (Mbps) 2
Video Format MOV
Compression H.264
Diagonal Viewing Angle Front 120°
Diagonal Viewing Angle Rear 120°
SD Card Type MicroSD
Max Size (Spec) 32GB
Max Size (User) 32GB
Size Front (mm) 91 x 63 x 28
Size Rear (mm) Unknown
Mount Adhesive
Power Supply 5V
Operating Temp -10°C to 60°C
Battery 800mAh
Error Notification No
Apps None
Cloud Connectivity No
Release Date Jul 2012
Unique Features None
Advantages Inexpensive
Disadvantages Poor video quality
Reliability is average at best
Final Word Affordable dual lens camera. Video quality, particularly at night, is biggest drawback.

Last Updated: Jan 22, 2013

i1000 / F70 - DashCamTalk
i1000 Dash Cam 1

The i1000 / F70 is an affordable dual lens camera. Video quality, particularly at night, is biggest drawback.

Product SKU: i1000 / F70

Product Brand: Generic

Product Currency: USD

Product Price: 70

Price Valid Until: 2021-01-01

Product In-Stock: SoldOut

Editor's Rating:
4.8