The VAVA 4K VA-VD004, launched July 2019, is VAVA’s first 4K camera. VAVA is a manufacturer of dash cams and other electronic devices. The VAVA trademark is owned by a Chinese company named Sunvalleytek International.
The VA-VD004 uses the same puck shaped design as the 1080p VAVA VA-VD002 and the dual channel VAVA VA-CD001. While the design is unique, it is not the most discreet looking camera.
The VAVA 4K uses an Ambarella H22A55 processor and Sony Exmor R IMX317 CMOS sensor. Unlike many 4K cameras that exaggerate their specs and do not deliver 4K video quality, this is not the case with VAVA. The IMX317 is an 8.5MP CMOS sensor and natively supports 4K video recording. This sensor can be found in other 4K dash cams as well.
Video Quality
The VAVA 4K VA-VD004 records 2160p (4K) video at 30fps with an average bitrate of 15 Mbps. Video quality during the day is very good and like other 4K cameras captures a decent amount of detail in the recordings. Night quality, while good, is not spectacular. This is a common trait of many 4K cameras and is not surprising.
Features
The VAVA 4K VA-VD002 is not a large camera at 70 x 28mm but the cone shaped mount is large and not the most discreet. The mount is unique in that it uses both adhesive and suction to attach to the windshield. The mount allows the camera to swivel 360° which is useful if you want to record interactions at your side window with police officers. Note that the mount is designed for a window rake of 17° to 58° and will not work on vertical windshields.
The VAVA 4K does not come with a screen or buttons on the camera. There are 2 small LED lights that indicate the status of the camera. Unfortunately there are no audio error notifications and the LED notifications are confusing since an error can be notified with a blue color or red color as per the table below.
The camera comes with a separate bluetooth button to take photos (press once) or to take videos (press and hold for 3 seconds). All other interactions with the camera such as adjusting settings, viewing videos and downloading videos is done via WiFi with the VAVA Dash app available for Android and iOS.
The camera has a g-sensor, built-in GPS and non-buffered parking mode. Unfortunately the camera uses a 320 mAh battery instead of a super capacitor making it not suitable for hot environments. As this is a 4K camera, it does run quite hot as well.
Support
VAVA appears to be responsive to questions and provides decent support. Their website includes firmware updates for this camera which is a good sign.
On the positive side, the camera comes with a 12 month warranty but if you register your camera with VAVA, this gets extended to 2 years.
Known Problems
There are no common problems reported with this camera.
Sample Videos
Internal Photos
Should I Purchase
The VAVA 4K VA-VD004 has good 4K video quality during the day but the night video quality could be better. Unfortunately the camera also has poor error notification via the LED lights and uses a battery instead of a super capacitor (not suited for hot environments). 2 year warranty is impressive but the cheaper A800S performs just as well and is more affordable.
Specifications
Spec VAVA VA-VD004 Price $160 Overall Rating 6.0/10 Price Rating 6 Brand VAVA Channels 1 Channel Setup Front Form Factor Cylindrical Front Resolution 4K (2160p) Spec VAVA VA-VD004 Parking Mode Non-Buffered Wi-Fi Yes GPS Yes Apps Android, iOS Cloud Connectivity No Voice Commands No Spec VAVA VA-VD004 Processor Ambarella H22 Video Format MP4 Compression H.264 Screen Size No Touchscreen No Mount Suction and Adhesive Power Supply 5V Battery Type 320mAh Spec VAVA VA-VD004 SD Card Type MicroSD Max Card Size 256GB Operating Temperature -20°C to 50°C Swivel Yes Country China Warranty 24 months with registration Release Date Jul 2019 Spec VAVA VA-VD004 Day Video 8 Night Video 7 Reliability 6 Discreetness 4 Support 5 Spec VAVA VA-VD004 CMOS Sony Exmor R IMX317 Max Resolution 3840 x 2160p (4K) FPS 30 Bitrate 15.0 Mbps Viewing Angle 155° Dimensions 28 x 70 HDR No
Published: April 29, 2021