Dash Camera Discussion / What Dash Cams are you guys using?

[KahnBB6]

I am also interested in this. Does anyone use a good dashcam model that allows for:

-MicroSD or other removable flash media for all recording
-doesn't require reliance on cloud service subscription
-has enough physical controls for standard operation without requiring smartphone pairing
-1080P minimum resolution but 4K would be better

Having some internal battery as an alternative to always having it plugged into a DC port or hard wired would also be good.

Edit: I think I may have found what I'm looking for in Garmin's DashCam 46 (front view only with rear screen and MicroSD card slot).

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[H2O_Doc]

I am also interested in this. Does anyone use a good dashcam model that allows for:

-MicroSD or other removable flash media for all recording
-doesn't require reliance on cloud service subscription
-has enough physical controls for standard operation without requiring smartphone pairing
-1080P minimum resolution but 4K would be better

Having some internal battery as an alternative to always having it plugged into a DC port or hard wired would also be good.

Edit: I think I may have found what I'm looking for in Garmin's DashCam 46 (front view only with rear screen and MicroSD card slot).

I very much like my 4K Nextbase 622GW. Expensive retail price, but deals to be had on EBay. It’s VERY WELL built. Magnetic mount makes it a snap to remove. You can add one of two different rear facing cameras if you want. It’s pretty feature rich. It might sound trivial, but the polarizing filter is actually quite helpful. Got mine for $200.

 

[monkey_alan]

I have the Blackvue DR750S I went with that over the 4k version because it records in 60FPS which gives super sharp frame grabs.

 

[Jaxness]

BlackVue DR900s-2CH

Front & rear cameras, parking mode, records 24/7 and auto-uploads to the cloud when I get home every day.

So far I've captured 1 accident and 1 dealership joy ride, lol.

 

[suicidaleggroll]

Edit: I think I may have found what I'm looking for in Garmin's DashCam 46 (front view only with rear screen and MicroSD card slot).

That's a good choice. My wife and I both have the Garmin 45 in our other cars, and I just bought the 46 for my Supra. I have zero complaints with the 45 and it seems to hit all of your requirements. I had a cheaper Chinese dash cam before the Garmin and it worked ok, but after a while the built-in battery died and the camera started getting screwy after that (clock would reset every time I turned off the car, which means every recording had the same timestamp so it would constantly overwrite the same file). The automotive environment is very hard on electronics, it's best to go with a known brand that has a lot of experience in that environment IMO.

 

[polaris]

I run a Viofo A129 Plus in my Supra and Corolla.

Miata doesn't get one, but only because it's a PITA and always has an issue that keeps it from running. Hmph.

 

[Loco38SUP]

It looks like the Blackvue model is the more popular camera. I need to get one ASAP. I had a local transit bus try to take me out while turning a tight corner and then proceeded to call me an F’n idiot. I swear the driver was drunk and rude. It was a good thing I found reverse quick as he just kept coming at me and just didnt give a damn.

-RJM

 

[starman]

Bought the Garmin Dashcam Mini 2 on sale with Garmin Hardwire kit. Super small that hides nicely behind the rearview mirror as if there is nothing on the windshield at all.

NOTE: The 1080p 30fps image quality is mediocre, license plates can only be read if a car is really close to you, wish it was 4k for a clearer image, but it was the smallest DashCam from a reputable company available. You sacrifice quality due to its size. I'm okay with this but just throwing it out there as i know some prefer a better image.

I tapped in the wiring to Fuse F47 (which is empty), used a 5AMP fuse for the camera. Originally I wanted to leave the bottom slot blank as technically that fuse is not powering anything on the car, but the Fuse Tap I bought would not provide power to the top slot fuse (where the camera is wired to) unless there is a fuse at the bottom. I happen to have a 1amp fuse laying around, which I thought i'd never use, to complete the circuit.

I put the camera on the driver side since it was easier to remove the MicroSD card and touch the buttons. I wanted to hide the wire nicely....but it's difficult to route it around the mirror area. It was actually easier (for me anyway) to remove the map light console and guide the wire through there. Though not required, I also removed the A-pillar which wasn't hard at all and routed the wire down there.

All in all I am quite satisfied. When the sun hits the windshield directly you can see the camera, but if the sun is behind, towards the side, or if it's dark\overcast, it's hard to see the camera. I may actually get another camera for the rear as the Garmin app on the phone can connect multiple dashcams at once.

UPDATE DECEMBER 27, 2021:
I had mentioned in the post above (from November 17th) that I would probably get another one for the rear. Welp, got one for Christmas and installed it at the rear hatch.

• (Shown in Green) Routing the wire from the rear fuse box to under the headliner wasn't terrible.
  • The only thing I removed was the little plastic cover above the hatch reinforcement bar which is held by a few clips (no need to remove the entire hatch plastic panels).
  • The headliner at the rear is held by two clips (use trim removal tools to unclip as it's rather hard to get it out)
• (Shown in Yellow) I then removed the passenger side hatch wiring rubber sleeve from both the body and hatch. Using a clothing hanger, I routed the wire through the sleeve, which was hard to move due to the MicroUSB head. Little by little by pulling slowly on the cloth hanger and pushing it with my fingers through the rubber sleeve, it made it through
• (Shown in Red) The plastic hatch trim appears to be "glued" to the glass (someone correct me if i'm wrong), but I didn't find a safe way to remove it. Per another post on here, the only way to route the wire is blindly in the "red" area shown in the image below. It took about 45 minutes to navigate the MicroUSB head behind the trim. It was easier once I removed the one of the two bolts (closest to the window) but still tore my fingers up.
• (Shown in Green) Finally routing the wire from the second hole (bolt closest to the window) to the 3rd brake light area, was really easy.

I am satisfied with the end result. The camera does appear in the rear view mirror, but it's small enough which doesn't both me. I could easily move it to the side if needed. The red LED light isn't terribly bright, but worse case I can just put black tape over it if it bothers me in the future during night time driving.

 

[nc_]

+1 for the Garmin Mini 2 with Garmin’s hardwire kit

 

[Mimosa]

@10:35 has the best information on these things.

Don't get tricked.

Seems like the market is empty of actual image quality advancements... which is the most important part of having a damn dash cam.

 

[THOOPRA]

I run a Viofo A129 Plus in my Supra and Corolla.

Miata doesn't get one, but only because it's a PITA and always has an issue that keeps it from running. Hmph.

Just ordered the same one, lightning deal on amazon. How was the install process?

 

[Jaxness]

@10:35 has the best information on these things.

Don't get tricked.

Seems like the market is empty of actual image quality advancements... which is the most important part of having a damn dash cam.

I had the DR750s-2CH in my CTSV, and I purchased the DR900s-2CH for my Supra before I even picked it up from the dealership. Best modification on the car, its about to save me a $500k lawsuit. Hardly a "waste".

This is a low-res copy obviously, but the view is solid with a 30% ceramic tinted windshield

 

[Mimosa]

I had the DR750s-2CH in my CTSV, and I purchased the DR900s-2CH for my Supra before I even picked it up from the dealership. Best modification on the car, its about to save me a $500k lawsuit. Hardly a "waste".

This is a low-res copy obviously, but the view is solid with a 30% ceramic tinted windshield

The video isn't about dash cams being a waste. It's about dashcams using old SOCs/image sensors from the same company and outright lying to consumers about video resolution. It also goes over how companies add an over abundance of features to drive up costs.

 

[Jaxness]

The video isn't about dash cams being a waste. It's about dashcams using old SOCs/image sensors from the same company and outright lying to consumers about video resolution. It also goes over how companies add an over abundance of features to drive up costs.

Ahh, gotcha. It’s subjective to each person on the value they put on their money. I overpay for handbags, so I’m not too worried about a camera company lying to me. A sub-$1000 setup is more than worth the piece of mind I get from knowing I have a 360° recorded security guard on my car at all times.

 

[darkknight302]

@10:35 has the best information on these things.

Don't get tricked.

Seems like the market is empty of actual image quality advancements... which is the most important part of having a damn dash cam.

Being a PC builder, I love watching Linus but he's an idiot on dashcam. He practically didn't do any research and based his knowledge on Amazon's review..... Here's a channel people should watch when doing research on dashcam and radar detectors.

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