Dash Cam Recommendations

stazza · 10-06-2016, 07:51 PM

As the thread title suggests, anyone got any good dash cam recommendations? Great video quality and low light performance are a must. GPS and bump sensor is a bonus.

Product names and prices would be helpful.

Fire away!

**sierra63** · 10-06-2016, 08:24 PM

I too would like to hear from current users experiences.... Please share your findings please, Recomendations, source, approx $$$ etc...

ANGEL#3 · 10-06-2016, 08:37 PM

Can't go pass BlackVue they are easy to review via smart phone app and or home computer.
Best thing I like is that you can option it with a POWER MAGIC PRO which allows the camera to run whilst the car is turned off for hours after.
They also now make a front and rear camera worth every cent.

**GO FURTHER** · 10-06-2016, 09:48 PM

Check out this recent thread of mine which shows the two dash cams I use (one mounted on rear window, and one from rear vision mirror), how I mounted them and an example clip of a near collision I almost had, showing the video quality in full 1080P HD video.

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=11452066

mechanic · 10-06-2016, 10:00 PM

This site is what I used to buy mine.
I bought a VicoVation and it's been excellent.
Just one point with dash cams, they have an extraordinarily effective microphone and you need to be aware of what's said and who's going to be listening when the recording is replayed.

http://dashcamownersaus.com.au/

JC · 10-06-2016, 10:29 PM

I've got a swann driveye HD cam at the front, and an older blackvue (640x480) for the rear.

The swann I picked up for around 120 from ebay - it is the predecessor to the one in the link below:

http://www.swannstore.com.au/fun/swads-140dcm

Ben73 · 10-06-2016, 11:32 PM

I have a Gator 1080p.

It's good quality footage, especially compared to half the videos on DCOA Facebook Page.

Has G sensor which is supposed to auto save. But I was in an accident and the footage didn't auto save. It was set to the medium sensitivity. The low sensitivity seams to save footage of every pothole.

I have had it for over a year now and it's mostly going strong.
Only issue was the camera kept slowing working itself of the mount. I would hit a minor bump and the camera would fall off the windscreen and hit the dashboard. Footage auto saved in that situation, so I guess that G sensor does work.
I have since stuck some blu-tack on to stop the camera from moving.

It only cost $120, which is cheap for how good the picture quality is.

**Mechan1k** · 11-06-2016, 03:07 AM

Have been thinking about this as well .... have got some footage taken with my phone ... but that's about it .... and boy does it chew through storage .... the dashcams probably have better compression than what a Samsung Galaxy S6 has (or a poorer quality camera) ... which ever.

just checked the file details .... 630Mb for 5 minutes footage.

Qwerty321 · 11-06-2016, 11:42 AM

I've been thinking about getting a dash cam too. However, I feel like a windscreen mounted GPS and a dashcam would clutter the space up a bit too much. Oh, and I can't stand loose wires

**sierra63** · 11-06-2016, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qwerty321

I've been thinking about getting a dash cam too. However, I feel like a windscreen mounted GPS and a dashcam would clutter the space up a bit too much. Oh, and I can't stand loose wires

I think there are some combined dash cam and gps (Navman?), and you may look at pushing the wiring through / behind th dash, so no visible wires.

T3rminator · 11-06-2016, 01:26 PM

Do most dash cams come with audio? A lot of fb and youtube footages don't include audio, but I'm not sure if they turn it off to save space?

stazza · 11-06-2016, 01:35 PM

Cheers people. I ended up buying the "BLACKVUE DR650GW-2CH IR".

Has GPS, WiFi etc... and IR for night. Should be great for the GS. Was pricey, but the amount of times I've wished I've had one...

Was far cheaper online than any shop in Perth. Just gotta find a decent place to install it when it arrives.

mechanic · 11-06-2016, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T3rminator

Do most dash cams come with audio? A lot of fb and youtube footages don't include audio, but I'm not sure if they turn it off to save space?

Personally I think it's better to have the mike off.
If I'm on my own then it'll just record music or ABC radio, pointless recording that. If it's me and the missus I don't want our conversation recorded.
If it's me and a mate or one of my brothers I certainly don't want a 3rd party to ever find out what we have been discussing.
If I ever had the situation where a copper had pulled me up then I'd have it turned on, assuming I remembered.

**GO FURTHER** · 11-06-2016, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mechanic

Personally I think it's better to have the mike off.
If I'm on my own then it'll just record music or ABC radio, pointless recording that. If it's me and the missus I don't want our conversation recorded.
If it's me and a mate or one of my brothers I certainly don't want a 3rd party to ever find out what we have been discussing.
If I ever had the situation where a copper had pulled me up then I'd have it turned on, assuming I remembered.

Or the profanities or screams should you be involved in an accident

JC · 11-06-2016, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qwerty321

I've been thinking about getting a dash cam too. However, I feel like a windscreen mounted GPS and a dashcam would clutter the space up a bit too much. Oh, and I can't stand loose wires

I ran the wiring for mine up the passenger a Pillar, behind the glove box, and connected it permanently to the power/cig lighter socket. There is a small tail of wire dropping out of the roof lining right near the camera, but you don't even notice it (I undid the sun visors and made sure the wiring ran so that it could not move forward once the visors were reinstalled).

My camera is hidden behind my mirror, which makes it almost invisble from inside, so doesn't take away any windscreen viewing area.

Most cams have an audio on/off switch - mine is set to off, but it's one touch to turn it back on if I wanted to.

I also have my auto save function turned off because even on the lowest setting, it would record every medium to hard launch in the GTE (which is every time I'm at the head of the traffic queue at lights etc).

The one thing I want to do is get a power supply thing that will run the camera from the car battery in parking mode when the key is removed.

mechanic · 11-06-2016, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JC

I ran the wiring for mine up the passenger a Pillar, behind the glove box, and connected it permanently to the power/cig lighter socket. There is a small tail of wire dropping out of the roof lining right near the camera, but you don't even notice it (I undid the sun visors and made sure the wiring ran so that it could not move forward once the visors were reinstalled).

My camera is hidden behind my mirror, which makes it almost invisble from inside, so doesn't take away any windscreen viewing area.

Most cams have an audio on/off switch - mine is set to off, but it's one touch to turn it back on if I wanted to.

I also have my auto save function turned off because even on the lowest setting, it would record every medium to hard launch in the GTE (which is every time I'm at the head of the traffic queue at lights etc).

The one thing I want to do is get a power supply thing that will run the camera from the car battery in parking mode when the key is removed.

I thought about running the Dascam with the key out but after getting a million pictures of my driveway while I had the key on ACC I decided against it.

JC · 11-06-2016, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mechanic

I thought about running the Dascam with the key out but after getting a million pictures of my driveway while I had the key on ACC I decided against it.

Mine has motion sensor mode - so it will only record for 5 mins after it detects movement. ie it won't actually be on all the time.

JG33 · 12-06-2016, 12:17 AM

I have this one, it's pretty good.

http://www.navman.com.au/car-camera/...FUYJvAod3SMI5w

Qwerty321 · 12-06-2016, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sierra63

I think there are some combined dash cam and gps (Navman?), and you may look at pushing the wiring through / behind th dash, so no visible wires.

On that note, a word of advice to everyone out there. DO NOT get a Navman. Navman used to be really good back when it wasn't owned my MiTAC, not they're absolutely horrid. Navman Marine GPS is still good though, but that must be cause it was never sold to MiTAC.

Long story short, your money is much much better spent on a TomTom. I've owned both, and a TomTom is far far superior, and pretty much the exact same price. I have no idea what Garmins are like, but I can't see the justification for the extra price.

tl;dr... If your looking for any form of car GPS, get a TomTom. Definitely never get a Navman.