Dash cam recommendations?

[zberz]

I know there has to be a thread already covering this somewhere, but I did search and scrolled through quite a few topics and didn't find anything. If you have a link for a thread already covering this, please post it.

Otherwise, I'm interested in getting a dash cam. With the way people drive in the Maryland/DC/Virginia area, I think it'll come in handy at some point. The problem is, finding a good one feels like trying to buy an MP3 player 10 years ago, there are so many cheap knockoffs that it's hard to tell what's actually worth it.

I want something small/discrete, I don't want my window getting broken for it and I don't want it to be obvious I'm recording video. I'm also looking for good video quality so I can also record some fun drives, motion detection (even with the car off), and I would really prefer a rear camera.

Any recommendation? Personal experiences are appreciated. Thanks.

sent from my phone using black magic

[soulreapersteve]

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q...orums+dash+cam

Quite a few from the past, feel free to browse since I didn't want to link them all.

I have the Street Guardian GC. It does what it claims, kinda regret not getting one that has parking mode. But it has awesome night shots, which is where I do most of my driving.

Below is a link to a dashcam forum, which helped me compare different popular models:

https://dashcamtalk.com/

[cjd]

I ended up picking up a pair of [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Street-Guardian-SGZC12RC-Performance-Supercapacitor/dp/B00TERYK5Q/"]Street Guardian SGZC12RC[/ame]

I couldn't find any that did everything I wanted (good night image, parking mode, discrete camera) that was a dual camera setup, but I can say these have worked quite nicely. You basically can't tell they're in the car. Image quality is great.
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Street-Guardian-SGZC12RC-Performance-Supercapacitor/dp/B00TERYK5Q/"][/ame]

[YXEBears]

I'm really quite happy with my Blackvue DR650, front & rear cams, plenty easy to install and set up, can barely see front cam as it tucked up tight to mirror and LEDs can be turned off. Video on its own super clear and smooth, not that hot viewing in app. Can also get power source kit with low voltage protection.

[cnk]

I use a Blackvue DR-550GW in my car and a Mobius in my wife's car. One costs $200+ and the other was $80. Both work fine as dash cams, but the Blackvue has more features like streaming live video, GPS, etc. I would decide on what you want and then pick the dash cam that fits your requirements.

[Knshro13]

BlackVue DR650GW 2 Ch. is what i use and I love every feature of it.

Parking mode, event mode, normal recording, GPS capture with speed, voice recording, high res camera, etc. It also has cloud feature which you can access via your smartphone app when the camera is connected to a wifi.


awesome.

[aegisdrgn]

Originally Posted by Knshro13

BlackVue DR650GW 2 Ch. is what i use and I love every feature of it.

Parking mode, event mode, normal recording, GPS capture with speed, voice recording, high res camera, etc. It also has cloud feature which you can access via your smartphone app when the camera is connected to a wifi.


awesome.

The BlackVue 650 and up have the cloud/live streaming feature that they used during the recent Formula D races:

http://news.formulad.com/2016/fd-new...at-long-beach/

I joke with my buddy that he should let his wife watch him drive home, to ensure that he doesn't take any detours.

[Knshro13]

Originally Posted by aegisdrgn

The BlackVue 650 and up have the cloud/live streaming feature that they used during the recent Formula D races:

http://news.formulad.com/2016/fd-new...at-long-beach/

I joke with my buddy that he should let his wife watch him drive home, to ensure that he doesn't take any detours.

yup. they had a feed in my car too.

Check this out. its hilarious.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BD_7DdZHrFM/

[ryoma]

I had a Mini 0806 but it had a lot of problems so I got rid of it and now have a Street Guardian GC (a lot of numbers so I don't remember the exact model number but GC is at the end lol). the pictures of the GC might look big, but in reality it's really small. decent quality and great night time video. although it does have motion sensing, the battery is a capacitor so you won't be sensing anything after the power is cut.

[zberz]

Thanks for all the info! Don't really care much about GPS, just want it for security with the option to record some fun drives.

sent from my phone using black magic

[soulreapersteve]

Originally Posted by zberz

Thanks for all the info! Don't really care much about GPS, just want it for security with the option to record some fun drives.

sent from my phone using black magic

For security, I highly suggest any reputable model with parking mode. It has helped people track down those asshats who back into their car and drive away.
@FRSBRZGT86FAN has mentioned a secondary device that you use to hardwire the cam to so it doesnt drain your primary battery. I'm sure he can jump in here.

[FRSBRZGT86FAN]

Originally Posted by soulreapersteve

For security, I highly suggest any reputable model with parking mode. It has helped people track down those asshats who back into their car and drive away.
@FRSBRZGT86FAN has mentioned a secondary device that you use to hardwire the cam to so it doesnt drain your primary battery. I'm sure he can jump in here.

Originally Posted by zberz

Thanks for all the info! Don't really care much about GPS, just want it for security with the option to record some fun drives.

sent from my phone using black magic

You're going to want a Lukas LK-530, or cellink Battery B or power magic pro if you want the dashcam to run for an extended period while the car is off. You use the glovebox cigarette lighter port for power, and run the wiring nice and neat through the headliner. Also you're going to need more than one sd card, it's very common for SD cards to fail when used in this recording manner, especially in the hot summer when heat begins to effect the dash-cam.


[ame="http://www.amazon.com/LUKAS-LK-530-12V-Battery-Potable-Blackbox/dp/B00CHYKOD0"]Amazon.com: LUKAS LK-530-12V Dash Cam Smart Power Supply Battery Pack (All in one Potable UPS) For Car Blackbox: GPS & Navigation[/ame]

[infinitewhiskey]

Originally Posted by aegisdrgn

The BlackVue 650 and up have the cloud/live streaming feature that they used during the recent Formula D races:

http://news.formulad.com/2016/fd-new...at-long-beach/

I joke with my buddy that he should let his wife watch him drive home, to ensure that he doesn't take any detours.

+1 for the BlackVue DR650GW-2CH.

There's also the Power Magic Pro accessory so the camera can use its motion sensors/tilt sensor to record events when the vehicle is off without draining the battery. This is the key selling point for me with everyone saying they can't see our cars... Friends FRS has been backed into twice. Plus this has a 2nd camera for the rear as well.

If you're interested, there is an active Massdrop for it right now for $279 + $7.50 S&H + tax for CA/NJ. The Power Magic Pro is an additional $20:
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/blackvue-dr650gw-2ch-car-dash-camera

It beats Rakuten at $298 depending if either site collects tax where you live. Butou also probably won't receive it from Massdrop until mid-late May.

[Ammunition]

I'm very happy with my Blackvue 650GW 1-CH dashcam; it came out last September, and is totally worth the price (IMO.)

The design and all-black coloring make it very discrete, and installation was very simple; buy the PowerMagic Pro with it for parking mode. The app is sophisticated, and allows you to make a lot of adjustments (including turning off the security LEDs if you don't want them on (I personally prefer them for the time being as at night you can't see the camera, and the LEDs make it look like a car alarm which I like to think may cause someone to think twice before touching the car.) You can also live-stream what your camera is recording on your smart phone (although admittedly, the range on it is very poor - will only work if your car is parked right outside of the establishment you're in - maybe good for about 50ft or so, but it's still a neat feature and the streamed video is very accurate to real-time.)

I got mine from BlackBoxMyCar, and don't mind giving them a plug as their customer service and support are fantastic, and they are often running great deals for their cameras. Here is a link to it - https://www.blackboxmycar.com/collec...650gw-1ch-wifi

If you'd like a picture of mine I can get that for you - you have a lot of options for how to mount the camera because of it's sleek design. GL with your search, and good on you for getting a dash cam - my only regret with mine is that I didn't get it years ago.