Dash Cam Recommendation Request
 

So, long story short road debris kicked up by another motorist did several hundred dollars of damage to my car, if I had a dash cam it would have paid for itself today.

I have seen a number of posts about the blackvue brand about the forums.

any suggestions would be appreciated.

I chose the FineVu brand over BlackVue. I use the FineVu CR500HD in my FR-S. Been running the older equivalent model in my Subaru Legacy for over 2 years now. No issues with either unit so far.

This is the best bang for buck:

I got a pair of these (1 for each car) - pretty happy with them.

I wanted small size, non-suction mount since it falls off in the heat/deep freeze, and 1080p. Small footprint, good quality.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/G-sensor-integration-accident-evidence-YouTube/dp/B00G6UC9MU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395708519&sr=8-1&keywords=ojocam"]Ojocam[/ame]

Worked straight out of the box, no firmware BS or whatever.

Highway coming home from the winter driving thing (50 secs is almost a crash down the road)

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CyoRhIfKmE"]Ojocam Mini 0801 HD 1080P - Day - YouTube[/ame]

Night, strathcona:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zu3U1daZMRs"]Ojocam Mini 0801 HD 1080P - Night - YouTube[/ame]

[ame]http://youtu.be/SirjrBqhFVk[/ame]

Remember youtube takes some quality away - the original file is better.

Here's a GB thread with more info - http://forums.beyond.ca/st2/ojocam-d...hreadid=379852



edit: And just because of your username:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/64402414/frs-2.jpg

Awesome reply, thank you!

I love my Blackvue dr500gw-hd. Video quality, frame rate, build quality. GPS-based speed calculation is solid enough. Accelerometer is pretty fast without being too twitchy. No complaints yet.

I haven't used the WiFi option yet, but the "event driven" recording is a worthwhile feature. It makes perfect autocross videos automatically, and the software is solid enough.

When I was reviewing the tech, this place was an awesome resource: Dashboard Camera Reviews

Sample of me driving slow:
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLioOy9apfQ&list=UUgc5KArZ3_-VzWFnNir2M9w"]Run 6, Pt 1 - NER SCCA - August 2013 - Devens-Moore Airfield - YouTube[/ame]

I have the same dash cam. Great camera for the price.

GoPro 3 is also an option but to keep it constantly plugged in you have to drill the plastic case sacrificing water-proof qualities.

Thanks for posting that OJO Cam! Looks exactly like what I want. :)

Just ordered my OJOcam, 20% off and free shipping cant go wrong

I've been running an Itronics ITB-100HD for about a year now and have been quite pleased. It's not overwhelmingly fantastic, but does a solid job of reliably recording good video, and it hasn't succumbed to some of the overheating issues that I know have plagued some of the competing Blackvues.

Whatever route you go, I'd encourage checking out www.dashcamtalk.com. Lots of good reviews, comparisons, and things you should know about a variety of different cameras. Their forums are also a great resource - both from a general support perspective as well as from a firmware hacking perspective.

Also check out this site for their reviews on a number of items for cars
http://thewirecutter.com/leaderboard/car-stuff/

Just wanted to chip in a vote for the OJOcam, or the Mini 0801 as it's more commonly known. You can get the version with GPS for less than a hundred bucks. My only gripe with it is that it can be picky about which microSD card you use - I have a Samsung Class 6 work fine, but a Class 4 and a Class 10 from the same line that do not.

http://dashcamtalk.com/mini-0801/ for more information

This is my choice and I am very happy with it:
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/-Timetec-Windshield-Dashboard-Camcorder-Microphone/dp/B00CXB186Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396196092&sr=8-1&keywords=road+hawk"]http://www.amazon.com/-Timetec-Windshield-Dashboard-Camcorder-Microphone/dp/B00CXB186Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396196092&sr=8-1&keywords=road+hawk[/ame]

I have had it on my car for six months now. You can see it has many positive reviews on amazon. If you have any questions you can PM me.

Also, you can apply a $100.00 discount when you buy through amazon. I think that discount has been on the site for at least six months now. I don't think it will go away soon.

Here is a copy and past feature list:
-1080p video latest A5s Processor.
-Faster 5Hz GPS receiver with ultra-fast lock on time.
-SDXC technology Support larger capacity SD cards (currently up to 64gb).
-Videos can be played back on any modern PC or MAC computer.
-GPS and G-Force data is stored within the video file and can be viewed using the provided viewing software. You will see the vehicle's speed, G-Force and position overlaid on to -Google maps updating 5 times every second.
-An external GPS antenna installed. lock-on times (usually less than 30 seconds from cold start) and for greater GPS accuracy.
-Built-in a mode allows to make larger files up to 30 minutes and not overwrite them.
-Powerful track analysis driving aid.
-An external microphone input.
-Supplied with an adhesive windscreen mount as well as a ¼" camera mount for use with roll bar clamps.

So many choices now. That road hawk looks awesome

Does anyone use a dashcam to leave on over night? I have to park on the street in Chicago and the car recently got broken into. I'm thinking about a discrete dashcam setup that stays on after the ignition is turned off and holds the last 48 hours of video (or something like that).

Just want to increase the possibilities of catching someone doing whatever to my car, especially a hit and run situation during parking...happens way too often here.

I don't do it personally, but I know folks who do. I know that iTronics has a special power adapter that will keep the camera powered with the ignition off unless/until battery voltage drops below a certain threshold. That way it will record video for as long as it can without draining your car battery.

I believe most dashcam manufacturers offer a similar power rig, and most also will have the ability to only trigger recording when motion is detected.

Just purchased an OJO cam, looks like it will be a huge improvement over the clunker I have as a dash cam now. Thanks for the heads up!

I saw the roadhawk brand had a power unit it inline filter for voltage drop threshold to prevent battery overdraw..
I think I'll probably go this route myself.

With any dash can that is kept in the car during hot days. I recommend that you either remove battery or remove the camera when you aren't using the camera. My finevu battery expanded in the Texas heat. Caused some component damage.

The OJO/Mini 0801 is very tempting - I will likely be picking one up!

You can always get the skeleton frame to avoid this problem.

But if it's used only as a dash cam, water isn't an issue. The real issue with a GoPro is that it doesn't loop/record over itself. Imagine you went on a 2 hour drive and got in an accident... do you have to know how to edit video files to present evidence?

5 minute clips are a thing of beauty.

-alex

Only if you drive on conventional surfaces...:burnrubber:

Does the ojo require a power cable at all times or is it just to recharge an internal battery?

Actually with the Hero 3 you can loop record in intervals at your choosing.

Yeah the action frame would avoid that too.

I have this DVR and it is absolutely brilliant.

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Best-...715941624.html

got the powerucc panorama 2
now if only my touchup paint would come in :)

Thanks for all the recommendations folks!

I was thinking of getting something like this more or less..

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Abeo-HDVR-150-Accident-Camera-Recorder/dp/B005GTKY24/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1397121297&sr=8-10&keywords=dash+cam"]http://www.amazon.com/Abeo-HDVR-150-Accident-Camera-Recorder/dp/B005GTKY24/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1397121297&sr=8-10&keywords=dash+cam[/ame]


But I have a general dash cam question: where do you guys recommend I plug it in so it's neat? The front dashboard only has that usb port, there's a cigarette lighter in the middle console but that just seems too far and awkward, and then there's the cigarette lighter in the glove box but I don't even know if it that's viable option.

Pull out your dome light from your headliner and reach in there towards the back of the car, there's an accessory plug that's for the auto dimming mirror, you can tap into that for accessory switched power.

Most dash cams come with a long enough cord that you can actually run the wire around the windshield, down the A-pillar (you have to pull out the cover, very easy to do), and down around the side of the dash (by the door), then you can access the glovebox plug from the underside of the dash. You can do all that within a few minutes.