There's heaps and heaps on the net! I'm looking for one to cover myself and want to know your recommendations:
Preferences:
Minimum 1080p, 30fps
Can use cord, so battery life not a concern
Does not require voice activation
Preferably something that is easy to use and good recording function
Does not need to record while car is off
Budget..ehh willing to pay a little more for a sturdy product.
Tyty
I feel like there’s a “recommend me a dashcam” thread every week.
As well as the recommend me a car with x amount of seats for $x within a specific year range.
Can you recommend a car with 7.5 seats for under 10k WITH a dashcam?
Or most luxurious car.
A119S.
This is my answer too. Check out the night time quality - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYzYPfC9HVY
I second this.
My unit also comes with the GPS module for location and driving speed data aswell. Pretty affordable for a solid dashcam!
I also purchased its the CPL (polarising) Filter to eliminate glare. Highly recommend that you purchase and install it as it noticeably improved clarity.
Number plates and details are nice and clear. Good field of view and hidden look - really hard to see that you have it installed!
Good night time footage as well.
I've had it for over a year now and have been impressed :)
Blackvue DR900S-2CH.
It's 4K recording so you can see the number plate clearly. Unlike certain OzB member/s with potato-lemon combo dashcam, with crappy braking skill.
Not everyone may afford a euro and a Blackbvue to go with it.
OP did not specify the max cost & wanted sturdy, don't blame the messenger. :D
I bought one of these last Fri at the Autobarn 25% sale to go into a 23 year old car. I've had several dashcams before, they a great idea but if it comes down to needing to rely on the footage and you can't make out the plate etc then it's really worthless IMO.
Ty ty reading reviews now!
Dashmate DSH1200 is amazing (4k)
Blueskysea B1W. Excellent dashcam for $60, video recording quality is quite good and its small and discrete. I plug mine into a small powerbank when parked.
Very happy with it, might even buy another one to cover the rear of the car, but also considering upgrading to a 2ch system for convenience.
I'd get anything with blackvue, I had a Viofo that literally melted in 44C weather once, I don't think they are designed to last in the Australian climate.
Good to see real feedback.
Will quote your comment for future potential buyer.
44'C outside, gets amplified to 60'C with the magnifying glass of the windshield and glass windows.
Let it get trapped in for sometime, and the temp begins to rise higher, and this can permanently affect the silicon and tin inside electronics. So your microSD could be corrupted, processors could be fried, and solders could lose contact.
Thanks! Was the Viofo an older model by any chance?
Yeah, it probably was considering I bought it in 2014.
Rookie question…. for non battery ones, who do you get to do the installation? Just find a local mechanic?
They don't necessarily need professional installation. I have a dashcam with a capacitor instead of a battery and it just plugs in to the 12v plug (cigarette lighter). The benefit to not having a battery (especially for me in QLD) is that it won't explode/leak when the car gets hot. The benefit of having a model with a battery is that it can record while the car isn't switched on.
Hmmmm but the cord just hangs down from the windscreen? Isn't it annoying?
You run the cord around the trim, there is no cord hanging down from the windscreen. I wouldn't bother with hardwiring, not really worth the expense and hassle IMO. When parked I prefer to just plug into a power bank and stick it between the vanity mirror and roof or on top of the rear view mirror.
@nubzy: I think it would annoy me if it's just 'there' in my vision in my nice new and neatly tidy car ;)
@Skramit: But it's not..
You can't even see my dashcam when sitting inside the car. Wires neatly tucked up behind the trim and the cam sits behind the rearview mirror.
@Skramit: Ummm, so you want photos of (essentially) nothing? 🤔
You'll probably benefit more from YouTube videos that guide you through the process. I just googled "how to hide dashcam wire" for mine…there's a soft plastic tool you can buy/use, I just used my fingers and an old credit card. A plastic paint scraper or spatula would probably also do the trick for most of it.
You can also DIY hardwire one to your car battery yourself if you have a fuse tap kit and find which fuse to tap…in your manual, online guides or on the fuse box cover will help…but you can end up with a flat battery or worse if you do it incorrectly I suppose.
Rather than start a new thread, what would you guys recommend for an installed one (no cord), good enough footage to get number plates, has rearview camera as well (or do I just buy two), will record if it feels a bump and the car is off?
Panasonic AG-456UP
Blueskysea bw1. But 50/50 chance it will connect automatically via cigarette lighter. A small inconvenience in pulling it out and in as mine is not hard wired.
Viofo A119V2