Dave reviews a dashcam

[dave21478]

Being a two-faced prick, I am very much against the Big Brother surveillance state but am fully ok with me personally having dashcams for my own protection / amusement.

 

 

For the last couple of years I have had a few of the old G1W dashcams in my fleet but they are getting old and beginning to be unreliable so thought it time to upgrade. Rather than buy a dose of them in one go, I bought one to evaluate before buying more of them.
I got the ToGuard FullHD dashcam from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B018FY4OX6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Verdict - Dogshit.

 

Its a neat wee thing to look at and build quality is what you would expect. I initially thought it was a repackaged G1W as the "boot up" and "shutdown" noises are the same and the menu is very similar.....This would have been fine with me, but on this one the image quality is noticeably worse than the old ones, colours are flat, edges are blurry and its a struggle to read numberplates. It has a constant faint beeping / buzzing noise in the background of the recordings and after just two hours in the car it froze up three times. Loop recording should be seamless but this has a 3 second pause between loops. I tried it with a different SD card but no improvement.

I noted that the position and font style of the datestamp on the video is the same as the fake G1Ws that were being sold for a while which looked the part but had terrible internals and software.

 

Sending back to Amazon for a refund.

 

If anyone has recommendations for one in the 30 - 40 quid range, Im all ears. Im not expecting miracles...just something reasonable.

 

 

[UltraWomble]

Not in the £30-0 unless you get secondhand but the Transcend 220 is very good and has been isn service now with Mrs Womble for some 12000 odd miles.

[Split_Pin]

*follows thread*

 

After a spectacular dual carriageway near miss in England a few weeks ago, I must get one of these, especially now that I have a working laptop to support it.

[Tickman]

I have one of these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/351678603738

Not a dashcam as such but the quality is great and it switches on with the ignition and off with a delay when you power off.

[tapir]

I've got a g1w-c (cap rather than battery) that's been working great, ordered from China for £30,

That's assuming that it's the batteries that are dying in your current fleet of g1w's? There's nothing else I've heard about that get close for £30

[Matt]

Came to say what tapir said above. Your G1W unreliability is probably down to the batteries being fucked by constant charging and no depletion. If you're happy with the G1W get a G1W-C; exactly the same but no battery to wear out. I bought one recently and am quite happy with it. Got a Amacam AM-M80 (AKA Mini 0805) to go in the rear window, waiting for a new cable then will report my findings.

 

(Click for video)

G1W-C Dashcam Test by MattLikesCars, on Flickr

[Six-cylinder]

Not in the £30-0 unless you get secondhand but the Transcend 220 is very good and has been isn service now with Mrs Womble for some 12000 odd miles.

I have a Transcend 200, absolute rubbish the quality is so poor you cannot read reg numbers.

 

I also have a Daniel James 2.4 inch DVR and that works better but still not good. Only £10 but I have lost the windscreen sucker now so don't use it.

[rantingYoof]

I have one given that I do a lot of countryside driving for my job and I don't have much faith in my insurance company if I get hit head on by a speeding local in a single-laned road without any witnesses.

 

I've already captured a couple of interesting* things. You can gander here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLkFzyID0zUTq5SoIqn_c9g

 

I would highly recommend the Dashcam I've got, although it costs well in excess of ten times a specific Honda Accord. It was a Christmas present, however, so yeah.

 

I probably should put "'Road" before my Youtube name for full self-righteous brownie points...

[Pillock]

I have a Transcend 200, absolute rubbish the quality is so poor you cannot read reg numbers.

 

I also have a Daniel James 2.4 inch DVR and that works better but still not good. Only £10 but I have lost the windscreen sucker now so don't use it.

That's odd, I've got a 200 and it's fine, can read registrations and stuff. Yours might be faulty?

 

https://youtu.be/WxD4TizFggQ

[For Fiats Sake]

From the which? dashcam reviews

 

£70 for this model.

Which? verdict: Very good-value dash cam 71%

LAUNCHED 

01 MARCH 2016

TESTED 

20 JUNE 2016

 

on offer at currys for £62.

 

 

The iN-CAR CAM 212 Lite is part of a new range of dash cams from Nextbase. Priced at less than £70, it's one of the cheaper options out there. So does this dash cam have the combination of features and footage to make it worth buying? Read on to find out.

PROS

Clear and detailed footage, low price, small and compact

CONS

Lacks some features, such as GPS

 

This is one of the best dash cams we've ever tested, and the cheapest Best Buy we've found. It does lack a few useful features, such as GPS, but the footage is clear and detailed, and it's a breeze to install and use.

 

 

What is it?

 

A small, compact and affordable Full HD dash cam from Nextbase. It has a 2.7-inch LED display, a 140-degree wide-angle view, and records footage in 1080p resolution. It also has a parking mode, which will trigger the camera if your car is bumped while parked, and a G-force sensor to ensure your footage is recorded and protected during and after an impact.

 

 

How good is video quality?

 

 

The iN-CAR CAM 212 Lite records clear footage with a good level of detail - road signs and number plates can be seen both in moving footage and when the video is paused. The 140-degree wide-angle view is detailed, right to the edge of the image.

 

 

As with most dash cams, the 212 Lite struggles with footage at night - there's a reduction in detail. You'll notice some glare from street lights, too. It's far from the worst, though, and will be able to provide at least some detail if you crash after dark.

 

 

How easy is it to use?

 

 

This dash cam is small and compact, so can be easily stored in the glove compartment of your car or popped in a handbag. You can place it behind the rear-view mirror, so it won't obstruct your view of the road.

 

 

The 212 Lite has a Click & Go mount, which uses magnets and powered touch points to dock and charge your device. It means the dash cam itself is free from wires, as the power cable is attached to the mount, making it easy and quick to remove or reinstall.

 

 

The device is relatively easy to use, although we'd like to see more contrast between the menu text and background to make it easier to read. Footage can be viewed on screen while you're on the go, or via Windows Media Player or QuickTime while plugged in to a PC.

 

 

Is there anything else I should know?

 

 

The 202 Lite lacks some of the features of more expensive Nextbase Best Buy models. The 312GW, 512G Ultra and 402G all have built-in GPS to track your exact route, location and speed, but the 202 Lite doesn't. It also doesn't have built-in wi-fi for viewing your footage on the Nextbase app, while the 312GW does.

 

 

During our tests, the G-force sensor failed to activate at the default level, meaning the footage from moments of impact wasn't protected and could be recorded over. You'll need to play around with the G-force sensor settings on your device, as we found it was activated when set to high sensitivity.

 

 

Should I buy it?

 

Yes - this is a really good dash cam at an appealing price. If you want a few more features and don't mind spending a little more, take a look at the Next iN-CAR CAM 312GW, 512G Ultra and 402G.

 

also the review for the next model up, the wifi downloading looks like a very handy feature as I can't stand fiddling with sdcards.

 

 

Which? verdict: A great option 72%

LAUNCHED 

01 MARCH 2016

TESTED 

20 JUNE 2016

 

The Nextbase iN-CAR CAM 312GW dash cam has a raft of impressive technology under the bonnet, including a 6G lens, 140-degree wide-angle view, and built-in wi-fi so you can view your footage on the go. It's affordably priced, too. But does it produce clear and detailed footage? We took it out on the road to find out.

PROS

Detailed footage, easy to remove and install, lots of features

CONS

Night-time footage isn't great, Nextbase viewing software could be better

 

This is a great little dash cam from Nextbase. The iN-CAR CAM 312GW was the highest-scoring dash cam in 2016, beating both the Nextbase iN-CAR CAM 512G Ultra, 212 Lite and 402G to the top spot. It has plenty of features, as well as good detailed footage and a low price.

 

 

What is it?

 

A small and compact Full HD dash cam from Nextbase. It has a 2.7-inch LED display, a 140-degree wide-angle view, and records footage in 1080p resolution. It also has a parking mode, which will trigger the camera if your car is bumped while parked; a G-force sensor to ensure your footage is recorded and protected during and after an impact; and GPS to track your exact location and speed.

 

 

How good is video quality?

 

As we would expect from a premium Nextbase dash cam, the 312GW records clear footage with a good level of detail - road signs and number plates can be seen both in moving footage and when the video is paused. The 140-degree wide-angle view is detailed, right to the edge of the image.

 

 

As with most dash cams, the 312GW Deluxe struggles with footage at night - there's a reduction in detail. You'll notice some glare from street lights, too. It's far from the worst, though, and will be able to provide at least some detail if you crash after dark.

 

 

How easy is it to use?

 

 

This dash cam is small and compact, so can be easily stored in the glove compartment of your car or popped in a handbag. You can place it behind the rear-view mirror, so it won't obstruct your view of the road.

 

 

The 312GW has a Click & Go mount, which uses magnets and powered touch points to dock and charge your device. It means the dash cam itself is free from wires, as the power cable is attached to the mount, making it easy and quick to remove or reinstall.

 

 

The display screen is a good size for viewing your footage on the go, and the on-screen icons are well contrasted and easy to see. The buttons on the device have multiple functions, so they can take a little while to get the hang of.

 

 

The bespoke software Nextbase supplies for viewing footage on your PC could be better - it is a little unintuitive, and the layout can be daunting. The menus contain some jargon, too, and you will need to get your head around this to make the most of it.

 

 

Is there anything else I should know?

 

The iN-CAR CAM 312GW has built-in wi-fi and can be paired with the Nextbase Cam Viewer App on your smartphone or tablet, meaning you can easily view live or recorded video footage from the dash cam.

 

 

Should I buy it?

 

Yes - at just under £100 this is the cheapest Best Buy dash cam, but it still provides clear and detailed footage that will have you covered in the case of a crash, and doesn't scrimp on features.

 

 

Nothing achieved better scores than these two models with most scoring around 40-50%

 

 

[adw1977]

I've had a Transcend 200 for about a year and find it pretty good. Unlikely to get one for less than £80, though.

[0ldCh0d]

I use a Mio mivue 518. It has a very good recording quality (1080p) & works good at night aswell. it cost £86 (around feb this year, so may be cheaper now), however, that was my choice, i did not want a cheap & nasty one. I would recommend one. 

[dieselnutjob]

i'm currently looking at/tempted by the Viofo A119

[Captain Furious]

I have a nextbase 512 in my daily commute car, they're heinously expensive but the quality is outstanding. I've just bought a 312GW for my 2nd car and it's almost as good but a lot more reasonable on price (though still £83 from eBay)

 

I realise this may seem like unrealistic spend for a shiters budget, but the way I look at it is this, one day it may give me the opportunity to nail some cash for crash scumcunt to the wall, and I'd never forgive self if I lost that due to substandard recoding equipment.

[Jim Bell]

Ive spent less than £83 on Motd cars.

Im waiting until the market is truly swamped and the prices drop.

[beko1987]

I've always been half tempted with a dashcam, I travel on the M40 in rush hour twice a day but haven't ever had a reason to need one yet. I've had the odd prick cut infront of me causing some sharp braking, people wandering towards my lane when we are side by side but a quick parp of the horn wakes them up.

 

Of course, I probably wont be saying that when something does happen. Are those rear view mirror replacement ones any good? I read the other day (not sure if on here or pissedonheads though) that someone had a rear view mirror camera with a hidden LCD display that fed speed limits and camera warning etc, that would be cool. I wouldn't want a battery one though, can buy another hard wired microUSB cable and wire it up properly rather than just off something easy like I did with my bluetooth dongle's power supply

[beko1987]

A quick ebay search finds this, which looks quite funky and gadgety http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HD-1080P-In-Car-Rear-View-Mirror-4-3-Monitor-Dash-Cam-Recorder-Camera-Dual-lens-/401039903379?hash=item5d5fd74a93:g:enoAAOSwzchXRU~G

 

Especially the rear camera, have no faith in the image quality though

[Jim Bell]

You had me at other camera fail to work on rainy day dangerous our camera clear as normal keep safe.

[beko1987]

Speak of the devil, just been out for a rolly and there were 50 copies of this months Which comic in the samples bin (we do the postage, so get loads for quality control, which are all binned) so I nabbed a copy as I like to see what vacuum cleaner stuff there is)

 

Double pager on dashcams!

 

[Bear]

Nextbase 112G plus hardwire kit and magnetic mount that means no trailing cables.

[dean36014]

I've tried the cheapy cams of ebay and gave up as they were completely useless and packed up regularly.  I now have a nextbase 101 in both cars, picked them up for around £35 each. Only the basic model but the number plates are nice and clear on the videos, nightt vision isn't great, but you can make things out. They get the Dean36014 thumbs up from me.

[dollywobbler]

I've got a Mobius action camera that I could apparently turn into a dash cam. My problem is that the best way is to hard wire it into the car, and I change cars so often that I can't be arsed.

[dean36014]

I used these, makes fitting dead easy, wired up to an ignition only live and feed the cable round to the camera and plug in.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/162175005022?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=461148482223&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[martybabes]

Speak of the devil, just been out for a rolly and there were 50 copies of this months Which comic in the samples bin (we do the postage, so get loads for quality control, which are all binned) so I nabbed a copy as I like to see what vacuum cleaner stuff there is)

 

Double pager on dashcams!

 

dashcam.jpg

 

 

Have you got Page 76 pretty please?

[beko1987]

Have you got Page 76 pretty please?

Of course! I would post you the whole thing but I havent got enough change in my vending machine change stash

 

[beko1987]

I used these, makes fitting dead easy, wired up to an ignition only live and feed the cable round to the camera and plug in.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/162175005022?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=461148482223&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Oooh 5v 2a, that might charge my phone!

[beko1987]

Although lol, got to love chinglish

 

"4. Open the fuse box, connect the low protector to the warranty on the long telegram in the box"

[Tickman]

I've got a Mobius action camera that I could apparently turn into a dash cam. My problem is that the best way is to hard wire it into the car, and I change cars so often that I can't be arsed.

Mine isn't hard wired just into a usb cigarette lighter thing, most people don't know it is there as the wire is routed round the windscreen and it is fitted behind the mirror.

10 minutes job where at least 8 of those is finding where I put the cable ties.

[dave21478]

Being a firm believer in "stick with what you know" and listening to a few suggestions above, I have ordered another G1W with a capacitor rather than a battery.

 

Will update when it arrives.

[AMC Rebel]

Vote of thanks to Beko for the scans - ace!