GoPro or Dashcam?
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I installed the blackvue 650S-2ch front and rear in my Cayman....love it...I just put one in my Jeep and am thinking about putting one in my wife's car as well. Not as much for filming driving, but as peice of mind for all of the idiots on the road. The quality is good and its easy to use. Here is a link to a vid i took of what the playback looks like on my PC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zr153XZxgak
Here is a link to what the install looks like in my car: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR0v2no_cKI
Here is a link to what the install looks like in my car: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR0v2no_cKI
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Action cameras (such a GoPro) are horrible when used as dash cams because they're not meant to be used that way. The most annoying aspect of which is you have to start and stop recording each time, and trust me, eventually you're not going to bother, and that defeats the purpose of having a dash cam. They are also not meant to be constantly hooked up to a power source, so chances are, you'd gonna have to rig that up yourself. And lastly, constant recording will mean the camera runs hot, and a GoPro battery is not going to like that.
As far as dash cams are concerned, they are available from $50 all the way up to $500+. You need to think about how much you want to spend, and what kind of features you want. Some of the more basic questions are:
- single, dual, or multi channel? (ie. how many cameras do you want?)
- battery vs capacitor as power source
- do you want an always on parking mode?
I personally prefer capacitor-based dash cams over battery powered ones since they are less likely to fail. Dash cams get quite hot when they are running, and they're subjected to some very harsh temperatures (both hot and cold) when the car is parked. Extreme temperatures tend to kill batteries faster, so capacitor-based cams are preferred. My first dash cam is battery powered, and while it still records, I suspect the battery is kind of dead after 2+ years of usage since it does funky stuff on power up and shut down.
For the SD card, 32 - 128 GB are most common. On mine with a 1296p video, even a 32GB card is good for around 4 hours of footage. But double check that your dashcam supports the capacity you plan on buying. A lot dashcams, esp the older models, can only handle up to 64GB. If you drive a lot, you might also want to purchase an endurance version of the SD card instead of the common, regular ones that is more easily available. The endurance versions can handle more re-writes, so your SD card wouldn't die out as frequently, but they are ~2x more expensive.
May I ask why you are considering a "removable" dashcam, instead of one that is permanently mounted using 3M adhesive tape? The removable ones are typically mounted using suction cups, and the assembly (suction cup + mounting arm) tend to be larger and more visible. Many of the permanently mounted ones are quite small and discrete, and I'd recommend you going that route instead.
Lastly, I'd highly recommend these guys if you are looking for a vendor:
https://www.blackboxmycar.com/
I've purchased multiple dashcams from them, and their service & products have been excellent. Instead of my broad and generalized comments, they'd be able to make product-specific recommendations for you.
As far as dash cams are concerned, they are available from $50 all the way up to $500+. You need to think about how much you want to spend, and what kind of features you want. Some of the more basic questions are:
- single, dual, or multi channel? (ie. how many cameras do you want?)
- battery vs capacitor as power source
- do you want an always on parking mode?
I personally prefer capacitor-based dash cams over battery powered ones since they are less likely to fail. Dash cams get quite hot when they are running, and they're subjected to some very harsh temperatures (both hot and cold) when the car is parked. Extreme temperatures tend to kill batteries faster, so capacitor-based cams are preferred. My first dash cam is battery powered, and while it still records, I suspect the battery is kind of dead after 2+ years of usage since it does funky stuff on power up and shut down.
For the SD card, 32 - 128 GB are most common. On mine with a 1296p video, even a 32GB card is good for around 4 hours of footage. But double check that your dashcam supports the capacity you plan on buying. A lot dashcams, esp the older models, can only handle up to 64GB. If you drive a lot, you might also want to purchase an endurance version of the SD card instead of the common, regular ones that is more easily available. The endurance versions can handle more re-writes, so your SD card wouldn't die out as frequently, but they are ~2x more expensive.
May I ask why you are considering a "removable" dashcam, instead of one that is permanently mounted using 3M adhesive tape? The removable ones are typically mounted using suction cups, and the assembly (suction cup + mounting arm) tend to be larger and more visible. Many of the permanently mounted ones are quite small and discrete, and I'd recommend you going that route instead.
Lastly, I'd highly recommend these guys if you are looking for a vendor:
https://www.blackboxmycar.com/
I've purchased multiple dashcams from them, and their service & products have been excellent. Instead of my broad and generalized comments, they'd be able to make product-specific recommendations for you.
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1,875 Posts
dashcam for everyday use, go pro for DE/Track use.
Dashcams have a bunch of features such as motion detection, shock detection (like a knock/bump), LED indicator lights (like a alarm light), auto shutdown on low batt voltage, wifi to connect to phones/home wifi, gps location, dedicated app to review video on smartphones.
and Traum makes a good point with SD cards - wonky ones cause all sorts of problems with dash cams.
Dashcams have a bunch of features such as motion detection, shock detection (like a knock/bump), LED indicator lights (like a alarm light), auto shutdown on low batt voltage, wifi to connect to phones/home wifi, gps location, dedicated app to review video on smartphones.
and Traum makes a good point with SD cards - wonky ones cause all sorts of problems with dash cams.
I used BlackVue Best Quality Single & Dual-Lens Dashcams All New For Sale for both of my dashcams. The second time i purchased a 490S-2ch which has an external GPS. They sent me the wrong GPS (sent me one for the 490L) I did a RMA and had a the right part within a few days. So even though they made a mistake, i like that they fixed it quickly. To me that says a lot about a company. I dont know the other company, but i feel like i can recommend thedashcamstore. Good luck and enjoy the car
I had the local expert install my 650S. He pulled off all the trim to run the wires and mounted the power switch for the parking mode in the glove box. Everything is invisible from the driver's seat.
I'm still trying to work out the settings. I've got the G-force trigger for driving down to 5/100 and still get false triggers around corners when I push it a little, and when I go over pot-holes or rough construction zones. It's not a big deal and I guess it keeps me re-formatting the SD card regularly to avoid it filling up with "events", but the settings are obviously designed for slow, lumbering vehicles with soft suspensions.
I did find that the polarising filter worked well reducing the reflections in the windshield. I made up one out of an old, unused pair of sunglasses.
Greg
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111 Posts
Thanks Guys. After realizing my older body would not cooperate and I could not easily get into a position to study the fuse box and determine the best switched and unswitched fuses I decided to have a pro install the Power Magic Pro. I did install the camera, ran and hid all the wires from the camera by the fuse box for the future connection and to the in-console power and it works. So for the time being I will have driving but not parking mode enabled...
Only problem is that the console power appears to be unswitched so I will need to remember to unplug the camera.
Only problem is that the console power appears to be unswitched so I will need to remember to unplug the camera.
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