Has anyone got one of these and can recommend it?

Y-see, I like to actually see the things I buy, especially tech things. Well I can get one of these cameras from places like Amazon but of course I cant see it before I buy. Even Halfords sell them but only `on-line`. I'm not too technically minded so something simple to operate would be ideal. I just want it to record the journeys I make in case of an incident. So a recommendation from one of you guys with personal experience would put my mind at rest.

Many thanks.

Mike.

Have a look around on here and Scoobynet etc. Or even youtube has a lot of info.

Blackvue and Roadhawk seem the "main" ones. Though there are minicams available for much less. Depends if they're capable of looping footage really. I'd guess most wouldn't.

Edited 19 December, 201213 yr by vindaloo

I have a Blackvue 380G HD. Nice, small discreet unit, good quality and no fuss. It was not cheap though (£170).

Its a shame you didnt post a few weeks back, quite a few of us have just done a group buy on Blackvue's 300, 380g HD and the 400G HD's

http://www.briskoda....uy-list-closed/

I have a Blackvue 380G HD. Nice, small discreet unit, good quality and no fuss. It was not cheap though (£170).

Thank you for your response `Huskoda`. Can you please tell me where you purchased it?

Many Thanks.

mike.

I am also saving up for one of the Blackvue cameras.

I have two questions.

1. Are they 12v only, or can they be used around the home on 240v too?

2. If someone has either the DR380G HD or the DR350 can you send me a short sample so I can see what the quality is like?

3. Does it come with software to use on the Mac platform?

To get my email address just send me a PM. :yes:

I organised the Brisky Group Buy for the Blackvue units and did the same last year.

We run the cheaper model (300) in all the works minibuses for insurance reasons.

Prior to buying a lot (Group Buy and Fleet) I bought one of each and the Blackvue was the better unit IMO.

The Roadhawk is £200, but is bigger and gets in the way more.

It's also easier to see from outside the vehicle.

The Blackvue is a smaller, slimmer design. The quality on the basic 300 unit is not quite as good, but the 380 unit give about the same quality and the 400 gives amazing footage. Possible better than you'll ever need unless you need to get the reg number of a vewhicle driving away quickly.

The 300 model has been discontinued now. So that leaves you with a choice of 380 or 400, both of which are top class units.

We bought from here: http://www.blackvuehd.co.uk/index.php

But obviously we got a discount because the first time we spent about £10k and the second time about £3k.

Please tell me...looking at the installation images, I see wires coming out of the device. Does that mean that it has to be plugged in all the time...presumably into the cigar lighter socket, meaning trailng wires?

Yes, they all need a 12v feed.

But as they are typically mounted up high on the windscreen by the rear view mirror you can wire them in directly and make it look tidy.

Pics in my Yeti.

Front-Cam.

This is fitted so it's not visable from the drivers seat.

Back-Cam.

As you say, if you use the supplied 12v ciggy plug it does means tucking wire behind sunvisor, door seal etc... or having trailing wires.

Yes, they all need a 12v feed.

But as they are typically mounted up high on the windscreen by the rear view mirror you can wire them in directly and make it look tidy.

Pics in my Yeti.

Front-Cam.

This is fitted so it's not visable from the drivers seat.

Back-Cam.

As you say, if you use the supplied 12v ciggy plug it does means tucking wire behind sunvisor, door seal etc... or having trailing wires.

Thanks for the info and pics.

I got mine from ebay and have it setup like BossFox, wired in to a fuse, with all the cabling hidden away. If you want a battery powered one, the GoPro cameras are very, very good.

I'm looking at a couple of `Prestigio` cameras (Roadrunner 500 and Roadrunner HD1) both battery operated and both available from Halfords. Does anyone have experience of either of these devices please?

Many thanks.

Mike.

How long does the battery last?

I have no experience of those.

I do have experience of the GoPro though, the battery does not last that long.

A few hours maybe.

They also do not loop the footage, so once the SD card is full they switch off.

That's why they are track day cameras mostly and not drive recorders.

How long does the battery last? 2.5 hrs in the case of the `Roadrunner 500` and it does `Loop` recording. The other one's spec sheet didn't specify.

I have no experience of those.

I do have experience of the GoPro though, the battery does not last that long.

A few hours maybe.

They also do not loop the footage, so once the SD card is full they switch off.

That's why they are track day cameras mostly and not drive recorders.

How long does the battery last?

I have no experience of those.

I do have experience of the GoPro though, the battery does not last that long.

A few hours maybe.

They also do not loop the footage, so once the SD card is full they switch off.

That's why they are track day cameras mostly and not drive recorders.

Exactly whey I got the Blackvue. GoPro is perfect for my bike and trackdays but no good everyday. Now I just need to decide on what video editing software to use

Now I just need to decide on what video editing software to use

I've found windows movie maker OK. You can adjust end/start times of clips to try and remove the overlaps. Takes a bit of fiddling but I managed it on my 15 minute Cadwell video. I spliced 5 clips in all and I think the joins were fairly seamless.

Having the 12v feed in the cigarette lighter, can you take it out for periods of time? Like if I wanted to charge my phone using the cigarette lighter, could I take the camera out without it stopping?

could I take the camera out without it stopping?

No. No power = no camera, simples

You'll need either a splitter, or hardwire the unit into the car like many others have done.

Ah ok, cheers! Wasn't sure if it could run for short periods of time without the power feed. I see the 400G model is quite expensive at around £250, are there any cheaper alternatives people would recommend? Or is the blackvue worth the money? I know I've unfortunately missed out on the group buy, but only just started to really become interested in one. Seems like an excellent gadget to have.

If you can find a DR300G its almost as good as the 400 - just resolution is not as good, as in not HD 1080P. Its a discontinued model now so you might be able to find one left in stock from a supplier that bought a load a while ago. Just be careful its not Korean....

my camera will run for 3 hours on battery but as many have said I've hard wired mine in rather than running it off the lighter plug (mainly due to the fact when I was sick the car didn't move for three days and the sat nav/camera drained the battery)

not the best pictures but you get the idea

Ah ok, cheers! Wasn't sure if it could run for short periods of time without the power feed. I see the 400G model is quite expensive at around £250, are there any cheaper alternatives people would recommend? Or is the blackvue worth the money? I know I've unfortunately missed out on the group buy, but only just started to really become interested in one. Seems like an excellent gadget to have.

One of the 400v2 units ordered was not wanted.

So it's available at the group buy price of £210 including delivery.

And once you eradicate Oppa Gangnam Style from it it works well. Still take mine out when parked as I'm paranoid some chav will help himself