In Car Cameras

[SmartCamDirect]

So there are lots of new In car cameras coming out and wanted to know if any of you guys have any experience with any of them?

I personally use a BlackVue 500 as the Wifi feature is really handy to me.

What are your thoughts? Any caught any good footage on any of the new cameras (Blackvue 500, CR500 etc).

They're really coming up in quality and the new FineVu CR500 even has a Sony Exmoor sensor which for a car camera is pretty amazing.

[Dean-]

I am thinking of getting one of these installed. Got offered a Mi-Witness HD cam £199 - What do you think?

[BossFox]

I have used:

Blackvue 300

Blackvue 350

Blackvue 380

Blackvue 400

Roadhawk

Mini DVR

Action Pro

GoPro Hero2

GoPro Hero3 (black)

Various bullet cams

V-Box lite (twin camera and GPS)

Sony HDR-AS15

So far...

It's a bit of a hobby of mine.

Some of my vids are here:

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/260737-the-briskoda-drive-recorder-video-footage-thread/

[Dean-]

I have used:

Blackvue 300

Blackvue 350

Blackvue 380

Blackvue 400

Roadhawk

Mini DVR

Action Pro

GoPro Hero2

GoPro Hero3 (black)

Various bullet cams

V-Box lite (twin camera and GPS)

Sony HDR-AS15

So far...

It's a bit of a hobby of mine.

Some of my vids are here:

http://www.briskoda....footage-thread/

Which do you prefer?

[SmartCamDirect]

I have used:

Blackvue 300

Blackvue 350

Blackvue 380

Blackvue 400

Roadhawk

Mini DVR

Action Pro

GoPro Hero2

GoPro Hero3 (black)

Various bullet cams

V-Box lite (twin camera and GPS)

Sony HDR-AS15

So far...

It's a bit of a hobby of mine.

Some of my vids are here:

http://www.briskoda....footage-thread/

Haha, do you own all of those?

The new GoPro is very good but unfortunately doesn't work too well for me as a car camera.

[BossFox]

Which do you prefer?

Many of them are different tools for different jobs.

I currently have a Blackvue 400 in the front and back windows and a GoPro3 black for trackday low down bumper shots.

The V-Box is amazing and has a lot of data logging for track but it takes time to set up and it expensive.

I've looked at the Mi Witness over the weekend, seems you can even plug a rear camera into it.

But I have no experience of it yet.

[BossFox]

Haha, do you own all of those?

The new GoPro is very good but unfortunately doesn't work too well for me as a car camera.

Well I have sold a couple off I was not using, or lent them out...

Bit of an obsession of mine.

[Dean-]

I like this one as it is CHEAP!

http://www.smartcamdirect.com/smartcam_camera.php

What it like fitting?

[Aspman]

The dearer ones are out of budget for me although I can see the benefit of the cameras. I had a quick hunt round for a review of a cheap one and found that.

Edited 11 February, 2013 by Aspman

[RainbowFire]

I like this one as it is CHEAP!

http://www.smartcamd...tcam_camera.php

What it like fitting?

I have the previous version of this one. The mounting bracket is huge. I threw it away and used a couple of think sticky-back number plate pads from Halfords. The previous version was all black. I dis-like the new one as that silver edging makes the camera way less discrete.(Although, as usual, Duct-tape will fix that ) I ran the power cable (which is long enough to reach the back of the car!) into the glove-box where I have a 4-port power thingy on a switched live.

So far, so good. It did blow my 64gB card though, but the 8 has been running fine. Picture quality is ok and usable, especially considering the price. You can't read number-plates at 300 yards, but then you won't be coming in contact with anything 300 yards away. (If you look on that video on the smartcam page, at 0:50 - 0:54 you can't read the "Reduce Speed Now" sign until you are literally on top of it.)

[Dean-]

Someone Recommend me a cam that is under £100 and has good reviews - I agree I don't like the Silver casing on the new one and the camera does look a little big!

BossFox you selling any of yours cheap?

[SmartCamDirect]

The smartcam does have very good reviews if you look around, this silver is unnoticeable from the outside I couldn't recommend anything personally but there are some out there. From what we've tested it's hard to find a reliable one!

[SmartCamDirect]

The smartcam does have very good reviews if you look around, this silver is unnoticeable from the outside I couldn't recommend anything personally but there are some out there. From what we've tested it's hard to find a reliable one!

[devonutopia]

400G pointing forward, 300G pointing back. Like both units. Just hoping the 300G will find a satellite on its next really long trip so it will update time and location starts working.

[James I]

400G pointing forward in Yeti or Fabia, I bought because Richard said it was good.....

No I did read other reviews and the GPS, speed and time feature is really good.

The only bad point I have found is that the BlackVue software is not compatible with MAC, I have to bribe my son for a lone of his laptop. Will MAC software be produced?

One question though, after my track effort, the video was in 720p, this creates monster files, how do you guys process and upload?

[BossFox]

Youtube and leave it uploading for 30 minutes or so...

[Grizzle]

I'm loving the look of the Finevue CR-500HD saw it a few months back tempted as a rear camera, i have a blackvue 400V2 for front.

[TriggerFish]

I'm with Sonix on this - I want something cheap and small. The £80 ones would do on image quality, but all look a bit too big/unsightly for me.

The only bad point I have found is that the BlackVue software is not compatible with MAC, I have to bribe my son for a lone of his laptop. Will MAC software be produced?

Considered a virtual Windows machine?

[Grizzle]

The only bad point I have found is that the BlackVue software is not compatible with MAC, I have to bribe my son for a lone of his laptop. Will MAC software be produced?

I have Blackvue viewer on my mac.

[Grizzle]

http://www.blackvue.com/en/contents/sub3.asp?mode=view&serboardsort=&page=1&idx=969&search=&searchstr

[GentleGiant]

I have a HD GPS model on order from China for £32, but it wont be here for a few weeks (Chinese New Year celebrations go on until the 17th); I will see if I can post a review once I have it set up and working.

I know, £32 - but dont laugh, some of the stuff I have bought has been amazing for the money; stuff that would cost £100's in the West. but can be bought for beer money over there; our wedding rings were hand made ( in front of me), from raw metal - for £16!!!

[SmartCamDirect]

I have a HD GPS model on order from China for £32, but it wont be here for a few weeks (Chinese New Year celebrations go on until the 17th); I will see if I can post a review once I have it set up and working.

I know, £32 - but dont laugh, some of the stuff I have bought has been amazing for the money; stuff that would cost £100's in the West. but can be bought for beer money over there; our wedding rings were hand made ( in front of me), from raw metal - for £16!!!

That's pretty impressive! There are definitely some deals out there with wedding rings and the like but usually with electronics you get what you pay for, I have tested and own literally every Chinese car dvr and visit Hong Kong twice a year on buying trips. It takes a lot of effort to find the good ones, which is why we created the smartcam

[GentleGiant]

Even on places like Alibaba westerners are being ripped off on prices; you can walk into a shop anywhere in China and ride off on an electric scooter for RMB1200-1500 (£120-£150); yet the exact same scooter for export is at least three times the price.

I cannot afford the costs of the big names, so when I stumbled across a review of the cheapo ones from China I was very interested; as with everything, it is finding a supplier who wont rip you off, I am dealing directly with the makers, and let them know I will want more if this one is any good.

I just wish the "Yatour" people thought the same way; I have been trying to get info on their Digital Music system - looking to see if I can hook one up to my Mitsubishi, all I have asked is a pin layout for their "Sanyo" compatible model (13 pin DIN) - no reply. (Mitsubishi use a Kenwood OEM unit with 13 pin DIN connections for the Autochanger).

Edited 12 February, 2013 by GentleGiant

[Dean-]

I have a HD GPS model on order from China for £32, but it wont be here for a few weeks (Chinese New Year celebrations go on until the 17th); I will see if I can post a review once I have it set up and working.

I know, £32 - but dont laugh, some of the stuff I have bought has been amazing for the money; stuff that would cost £100's in the West. but can be bought for beer money over there; our wedding rings were hand made ( in front of me), from raw metal - for £16!!!

Can you share the link? if it looks any good I might purchase one!

[Moist Von Lipwig]

I personally use a BlackVue 500 as the Wifi feature is really handy to me.

What do you use the wifi feature for. Obviously viewing the footage but I was struggling to justify the extra cost of the 500 given I would probably use the wifi once.

Got a 400 on order from the group buy, never used one before but given the standard of driving on my commute think I should get some interesting footage.