Recommendations for car-mounted video camera?

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by Clark V Kauffman, Mar 30, 2015.

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  1. Clark V Kauffman

    Clark V Kauffman Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Des Moines, Iowa
    I'm planning a road trip through Wyoming and Montana, and would like to shoot video of portions of the drive. I have seen people with small video cameras mounted on their car hood or roof and I'm wondering whether anyone here has experience with these types of set-ups. Ideally, it would be good to have one with a remote control so I could switch the video on and off as I drive, without stopping -- but that's not a deal breaker. Any recommendations?
    (Apologies if I have posted this in the wrong forum. "Visual Arts" seemed more appropriate than "Audio Hardware.")
     
  2. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    I've heard of the Dash Cam Pro, which seems to work:

    https://www.buydashcampro.com/?mid=6392483

    When you think about it, this is a fantastic idea for legal situations and other cases where you get hit or otherwise involved in an accident, and the camera could completely exonerate you. I'm 100% for the idea that all cops and all cop cars should have cameras recording for their entire shifts, both to protect the police and to protect the rights of the suspects. The cameras will tell the truth, even if the witnesses can't quite remember what really happened.
     
    Texastoyz likes this.
  3. Clark V Kauffman

    Clark V Kauffman Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Des Moines, Iowa
    Wow, the price ($40) is certainly right. If the picture quality is good, that might be the best way to go... Thanks for the tip!
     
  4. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    Get it from Amazon, and you can always return it for something else. Ideally, I think a GoPro would be the best thing to buy, but it's a much bigger expense ($300-$400). One question for me is how much footage you'd shoot a day. You clearly can't roll 24/7, and I think the dash-cams used by the police go to a recorder in the trunk. The ones drivers are using in Russia just record an hour and then erase the old material and record a new hour. But if have a wreck, you can immediately save that material and use it as your defense in court (or with the police).
     
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  5. Clark V Kauffman

    Clark V Kauffman Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Des Moines, Iowa
    I might only shoot a total of two hours or so. Maybe three. Then I'd edit that down, and burn to DVD. But given the scenery I want to capture I'd like a very sharp and stable image.
     
  6. JohnO

    JohnO Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    OH no, oh no, I have to strongly recommend against that one. I have one. Not purchased from that company or website but the same one. Gimme a minute to prove it
     
  7. JohnO

    JohnO Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, DC
  8. JohnO

    JohnO Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    The problem with the one above is, it is cheap and doesn't last long (3 to 6 months) before breaking and the video quality is so-so. Better'n nothing but there are better models now. There are two versions of it, one records in real 720p HD and one, considered a fake, that records in 640x480 and fake blows it up to 1280x960 then chops that to 1280x720 to call itself HD. I have both (I feel I was ripped off on the fake version), and the earlier version which didn't have the IR LEDs in front. They were all cheap and all did not last long.

    If you want a front dashcam under $100, the one to get (at this point in time) is the G1W or G1WH. The WH model has a slightly wider angle lens and an all black lens mount. (I magic markered my chromish G1W lens mount to make it all black.) The video quality is FAR superior. It is true 1080, has a nice picture and does well in low light considering the price. There are sample videos from real users on youtube. I have the G1W mounted in my car, purchased before the WH was available. A good review of this is here

    http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-dash-cam/


    I hate to recommend one specific seller on ebay, but seller estore009, as noted in the review link above, is known to have the real thing, for all the models he/they sell. They ship direct from China and take about 3 weeks to receive. I can recommend estore009. Other stores from China can be selling fakes, or not, but there is no way to tell for sure.
     
  9. JohnO

    JohnO Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    With one of the old ones I did catch a collision where someone ran a red light, and denied it, and the lawyer for the guy who got hit used my video.
     
  10. Uther

    Uther Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicagoland
    I bought the G1W as recommended above, but unfortunately got a fake. After some back and forth with the Chinese manufacturer, I ended up settling for a partial refund and kept it for the rear of my vehicle. It's not worth the hassle of hoping that you'll get a real one or not.

    I ultimately got this model for my windshield, and highly recommend it. Much smaller and sleaker than the G1W, mounts right up against the glass instead of "floating" in front of the window. If you don't use the cable management attachment, the footprint is only about 4 square inches. Almost invisible, looks like an I-Pass, more or less. Great quality video. You can add whatever size microSD card you want and get several hours of video at a time. I've had mine about a year, and have had no problems.
     
  11. JohnO

    JohnO Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    I'm glad to see that, because I have thought about getting that model for my rear window. It looks like it can mount nearly hidden or unnoticeable from the outside.
     
  12. Uther

    Uther Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicagoland
    It is very discreet. I have to point it out to my passengers, and they have a much better view of it than I do. From the driver's seat, I can't see it at all, as the rear-view mirror totally hides it.

    The dash cam community is pretty enthusiastic, so there are lots of review sites and YouTube videos covering just about any model that you may be thinking about. I highly recommend that the OP, or anyone else interested, do a little research and watch a few videos to get a good idea of what they'll be getting.
     
  13. Clark V Kauffman

    Clark V Kauffman Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Des Moines, Iowa
    Thanks for all the tips. I'll check these out!
     
  14. chicofishhead

    chicofishhead Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chico, California
    I have shot a few time lapses of trips with a JVC Picsio. I screw it to the plate from a cheap tripod, stick it out of the sun roof, and close the roof enough so it won't move. The battery only lasts about 90 minutes though.
     
    Clark V Kauffman likes this.
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