Dash Cam Comparison - Sony vs Novatek

[recom273]

Hell .. At less than 2k everyone should have one here.

I had an incident last week on the bike, which made me realize that's it's better to get it on "film" than deal with the old bill.

[topt]

How is the night video?

On my "ToDo" list...

If you want to try a cam that's not too expensive, but produces excellent PQ I can recommend the SJCAM SJ5000X Elite: http://www.lazada.co.th/catalog/?q=sjcam+elite

This cam uses a Sony 12.4 megapixel sensor with a Novatek chipset and features image stabilization, WDR and adjustable field of view (70/110/140/170 degrees). PQ is truly impressive - but make sure you update the firmware and select RAW mode..

You'll need a 300 Baht car kit to use it as a dashcam: http://www.lazada.co.th/sjcam-sj4000-sj5000-car-set-suctioncup-car-charger-1585947.html

And you may need a new monitor to see it's video in full detail if using the 4K24P or 2K30P settings

If money is no object, the GoPro Hero4 Black does everything just that little bit better..

IMHO you have recommended the Transcend models before which are quite a bit cheaper than the one you mention here. Do you know how the Transcend Drive Pro 100/200 night video PQ would compare to the review mentioned below - or would it be the same where there is no street lighting and totally dependant on your vehicle lights?

Many people are aware of this guy - techmoan - he's a pretty honest and interesting reviewer of budget cameras and the like, he does a review of the A118 here.

Thanks recom273 for the link.

[bearpolar]

i ordered the a118 today off ali, i took the version with no battery.

Anything similarly cheap and good for a bike's helmet?

[JetsetBkk]

How is the night video?

On my "ToDo" list...

<snip>

Note: Please excuse the state of my windscreen. It's over 12 years old and clearly worn to heck. The streaky lights are not due to the cameras, but my windscreen. Anyone know how to fix it? (Other than replace it.)

Sony:

Blueskysea:

The cheap Blueskysea DVR produces a clearer recording than the 5x more expensive Sony camera, IMHO. Just look at the striped zone in the middle of the road.

[JetsetBkk]

Here are some brighter night time vids:

Sony:

Blueskysea:

Again, the Blueskysea looks clearer than the Sony, IMHO.

[recom273]

i ordered the a118 today off ali, i took the version with no battery.

Anything similarly cheap and good for a bike's helmet?

You could try the SJCam M10 .. Around 4000B

You can't go wrong with a 2000B dashcam, with 1080P/60 fps you can pick out a number plate if you get caught by a hit and run, it's wired into the cars power, so with any luck you can set it up and never have cause to check the footage.

But with a helmet cam you're relying on battery power. The budget cameras will give you 60-80mins recording time, even a Gopro will only give 90mins or so ( I'm no gopro expert ) - so you are forever changing batteries.

On the up side, SJCam batteries are only 100B or you can get a hardwire kit for the camera.

I have had enough of mine and just ordered a drift camera - at 14,000B as it has a 3.5 hour battery life and a remote control because I want to be able to rely on the camera - to me, the SJCams are fun and handy to have but just not practical enough.

[bearpolar]

by cheap i meant about 1000-1200

Don't need that much quality for 5-15mins rides. I just want to make videos of the dozens of near deaths i see every day

[recom273]

by cheap i meant about 1000-1200

Don't need that much quality for 5-15mins rides. I just want to make videos of the dozens of near deaths i see every day

lol .. You need an SJ4000, you can get a wifi model for 2000B - you need some better adhesive stickers/baseplates/buckles and a couple of batteries.

It's a fun thing to have about, waterproof - Gopro copy - weighs a bit in the helmet at speed mind, but for you I think perfect.

[topt]

How is the night video?

On my "ToDo" list...

<snip>

The cheap Blueskysea DVR produces a clearer recording than the 5x more expensive Sony camera, IMHO. Just look at the striped zone in the middle of the road.

Thanks for that JetsetBkk.

Apologies if already mentioned earlier but is your A118 version battery or capacitor? I was just reading some other forum posts as they added a capacitor version earlier last year. Apparently high heat can destroy the batteries quite quickly...........

[bearpolar]

by cheap i meant about 1000-1200

Don't need that much quality for 5-15mins rides. I just want to make videos of the dozens of near deaths i see every day

lol .. You need an SJ4000, you can get a wifi model for 2000B - you need some better adhesive stickers/baseplates/buckles and a couple of batteries.

It's a fun thing to have about, waterproof - Gopro copy - weighs a bit in the helmet at speed mind, but for you I think perfect.

is it the one they sell at tesco that everyone was discussing recently?

[recom273]

by cheap i meant about 1000-1200

Don't need that much quality for 5-15mins rides. I just want to make videos of the dozens of near deaths i see every day

lol .. You need an SJ4000, you can get a wifi model for 2000B - you need some better adhesive stickers/baseplates/buckles and a couple of batteries.

It's a fun thing to have about, waterproof - Gopro copy - weighs a bit in the helmet at speed mind, but for you I think perfect.

is it the one they sell at tesco that everyone was discussing recently?

Probably .. I saw them in one of the phone / gadget shops in the IT market section of my local Big C.

I have had mine, a basic, non-branded version for 2 years, so that's pretty good for a Chinese eBay purchase. The only thing is, the rubber coating has gone a bit gummy, but I guess that's to be expected if it's in a clear airtight case mounted to the side of your helmet in 30 degrees.

[JetsetBkk]

Thanks for that JetsetBkk.

Apologies if already mentioned earlier but is your A118 version battery or capacitor? I was just reading some other forum posts as they added a capacitor version earlier last year. Apparently high heat can destroy the batteries quite quickly...........

Sorry to say, I really don't know! Do you know what to look for (serial / model number / etc) ? I bought this one off a mate who was sent two by mistake.

I don't know if it's the capacitor one: http://goo.gl/2XqwRZ

or the battery one: http://goo.gl/7ozPak

I would think it is the battery one as it was only 1,800 baht. Having said that, my booklet is version 12.1 - the one shown in the capacitor version on AliExpress. But that's not proof. I'll ask my mate tomorrow if he can remember.

The only number on the device is the serial number: B4015380595

And one of the menu functions is "Version", which shows: A118.20150403 - probably the software date.

[bearpolar]

the capacitator one is barely 10$ extra, just go for it.

[BKKdreaming]

looking at the youtube video there looks like a video out plug ,

has anyone hooked up an external monitor ? or is it possible ?

[IMHO]

IMHO you have recommended the Transcend models before which are quite a bit cheaper than the one you mention here. Do you know how the Transcend Drive Pro 100/200 night video PQ would compare to the review mentioned below - or would it be the same where there is no street lighting and totally dependant on your vehicle lights?

It's hard to say because I haven't got directly comparable footage of course, but I'd say they're about the same as the videos you see here... The difference with the Transcend is you're paying for quality - I've never had a dashcam < 3000 Baht that actually recorded/worked reliably for more than about a year or so.

[IMHO]

I was just reading some other forum posts as they added a capacitor version earlier last year. Apparently high heat can destroy the batteries quite quickly...........

I can vouch for that... I've had/have several dash cams and those with a battery are guaranteed to fail within a year. That's not to say that cheap ones with a capacitor are reliable though - I've still had several fail in various ways.

[IMHO]

On the up side, SJCam batteries are only 100B or you can get a hardwire kit for the camera.

I have had enough of mine and just ordered a drift camera - at 14,000B as it has a 3.5 hour battery life and a remote control because I want to be able to rely on the camera - to me, the SJCams are fun and handy to have but just not practical enough.

The SJCAM Wifi models can be remote controlled via smartphone, but nothing you can do to get a battery life of much more than about 1.5 hours...

[JetsetBkk]

Thanks for that JetsetBkk.

Apologies if already mentioned earlier but is your A118 version battery or capacitor? I was just reading some other forum posts as they added a capacitor version earlier last year. Apparently high heat can destroy the batteries quite quickly...........

Sorry to say, I really don't know! Do you know what to look for (serial / model number / etc) ? I bought this one off a mate who was sent two by mistake.

I don't know if it's the capacitor one: http://goo.gl/2XqwRZ

or the battery one: http://goo.gl/7ozPak

I would think it is the battery one as it was only 1,800 baht. Having said that, my booklet is version 12.1 - the one shown in the capacitor version on AliExpress. But that's not proof. I'll ask my mate tomorrow if he can remember.

The only number on the device is the serial number: B4015380595

And one of the menu functions is "Version", which shows: A118.20150403 - probably the software date.

I can vouch for that... I've had/have several dash cams and those with a battery are guaranteed to fail within a year. That's not to say that cheap ones with a capacitor are reliable though - I've still had several fail in various ways.

The guy I bought my one from assures me that he ordered the capacitor variant. They sent two by mistake so I bought the extra one off him.

[JetsetBkk]

looking at the youtube video there looks like a video out plug ,

has anyone hooked up an external monitor ? or is it possible ?

I believe the "AV Out" function is "optional". I didn't get a cable for it, haven't found any information on how to use it, so presume it's simply not functional.

You can play the videos you've recorded on the tiny 1 1/2" screen, but the control buttons are complicated so it's better to d/l them to a computer.

[bearpolar]

hmm i installed the dashcam from aliexpress yesterday and every minute is 97mb.. the quality isnt as good as i saw on youtube.

(no idea how to post youtube on thaivisa)

Edited January 17, 2016 by bearpolar

[JetsetBkk]

hmm i installed the dashcam from aliexpress yesterday and every minute is 97mb.. the quality isnt as good as i saw on youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/ovIjGQMaWKI

I set my one up just once, so can't remember how to do it , and as it is currently in my pickup, I can't get my hands on it... but I'm pretty sure you can change the quality to 1080p / 25 fps or thereabouts. I know I changed mine to 5 minute duration files and they are typically 600 MB.

So with a 32 GB SD card, it will record 4 hours before overwriting the old files. (I said 24 hours earlier - my bad!)

Edit: If you connect to a PC and transfer the files, you should be able to determine what the quality is (e.g. using "MediaInfo" program).

Edited January 17, 2016 by JetsetBkk

[bearpolar]

its sex to max quality, any idea how to remove the lower reflection?

nigthtime i cant see the plates

Edited January 17, 2016 by bearpolar

[JetsetBkk]

its sex to max quality, any idea how to remove the lower reflection?

nigthtime i cant see the plates

Here's a screen capture of my night time video playing on Youtube at 1080p mode. The number plate is clear:

Here's yours. It is not "night time" but "dusk". And it helps if you have your dipped headlights on . Anyway, the number looks like gor wor 2073:

[bearpolar]

i have video from pure night time. All i see is either white light from my quality beams or blurry numbers :s I'll try to wash the windshield see if it helps