Car cam advice

[Berty100]

Since it has become obvious that the amount of imbeciles on Thai roads has reached unseen levels, and is ever increasing, I have decided the time is nigh to install a car cam.

Please suggest cam models/brands in the affordable price range that will do the job in the best way.

[giddyup]

I bought a Morestech from Lazada, about 1500 baht. Does the job and so far been reliable. There's a million brands out there, depends on what you want to spend. You can also do a Google search to get the same information.

Edited July 15, 2016 by giddyup

[Berty100]

What I'm looking for is the best spec/price ratio.

Like some cams have a bigger angle, and I think I read once about cameras with more than 1 lens.

I know there are millions of them out there, byt that is just the problem, as I don't want to try them all to find a reliable cam at an affordable price.

[regedit]

blackvue. not the cheapest option but never failed me in the past 5 yrs that I've used them here.

[lovelomsak]

I think car cams are like televisions and mobile phones . You have to buy one then a person gets lots of info from others on what you should have bought or what else is out there to buy.When you want to be an informed buyer no one knows you.

[kkerry]

Transcend DrivePro 200.

Available in many IT shops in Thailand. Decent performance for a reasonable price (around 4,000 baht).

I've got a couple of dashcams and this one is good if you want something that is simple to install and operate.

[KhunBENQ]

Don't buy a no-name where you have no chance to see real life recordings on the internet.

(I doubt they will do it in the shop for you?)

So don't buy any no-names online!

I recently bought a 1200 Baht thingy.

"Full HD", "wide angle". Wow!

Yes the files are 1920*1080.

But the picture quality is such crap that you can not even read number plates.

The files are huge, encoded with an age old MPEG1 codec or so with some freeware (which logo shines up for a few seconds),

After the 5th attempt to attach the suction cup some plastic handle broke.

Crap from some Chinese backyard workshop.

So it's now finally good for the bin after two weeks.

Should better have bought some Italian ham for 1200 Baht

Edited July 15, 2016 by KhunBENQ

[Berty100]

Don't buy a no-name where you have no chance to see real life recordings on the internet.

(I doubt they will do it in the shop for you?)

So don't buy any no-names online!

I recently bought a 1200 Baht thingy.

"Full HD", "wide angle". Wow!

Yes the files are 1920*1080.

But the picture quality is such crap that you can not even read number plates.

The files are huge, encoded with an age old MPEG1 codec or so with some freeware (which logo shines up for a few seconds),

After the 5th attempt to attach the suction cup some plastic handle broke.

Crap from some Chinese backyard workshop.

So it's now finally good for the bin after two weeks.

Should better have bought some Italian ham for 1200 Baht

So which are the "names" ?

The only name I've ever heard of is GoPro, but I take it that this is the most well known brand, and part of the price is for the name only

[richard_smith237]

blackvue. not the cheapest option but never failed me in the past 5 yrs that I've used them here.

Same here... 3 BlackVue cams...

However, the rear-cam on my latest one (DR-650-GW) has failed (after 18 months use) - the customer support from BlackVue was excellent, however outside of Warranty the issue was unresolvable. I was given the details of distributor in Thailand who haven't responded to my e-mails or calls, so I'll use the UK distributor and order a rear-cam when I'm there in a few weeks.

Regarding specs etc... the world of Dash-cams is multifaceted with widely varying models, quality, aspect, GPS, G-sensors, loop recording etc...

The Op can do his own homework, which in its simplest terms means using the search function and reading the informative threads on this subject on Thaivisa.com or doing a little 'googling'...

[richard_smith237]

blackvue. not the cheapest option but never failed me in the past 5 yrs that I've used them here.

Same here... 3 BlackVue cams...

However, the rear-cam on my latest one (DR-650-GW) has failed (after 18 months use) - the customer support from BlackVue was excellent, however outside of Warranty the issue was unresolvable. I was given the details of distributor in Thailand who haven't responded to my e-mails or calls, so I'll use the UK distributor and order a rear-cam when I'm there in a few weeks.

Regarding specs etc... the world of Dash-cams is multifaceted with widely varying models, quality, aspect, GPS, G-sensors, loop recording etc...

The Op can do his own homework, which in its simplest terms means using the search function and reading the informative threads on this subject on Thaivisa.com or doing a little 'googling'...

The Op can do his own homework, which in its simplest terms means using the search function and reading the informative threads on this subject on Thaivisa.com or doing a little 'googling'...

You mean opening a new thread looking for advice is not an option? They could as well disable the " start a new thread" button

It's an option - one you have taken... It seems rather lazy... a bit like a poster asking... Which car should I choose? the question is also rather vague...

If you don't wish to use the search function and read the already existing threads on the very same subject thats your choice...

Perhaps you may be better received if you did a little research and narrowed down your choice, perhaps some posters have direct experience of the models you are interested in... For example, the BlackVue Models (which I commented on)...

[chopin2]

Transcend DrivePro 200.

Available in many IT shops in Thailand. Decent performance for a reasonable price (around 4,000 baht).

I've got a couple of dashcams and this one is good if you want something that is simple to install and operate.

I got one of these, bought it a year ago, it hasn't failed me yet. It has a capacitor instead of a battery to better withstand heat. 160 degree video angle. Dead simple to install and use. Some seem to complain about the silver ring around the lens, but i don't mind that it's obvious in the front window. What's the point of having a hidden cam?

[cornishcarlos]

Start with Google "best dash cams 2016"

Then maybe "essential features for dash cams"

8 hrs this thread has been open, you could be an expert on dash cams by now

[giddyup]

Start with Google "best dash cams 2016"

Then maybe "essential features for dash cams"

8 hrs this thread has been open, you could be an expert on dash cams by now

I suggested that in the first response, but the OP seems to be adverse to doing his own legwork.

[JAS21]

I bought what is called a Mega Cam at the recent car show at Impact.

You attach it to the mirror with 'rubber bands' ... supplied.

It has a wired rear camera ... and you can attach a wire off the rear cam to your reversing lights and when you select reverse you get the reversing guide lines. I already have that feature built in so haven't needed to pick up that supply.

Also the files are MOV so easy to play on your android phone. But playback on the mirror screen is okay.

They give a two year warranty.

Easy to operate and you can have the screen on or off.Certainly in daylight it doesn't bother me if it is on.

For me the slight drawback is it needs the cigarette lighter supply and not usb which on my EV would look neater. Advantage is you don't need to 'stick' it to the windscreen.

It cost 2800thb at the show with a couple of freebees.

They do a cheaper model but it has a lower spec. If anyone wants the company info you can PM me

Edited July 16, 2016 by JAS21

[alfieconn]

I bought what is called a Mega Cam at the recent car show at Impact.

You attach it to the mirror with 'rubber bands' ... supplied.

It has a wired rear camera ... and you can attach a wire off the rear cam to your reversing lights and when you select reverse you get the reversing guide lines. I already have that feature built in so haven't needed to pick up that supply.

Also the files are MOV so easy to play on your android phone. But playback on the mirror screen is okay.

They give a two year warranty.

Easy to operate and you can have the screen on or off.Certainly in daylight it doesn't bother me if it is on.

For me the slight drawback is it needs the cigarette lighter supply and not usb which on my EV would look neater. Advantage is you don't need to 'stick' it to the windscreen.

It cost 2800thb at the show with a couple of freebees.

They do a cheaper model but it has a lower spec. If anyone wants the company info you can PM me

A decent Auto Electrician should be able to connect it to the back of the Cigarette lighter thus freeing up the front !

[Don Mega]

Another here with blackvue, I have the DR650gw-2ch in the sedan and DR550GW-2ch in the pickup. both powered by the blackvue power magic pro.

neither are cheap but both are solid performers.

Edited July 16, 2016 by Don Mega

[seedy]

Bickering posts Removed. Agree to Disagree and Move On.

[StefanBBK]

I bought 2 years ago a cheapo on ebay. 600 baht or so. Still works good and has decent quality. Biggest issue I have is the spring in the 12v plug being very strong ad occasionally pushing the plug out. ....

[watcharacters]

I did no research per se prior to buying a dash cam after reading a post by a member where he thought he would have likely have been done up for the death of a MC driver had he not had a dash cam.

I bought a no name brand for, I think, between 2 -3 thousand THB. It's works great and downloads on a PC well. The loop is 70 minutes which I imagine is adequate. It came with what's known as a tail light guarantee.

My only disappointment is that for some unknown reason the Missus was adamant that she didn't want a rear view facing camera which I think could be very handy.

A friend recently had an accident on a freeway where a driver rear ended her while she was traveling around 115 KPH. The driver that hit her incredibly claimed he had a blowout and that caused the accident. I guess he reasoned a front tire blowout causes a car to accelerate. I advised my friend to consider buying a front and rear facing camera.

I saw one on Amazon that somehow integrates the interior rear view mirror. That'll be my replacement when the one I have bites the dust.

Edited July 16, 2016 by watcharacters

[alfieconn]

Have a look at this : http://www.techmoan.com/blog/category/car-dvr-dashcams

[Berty100]

I did no research per se prior to buying a dash cam after reading a post by a member where he thought he would have likely have been done up for the death of a MC driver had he not had a dash cam.

I bought a no name brand for, I think, between 2 -3 thousand THB. It's works great and downloads on a PC well. The loop is 70 minutes which I imagine is adequate. It came with what's known as a tail light guarantee.

My only disappointment is that for some unknown reason the Missus was adamant that she didn't want a rear view facing camera which I think could be very handy.

A friend recently had an accident on a freeway where a driver rear ended her while she was traveling around 115 KPH. The driver that hit her incredibly claimed he had a blowout and that caused the accident. I guess he reasoned a front tire blowout causes a car to accelerate. I advised my friend to consider buying a front and rear facing camera.

I saw one on Amazon that somehow integrates the interior rear view mirror. That'll be my replacement when the one I have bites the dust.

What do you mean with integrates rear view mirror?

Do you have a link or name for the cam you have in mind?

[kkerry]

He probably means something like this Proof 710.

http://proof-carcam.com/project/pf710/

Unless you are a car guy it will probably need an auto electrician for a stealth installation.

We had the previous model but had to have it replaced twice under warranty before they gave us the newer 710 above as replacement.

The 710 has been problem free. The retailer and local distributor were very good when we had problems, something you might not find if ordering from overseas.

Cost is about 5,000 baht but it is smaller and has more options than the Transcend, which I mainly use for rental cars as it is quick to set-up and remove.

If you get the Transcend then check to see it is the version with the suction cup mount which I think is better than the adhesive mounted one.

Some basic features I would look for are Full HD and able to use at minimum, a 32GB Class 10 Micro-SD card

http://www.techmoan.com/ and http://dashcamownersaus.com.au/ are two websites you should read to give you some more ideas.

They have video reviews showing performance levels.

Night ones are tricky because often they are taken in places with plenty of lighting e.g. big cities rather than the dimly lit suburbs you find in Thailand.

[Berty100]

OP, I have done some research as certain posters suggested, and have so far narrowed down my choice to 2 cameras.

I like the idea about the rear view mirror integrated camera, as that would simplify installation, but the if there are major disadvantages to it let me hear them.

Please take a look at these 2 cameras and tell me what would be your choice. If there are major shortcomings to my selection I also want to hear them.

So if it is a poor choice, don't hesitate to tell me.

Don't look at the prices, because I will not buy them from that source, the links are just to show the specs.

http://www.hdcplayer.com/?Product/Car-DVR/New-2014-6000A-Car-Rearview-Mirror-Dvr-Camera.html

http://www.geekbuying.com/item/CHUPAD-R3-Rearview-Mirror-4-3-Inch-1080P-170-Degree-Car-Camera--Black-369603.html

Like I said, I'm not after the top of the range cam. but one that does the job at the most economic price.

Edited July 20, 2016 by Berty100

[pj123]

I have a Drivepro DP200 purchased from Amazon UK on my car. The Drivepro was hardwired by a local car audio shop.

I fitted a dual camera Lukas LK-9350 on my wife's car. Camera was purchased from Thai store in Bangkok, website here: http://www.carcamkorea.com/. Site is all Thai but owner speaks good English. I bought the camera at their shop and they took me to a local car audio shop to have it fitted.

I have had accidents with both cars (one pedestrian and one motorbike) and the cameras helped on both occasions.

I am happy with both cameras but I would like to have a camera that could read number plates. Even in good lighting conditions, both cameras fail to record number plates. I understand that if you need this feature you need a GoPro standard camera.

[Berty100]

I have a Drivepro DP200 purchased from Amazon UK on my car. The Drivepro was hardwired by a local car audio shop.

I fitted a dual camera Lukas LK-9350 on my wife's car. Camera was purchased from Thai store in Bangkok, website here: http://www.carcamkorea.com/. Site is all Thai but owner speaks good English. I bought the camera at their shop and they took me to a local car audio shop to have it fitted.

I have had accidents with both cars (one pedestrian and one motorbike) and the cameras helped on both occasions.

I am happy with both cameras but I would like to have a camera that could read number plates. Even in good lighting conditions, both cameras fail to record number plates. I understand that if you need this feature you need a GoPro standard camera.

Is the ability to read number plates a must if you want to use your cam as evidence in an accident?

[pj123]

I have a Drivepro DP200 purchased from Amazon UK on my car. The Drivepro was hardwired by a local car audio shop.

I fitted a dual camera Lukas LK-9350 on my wife's car. Camera was purchased from Thai store in Bangkok, website here: http://www.carcamkorea.com/. Site is all Thai but owner speaks good English. I bought the camera at their shop and they took me to a local car audio shop to have it fitted.

I have had accidents with both cars (one pedestrian and one motorbike) and the cameras helped on both occasions.

I am happy with both cameras but I would like to have a camera that could read number plates. Even in good lighting conditions, both cameras fail to record number plates. I understand that if you need this feature you need a GoPro standard camera.

Is the ability to read number plates a must if you want to use your cam as evidence in an accident?

The ability to read number plates is useful if you are a victim of a hit and run. In the vast majority of accidents the other party will stop to swap insurance details so number recognition is irrelevant. However it would be nice to have as a backup but I would not regard it as a necessity for a dashcam.

Edited July 20, 2016 by pj123

[Berty100]

What importance, if any, has a GPS function on the camera?

[pj123]

What importance, if any, has a GPS function on the camera?

No value for me for the two accidents I had. I knew where I was!

One issue you need to consider in Thailand is how are you going to show the video to insurance/police at the scene of the accident and later at the police station. The screens on these camera are very small and they all have very low battery capacity.

One feature that some cameras have is to stream video from the camera to your phone using the camera's inbuilt wifi. The Drivepro has this feature and it is useless as the video is such low quality and stutters all the time.

Better to remove the micro SD card from the camera and slot it into your phone if you have an Android phone. It is a more convenient way to show the video to the police and insurance. I have an IPhone but I also keep a backup Android phone in my car so I can use this to run the video.

A full size SD card adapter is also useful to keep with the camera as you can use this to view the video on the micro SD card on a PC or notebook at the police station.

[Berty100]

What importance, if any, has a GPS function on the camera?

No value for me for the two accidents I had. I knew where I was!

One issue you need to consider in Thailand is how are you going to show the video to insurance/police at the scene of the accident and later at the police station. The screens on these camera are very small and they all have very low battery capacity.

One feature that some cameras have is to stream video from the camera to your phone using the camera's inbuilt wifi. The Drivepro has this feature and it is useless as the video is such low quality and stutters all the time.

Better to remove the micro SD card from the camera and slot it into your phone if you have an Android phone. It is a more convenient way to show the video to the police and insurance. I have an IPhone but I also keep a backup Android phone in my car so I can use this to run the video.

A full size SD card adapter is also useful to keep with the camera as you can use this to view the video on the micro SD card on a PC or notebook at the police station.

Thanks for the follow up. In the mean time I had done some searching about the GPS logger, and the main "advantage" would be that it records your speed and insert it in the picture. This of course can be an disadvantage as well I think.

I have now found 2 cameras, with the same Ambarella A7LA50 chip, which records in 2560*1080@30fps, resolution and is able to register license plates. The chip get good remarks in reviews. I have seen youtubes from the Dome G90 -7s GS90C and the license plate from the vehicles in front was clearly readable, I assume the other cam to have a similar picture since it has similar spec.

So I'm deciding now between these 2 cameras, and your opinion will be appreciated.

http://www.hongkongeek.com/en/dvr-cameras/10329-carsuite-mx5-hd-1296p-driving-recorder.html.

This one doesn't have the GPS function but is slimmer and has a lane departure warning and supports 64Gb sd card

Then there is the one with the GPS function, only a few dollars more, but bit more voluminous and supports 32Gb sd card

http://www.everbuying.net/product675003.html

As I said in the OP, I'm looking for a economic priced one, so the 70$ is about as much as I want to spend, but other suggestions in that price range are welcomed.

Edited July 21, 2016 by Berty100

[Daffy D]

I have 2 of these front and back:-

LS430W.pdf