Car camera - which one to choose? Prices, reviews, tips
The dash cam can help you avoid disputes in the event of a collision. It also allows you to record driver performance in auto racing. We advise what to look for when looking for a car camera.
About a dozen years ago, popular image recorders were large and heavy. VHS cameras took up half the wardrobe, and dark lenses without proper lamp support were completely useless after dark. In addition, you had to pay even 5-6 thousand zlotys for a good camera. Today, miniature image recording kits can record even in the dark, and their cost starts from a few dozen zlotys.
Third Eye
The video recorder as an element of additional equipment is used in an increasing number of Polish cars. According to Mr. Marek from Rzeszow, its use can be very wide.
- I myself participate in competitions in driving cars. I bought a camcorder to record my performances. Thanks to this, I can look at them later and see what mistakes I made while driving,” says the driver.
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But entertainment is not enough. According to Ryszard Lubasz, an experienced lawyer from Rzeszow, video recording can help, for example, to determine the course of an accident or collision.
- True, such devices do not have the necessary approvals, but the record can always be analyzed by an expert who will determine whether it is real. If it is on the original media and has not been changed, and the expert confirms this, then in many situations this can be evidence in court, the lawyer argues.
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The situation is somewhat worse when it is additionally necessary to determine, for example, the speed of the vehicles involved in the collision. In the case of registrars equipped with additional GPS, it will be recorded, but the court will not take it into account. Hobbyist devices do not have a calibration certificate, so the measurement they make is only considered as an approximate value.
Check the viewing angle
The offer of DVRs on the market is huge. How to choose the best? Specialists in the sale of this type of equipment are advised to start by checking the parameters of the camera. To record well, the camera must have the widest possible viewing angle. At least 120 degrees - then the device registers what is happening in front of the car and on both sides of the road. Most of the products available on the market meet this condition, but many of them offer temperatures up to 150 degrees.
In order for the camera to be able to capture an image after dark, it must be resistant to the so-called ambient glare, which is caused, for example, by street lamps or the lights of cars traveling in the opposite direction. The recording quality at night is improved by infrared LEDs, which are installed in some recorders.
“But even with such equipment, the camera will only capture an image in the immediate vicinity of the car, and the colors will be severely distorted. At night, such recorders do not work well, says Bogdan Kava from Apollo in Rzeszow.
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The second important information about the camera is the resolution of the recorded images.
– The more the better, but the minimum at the moment is HD, i.e. 720p (1280×720). Such an image can be reproduced in good quality on an HD monitor. However, there is a serious "but". The higher the resolution, the larger the files, and therefore the greater the problem with recording data, which is a disadvantage of recording DVRs in Full HD, i.e. 1080p (1920x1080), Kava explains.
That is why it is worth investing in a device with support for large memory cards (the standard is support for cards with a maximum capacity of 16-32 GB, usually SD or microSD cards) or with large internal memory. Most recorders break long recordings into multiple files, typically two to fifteen minutes of film. As a result, the recording takes up less space and it is easier to delete unnecessary scenes from it, thus freeing up space for further recordings. Most cameras record video in a so-called loop, replacing old recordings with new ones. Depending on the image resolution, a 32 GB card can store from several to several hours of film.
Car cameras with a built-in motion sensor record only the moment the car starts moving, which saves space on the map. But it can also be a source of trouble. For example, when someone crashes into our car in the parking lot, for example, while waiting for a traffic light to change. On the other hand, the camera will turn on automatically (when it has a built-in battery) also when you run into a parked car. The car of the perpetrator will be visible on the video.
More extensive devices with a GPS module allow you to supplement the record with the date, time and current speed. There are also devices that, in the event of an emergency, such as sudden braking, automatically fix the course of the incident and make it impossible to delete the file, even when the storage medium runs out of space. Devices with a shock sensor also record the side and strength of the impact. It also helps in determining the course of any collisions.
Display and battery
Like almost any electronic device, the VCR also requires power. The cheapest devices do not have built-in batteries, they use only the car's on-board network. This solution only makes sense if the driver does not use other devices connected to the cigarette lighter socket.
- It is worse if the car has, for example, navigation that requires the same power source. Therefore, it is much better to choose a camera with an additional, own battery. An alternative to such a device is an adapter that is attached to a socket in a car, allowing you to connect even several devices at the same time. You can buy it for ten zlotys, for example, at a gas station, adds Bogdan Kava.
The price of a DVR largely depends on the quality of the optical system, which affects the resolution and quality of the film, as well as the type and size of the display. Screenless devices are usually the cheapest. A monitor with a diagonal of two to three inches (approx. 5 - 7,5 cm) is considered standard. It's large enough to follow the recording from behind the wheel. It makes no sense to invest in a larger screen, because data from the internal memory or memory card is most often viewed on a computer at home.
Car cameras compatible with GPS navigation, which can also be used as a display, are an interesting proposition. Many manufacturers allow you to connect a rear view camera to the recorder, which increases the functionality of its monitor.
Prepare around PLN 300
As we have already mentioned, the prices for the simplest devices start from a few dozen zlotys. However, most often these are low quality products that allow you to record in low resolution and only on low-capacity media. At night they are practically useless.
For a good HD recorder with a two-inch screen and a built-in battery, you need to pay about PLN 250-350. A popular model on the market is the Mio Mivue 338, which can also be used as a camera. The device has an AV output, which allows you to connect it directly to the monitor.
A little cheaper, for about PLN 180, you can buy a U-DRIVE DVR model from Media-Tech, a popular Polish company. The device has a camera attached to the cigarette lighter, it starts automatically after the engine is turned on. Built-in LEDs allow you to photograph and record objects even in the dark. The resolution of the recorded image is 720p.
The Overmax Cam 04 device is still very popular in online stores and costs around PLN 250. Records movies in Full HD resolution, automatically switches to night mode after dark. It is used as a camera, it records an image in 12 megapixels, the menu is in Polish.
A car camera with a GPS module costs at least PLN 500, which allows you to recreate the speed and direction of the route. The cheapest dash cam with GPS navigation also costs about PLN 500.
For car cameras that record below HD resolutions, you can choose a class 4 SD memory card. Prices for 16 GB cards start from PLN 40 and for 32 GB cards from PLN 80. For DVRs that record images in HD and Full HD, you must select a card with a higher recording speed - SD class 10. Prices for such cards with a capacity of 16 GB start from PLN 60, and 32 GB from PLN 110. .
Most car DVRs are designed for interior installation. A camera that can be mounted on the body of a car or on a motorcycle helmet needs a more durable housing, usually waterproof, and a shock-resistant design. A set consisting of a camera and a strong holder with a suction cup costs about PLN 1000.
Governorate Bartosz
photo by Bartosz Guberna
