Dash Cam In Car Recorder

Spospe wrote:Which? have just tested cameras (my copy came today) and the best buy is a NextBase In-Car Cam 402G Professional, costing around £140

Which (sorry!) others did they test? just been on the nextbase website, they don't specify what the image sensor or chipset is. I notice that the spec says it has infrared lights which is always a bad sign 'cos they're just a gimmick. There is no mention of Nextbase on the Dashcamtalk forum lists.

It's your money, but for £140 you can get something that has all the features that one has AND a name that is recognised.

Frank

gj1023 wrote:. I started off with the usual cheapie one and have just bought one that got 5 stars and best buy in Auto Express..http://www.amazon.co.uk/.../ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00..

Link don't work   

Frank

boxerman wrote:

Which (sorry!) others did they test?

Frank

1 NextBase In Car Cam  test score 70%
2 Gopro Hero3  test score 65%
3 Transcend Drive pro   test score 61%
4 Mio MiVue 388   test score 58%
5 Roadhawk HD   test score 58%
6 Blackvue DR550GW   test score 57%
7 HP F-200    test score 56%
8 Garmin Dash Cam 20     test score 54%
9 Chillibongo CB-100HD    test score52%
10 Nextbase In Car Cam 202    test score 49%
11 Mi-Witness HD AR-M150    test score 46%
12 Ipixi WinyCam V300HD    test score 44%
13 Crashcatcher CC3    test score 34%
14 Super Legend HD Video   test score 23%

If you want to know more, try the Which website at: http://www.which.co.uk/

Spospe wrote:
1 NextBase In Car Cam  test score 70%

Not impressed as I said, couldn't find any proper info on it apart from their own website

2 Gopro Hero3  test score 65%

Gopro ain't a dashcam, it's a very good and expensive action cam which can be used as a dashcam. I don't think anyone would buy one to use solely as a dashcam when a pukka dashcam does a better a job at a lot less money

3 Transcend Drive pro   test score 61%
4 Mio MiVue 388   test score 58%
5 Roadhawk HD   test score 58%
6 Blackvue DR550GW   test score 57%
7 HP F-200    test score 56%
8 Garmin Dash Cam 20     test score 54%

heard of all these - all decent cams

9 Chillibongo CB-100HD    test score52%

Seriously?   

10 Nextbase In Car Cam 202    test score 49%

little brother to the winner I take it?

11 Mi-Witness HD AR-M150    test score 46%

reasonable but way overpriced for the spec

12 Ipixi WinyCam V300HD    test score 44%
13 Crashcatcher CC3    test score 34%
14 Super Legend HD Video   test score 23%

Three more unheard of's. Many of these unheard of cams are made by different manufacturers and the bits inside can vary greatly. Sometimes they can be OK and sometimes a pile of poo. I knew very little about these things before I decided to buy one, so I did a lot of genning up and joined the DashcamTalk forum. There is a vast amount of info, specs, sample videos and reviews on there and the senior members, some of whom are manufacturers and retailers really know what they are talking about.

If you are in the market for a dashcam, sign up over there, like this forum there is no charge and also like this forum there are a lot of people willing to offer help.

If you want to know more, try the Which website at: http://www.which.co.uk/

Tried - wouldn't let me in without signing up, which (sorry again!) I did not want to do. Thanks for posting this, I found the results interesting.

Frank

Sorry about that Frank  see if this one works , it is the Transend Pro 
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/accessories-tyres/85715/transcend-drivepro-200

Techmoan reviewed that one a little while ago, did you see his reveiw?
http://www.techmoan.com/blog/2014/7/7/transcend-drivepro-200-dashcam-review.html
also on Dashcamtalk:
http://forum.dashcamtalk.com/threads/transcend-drivepro-200-wi-fi-fullhd-dash-camera-drive-pro.3354/

Seems like a good cam.

Frank

No can`t say I did Frank , when I decided to upgrade I did a lot of research and this came out the best for the money. Very happy with it

Just noticed this today, Thought it worth sharing just in case anyone is going to Austria etc!

The Bild newspaper in germany have today warned people of the dislike of dashcams in some european countries, and bans in others.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dashcam            This is news to me!!

David

Just seen last months MMM where someone wrote tha they thought dash cams are now illegal in Spain. This is all driving me up the wall; does this mean the Swmbo cannot take pictures while I am driving? It's the same thing surely  they are 'only' cameras surely and my iPad geotags a pic.
Having just bought a Mivue 388 with GPS et al I am turning paranoid as to where I can use it when abroad. I bought it primarily for protective reasons I.e in case of accident or whatever as well as recording some of the wonderful scenery we travel through. It also geotags the route which is very handy. Have any of you travelling 'sages' got any difinitive info on these (in my mind) daft laws?

Not seen the article myself but I think its illegal for any screen that is viewable by the driver, Satnav’s dashcams etc. If the dash cam therefor has no viewable screen presumably that would be ok, coverd by a cloth perhaps?

Oddsnends wrote:Not seen the article myself but I think its illegal for any screen that is viewable by the driver, Satnav’s dashcams etc. If the dash cam therefor has no viewable screen presumably that would be ok, coverd by a cloth perhaps?

Reg 109 Con and Use 1986 you are referring to:

No person shall drive, causeor permit to be driven, a mv on a road, if the driver is in such a position

as to be able to see,
whether directly or by deflection,
a television receiving apparatus or other cinematographic apparatus used to display anything other than:

State of veh and equipment
Location of vehicle and the road on which it is located
assist driver to see road adjacent to the vehicle, or
to assist the driver to reach his location.

"Television receiving apparatus" is defined as:

any cathode ray tube carriued on a vehicle and on which there can be displayed an image derived from a television broadcast, a recording or a camera or computor.

Ploughlin, is that Spanish law or?  Wonder how specific 'cathode ray tube' is as cab cam is not a cathode ray tube. Minor detail. As the Mivue screen can be switched off while recording that should be ok.

Hi , its not a case of distracting the driver. You are recording people indiscriminately and against their rights. I think this is the line of thought .

IMHO

Regards

Micky

Here we go again - more Daily Express scare stories & unsubstantiated opinion.
I am not going to post a load of legal references from the various countries but they are easily found.
Through research I found the following:
Dash cams are illegal in Luxembourgh & Austria. In other EU countries you will find they are not illegal but there are stipulations as to 'reasonable usage & subsequent data storage'.
Search usage in Hungary for the best explan of this.

Laws governing 'active screens', be they dash cam, tv, sat nav etc. are different and an interpretation could be that a sat nav screen should not be 'active' if within the drivers vision.
Very difficult to prove but the reason why most dash cams default to a blank screen after a few seconds of recording.
I shall certainly be continuing to use my dash cam throughout europe excl Lux & Austria.

Thanks Backtrax 

I don't bother to download mine at all unless a trip I really want to keep a memory of. It's just there as backup 'just in case'. A pal of mine got a speeding ticket as someone exceeding the limit by quite a substantial amount overtook him by a camera. His cab cam saved him £60 as he was able to show the footage.

Hi Backtrax, The quote was Wiki related. Its up to owners to assess the risk.
As to Spain I will say no more.

Regards

Micky

I thought it's like Micky says. I kept my cam on all through Austria and Lux but edited to just the best bits. 

I thought the law was linked to where you can see  Google 'streetview' but Lux and Spain are in and Austria and Germany are out. So I'm wrong on that one.


Regards
Fred

Just thought I'd mention 14 months on and my cheap dash cam is still working perfectly... Very impressed with it, comes on automatically with the ignition and shuts itself down when you switch the engine off, don't even think about it, it just sits discretely at the bottom of the screen working away. 

Thinking of getting another for the work van, don't think I'd buy a more expensive model as the video it produces is more than adequate.

Same with mine CC and thinking of getting another for the car.
We got some interesting clips of driving standards in Spain!!

Backtrax wrote:
We got some interesting clips of driving standards in Spain!!

Yes I've got a few of those from driving around in this country too 

Not been to Spain yet, but my experience of driving in France, Germany & Austria is they are far better and far more courteous drivers than here in the UK in my opinion.