Dash cams are becoming an increasingly popular addition to British cars, providing peace of mind during an accident. Need help selecting yours? Read on to choose the best dash curse you can buy.
Car cameras have long been a favorite accessory among Russian commuters and have caused some funny and really creepy videos posted online. Not only do dash cams give evidence in case of an accident dispute, some insurance companies will offer a discount of up to 15% for your premium if you like dashboard cameras, offsetting initial expenses.
Best dash cams - Buying suggestions
Like all technologies, dash cams come in many different forms. Some feature a single lens facing forward, while others include front and rear cameras. This is the kind you want if you worry about getting fired back.
Others feature multiple lenses capable of recording various angles or have wide angle lenses that go in almost as much as you can see with your eyes. You can even get a camera that incorporates GPS technology that is able to measure your speed.
So what makes dash cams different from other mountable cameras like GoPros? First, most dash cams make sure you do not run out of memory by splitting the recording into small pieces. Although the camera will continue to record, the stored files will be broken up into 1-3 minutes of recording. This allows the camera to record the oldest files after full memory, ensuring you do not miss important events or fiddle around by removing unneeded footage.
Many dash cams will record to a microSD card, so you can install a larger card to record more recordings. Factor in the cost of memory card, because many dash cams will not come with one in the box. Some dash cams make it easy to access this recording via smartphone or tablet as well, so you do not need to remove the card from the dash camera.
All dash cams must support at least a 720p resolution because the recording quality should be as high as possible to ensure it can be used to determine errors in disputes regarding accidents. Unclear gray clumps will not help you win a case.
The same goes for night vision - you'll want to make sure that the footage recorded during low-light driving is as good as daylight.
More sophisticated options may include the G sensor, which can detect when you are involved in an accident due to sudden movement changes. This could be impact or heavy braking. This will then tell the dash camera to record the event and save it to the protected memory card section, ensuring it is not overwritten, protecting your valuable proofs.
key feature:
- 1 / 2.9 inch 2.19MP Sony Exmor CMOS
- Full HD, 30fps
- GPS sensors and G-sensors detect accidents
- Quick camera warning
- Rear camera option
Thinkware F770 looks a little different from the average cam dash, sitting horizontally on the dashboard without the screen. To get a street view, you download the Thinkware app on your phone and connect to the F770 over Wi-Fi.
It will also give you a variety of options on your phone screen, including live monitoring of what the camera can see, with a guided flag so you can ensure the correct positioning.
The F770 runs on Sony's CMOS Exmor, with a 2.19 megapixel resolution. No Super HD resolution available - only Full HD at 1080p, 30fps. Records are recorded at a fairly respectable 9.5Mbps bitrate on the front camera, and you get a 16GB microSD in the box for storing recordings.
16GB this will save footage about 200 minutes from front camera only. Records will be folded if storage reaches full capacity, unless an incident has been marked through the G sensor.
The built-in GPS will save the scene, and there are various useful notifications when you drive. You get a warning as you approach the car in front too closely, notices as you stray off your lane on the freeway, and the message is heard when the car in front moves in a stationary traffic queue.
At the time of review Thinkware F770 is available for £ 249.