Car camera recommendation

[Lovemyride]

If integrated one hor, one spoilt all spoilt! (and more expensive too).

 

If 2 separate ones, you have 50% chance of getting the important video clip even if one spoilt.

 

Like those integrated washer/dryer, or worse, oven cum coffee maker.

 

True, although it's a different view but better than nothing. It's normally the SD card that fails. 

 

Are you using seperate ones as well? Dashcam I mean, not washing machine. Is the wiring troublesome? 

 

Currently I have front cam only. Thinking of buying the Xiaomi one online and get someone to install as rear cam. If quality is good, I'll buy the same cam to replace the front one. Or is it advisable to just install both at the same time? 

[Volvobrick]

True, although it's a different view but better than nothing. It's normally the SD card that fails.

 

Are you using seperate ones as well? Dashcam I mean, not washing machine. Is the wiring troublesome?

 

Currently I have front cam only. Thinking of buying the Xiaomi one online and get someone to install as rear cam. If quality is good, I'll buy the same cam to replace the front one. Or is it advisable to just install both at the same time?

I have only front. My rear windscreen has sunshade, not easy to mount cam.

[teomingern]

Hi,

 

Any users/reviews on Marbella KR6S vs KR8S?

 

Am looking for 2-CH dash cams

I looked at these about 2 years back and their video quality as seen on YouTube weren't very good... so I went for a Hella DR820 car camera which is basically a re-badged Iroad... paid $399 for 2 channel with wifi but no GPS... I didn't bother with the GPS module cos basically just required video footage... I also didn't install the Parking mode, the cameras only start when I start my engine... Edited March 8, 2019 by teomingern

[teomingern]

True, although it's a different view but better than nothing. It's normally the SD card that fails.

 

Are you using seperate ones as well? Dashcam I mean, not washing machine. Is the wiring troublesome?

 

Currently I have front cam only. Thinking of buying the Xiaomi one online and get someone to install as rear cam. If quality is good, I'll buy the same cam to replace the front one. Or is it advisable to just install both at the same time?

Thought of that cos the video quality of the Xiaoyi (that's the name for Xiaomi car cameras) is superior and the feature set is also superior... plus the price is unbeatable for single channel or even 2x single channel... two single channel Xiaoyi cameras can cost even less than a branded single channel car camera... wasn't sure about the synching of videos at that time and that gave me cold feet and so I decided to get a dedicated two channel car camera... but now that I've got one and I thought about it, I think doesn't matter if the video streams are not synced, just submit two separate video streams at the correct timing lor... as long as the time clock on both cameras are properly synced, the two videos will match any way... so Xiaoyi cameras are my next target when what I have gets spoiled... of course I'm crossing my fingers my Hella DR820 doesn't get spoiled lar... but not holding out much hope since I park under the sun at least 4-5 hours a day... direct sunlight... only the V-Kool film to protect the camera from the uv rays... and maybe by that time Xiaomi will have dual channel car cameras... ha ha... Edited March 8, 2019 by teomingern

[Lovemyride]

Thought of that cos the video quality of the Xiaoyi (that's the name for Xiaomi car cameras) is superior and the feature set is also superior... plus the price is unbeatable for single channel or even 2x single channel... two single channel Xiaoyi cameras can cost even less than a branded single channel car camera... wasn't sure about the synching of videos at that time and that gave me cold feet and so I decided to get a dedicated two channel car camera... but now that I've got one and I thought about it, I think doesn't matter if the video streams are not synced, just submit two separate video streams at the correct timing lor... as long as the time clock on both cameras are properly synced, the two videos will match any way... so Xiaoyi cameras are my next target when what I have gets spoiled... of course I'm crossing my fingers my Hella DR820 doesn't get spoiled lar... but not holding out much hope since I park under the sun at least 4-5 hours a day... direct sunlight... only the V-Kool film to protect the camera from the uv rays... and maybe by that time Xiaomi will have dual channel car cameras... ha ha...

 

Hi thanks for sharing your views. Yes I share the same views too - anyway if I need to submit both front and rear videos for accident claim, most likely it's to the insurance company and I've paid them good money through my premiums so they can go and waste some brain cells in analysing whatever they want. I'm not so bo liao as to upload videos on FB. 

 

I've ordered the Xiaomi/Xiaoyi 70mai pro and I'm going to add GPS module ($25 more) to it too so it can tell speed, lane departure assist etc. just to see how good these gadgets are. Going to use this as a front cam, since it has a small screen and parking mode. I hope the micro usb port is the same as the one on my current camera because everything is hard wired by the AD and I'm not hands on, I only know plug and play. 

 

If the pro is decent, I'll order the 70 mai (non-pro) version for rear cam and get the shop to run the wiring. This cam has lower resolution, no parking mode and no screen, perfect for a rear cam. Sometimes even if you decide to run 2 single channel cams, finding a suitable rear cam that doesn't have a silly screen or blocks so much of the rear windscreen takes effort too. 

 

Going to order a 64GB card tonight. Rear cam I've a new 32GB card lying around so I might as well use it. I'll try to post a review if it's allowed here after everything is done. 

[teomingern]

Hi thanks for sharing your views. Yes I share the same views too - anyway if I need to submit both front and rear videos for accident claim, most likely it's to the insurance company and I've paid them good money through my premiums so they can go and waste some brain cells in analysing whatever they want. I'm not so bo liao as to upload videos on FB.

 

I've ordered the Xiaomi/Xiaoyi 70mai pro and I'm going to add GPS module ($25 more) to it too so it can tell speed, lane departure assist etc. just to see how good these gadgets are. Going to use this as a front cam, since it has a small screen and parking mode. I hope the micro usb port is the same as the one on my current camera because everything is hard wired by the AD and I'm not hands on, I only know plug and play.

 

If the pro is decent, I'll order the 70 mai (non-pro) version for rear cam and get the shop to run the wiring. This cam has lower resolution, no parking mode and no screen, perfect for a rear cam. Sometimes even if you decide to run 2 single channel cams, finding a suitable rear cam that doesn't have a silly screen or blocks so much of the rear windscreen takes effort too.

 

Going to order a 64GB card tonight. Rear cam I've a new 32GB card lying around so I might as well use it. I'll try to post a review if it's allowed here after everything is done.

Do review your experience here... waiting to self it...

 

Actually the Xiaoyi cameras already quite small... shouldn't obstruct much of the back view even with the screen... that's how I feel... hope everything works out...

[JamesTee_245876]

Hi guys, I have a Thinkware F50 in my car now. It is a 1-ch camera and I would like to buy a 2-ch camera.

 

Any recommendation on the 2-ch camera? I heard there are so many brands like Thinkware, Blackvue, Iroad, Marbella, Lukas, Qvia and etc.

 

Need urgent help here and thanks the one who are willing to give me advice.

[Mercury1]

Hi guys, I have a Thinkware F50 in my car now. It is a 1-ch camera and I would like to buy a 2-ch camera.

 

Any recommendation on the 2-ch camera? I heard there are so many brands like Thinkware, Blackvue, Iroad, Marbella, Lukas, Qvia and etc.

 

Need urgent help here and thanks the one who are willing to give me advice.

Maybe can start with a Budget first or if you have any min specs? Lukas and qvia are technically the same brand just fyi, the latter brand was more for their screen less series

[JamesTee_245876]

Maybe can start with a Budget first or if you have any min specs? Lukas and qvia are technically the same brand just fyi, the latter brand was more for their screen less series

 

Thanks bro. I think the min specs should be full HD + full HD. Any recommendation on it? Is it better to have a camera with screen?

 

Now I know that lukas and qvia are the same brand. Thanks for the info.

[Mercury1]

It depends on your requirements in sense, but both blackvue and Lukas/Qvia have full HD models, I only use these models so far and I opt to go with Lukas now cause my BV keeps giving me issues.

 

- Aesthetics - If you are fussy about this most people go for without screen, advantage of screen is that you know the camera is working properly. Screenless uinless you log in/check the cards its hard to tell if its working.

 

- Usage - Do you need parking recording? If so then also need to consider external battery or if the camera got cut off circutry

 

- Environment - Do you park in hot areas? If you need park recording and always park in hot areas then I would suggest Lukas/Qvia which has a higher operating temperature.

 

- Budget - Both Lukas/Qvia and Blackvue sell quite premium, if you not fussy on aesthetics and don't need park recording can prob look for other brands like Xiaomi or the less popular ones.

 

 

Thanks bro. I think the min specs should be full HD + full HD. Any recommendation on it? Is it better to have a camera with screen?

 

Now I know that lukas and qvia are the same brand. Thanks for the info.

 

[JamesTee_245876]

Thanks bro. Lukas/Qvia looks quite good since this is so hot in our country and I always have to park my car under the sun. The higher operating temperature is very important to me. I think I also need to have parking recording.

 

I just called the seller and will drop by to their workshop tomorrow and know more about their camera and external battery.

 

Thanks for your advice.

 

It depends on your requirements in sense, but both blackvue and Lukas/Qvia have full HD models, I only use these models so far and I opt to go with Lukas now cause my BV keeps giving me issues.

 

- Aesthetics - If you are fussy about this most people go for without screen, advantage of screen is that you know the camera is working properly. Screenless uinless you log in/check the cards its hard to tell if its working.

 

- Usage - Do you need parking recording? If so then also need to consider external battery or if the camera got cut off circutry

 

- Environment - Do you park in hot areas? If you need park recording and always park in hot areas then I would suggest Lukas/Qvia which has a higher operating temperature.

 

- Budget - Both Lukas/Qvia and Blackvue sell quite premium, if you not fussy on aesthetics and don't need park recording can prob look for other brands like Xiaomi or the less popular ones.

 

 

[Lovemyride]

I have the pro version and it is an excellent car camera.  However, I don't recall it can record speed despite having the GPS module.  A 32 GB micro-SD card is more than sufficient.

 

Hi, thanks for sharing. What does the GPS module do? I thought it will capture location, speed and lane departure warning. If it doesn't do much I won't pay the $25. Haven't paid yet, so still can back out. Only paid for the camera itself. 

 

Besides providing footage in accidents (thankfully I haven't had the need for this), I want to capture memories of my road trips in Malaysia, hence my preference for WiFi so it can come straight to my phone and I upload it onto Google Photos (unlimited reduced size storage). I'm currently living on a 16GB card in my basic free AD camera, only captures 1.5 hours worth of footage - by the time I reach home, the oldest footage is at JB checkpoint. So disappointing. I'm looking forward to my new setup without breaking the bank. I'll try the 32GB card on the pro when it arrives then - got it cheap online, don't know how reliable although it's Sandisk. 

[elmoguy]

It depends on your requirements in sense, but both blackvue and Lukas/Qvia have full HD models, I only use these models so far and I opt to go with Lukas now cause my BV keeps giving me issues.

 

- Aesthetics - If you are fussy about this most people go for without screen, advantage of screen is that you know the camera is working properly. Screenless uinless you log in/check the cards its hard to tell if its working.

 

- Usage - Do you need parking recording? If so then also need to consider external battery or if the camera got cut off circutry

 

- Environment - Do you park in hot areas? If you need park recording and always park in hot areas then I would suggest Lukas/Qvia which has a higher operating temperature.

 

- Budget - Both Lukas/Qvia and Blackvue sell quite premium, if you not fussy on aesthetics and don't need park recording can prob look for other brands like Xiaomi or the less popular ones.

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

I am using iRoad and its app is rather unstable and it is quite a challenge to connect to it sometimes. Is Lukas/Qvia apps stable?

 

How long have you been using your Lukas/Qvia cam? 

 

Does the parking mode auto cut off the power to the cam? iRoad claimed that it will auto cut off. However, my battery went flat after back from my oversea holiday.

 

Thanks.

[Mercury1]

I only had it for a month so can't comment too much, but from what I see the app seems stable but it is slow to load up the videos

 

For the Qvia it has that function to cut off the power but I have it connected to a battery pack in between so cannot tell unfortunately as the battery pack is design to charge up when the car is running and supply power to the camera until depleted (thus not impacted the car batt). Previously my blackvue was connected via powermagic on a very conservative setting and it never caused any issues.

 

Later I'll try to upload some sample videos for comparison, but I mainly got it for the ability operate at much higher temperatures which I'm testing out. I do like that it has a separate power switch to turn off the camera (which BV didn't) and it has a impact warning to advise if the car was hit during parked mode.

 

 

Blackvue 650 -20° to 60°©.

Qvia QR 790 -30 to 80 ©

 

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

I am using iRoad and its app is rather unstable and it is quite a challenge to connect to it sometimes. Is Lukas/Qvia apps stable?

 

How long have you been using your Lukas/Qvia cam? 

 

Does the parking mode auto cut off the power to the cam? iRoad claimed that it will auto cut off. However, my battery went flat after back from my oversea holiday.

 

Thanks.

 

[Mercury1]

I lazy to upload videos haha and also youtube degrades the quality, for comparisons see below. To be fair the BV had an overcast sky on the day and but the Qvia resolution is higher.

 

Qvia

Blackvue

 

[Sethneo]

Anyone got lobang where can do installation cheap?

Need to do up 2channel + a external battery pack

[kschan]

Can someone share experience with using car camera designed battery packs and what is the difference between traditional battery packs? 

 

Thinkware batteries are quite costly, 

 

1) Thinkware BAB-50, 4500mAh last up to 17 hours, cost SGD250.00

2) Thinkware BAB-100, 9900mAh, last up to 36 hours, cost SGD450.00

 

 

Is there anyone using alternative solution like using non-car camera AuKey/Ankey/Xiaomi battery packs those that are 10,000mAh or 20,000mAh, which are cheaper than these BAB battery packs? 

Edited April 7, 2019 by kschan

[Adrianli]

Can someone share experience with using car camera designed battery packs and what is the difference between traditional battery packs? 

 

Thinkware batteries are quite costly, 

 

1) Thinkware BAB-50, 4500mAh last up to 17 hours, cost SGD250.00

2) Thinkware BAB-100, 9900mAh, last up to 36 hours, cost SGD450.00

 

 

Is there anyone using alternative solution like using non-car camera AuKey/Ankey/Xiaomi battery packs those that are 10,000mAh or 20,000mAh, which are cheaper than these BAB battery packs? 

 

The difference is the type of battery and most important the re-charging capabilities.

 

Specific battery packs for car camera comes with fast charging, like Q3.0 charging for your handphone. Whereas the normal power bank do not have such charging capabilities yet.

 

Also the type of batteries used are of different composite. For car cameras, able to withstand heat and fast charging.