So you want to buy a dash cam? Wonderful. There are a few-things that you should consider when purchasing one. Lucky for you,this guide will make things easier.
When choosing a dash cam, there are a few-things that you should keep in mind. Let’s get right in to it;
- Camera angles that you want to record from:
Camera angles are important because they guide you in knowing which camera to get depending on the angle you want. Most common dash cams are the single lens cameras, this is to mean they have only one lens, they are mounted on the windshield to record the road ahead of you.
These single channel cameras can protect you from liability in case of an accident you didn’t cause. However, if you want to record both the road ahead and behind your car or inside the cabin, you should consider dual lens cameras. These have a dual lens that gives you a comprehensive recording of both the inside and back of your car in case of anything.
We have two variations of the dual lens cameras and these are front and rear view cameras and the front and interior-facing cameras.
2. Visibility of the camera:
Dash cams come in different shapes and sizes. While many people prefer the discrete cameras mounted on windshields, a variety of cameras are available to meet the different wants.
If you are the ‘I want a discrete camera’ type of person, we have a variety of discrete cameras that you can use. These are typically small cameras without a screen that you can mount behind your rear view mirror to assure you of protection.
The other option would be for those that want a discrete camera that still has a screen which they can use to watch videos, change settings and monitor the road from. For that, we also have discrete dash cams that have inbuilt screen.
3. Video quality :
The video quality of dash-cams varies depending on the model.We have the basic one at 480p, high quality at 720p and even the highest of definition at
Full HD (1920×1080)
More recently, dash cams of 4k ultra high definition have also been introduced into the market. Higher video quality has more perks such as being able to read number plates from inside the car to improved visibility at night.
Higher video quality definition means a higher price tag but anything for your car, aye?
4. Is logging your GPS location what you want ?
If you answered yes to the above question then good,continue reading. Many dash cameras have the option of logging your vehicle’s speed and position into a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver.
Basically what this means is you can watch your vehicle move in a Google map in real time next to the video display.
You may be wondering what the benefits of GPS logging are but simply put, they can help you position your vehicle(s) at any given time, prove your whereabouts and even get yourself out of an unjust speeding ticket.
So how does it work? To get the GPS signal, the dashcam uses a GPS antenna. Depending on the make of the camera, the antenna is either built into the camera itself, or receives GPS signal through an external cable and antenna. We also have cameras with cloud connectivity via WiFi like the famous BlackVue over the cloud.
5. A dash-cam for your fleet or business perhaps?
So you own commercial vehicles and want to be able to monitor them while on the road? We have a variety of professional dash cameras that are compatible with commercial fleets such as cleaning companies, taxis and so on.
They are different from regular dashcameras in that for starters, they normally record video facing outside the front windshield as well as video facing inside the vehicle to record the driver and other occupants of the vehicle.
The other main difference is that professional dash-cams cannot be tampered with , meaning either the power cord or memory card(or both) are unable to be removed. Besides that, some professional dash-cam models can be able to be tracked remotely, so a business owner can keep track of their assets at any given time or place.
6 Amount of video you want to store on your memory card:
Of course dash-cam videos generate a lot of data, it is important that you use a good memory card.
How good is good then? When it comes to measuring the quality of a memory card, we normally do so in terms of ‘write speed’ Basically this is the speed that the camera can ‘write’ video data to the memory card.
Memory cards are usually sold in regards to their capacity and ‘class’. Classes 1,2,4,6,10 that a memory card may fall under are determined by their ‘write speed’
Since not all memory cards are able to write data at high rates, it is important that you purchase a memory card of the right class. We recommend using classes 6 and 10 since anything below that will leave you with wacky low quality video and other video problems that may hinder your successes while using a dash-cam.
Below are some times showing how long the camera will record in HD before reaching the end of the card and going back at the beginning to do loop recording.
- 16GB card – 4-6 hours
- 32GB card – 6-12 hours
- 64GB card – 10-20 hours
- 128GB card – 20-40 hours
RELATED : HOW TO RETRIEVE YOUR VIDEO FROM A DASHCAM
7. How you want to install the dash-cam in your vehicle
In case you are okay with the power cord hanging from your dash cam, then the standard cigarette lighter power cord included with every dash cam sale is all you need.
But if you prefer a sleek, clean finish for your set up ,we have dash-cam installation kits that permit you to tap into your vehicle’s main power unit.
This is important if you want the dash-cam to continue monitoring your vehicle even when parked. Our installation kits use a safe fused “add-a-circuit” technique, so none of your vehicle’s original wiring is changed in any way whatsoever. For more information on this , you can always talk to us and we would be more than happy to help out.
Drive safely and always remember prevention is better than cure so get yourself a dashboard camera today!
RELATED : WHY PARENTS NEED AN EYEWITNESS ON THE ROAD
