What Makes a Good Dash Cam (Car Dash Cam Guide)

What Makes a Good Dash Cam

If you are in the market for a dash cam, there are few things you need to understand about what makes a good dash cam.

A lot of Chinese brands use sub-standard designs and components that put some dash cams into the almost worthless category.

Surprisingly, some of the best dash cams also come from China and you need to tell the good ones apart.

That’s not to say that North American based companies don’t offer high quality cams too.

There are some top dash cam brands which are developed in the States.

Video Resolution Isn’t Everything

A lot of people look at the video resolution and when they see 4K they automatically think that it must be a quality dash cam. If you had similar beliefs, you will be disappointed by how these devices work.

The image sensor is the main driving factor of image quality. A top dash cam will pride itself on using Sony sensors.

Latest Firmware

The firmware that the camera uses also dictates how the image is processed and how good the recording quality is. In real-world terms, you may find that 4K cameras have an image quality that is worse than the one of a 1080p camera.

If you want to be sure that you are getting a good camera, search for some recordings on YouTube taken with the model you are interested in.

Just search the model name and number and you should find enough footage.

4K Better Than 1080p

Claiming that 1080p is better than 4K does not sound right but for dash cameras, it is true for a very simple reason. 1080p dash cams can have great image quality, if not, even better than a compact 4K camera.

The main reason why you would want source a reputable camera that records in 1080p is file size. 4K recordings are 3 to 4 times larger in size compared to 1080p video.

For example, a 60 second 30 FPS 4K video can be as large as 450MB while a 1080p one is around 150MB.

Memory Cards

This matters a lot as 4K videos will fill up your memory card very fast. Also, as video recordings are larger, the dash cam will cause more write cycles which in turn will decrease the lifespan of the micro SD memory card as they tend to fail over time.

Battery vs Capacitor

One common issue with dashboard cameras is that manufacturers skimp on quality and use batteries. If you think batteries in a dash cam are alright then you would be missing some vital aspects in reagrds to durability.

Dash cameras require some source of power when the car is turned off. They do not need a lot. Just enough for the camera to detect that it no longer gets power from the car so that it can properly save the last video recording in the loop recording cycle.

If the power would have been cut suddenly, the video file would become corrupted and may not be retrieved.

Hot Weather Protection

To solve this problem, manufacturers use either a small battery or a capacitor. The problem with batteries is that they are more sensitive to heat.

The dash cam needs to sit on the windshield, exposed to sunlight and high temperatures. Manufacturers have designed some dash cams to specifically operate in hot weather.

Capacitors on the other hand do not have issues with heat. You want to get a dash cam with capacitors as they can do the same job as a small battery but without the risks.

What you will notice is that dash cameras with supercapacitors tend to be more expensive compared to low grade battery powered dash cams.

Features

Features can make or break a dash cam. You want a cam with an easy to understand software display, plus all the bells and whistles in terms of functionality.

This means that the dash cam needs to have a dedicated mobile app and wireless connectivity via WiFi.

Parking Mode

Parking mode is an essential feature to have as this aurds your car against any unwanted knocks and scrapes while the car is left unatended.

Video File Management

The ability to transfer videos to mobile devices without removing the card is a great time saver and make the managment of video files a great deal easier.

Think about features that you would consider useful and look at models that do just that.

A Few Dash Cams Worth Looking At

Since there are hundreds of dash cams on the market, you might find it challenging to settle for a particular model that does everything right. A dash camera does not have to be expensive to be good.

Viofo A129 Dash Cam

An example of a popular dash cam is Viofo A129 Duo. It is a dual-camera setup for the front and back, with a dedicated mobile app, plenty of settings to play around with, and a wide selection of useful accessories.

Garmin Tandem

Garmin Dash Cam Tandem is a simple dash cam that uses supercapacitors, a dedicated mobile app, and plenty of features and great image quality even during the night. The only downside is that it is rather expensive compared to the Viofo A129 Duo.

Rexing V1

Rexing V1 dash cam is a budget pick with reasonable image quality, a well-designed mobile app, and supercapacitors instead of a built-in battery. It is a reliable little dashboard cam that offers good value and performance.

Read Here to Discover: 8 Best Dash Cam Brands