IMO you get what you pay for when it comes to these types of cameras. I’ve bought a couple of cheap cams like that off eBay and they are certainly OK for the money but don’t expect quality. The lenses and sensors are cheap so the resulting output is also pretty average. Don’t put much value into the night vision claim either - it’s a gimmick.
All depends what you want it for I suppose. If you want nice sharp wide angle action footage you’d be hard pressed to find better than a GoPro. If you really want a decent “always on” type blackbox recorder for the car then expect to spend 200-300 to get something good.
DBO’s response is spot-on. Dashcams incorporating the Sony Exmor sensors seem to be doing well in terms of review … but they aren’t cheap. Sensors based on the Ambarella line can be hit/miss, depending on implementation. Understand that it’s the sensor that’s doing the heavy lifting inside the dashcam, so buy the best you can afford. Do some research over at dashcamtalk.com, to get a feel for what’s hot and what’s not, especially since it changes rapidly in the dashcam world. (This may help get you started: http://dashcamtalk.com/dash-cam-comparison/)
As a general rule, you will have to spend for quality. In addition, as a general rule, cameras with IR emitters tend to have optics that are ill-suited to good video capture at night … and the emitters are installed to compensate for the inability of the sensor to do the job on its own. Note, also, that the emitters are usually visible to the naked eye – meaning there will be some lights on signaling ‘steal me’ to a would-be thief looking for a free dash cam … unless you disable or cover them, which brings you full circle. Food for thought…
There’s some benefit to buying locally. I’ve found that the mounts for different cameras can make a huge difference in terms of how easily they mount in a specific vehicle. At least if you buy from JB or Harvey Norman, you’ve got the option of exchanging it for a different one, if you wanted to try a couple out.
I have bought several different cheapo dash cams…and sent them back or been refunded, but the one I have now I am really pleased with. For the money, you can’t really fault it. It’s a G1W. I paid about £24.00 ($36.00) for it with free postage.
All the reviews praise it for being one of top budget range Dashcams.
It is full 1080, has a HDMI lead that plugs into your TV for instant play back.
The picture is crisp & clear. If I had to fault it, it would be the sound is audible, but not as crisp as the picture and also it has a silver ring on the front which makes it stand out to thieves, I have since coloured mine in with a black marker pen. I run a 16gB SD (v6 card) in mine and it just overwrites quite happily!
