Spy Tec A119 Version 2 Car Dash 60 FPS 1440p Camera with GPS Logger Mount G-Sensor Wide Angle Lens and Low Light Recording, A119w/GPS
Key Features:
- Perfect for forward facing surveillance | Captures clear video of vehicles on the road (1440p HD) | Logs driving locations and speeds.
- Automatically turns on and off | Capacitor model for improved performance in extreme operating temperatures (hot or cold).
- Never miss anything important with loop recording the 160 degree Wide Angle Lens and excellent low light recording.
- Automatically captures impact events (with G sensor) | Change camera settings using 2″ LCD screen.
- Easily attach to windshield using adhesive GPS mount | Stores 7 hours of HD video (with 64GB memory card not included).
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Start the Engine and Roll the Video
The A119 with GPS is an easy-to-install above-dashboard camera that records road tripsin high definition using an F1.8 low-light lens with wide 160° field of vision. The wedge-shaped design helps conceal the small-footprint camera when placed by the rear-view mirror. Justpress the adhesive mounting plate tothe inside of your windshield, snap in the camera and channel the power cord to the cigarette lighter. There’s no battery to charge, and the capacitor-type connection senses when the ignition is started and shut off, so the video is always recordingwhen you’re on the go. Add a 64GB memory card, and you’ll be able to store 7 hours of stunning HD video. Loop recording ensures that you’ll never run out of memory as uneventful video is routinely replaced by the newest videos and photos. Thanks to the built-in G-sensor that detects a collision, the A119 automatically protects video captured before and after an incident from being erased.
Putting GPS to Work for You
The A119 with GPS leverages Earth’sGlobal Positioning System of satellites to decrease your chances of getting into an accident. You’ll be able to activate a pair of warning systems: one that alerts youin case your vehicle veers out of lane and a forward collision system thatsounds an alarm if your vehicle is moving too fast with an obstacle ahead.The GPS module also tracks your speed and position as you travel and embeds the data on top of the video. In case of an incident, you’ll have a complete, go-to-the-video record of what occurred.
Plug into a PC Only as Needed
Thanks to the built-in color display and hard buttons below the LCD, you can adjust allthe camera’s settings and review footage right in your vehicle. You’ll be able to mute the microphone, take photos, change the exposure value, and do time-lapse recordings. When you do want to share or archive content, simply remove the camera from the mount and copy files to a computer using the included USB cable. On an external screen, you’ll fully appreciate the sharpness of pictures, the smooth frame rate and the revealing detail even when the camera captures the road at night.
Capacitor Power
Leveraging the battery power of your vehicle, the A119 bypasses the chore of recharging an internal or removable battery found in many cameras. That means dwindling camera power will never be an issue. Also, you won’t have to worry about a camera stored by the dashboard overheating when the vehicle is left under a hot sun with the windows rolled up. And if you choose to have the camera always record video whenever you go for a drive, the capacitor-type connection automatically senses when the ignition is started and shut off. That means you don’t have to even think about touching the camera until you need to play back video when something unusual happens.
| Size: | A119+GPS Logger |
| Dimensions: | 15.2 x 10.2 x 12.7 centimetres |
| Brand: | Spy Tec |
| Model: | A119w/GPS |
| Part: | A119w/GPS |
| Size: | A119+GPS Logger |
I used this camera with the GPS module and a 128GB SD card on my road trip from Arizona to Ohio. It works pretty well and the image quality is satisfactory. The mount on the windshield is also very good, it won’t come off unless you try to remove it intentionally.
Of course, the image quality could always get better but then you should probably be looking at more than $300.
The support from Spy Tec is also very good. They were very prompt and dedicated to solving (and actually solved) a problem I faced.
Worked since, no worries.
Owned for 3 months now as of June 2017. Haven’t had any issues with it, though haven’t had time to go back and review the footage quality that has been recorded. Initially had problems with adhesive backing of gps unit coming loose due to heat of the california weather, but pressed it on again and has held ever since.
The SpyTec 119 gave an ok initial impression. The image quality is similar or better than my previous dash cams. When used for the first time, most of the recordings were corrupt and showed a static frame. I will be watching the recordings for failure.
Pros:
Good video quality
acceptable menu
long power cord
standard usb connection for power so can use standard options
Cons:
It is deceptively portrayed as 1440p 60fps which it is not. It can provide 1440p 30fps or 1080p 60 fps.
The dashcam sticks to windshield so cannot be moved to another car.
The position of usb on gps module limits how high it can be placed.
The video files are huge — a 3 minutes recording is ~500 MB.
The camera performs as advertised. It would be nice if a fully featured route playback software came with the camera.
SpyTec Customer Support replied to my inquiry via email. They also left a comment to this review and for some reasons, the comment is not viewable.
They instructed me to plug the power directly to the camera unit instead of the GPS Module Mount. That certainly fixed the random rebooting issue. This certainly contradicts the instructions that came with the camera that says:
“If you are using the GPS module, insert the plug into the USB port on the module rather than the one on the camera.”
SpyTec and its manufacturing partners should take this issue into considerations for the next revisions and new products.
Overall, I recommend SpyTec A119 Car Dash 60 FPS 1440p Camera withGPS Module.
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Original Ratings: Three (3) Stars
First, the camera is working just fine on its own. Good wide-angle lens and video quality (2560×1440 @30fps).
There are a lot of features in this SpyTec A119 Car Dash; some work, some don’t. “Lane Assist” and “Collision Alert” do not work as expected.
Paired with the GPS module, unlike its predecessor, this SpyTec A119 Car Dash has the option to not record the speed while keeping the coordinates embedded in the video.
One thing that is a definite negative on SpyTec A119 Car Dash is the GPS Module Mount. After a few months of use, it is apparent that the mount has an unstable connection to the camera. This cause the camera to randomly reboots even as it loses power supplied through the GPS Mount. The connection between the Camera and GPS Mount is easily disrupted by the vibration in the car.
To recap, on its own, the SpyTec A119 Car Dash is a great camera. If you want one with GPS Module Mount with it, then you might have to deal with the random reboots.
I recommend the Camera if you don’t care about the GPS tagging.
If you want the GPS feature, then wait until this issue had been resolved or find a different model.
The form factor is a tradeoff. My car has a very sharply sloped windshield and that makes it very hard to see the screen, it’s on edge rather than facing the driver. That’s offset by the ability to put the cam out of the way where it calls less attention to itself. There’s really not that much need to see the screen when driving anyway, and the sensible button functions make even less necessary. For example, you can turn the mic off with a button rather than going through a manu.
The GPS mount adheres to the windshield and the camera snaps into it. This makes it easy to remove the camera. Also provided is a non-GPS mount so that you could move the cam to a second car (but without the GPS feature). The GPS itself is a neat feature, coding the navigational coordinates and vehicle speed on the video–so you could prove, for instance, that you weren’t speeding.
I had a problem with the GPS mount because it was loose and the connection between the camera and the GPS (and the power) was intermittent. Spytec said that they had never heard of this problem before, but they promptly replaced the camera, even paying the return shipping. I give them 5-stars for their customer service too. The replacement cam snaps in securely.
After going through 3 other dash cams, this one is the clear winner. It is unobtrusive, convenient, and has excellent video quality.
I got this a month ago. While installing it, I keep taking the camera in and out of the GPS base. After a couple of weeks, the camera started to go into the REBOOT loop. Not until I adjusted the gps base connection did it stop. When I first got the camera, the gps and camera were tightly connected, now the connection was loose and causing the reboot.
Spytec customer support was great and got me a replacement.
This time i did not fiddle with it. First thing I did was to update the firmware, but used the VIOFO firmware instead of Spytec (google it)
After that, i connected the camera to the gps once and stuck it to my windshield. I did not fiddle with it like i did with the first one. Im hoping that the camera will not become loose with time.
Good-quality pictures. I like that it has a good variety of settings. E.g. I can set it permanently to not record sound. It has a few extra modes such as time-lapse and motion-detection. I haven’t tried them yet, but they might be useful if I need to re-purpose this as a makeshift security camera. Getting the GPS included with this was really good value (it was the same price as the version without). The GPS is pretty important, as it not only adds the location, but means that the date/time is set automatically, too. It has lane-drifting and collision detection, although I don’t think that they’re reliable enough to be useful. I wasn’t expecting those features, so I don’t count them against it.
The camera itself is great, quality at night and during the day is miles ahead of my last camera which was only marginally cheaper.
The low profile mounting for this camera is wonderful for keeping out of the drivers line of sight and making it less of a target for theft.
As others have stated, wonderful build quality, feels like a high quality product.
Con:
Mounting is the only issue I have with this device so far, I purchased the package with the GPS mount, and the power can be run through the GPS mount. When you plug in through the GPS mount the wire comes straight out the top and is perfectly positioned to tuck into the headliner HOWEVER the connection between the GPS mount and the camera is not 100% secure, I first noticed this when the camera made the power-on noise in the middle of driving. After it did it a few more times throughout the day I decided to take a look at it, turns out moving the camera around on the mount causes it to loose power. To work around this, I have the power cable plugged into the side of the camera, making the install not look quite as nice or as concealed.
The mount connection feels decently sturdy, yet its not enough to ensure a stable power connection. It also means that sometimes the camera is just a little tilted despite the effort I put to make sure the base was mounted as straight as I could possibly get it.
Overall, its a great camera for the price, great camera for much more even. I’ve only had 2 dashcams but this one seems good enough to get me to come back in the future if I ever need another.
Video quality is excellent. Mounting is very simple and solid using the included 3M tape mounts. The unit itself is built well and is relatively discrete. Conveniently turns on automatically and begins recording when you turn your car on and it receives power. Unit also uses capacitors instead of a battery (good for hot weather). Only minor issue I’ve had so far is that using a microSD card with a 64 GB capacity required a reformat. However, following the instructions included in the manual, the reformatting process was very simple and only took a couple of minutes. I don’t have extensive experience with dash cams but the A119 was very reasonably priced and seems to be one of the best performing cameras on the market.
Everything works as stated and the 64GB card seems to work just fine. The feature of being able to point the camera up and down and side to side is hampered by it only moves in set positions. The up and down isn’t too bad but the side to side is useless, there are only three positions, center, left or right.
So far so good. Daytime recording is top notch. Nighttime is is good as well, but brakelights will flush out any hope of reading their license plates. Sensor might be overcompensating for light so it drowns it out. But it is good enough to see the details of whats going on. Will update in a few months.
This is the second A119 I have purchased. It works as well as the first that I have in my car, this one is for my truck. So many people run red lights where I live that I wanted to have proof in case of an accident and a he said she said incident.
Love this little devise. I purchased two, one for my daughters car and one for me. It was easy to setup, hiding the wires can be a little tricky in each vehicle. To be honest I strongly believe it was one of my best purchases. The video can save you from insurance hassles and it can also capture if you are at fault. The bottom-line, drive safe and let the Spy Tec A119 car dash record everything.
I like the camera, and was easy to install. The only drawback is the motion sporadically stops when viewing on my windows 10 PC. I don’t know if it’s the camera or the PC. In any case you can’t beat the quality for the price. I would buy again and have recommended to my friends.
I had this unit for a couple of weeks now and it’s worked flawlessly except when I went out to lunch the other day. The inside temperature of the car was fairly high. The camera kept re-booting and the screen was flickering. I had never removed it from the GPS dock. When I left for home, it was cooler and worked without issue. I was thinking about getting another one for my other car, but now I’m having second thoughts.
Installed into my vehicle to record my grandson as he learns to drive. So far we are having a lot of success rewatching his lesson. We turned off the alarms since they have give false signals. The lane change will beep while driving strait. The crash alarm will beep when setting still. And we turned off the voice recorder, people don’t need to hear my screams, we’re gonna die, brake!, brake!
Enjoy this unit and will buy another one for grand son’s first vehicle.
The view is very clear even at night. Plus it was easy to install. I bought a 64g SD card not knowing I’d have to format it. I have no clue how since its brand new and of course I lost the directions and still haven’t gotten around to googling it. If you’re a procrastinator like me, get a 32g and you’ll be good to go
Despus de un buen tiempo con esta cmara, estoy encantado con ella. No ha fallado ni una sola vez y la imagen es excelente. Comrare otra igual para el nuevo vehculo. Tambin es cierto que nunca haba tenido otra para compara
First impressions are good.
Buttons where easy to use and menus easy to follow. I charger it on a Mobile charger and set it up via the menus before fitting it in car.
It was easy to fit with the supplied double Usb cigarette light socket adapter, long Usb cable (approx 12 inches of spare cable tucked away on an Smax) and clips.
The only thing not supplied was a Sd card. Buy a 32gb card for this & record on lower resolution than max and you will have plenty of spare on card.
Overall, much better than an older dashcam bought in 2015 for another car.
Update Aug 17:
Produced the football needed when another car reversed into our car. Did need to reduce size of image to upload it on Insurance co site.
As recommended by reviewers & the user guide, I bought a SanDisk 64GB Class 10 microSD card…formatted it as instructed & it works well.
Because I also wanted the ability to transfer the dash cam from car to car (in case I’m driving a rental car while on business trips), I took another reviewer’s advice & bought a Garmin suction cup mount (URL is below); then I stuck the adhesive part of the dash cam onto the suction cup mount & it works great! Actually, that “after-market setup” i.e. dash cam & Garmin mount is easier to snap in & out for glove compartment storage (to preclude theft) than removing the dash cam from its adhesive mount; you’ll know what I mean when you have the actual equipment & try to separate the dash cam from its adhesive mountit takes tremendous finger prying; over time the adhesive mount could become loose because of the required force to remove & reinstall the dash cam. This is the reason why I’m knocking off 1 of the 5 stars in this review.
https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-010-11785-00-suction-cup-mount/dp/B007RVLOL4/ref=pd_sbs_107_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B007RVLOL4&pd_rd_r=RGKYDHVATCJ9QRY85F6D&pd_rd_w=x8Vnd&pd_rd_wg=2e19t&psc=1&refRID=RGKYDHVATCJ9QRY85F6D
The device has so many more features that I will play around with some more to set as desired! So for about $170 (dash cam $100, Garmin suction cup mount $20, SanDisk 64GB Class 10 microSD card $40, tax & shipment), I got a really good quality dash cam.
The dash cam works well, but I wish it had a better way of using parking mode. The motion sensing feature is a pain to keep turning on and off and gave up on using the feature. I had to add some padding to the mount to keep it from vibrating.
Leaving “I love it / 5 starts” since I’ve got all features I need and the dash cam works stable but there some issues that can be improved.
Good:
* Good plastic (cheap, but not very cheap)
* Good camera size!
* Package content (3M tapes, holders, etc)
* Hardware wiring (long-enough power USB cord, cigarete power adapter)
* Data USB cord
* Easy to install and use especially with using GPS unit
Ways to improve:
* GPS track is not seen in Dashcam viewer. It was broken in FW V2.01 and not fixed in V2.02
* LDWS and FCWS systems do not work for me. FCWS alarm sometimes after stop, I’ve have heard LDWS alarms at all.
* Numbers in license plates are not readable in 1440/30 and 1080/30 modes.
Works good in the day and at night. The record lighted button is hard to see in the daytime. State Farm Insurance will not discount for dash cams, but It did prove who the jerk was three week after install.
One thing I learned in my first few days with this unit is that it takes a computer with a pretty healthy processor to be able to produce a smooth playback of the 1440p video files that it generates. I first tried playing back files on a laptop with an older processor and the playback was very choppy, leading me to believe there was something wrong with the dash cam or perhaps the speed of the memory card I was using. I tried 32GB Class 10 memory cards from two manufacturers, however, and the results were the same. SpyTec’s tech support responded quickly by email, and then called me on the phone to work the issue. The bottom line is that for whatever reason, it takes a newer i5 processor or higher to smoothly decode and display the compressed video files at the highest resolution settings. It may be the way the A119 encodes its video, and the tech at SpyTec indicated he would follow up with Viofo on this. Having worked thru this issue, I am very impressed with the dash cam and very happy I chose to purchase it from SpyTec.
Part of my first few days for the A119 was running it thru some testing to see how it performed while I had the opportunity to return it if I didn’t like it. I tried various resolutions of video, of course, and I can see no reason to use any setting other then the highest (2560×1440). I ran sample video at night using both low and high beam headlights, driving into total darkness, into on-coming traffic in one and in multiple lanes, and in various back road and highway environments with both lit and unlit signage. Video at night is better than I expected. I also made daytime runs, including turning into the sun. I was very impressed with the camera’s ability to contain the bright sun in the image and still allow you to see quite clearly in other areas of the video frame. Overall, video performance is great.
This unit included a GPS module, and it quickly sync’d up with a sufficient number of satellites to display both location coordinates and speed. After unboxing the A119, I first powered it up with the GPS module attached indoors using a portable USB/5v power supply and even indoors the GPS quickly figured out where I was. On the road, you can set it to record location and speed or just location if you’d prefer that your speed not be a matter of record.
Physically, the unit is not the smallest one out there, but the layout and design is good, especially with the ability to swivel the camera lens both vertically and horizontally. It easily fits behind a rearview mirror on a windshield with any slope and allows you to adjust the camera to be level or at pretty much any angle you like. I’ve mounted mine on the right side (passenger side) of the mirror mount since it provides more room with the angle of the mirror toward the driver, and it sits up behind the mirror as high as I could get it and maintain a clear view (keep it below any tint or dots) but in range of the windshield wipers. It’s barely noticable from the driver’s seat so it’s not the least bit obtrusive, and it’s not very visible from outside.
The menu system is easy to enter and easy to navigate if you ever need to. Once set up the way you like it, however, I can’t imagine needing to access it very frequently. You can play back the video files on the A119’s display, but it’s hard to see much and not very convenient. The memory chip will pop into a phone, of course, which provides a bigger screen for viewing recorded video in the field. I tested this on my Samsung J7 and it actually works quite well. You’ll just need a video player that’s compatible, and for Android phones a great (free) option is VLC. Just go to the Play Store and find the VLC for Android app and install it. It’s also handy for playing a wide array of other video file formats should you ever need to.
For power, most cars now have courtesy/map lights up by the mirror, which provides a great place to tap into power without having to run a long and pretty stiff/fat wire all the way around to a power port. Amazon has a number of 12v-to-5v converter boxes for about $10, and I picked up one of these with its own fuse and a mini-USB connector. I removed the plastic ceiling module with the two lights and sunglasses storage, tapped into a 12v source (a voltmeter is helpful for finding power that’s either switched by the igition switch or not, as you prefer), tucked the converter and excess wire up inside a little cubby, ran about 6″ of the mini-USB wire out alongside of the A119’s location, and put the ceiling light module back in place. Now there’s only inches of wire showing, which makes for a very clean installation.
Given that some folks have reported failures of the A119 and the fact that it’ll see a fair amount of use and power cycling, I did opt for the Square Trade 4 year warranty that cost less than $10. I’ve seen mixed reviews on Square Trade, so we’ll see how tht works out if I ever need it. In the meantime, the dash cam is working great. A word about memory: it appears a number of folks have asked about how large a Micro SD card can be used, and I’m not sure why you would want a lot of memory. The answer is 64GB, by the way, but to me it makes more sense to have two cards of 32GB each. You can set the length of video clips that the camera will record (it transitions smoothly between these clips, by the way), and I set mine to 3 minutes as a compromise between the size of each file and the number of files generated. It’ll make these all day long, recording over the oldest once memory is used up. A 32GB card allows several hours of recording before any overwriting occurs. If something happens that impacts the car, the force will cause the camera to lock that file so as not to record over it (or you can manually lock the file) and it will continue to record new files until powered down. If an accident happens, my plan (assuming consciousness) is to pop out that memory card anyway and replace it with the second card.
The bottom line: I highly recommend this dash cam if you’re in the market for one, and given my very positive experience with SpyTec I highly recommend you buy it from them.
Been using it for more than a week now and so far so good. I thought the video quality will be a little bit better but I cannot say is not good either is good quality feels good in my hand feels well-built and I would recommend this for anybody who needs a dash cam.
I ordered this dash cam for my wife which she specifically told me she wanted a cam that did not get in her way. Very easy to operate, install and function. I was able to install it behind the rear view mirror and the only thing she sees is about 2.5 inches of the cable leading to the top of the windshield as I tucked it all in so well that you cannot see anything else. She doesn’t even know where I plugged it in. So far so good. I’ll give it a few weeks before I update my review (good or bad or the same).
I have a dash cam in my car I bought 2 plus years ago but I think I’ll order me another one of this A119 to upgrade my car protection.
Pros:
-Video looks good both day and night
-Audio is good enough to pick up my singing and cursing. Mostly cursing because I hate living in this state.
-Using the GPS power port instead of the main unit power port lets cable routing be a little cleaner. It is also easier to remove the dash cam vs the regular clip.
Cons:
-There appears to be some blurriness on the right of the video frame that I haven’t seen in videos on the internet. Maybe I have a defective unit?
Other:
A string is included to remove the mount if desired.
Overall, I would say a good buy.
I have spent alot of money on dash cams, possibly one or 2 every year as they break right after the warranty goes out. After doing some extensive research I ran into the A119, this is the best dash cam for your money, The image quality is almost GoPro quality. I would highly suggest this deshcam over the competitors.
Great dash cam. Sticky mount works fine on top of windshield and it isn’t big at all. Turns on when vehicle starts, stops a few seconds after vehicle turns off. Has file looping (overwrite oldest), emergency save file, camera can be adjusted to point slightly left or right. The video quality is really good for a ~$100 dash cam, best I’ve found and glad I bought this one.
This is an excellent camera! It is small and very discrete. Hides behind your rear view mirror out of sight and not that noticeable from the outside unless you’re really looking. Quality is awesome too! Day recording is very clear and crisp. Night recording is also very good but will very depending on light source.
NOTE: the “engine on camera on, engine off camera off” will not work if your cars power ports still draw power when the car is off. You may want to consider unplugging it when your car is off and in a secure location.
Now have owned & used it for almost 6 months. We drove across 18 States in the U.S. and filmed almost every hour of the trip. Excellent quality of filming. An excellent product at an excellent price. Only wish it was easier to update the firmware, but would recommend it without any hesitation.
Purchased around Christmastime. Installation and setup was a breeze, and the video quality is very good. If I ever have a need for another dashcam, I would buy this same version without hesitation.
For video storage, I purchased the following from Amazon: SanDisk High Endurance Video Monitoring Card with Adapter 64GB (SDSDQQ-064G-G46A). It has performed great so far.
We bought two of these. One is for the car and one is for the truck. They were very easy to install and they take excellent video. We’ve already had a couple of moments that we wanted to capture on video and these were perfect. I feel they make us better drivers, too. For less than one month’s insurance premium this is a worthwhile addition to our cars.
Own 2 of these and couldn’t be happier.Have one in front and rear of my 2016 CX-5.
I got rear ended on the LIE on Jan 29 th and the driver fled.To bad I didn’t have the rear installed yet when it happened .
If you have one these get the CPL filter, if for anything else just to keep the lens from being accidentally move from your desired position and also helps a little with glare depending on your cameras positioning.
Picture quality has been great ,setup easy viewing files also easy.
I wired both to a ACC wire in my pac module for my after market amp.Used two hard wire kits with female USB ends. Also used the supplied Camera USB cable since it was quite long and reached from rear door to about front seat.
I’ve owned several dash cams of varying price ranges since they became popular and affordable to the general public. I can say so far, without a doubt, this is the best one I’ve ever owned. I say so far, because I haven’t owned it a long time, I may have a different opinion a year from now. The recordings are outstanding high quality, the night recordings are superb, the menus are easy to navigate and not overly confusing. There have been no glitches, no time/date loss, and the gps works like a champ. One bit of advice on the gps. The company had a slight problem with firmware version 2.01 in that the gps data was not being embedded into the .mp4 file, and as a result none of the gps playback software would work (Dashcam Viewer). The current firmware is v2.02 (as of this writing) and the problem was fixed in the firmware update. So if your camera came with firmware v2.01, you’ll want to update it if you want to use a gps file playback program on a computer. The gps data still displays on the video playback with 2.01, it’s only a problem if you want to play the video with gps data using a third party program.
Overall, I am very pleased with every aspect of this dash cam. It’s a little more expensive than some, but for the quality and reliability you get, I’d say it was well worth it.
Great little camera, works really well on 1440p @ 30 frames, not as well for night at 1080 and 60. It has a button to instantly save those awesome moments to throw up on youtube or for insurance/court purposes. The gps is a dual edge sword, it can show your speed, so if you are speeding, it shows that, but if you aren’t, it still shows it. The camera is tiny, and barely even noticeable. I say it is a great little investment for the just in case moments in life, and also if you want to save a memorable drive (bad drivers or scenic). If you search my channel on the youtube (jimmydean91, will show up as Nukedogger86) you can catch my videos.
I’ve had it a month, and no issues at all.
Edit:
Three years later, second vehicle, still love it. Works great.
I purchased the Viofo A119 (white labeled for SpyTec) a couple of months ago, and have been very pleased with the performance. The resolution is sharp, focus is good, and exposure response is pretty quick. The camera utilizes a capacitor instead of lithium batteries, a big plus for users living in hotter climates (lithium batteries and high heat do not cooperate).
I actually prefer that the cameras made for SpyTec lack the white “VIOFO” lettering shown in some of the customer images. I think it makes the camera a bit less noticeable, and the black design is fairly inconspicuous.
Overall construction is sturdy and all necessary mounting and wiring equipment is included. The included mini USB cable is approximately 10ft long – long enough that I was able to hide the cable by running it down the A pillar, under the dash, and along the bottom of the center console with no tools required. I was actually able to reach the 12v outlet in the back seating area, leaving my front outlet available for cellphone charging. Each car and install is different, so your mileage may vary. If you would prefer to hard wire the camera, the optional Spy Tec Hard Wire Kit is available.
The GPS mount is extremely handy, even if you choose to disable to GPS logging. The mount provides power to the camera via pins which allows you to remove the camera without having to unplug any cables. The mount also outputs the USB cable toward the top of the windscreen (versus the right of the camera) making it easier to hide the cable in the headliner.
Pros:
*Great overall performance and resolution
*Easy mounting with all necessary hardware
*Inconspicuous design
*GPS mount allows quick removal without having to unplug the camera
*Menu options to turn screen, recording indicator, and sounds on or off depending on your preference
*Two axis adjustable lens (up, down, left, right)
*Optional clip-on CPL (Highly recommend to reduce dash reflections)
Cons:
*Muddy audio quality
*Mini USB instead of Micro USB plugs
Other thoughts/Tips:
*Be sure to do some research on microSD cards, as certain cards may not hold up well to the constant writes and rewrites of a dashcam. I went with the Lexar High-Endurance 64GB microSD card and have had no problems with corruption so far.
*Nighttime quality is fine for my needs, but you may consider looking into the A119S if you need nighttime performance over resolution. There are several good comparison videos out there.
We bought two of these (one for each of our cars) and they are fantastic little cameras. They are very discrete and very easy to setup. The included GPS provides a quick and accurate speed and location reading as well. With the GPS unit, you are able to mount and dismount the camera from the GPS unit easily to remove the memory card and access the camera buttons and screen. The lens on the front swivels up and down and side to side to allow for plenty of FOV adjustments whether the camera is mounted on a sedan or SUV. We were able to use the included USB cable and route the cable across the windshield, down the A pillar, under the dash/glove box, and into the center console of both our cars (2013 Prius and 2014 Acura RDX) and still had a couple feet of extra cable. No need to hardwire with to the fuse box with a USB cable that long.
Have had some trouble with video not saving to SD card on certain resolutions. After changing resolutions the videos save fine. Good product, but this software glitch is unfortunately a major inconvenience.
I was a little leery about buying a dash cam. The first three dash cams I bought didn’t work; well, two of them didn’t’ work, the third worked for about 15 minutes. I made up my mind that I would not buy another dash cam unless it came with at least a one year warranty. Not only did the A119 come with a warranty, but it works perfect. I am thinking about buying another A119 for my second car.
I’ve had this a couple of weeks now. Seems like a good little camera. I have no previous experience with dashboard cameras, but I am quite happy overall.
Simple to set up, plenty of cord length to get to the 12V outlet. Night shots are very good, though the license numbers are washed out in the glare. Any ideas if that can be helped? Also, I got the GPS version. They documentation says to use a public domain program DashcameraViewer to access the GPS data, but it doesn’t work on my Windows 7 machine. I just get a blank screen with no playback. The FAQ suggests a lower resolution might solve that problem, but then I would lose the hi-res video. Another suggestion is to go to Windows 10, but, uh, no.
Also, file transfer to PC is pretty slow – I’m guessing USB1 speed. A few more sticky clips would also be nice, to help with cord routing. I have mine going around the left of the windshield, under the dash, up the side of the console and into the 12V plug. Pretty unobtrusive.
The windshield mounting adhesive is very tight – be sure you get it where you want it the first time. It’s a heck of a thing to get off. Even at that, I’ve moved it a couple of times and it has held up well. I have it parallel to my rear view, just to the left.
Overall the camera is easy to use and has good picture quality. I only have two complaints: (1) The first unit they sent me would not work when the GPS module was installed. The second unit works fine. (2) The picture quality is not quite as good as I hoped…it is pretty difficult to read the license plate number.
I’ve had this camera for a couple weeks now and it has been everything i’ve wanted in a dash cam. At this $100 price point this is the best camera you can buy. The 1440p looks crispy and the 1080p 60fps option is nice as well if you want smoother footage. Installation was easy. Definitely recommend to anyone.
I’m technochallenged in the extreme, but this was super easy to set up in my minivan.
Seriously, the hardest part for me was the firmware update. But my brother was doing remote work on my laptop so he watched (TeamViewer) to make sure I did it right, and it was easy. The second hardest part was formatting the teeny tiny SD card I bought.
Sticking the camera to the windshield was nerve racking because I didn’t want it to be crooked. It’s off by a hair, but I’m the only who thinks so. Anyway, it’s behind my rear view mirror on the passenger side and the cord is neatly tucked away except on the pillar (I have side airbags didn’t want to mess with the cover there just in case), and right where it plugs into my cigarette light. Total install took 5 minutes, including when I sat for a minute whining about the interior molding pinching my finger.
Video turned out pretty good from the first couple days. I do have a bit glare, but I drive an 06 Odyssey and the angles aren’t kind. I’m getting a dash mat and will adjust the lens angle a bit to see if it helps. Even right now tho, it’s clear enough to see everything…it’s just a little annoying.
This is probably the best dash cam you can get. It comes nicely packed with tools to help you mount ur dash cam. Video quality is great. The only problem I had is that when the screen saver is on, after few minutes from when the screen turns off, it stops recording. But when I have my screen saver off, it records everything. Other than that, this is my favorite dash cam.
Well-made and designed product. Good and clear instructions. Lots of options in the unit’s software. It captures a wide field of view and clear video. It’s very small profile looks like oem equipment when viewed from the outside of your vehicle, but it is not easily seen from outside your vehicle. I recommend taking 30 minutes to get to know the unit before you mount it in your car. Plug it into the wall using the included mini USB cable so that all of the live camera functions are available, and work with it for awhile. (If you plug it into your computer it will go into data transfer mode). I went from a Cobra dash cam to this unit, and I like it much better.
For the tiny size and value. This is the best you can get. Setup menu a little difficult to maneuver, small size very unobtrusive (its been in my car for several months and NO ONE even notices it behind my mirror), easy install on front windshield and swivel lens makes adjustments easy. MUST buy the hard wire kit to make it look good in your car.
I’ve only had it for a few days, but so far it is an amazing camera. It was easy to install and the long power cable made it possible to hide the wire around the door moldings so it is well hidden. After making the initial menu setup there is no interaction required until you need to view the recordings. The suggested Dashcam Viewer program (Ver 2.5.6) does not work with 1440p video so it is disappointing that I can only use up to 1080p even though the camera is capable of better resolution – to read all those license plates out there. It seems that there should be a program to view the higher resolution with the formatting of Dashcam Viewer so you can see the GPS location on a map, not just the coordinates. The raw video viewed with VNC Viewer in 1440p is amazingly detailed for such a tiny camera. If you want to record all of your driving trips in case of a problem this is probably the best camera for $100, easily worth it.
Nice, inconspicuous dash cam with good video quality, even at night. It was packaged with everything to make installation a breeze. Had it for a week and no complaints so far.
Vendor was very interested in my happiness with the order. Item arrived a bit later than quoted but that’s because USPS sucks, not these guys! I have yet to upload the videos to my computer yet but this item is easy to set up and use. It’s been working just fine in our cold Michigan winter so far.
I’m very satisfied with this camera so far. I have had it now for just over a month. The video quality is good, even at night. My only struggle is it seems to not be saving my setting of keeping the mic off. This might be user error, though. Overall, this is a great option for someone who just wants a basic dashcam and isn’t looking for a bunch of flashy extras and high cost.
Update: I’ve had this dashcam a year and a half now. While the picture quality and design of the unit is good, the one I got eventually started having issues with the GPS mount. When using it, the screen constantly flickers. If I push the USB cable or plug it directly into the camera and bypass the GPS mount it stops flickering. It looks like this was a common problem and the ones being sold now (v2) has improved on that weak point.
Original review: Great dash camera so far. I love the form factor how it isn’t too visible.
Sometimes has a crackly noise accompanying the audio.
A class 4 SD card seems to work just fine at 1280 and 720 settings so long as frame rate is 30fps or slower, such as with time lapse. I haven't tested it at higher resolutions.
For long term reliability, spring for the heavy duty SD cards, NOT plain old camera-quality cards. They cost twice as much, but are supposed to last four times as long. [...]
Purchased this for my daughter. Installation was fairly easy. We choose to run the power cable around the window and into the dash.
First look….
After installation we took it for a spin. Turned Lane Departure Warning and Front Collision on. We were able to get the Front Collision warning to bees but we’re unable to get the Lane Departure to work. Manual was no help explaining what and when to expect.
When availing back at home we viewed the video. It was Fantastic. Crystal clear. Very impressed.
Overall, the item worked better than expected. GPS positioning was cool. We will continue to work on the Lane Departure Warning.
Prodotto eccellente, dotazione molto completa, qualit di ripresa eccezionale.
Unica pecca: ogni volta che viene collegato a un computer per scaricare i video, al momento del riavvio in auto, chiede di formattare la microSD con conseguente perdita dei video su essa registrati.
The only problem with it is the screen brightness. However, it does everthing as advertised and works well for a device that was under a hundred dollars. The videos both day and night are sharp and clear when I view them on my Macintosh computer using the Quick Time Player.
This is my second dash cam and it works very well. Excellent movies during daytime, pretty good at night.
The GPS is a little annoying. It beeps when you are too close to the vehicle in front of you but it is not consistent.
The distance changes when it beeps, sometimes at 15 feet sometimes at 35 feet regardless of speed.
I would recommend visiting Reddit’s subreddit r/dashcam to help you decide the best dashcam for you, just check out the side bar and then search the posts from there. […]
Easy to install and happy with picture quality. Although, license plates are difficult to make out unless they are about 1 & 1/2 car lengths away or closer. For the price though this dashcam is perfect product for a first time dashcam. Just need a cigarette lighter for easiest install. You can hardwire into fuse box but did not feel confident enough to do that yet. GPS is nice if you like the cord to come directly out the back of the dashcam. However, since the power cord is attached to the GPS and not the dashcam when you take the dashcam off you loose power. You either need to use the smaller cord that comes with the dashcam or undo your work hiding the cord. Finally, not sure if it was just me but my short cord does not work with the cigarette lighter plug may be a faulty cord.
This replaced an older dash cam that the North Texas summer heat had destroyed. This one is has a capacitor vs a battery, so I will have to wait until the 1st summer to really give good feedback on the durability. Otherwise I do enjoy having it in my vehicle.
Does everything I expected. I was a little difficult getting the menu onto the screen with the enclosed directions however I would buy this again and would recommend it to anyone wanting a dashcam in this price range. To get a better dashcam than this you are going to be in a much higher price range. Picture is great, it is very stealth, and has great features. I looked for nearly a year to decide and it came down to this one.
It is smaller and lighter than what I thought. I thought I would hate the weird angle design but turns out I really like it. I mounted it above the limo tint strip I have on my windshield with the camera lens below, making sure the wipers cleaned the glass in front of the lens. For the past few weeks it has worked out great and in most angles you can’t even really tell I have a camera in the car, from the outside.
I bought the hardwire kit so now it comes on when I turn my truck on and turns off when I turn my truck off. My model has the gps mount which works well for mounting, speed and mapping using the dashcam viewer software that is made by a third party. Do a search.
The controls are intuitive and easy to manipulate while driving. The mount seems solid and I have noticed no weird vibrations during viewing of the playback video.
I bought a 64gb Sandisk card for it and formatted it in the camera. It was quick and worked right away. I had a used 32gb card I used originally and I couldn’t get that to work for my life. This camera does not come with any memory card and fyi it does use a mini usb and not a micro usb power cord
I am happy with the night time video and it does a decent job. It’s a dash cam. It isn’t a satellite camera built for NASA that can detect license plate numbers 20 miles away. It shows basic stuff that can help you prove an accident wasn’t your fault and that is basically all this is for.
It does have a widish field of view and details do get lost on the edges but big deal.
Every year these things get better and better and people will just upgrade to the next best thing so until then , this will work fine.
I did an amperage test for those concerned and I was drawing between 250 milliamps to 440 milliamps using my USB ammeter inside my house. I didn’t have my gps module hooked up to it in the house so that would use a little extra power. For whatever reason the power draw would not stabilize between those two numbers.
I would buy one of these for my back window but I have 15 percent tint over the factory tint and without cutting a hole in the tint for the camera lens to see through, it isn’t going to work very well.
Everyting was in a box and works great so far. This is a nice small camera. Video quality seems ok (or even great, this is my first camera so I cannot compare it to others) but at the same time license plates are barely visible in day and not visible at nigh
he A119+GPS is the first dash cam that I have purchased. Installation was easy. Very pleased with the quality of the video and sound. I am getting some reflection of the dash on the windshield, seems more noticeable at night. I have ordered a cpl filter and hope that improves the situation. Dash cam is small and not very noticeable when installed on the windshield. I would suggest the gray color adhesive pad be changed to a black color to further hide the unit when viewed from the outside. Would definitely recommend you buy this unit.
I received it yesterday and tried it for the first time on a rainy night.
Everything is great except, I cant read the license plate numbers of cars. One guy tried to move to my lane and almost hit me before I honk.
I wish the resolution is better for the night time when the car is moving.
I spent a bit of time researching popular dash cams, and I’m pretty glad I settled on this. It’s compact, light, easy to set up, and has a pretty good field of view. It’s very easy to Set and Forget it after installing, but make sure you’ve moved any toll tags or other windshield items out of the way before installing it.
Definitely get the GPS module if you can afford the extra $10. It gives you speed, positioning, and an automatically set date/time wherever you have GPS. If you’re looking for a good dash cam, this certainly merits a spot on your lis
Bottom line, best dash camera for the price.
Excellent day and night quality.
Stealthy.
Comes with a car charger with two USB slots!
USB cable to micro USB, 11 feet long-ish.
Some 3m cable management sticky.
Additional 3m tape mount in case.
If you have any questions on this dash camera watch this video, great comprenshive review:
[…]
Also please note that the Sandisk Ultra micro SD card is mot built for dash camera use. (Using a Sandisk SD card on a dash camera can void both the dash cam and Sandisk’s warranty). Instead it’s highly recommended by the dash camera community to use a transcend high endurance or any brand that is built for continuous rewriting.
My A119 is installed in a very low, relatively small car without any tint or trim strip at the top of the windshield. Even so, the small A119 is fairly inconspicuous behind the review mirror both from the inside and outside. I use a 64gb SanDisk Ultra Class 10 card SanDisk Ultra 64GB microSDXC UHS-I Card with Adapter, Grey/Red, Standard Packaging (SDSQUNC-064G-GN6MA) with no issues. For setting up menu options the camera can be quickly removed from the car and run off a computer or cell phone charger with a USB cable. Pretty convenient.
Everything you need to get started is in the box except for the SD card. I found the Mini-USB connector on the included cable to be a tad long so I opted to use a cable with a shorter USB connector for my tight installation. Cable Matter’s cables worked great Cable Matters 2-Pack, Gold Plated Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Type A to Mini-B Cable in Black 10 Feet . For a permanent installation I opted to ditch the cigarette-lighter route and go directly to a 5v power supply wired to the fusebox. My aging 5v supply for my GPS wasn’t quite up to the task so I installed a dual-circuit 5v supply from Hitcar HitCar DC 12V to 5V 3A Power Inverter Mini / Micro USB DC 3.5 Hard Wired Converter Kit Car Charger Cable for GPS Tablet Phone PDA DVR Recorder (Dual USB Female) to power both the GPS and dashcam. So far it works fine. Tucked behind the dash there are no visible cables anywhere.
The video quality of the A119 is exceptional for something this inexpensive. Daytime is crisp and clear, nighttime is acceptable but somewhat blocky. Color quality is good but not perfect. I’m not clear on whether the camera does an auto white-balance or if it’s preset to a “daylight” balance. Most mid-day images on mine have a color cast (usually cyan) that appear to be from the overall tint of the windshield glass itself. A firmware change to tweak the overall color would be nice but I’m really nit-picking for something that wasn’t intended to make broadcast quality recordings anyway.
The GPS option is terrific and works flawlessly for me. For the extra $10 it’s a nice option, if only to keep the date and time set. I’ve not yet decided if I like the idea of having the location and speed permanently stamped on the video. The current firmware lets you stamp the lat/lon and speed, or just the lat/lon, or neither. I’d welcome the option to lose the lat/lon and add just the speed but it isn’t a deal-breaker.
Now for some minor complaints:
(1) Vibration: after my initial couple of days running the camera I noticed the video had a lot of vibration and jerkiness to it. It’s normal in this car to feel every little bump and ripple in the road, especially with a relatively stiff suspension. The camera’s lens and mount appear to be somewhat sensitive to this. The lens side to side pivot of the lens was loose enough that the lens was rattling slightly which was fixed by wedging two thin pieces of black foam rubber (roughly 3/32″ thick by 1/4″ square) along each side of the lens. Problem solved. The mount seemed very tight but it too allowed a slight vertical wiggle when going over bumps. A thin piece of foam between the mount and camera solved this problem also. I suspect both these issues would not show up in the typical family car or kid-hauling minivan though.
(2) Parking Mode: There really isn’t a convenient parking mode on this camera. The A119 has a motion-sensing option to work as a parking-mode, but you have to go through menu settings to get to it. Hardly convenient. A good compromise would be to program one of the control buttons to toggle the motion-sensor on/off. Considering the price and simplicity of the camera this isn’t a deal-breaker for me but it would be a nice addition in future updates.
I was going to ding my review by a star for my minor complaints but honestly, for the price you can’t really beat this one. With a super-capacitor instead of battery already installed, simple installation, easy menus, decent quality, I like it. For the price you can comfortably get another one for the rear window if you want to.
Brilliant Dash Cam for the price.
Used now for several months and not had any issues. Included grey pad has stuck fast and shows no signs of becoming detached (Although I admit I haven’t yet had it in British Summer conditions).
The camera does not use a battery and so far all recordings have worked fine
The mount enables a nice fit and the camera can be adjusted afterwards.
Works ok but not sure that the various functions all work as expected. For instance even though I have it set to take 5 minute clips it does not seem to wrap around when the memory card gets full but just stops recording.
For the money, this is a good camera. The picture quality is very good even in 1080p, it has a very nice wide angle view to capture any incidents on film.
Pros:
Price is low
good picture quality
good microphone quality
you can use a 64gb card
comes with a long cord and a double USB power outlet.
Cons:
Screen is small
uses double sided tape, it is difficult to remove if you get it in the wrong spot.
1440p recording is only 30 fps
Ho acquistato anche i cavi per il collegamento diretto alla scatola Fusibili per una pi pulita installazione
e provare a lasciarla sempre in funzione (Avvio Automatico in caso di urto).
L’unica Nota, non avevo letto che non si pu collegare una 2Telecamera (sul Retro), peccato sarebbe stato Perfetto per Me.
Its working great. I installed it into my vehicle without issue. I have minor complaints about the quality but I’m just nit-picky. Otherwise the picture quality has been great. It did arrive without the GPS logger though. I called SpyTec and they were very fast to send it to me…great customer response. Would recommend this to anyone needing a Dash Cam
Nice little dashcam. I like that it comes with a long USB cable, but wish it was micro USB instead of mini. I guess it doesn’t really matter once you get it hard wired in. I wish that it came with a polarized filter (or that the one advertised as being able to order separately was actually available for purchase anywhere), but all in all I’m pretty satisfied with this little camera
I wanted a dash camera with gps, I did some looking on market places, and I came across the A119, I liked the look, and the 1 year warranty sold me. I got it in the mail rather quick, I put it in the family vehicle and went out for a drive,
Pros
1. It has GPS and it was on point with the data
2. It was a 1 2 3 installation, cables were long enough to wrap around the windshield and under the dash
3. Popped in a 64gb card, did have to format like I did with an older camera I had, this one I put it in and video was recording.
Cons
1. A bit hard to remove from the mount
2. The second mount is not gps, I think you should get 2 gps mounts
Overall this is the camera that works for me and my family.
This is my forth dash camera I purchased online, and this is the first one I am not sending back. I wasn’t happy with the other ones, one didn’t last more than a week before I started having issues, the other the gps didn’t work, another was in Chinese. However this A119, it’s not just the quality of the picture, but the GPS works and work well. . This camera is so much better. I love the fact that I do not have to do anything to make this camera work. I get in the car and drive, knowing that if there is ever anything I need to review, it will be there. I tested it for a few days, just leaving it hooked up and doing my normal driving to and from work, and then checked the footage and was pleased. The menu took some getting used to but once I understood how to use it I was fine. I did mess up with the positioning of the mount, and what happened is I had to go out and get more double sided tape. Only issue I have with sticky mounts. But overall amazing amazing camera.
Video quality is as good as I’ve seen. Appears reliable and well built. The adhesive mount is good and strong. Mini-USB port is a good design choice since many dash-cams use it. The reason I bought this camera is I hope I never need it. It’s like insurance, you have it but you hope you never need it. This unit came with the gps mount, didn’t think I needed it, but with it connected, it records the speed in which im traveling. no more he said she said, its what’s on video record. 4 stars because nothing is perfect.
The GPS module works great, accuracy is right on. Unlike the A118-C where you had to attach the gps module, this time the gps is in the mount and they give you a second non gps mount free, if its free its for me. Signal lock is very quick and routes and speed are recorded accurately, might just buy a second maybe even a third one.
The most productive and informative site was techmoan (youtube) and the Car Cam Central (adam).
Bottom of line that i would recommend this is the quality overall, and easy of installation that you can do it yourself.
I was able to setup everything by myself without any problems and the dashcam works great.
Make sure that you see the review of both youtubers (mentioned above) before buying your device. Some might not be perfect or ideal for your usage.
Either way, i liked the device a lot. It’s pretty small and discrete. Don’t forget to buy the MicroSD Card 32gb or above (read device manual before purchasing) class 10.
Other than that, you are good to go.
Great picture quality
Solid build quality
takes a 64gb card,
comes with 2 mounts the gps and standard mount. Pretty convenient, I can move it from one car to another.
And the gps is accurate
Given the fact that it includes a second mount I can overlook the adhesive mounts.
I have no fears of getting into an accident and having the other driver falsely accuse me anymore. I researched heavily and decided on the SpyTech A119 with the optional GPS Logger. At under $100 I cannot think of a dashcam that comes close to its picture quality. It has no problems picking up license plates even during night time driving. You can select from many settings such as picture quality, video quality, frame rate, sound, when to format, and more! The color of the camera makes it blend in next to my rear view mirror. This makes it hard for others to see, and potentially steal. I opted for the GPS option because it will overlay my speed on the video. This means that if I do get in an accident, I will not be falsely accused of speeding. Easily my favorite feature is the g force sensor which will automatically detect a large force. If I am hit, and incapacitated, the A119 will automatically lock the video. When the A119 ‘Locks’ a video that means it protects it from being overwritten. Nothing would be worse than having your footage being overwritten. Over all. This sub $100 camera is, in my opinion, better than its competitors that are priced much higher. All around great dash cam.
This dashcam is currently an excellent balance of price and quality. There are only two minor things I’d like to see in an updated version:
1. Automated date/time updating.
2. WiFi for playback and possibly to take care of item 1.
I’ve done numerous tests with it since receiving it, comparing the different resolutions and different recording speeds, day, night, different angles to see only part of the dash vs. down more toward the road, etc., etc., etc….. I still haven’t settled on which resolution I will permanently leave it on, but I’m leaning toward 1440p @ 30fps.
I’ve only run into one issue so far, but it honestly turned out to not be an issue to me at all any more now that I know what’s going on. I originally purchased two, but sent one back after one week because it wouldn’t record in 1080p @ 60fps, however, it turned out that it wasn’t a defect in the device at all. With a little communication between Andrew at “Car Cam Central” and myself, I was able to easily resolve the issue. The issue is if you set the device to a 10 minute loop, it won’t record in 1080p @ 60fps. However, if you set the device to any of the other loop times, it will record just fine in 1080p @ 60fps.
I’ve contacted Viofo with the issue and I wouldn’t be surprised they fix this in a future firmware update.
Viofo has provided two firmware updates since having the device, and the latest one (A119_Firmware_0829) has added several functions previously unavailable and it has also improved recording quality at night. You can also set the dash cam to display Mp/h or Kp/h on the device screen as well as in the recordings now, which previously couldn’t be changed and required dash cam software to convert it from Kp/h to Mp/h. We use Mp/h where I live, so this is a great improvement. Also, the time zone function seamed unnecessary and useless in the previous firmware, however, now the time zone function is fully operational. It now appears to me the device obtains time automatically though the GPS and it now requires you to use the time zone function in order to correctly set the time on the device to reflect the time correctly for you’re located. Very nice. There are other new functions with the new firmware, but I cant recall all of them. All I can say is they are all welcome improvements.
Image quality is wonderful, although I do wish it was only a 140 degree lens to further improve image quality and make it a little better for grabbing license plates here in the U.S.. During the day, it captures license plates easily if they are directly in front of you and within about 15 feet or so, but in lanes to the left or right of the vehicle it’s difficult to make out plates past about 8 feet. Don’t get me wrong though, image quality is very good and sharp throughout, it’s just that the plate numbers/letters here in the U.S. are much smaller than they are in other countries.
One of the most important characteristics with this dash cam is how well it’s concealed behind the rear-view mirror. From the drivers seat in my 2016 Honda Fit, all I can see is a small section of usb cable coming out from the head liner, and only a very small section where the usb cable plugs into the dash cam GPS unit. From the outside of the vehicle, it’s unlikely anyone would even notice the dash cam. Basically, it’s hardly noticeable from the inside or the outside. I love it!
Update: I’ve had this dashcam for 23 months without any issues at all. In fact, I’ve used it with an incident and the police officer investigating had even asked me for the details of the dashcam, telling me the video quality is better than the dashcams in the police vehicles.
The camera has good video quality and it’s worth doing software updates to keep the unit working properly. It seems they are pushing out updates every few weeks. Overall worth the price and am happy.
Picture is great, sound works. I am happy with the product. What is important to me is that the GPS logger works fine and shows the speed. All I wanted is right there.
Pros:
-excellent high-res daytime video quality
-easy mounting, set-and-forget, inconspicuous from outside
-GPS acquires almost instantly
-screen saver mode allows the screen and all lights to be off during recording
-rotatable lens allows for custom aiming after installation
Cons:
-night quality is grainy. much improved over the A118, but not quite up to par with models using Exmor sensors.
-no CPL filter available, as of yet
-GPS mount makes the unit stick off so as not flush with the window
-uses obsolete mini-USB interface
-audio is not terribly clear
Overall I’m very happy with this camera. Checks all the boxes except for the Sony sensor which is a little better at night, but on the other hand it has higher resolution during daytime recording. So far the lens has maintained sharp focus when cold and warmed up. The only other model I was considering was a Street Guardian which was twice the price. There really aren’t any comparable models in this price range with a sticky-mount and capacitor.
I will update this review if I come across any issues. So far I highly recommend it.