Dashcam recommendations

[Joey Brats]

I am sure that there are posts about this subject, so I appologize for bringing it up again, but I am looking for something very specific in a dashcam and was hoping someone has a recomendation. New technology ncomes out all of the time. Here is what I am looking for:

I want to document my travels to put together videos that tell the stories for each trip. With that in mind, here is what I would like out of a Dashcam:

Must haves:
4k or at least HD front camera
Interior camera that is HD
GPS to track the route taken

Ideal options:
Lane Departure warning
Collision warning

In the past, I mounted a video camera to the windshield, but the image stabilization was not good and therefore it took a lot of post processing to make it usable and that was not very good. It also laked the GPS teracking.

Does anyone have any suggestions for the above? Obviously there is a benefit of recording any incidents, but the real purpose is to document the trips.

Thanks

[Balladeer]

Joe,
I have a Garmin 66w in my bus. I started out with a dashcam 35 but went to the 66w because it has voice prompts (handy because the cam is on the windshield and not in reach) and a wide angle lens (to catch more video)
I would also say that, in my experience over the years (over 25) using garmin gps, maps, etc both professionally and with my bus, I have been very satisfied with their support.
I also back up my Rand Mcnally map system with a Garmin 890 for routing. It includes lifetime map updates.
Satisfaction is a 10.

Safe travels...The balladeer

[SergioP]

This guys channel has lots of dash cam tests, maybe you will find some info there.

https://youtu.be/YDKs0BSXw_Y

[Unplanned Tourist]

Look at GoPro.

[Cruzer]

I log some of my dash cam footage for editing later on as well. I use the Rexing V1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 dash cam. It has 4K and a good camera with the best angle of view.

A few things to keep in mind:

The dash cam creates small video files that are a few minutes long. When the disk is full it begins to overwrite the earliest file so that you will always have the most recent video. These files are small so you I have to import a bunch of them into my Avid Media Composer in order to create a string of any length. It gets fairly tedious when running the editing software.

Also, you'll need lots of storage space so buy a camera that has the ability to handle the largest possible micro SDXC cards or else you'll be stopping too often to swap out cards.

While my camera can handle 4K I don't run it that high. In fact 720P works better unless I truly need 1080P due to a longer runtime until the card is full. I also turn off the audio record, which gives me even more runtime. Really all you hear is the jabber inside the coach anyway. You can add a voice over narration and any other audio or sound track later on during editing.

If you use any GPS while recording it, and any timestamp will most likely be superimposed on the video and you'll be stuck with it when it's time to edit.

While I like my dash cam for what it is and for a few quick clips, I wouldn't want to use it for long runs. It's just too much work later on. I have a large portion of the Million Dollar Highway saved but I wouldn't want to edit 250+ clips into my Avid.

Personally, I would use the Go Pro for that application.

[RVFunlovers]

X3 go pro for what you are looking to do.

I like using a dash cam. I have mine running on travel days. It is fine for marking and going back a looking at something cool like wildlife. But I don’t know abound what you are looking for. I guess it would work.

[WDW]

This is my recommendation. I consider the ability to retrieve the data/video of the highest priority. I’ve had a number of different dash cameras, and this one is the absolute easiest to use as far as being able to quickly retrieve the video.

[voltdoc]

Cruzer makes some excellent points. I've been dabbling with creating videos from my dashcam footage for over a decade and it can indeed be very tedious. That's why of the several hundred campground arrival/departures we have saved video for, I've only got around to editing a couple dozen.

I would suggest that you determine what process you are going to use and then chose a camera and file format compatible with that process.

My old Lukas on the coach (no longer produced or supported) writes 3 minute avi files, my Garmin 67w in the Jeep writes 1 minute mp4 files plus a second smaller proprietary file for viewing on mobile devices.

My Lukas came with a Windows program that helps with viewing the hundreds of separate files a little more easily. It also extracts the gps and G-sensor data that's embedded in the video files and displays it on screen along with the video. However it does nothing in regard to editing.

AFAIK there is no standard for embedded gps and G-Sensor data, so each dashcam maker does it differently. So if you intend to extract the gps data and plot it on a map for example, make sure the camera you choose has a tool available that supports that.

Garmin used to have viewer software but no longer supports it. I did find a program called Dashcam Viewer that is mostly compatible with my Garmin, but not my Lukas. It does a decent job of plotting the route data and even represents speed as color. See an example photo here.

To get that map I had to sift through all the 1 minute videos and identify the start and end points, then import all the files into Dashcam Viewer. This was only maybe 30 minutes of video and it took a fair bit of time to process. Once the processing was done, I saved the map. Then, exported the video as a single continuous mp4. Note at this point (one large file) all the gps and G-sensor data is lost (except for what may be displayed on screen).

Next I imported the single large mp4 into a video editing tool to speed it up and edit out the parking spots, etc.

Here is the final video from the Garmin 67w after all that process, it's of Artist Drive in Death Valley. The quality has been reduced due to you tube processing.

I also agree with Cruzer that higher resolution isn't always better depending on what your goals are. For general scenery lower res = smaller files = faster processing and probably no perctible difference in the final product. I've found on my Garmin for reading signs and license plates a higher frame rate even with a lower resolution is better.

Oh, note the windshield reflections, my Garmin does not have a polarizing filter option, ideally you want a camera that supports one.

[darjacob]

I wanted pretty much the same thing. But when I got pulled over for cutting a cop off, I went a different route. Now I have 4 cameras that record everything all the time (except when parked). I get about 1 month on the DVR before it starts to record over old videos. The DVR uses 2 512 memory cards that I can insert in my desktop computer. I think I have less than $300 in the entire system. I have a 4 way screen that displays all the camera feeds while driving. I love it!

[Joey Brats]

Can you share what the system is? Is it multiple brand devices?

Thanks in advance.

[Joey Brats]

Thanks. The picture and the video are exactly what I am looking to do and incorporate in to a larger story of oyr travels including location pictures and vdeos in addition to the actual driving journey. Thanks for the advice. I am think of the Garmin 67.

[Gary.Jones]

DarJacob

If you don't mind, would you itemize your electronic components and cameras, please. Just curious how you get 4 camera video.

Gary

[voltdoc]

Originally Posted by darjacob

I wanted pretty much the same thing. But when I got pulled over for cutting a cop off, I went a different route. Now I have 4 cameras that record everything all the time (except when parked). I get about 1 month on the DVR before it starts to record over old videos. The DVR uses 2 512 memory cards that I can insert in my desktop computer. I think I have less than $300 in the entire system. I have a 4 way screen that displays all the camera feeds while driving. I love it!

Could you share your hardware setup?

I have something similar, that came to be more or less unintentionally, but has worked out so well and is so inexpensive and easy to operate, I've expanded it.

In addition to the dashcams, I have six inexpensive ($20) Wyze cams setup in various spots around the coach. Most are just taped or wedged to the inside of a window.

As they are wifi based the only wiring needed is a USB cable for power. Best of all, they run *all* the time so are recording both while parked and driving. I have 32gb SD card in each which gives at least several days of continuous recording. The newer V3 version, of which I have a couple ($35), also has excellent night vision and are weather resistant.

In addition, all the Wyze cams have excellent AI capability and beyond simple motion detection, they can log events specifically isolated to people, vehicles, pets and packages as desired. It was one of these cameras that provided the proof when a FedEx truck backed into the front of our coach when we weren't aboard, and also captured a few other "incidents". There is a small annual fee required to get the AI features.

While I wouldn't necessarily recommend these as a dashcam replacement they still do a commendable job while driving, although if you wanted to use the footage, the AI detection should be turned off otherwise you get a green square around every truck or car. Here's a link to a few seconds of the video while driving yesterday, this is with AI on and the lowest resolution (360p), but they also do full HD: https://photos.app.goo.gl/qk1oVL1QvYnBY9UDA

The cameras record locally to the SD so work without wifi, but if connected to your network, also can be accessed from anywhere via the cloud, even going back in time. Events (vehicle or person detected) can also be saved to the cloud as desired. It's very easy to capture and save segments of video thru the Wyze app. I never looked at the SD to see how it's formatted. I also have a Wyze Cam Pan that can be remotely pointed to the inside to keep an eye on kitty cat.

I'll be updating all the cameras to the models with improved night vision, and trying one mounted outside to cover the rear of the coach.

[darjacob]

Originally Posted by Gary.Jones

DarJacob

If you don't mind, would you itemize your electronic components and cameras, please. Just curious how you get 4 camera video.

Gary

Yes, give me a couple of days and I'll post pics and specifications of my system. I know some have used WiFi connections for their setups but I prefer wired connections. All the wiring (except the front facing camera) is already installed in the Entegra. I don't care for WiFi because the videos aren't great and you can get interference and static. I'll post in a couple of days.