If you’ve decided to invest in a car dash camera, you’re probably at that stage now where you’re trying to choose which one will be the best for you.
This is where many investing in a car dash camera get pretty overwhelmed, particularly with the multitude of great cameras out on the market today.
Do you want something larger, stealthier, wider angles, an LCD touch screen, lots of memory, or are you focusing on a different specification that seems to tickle your fancy more?
No matter what you’re looking for, there’s a car dash camera out there that has it, which to many looking into dash cameras is both a blessing and a curse.
If you haven’t decided what type of car dash camera you really want yet, or the specifications you’re looking for, you’ll first need to address your particular need and what will be best for the vehicle or vehicles you plan to use it in.
The person who is looking for a car dash camera to document their road trip will want something a little different than the person looking for a stealthy camera to protect them from fraud, and figuring out your use or uses should be a top priority before breaking down your best modern car dash camera choices.
Second, consider your vehicle, and remember that your camera should be an asset, not a liability.
If you’re driving a small sports car, a large car dash camera mounted on the windshield can be overwhelming and distracting, and if you’re in a large truck or van, a camera with smaller angles isn’t going to give you the coverage you want.
What To Prioritize For Your Use
A car dash camera has many uses, and they’re convenient for several different reasons.
A few examples of these uses and priorities are:
1. Road tripping
For those creative types, a car dash camera can be your true road trip co-pilot.
You can take footage of the lesser seen parts of your trip and all those scenic routes, and edit the result into a memento that will keep your trip fresh for a lifetime.
If you’re planning to take a road trip and document your driving for later use, you’re going to want to prioritize storage capabilities in order to get the most from your recording.
On average, a 32GB micro SD card will hold around 8 to 10 straight hours of footage per card, making this storage level or higher something you should be looking for.
One such camera that works great for capturing the road part of your road trips is the KDLINKS R100 Dash Cam, which supports memory from 64 to 128 GB.
2. Protection against fraud
Fraud protection is another very common reason why drivers invest in-dash cameras, as they provide the proof needed to back up their innocence in accidents for insurance fraud purposes.
If you’re looking for a camera to protect against fraud, you’ll want something stealthy to capture the footage you need while still keeping you and your vehicle safe.
One perfectly stealthy camera is the Rexing V1P, which boasts a wide 170-degree camera angle as well as a stealthy and simple-to-hide design.
Such a stealthy car dash camera is also perfect for keeping evidence protected during regular traffic accidents, and keeping watch on your car in high vandalism or theft areas.
3. Wide angles for a larger vehicle
If you’re driving a larger car, the same small camera that works in your sports car might not give you the coverage you need.
A larger vehicle means larger blind spots, and you’ll want to make sure you have the whole surrounding area covered within your footage.
The VIOFO A129 Pro has a lens with a 130-degree angle covering your front, and another with a 140-degree angle covering your rear, creating a full 270 degrees of angle coverage all around your vehicle.
On top of this, WDR technology ensures that all footage surrounding the car is crystal clear whether day or night.
WDR stands for Wide Dynamic Range. It is a technology that improves a camera’s image quality under high-contrast lighting conditions. This means that even if the field of view shows both dimly and brightly lit areas, the camera will be able to capture details clearly.
4. Mounting Dilemma
Then there’s always that question on whether you should opt for dash cams that are mounted using adhesives or suction cups.
Truth be told, I found suction cup mounts more convenient and easy to use. However, I admit that these are not recommended because they can come off the windshield easily. Adhesive mounts, on the other hand, appear to be more durable.
As adhesive mounts are thinner, they are more discreet when stuck onto the windshield. Since it comes as a single piece, it does not vibrate in video footage as much, too. In case of high impact, an adhesive mount will be less likely to fall off.
However, there’s one good reason why dash cams mounted using suction cups are preferable – that’s when you use your vehicle for rental service or any situation that requires you to swap the dash cams in and out of the vehicle frequently. Suction cups are far easier to remove and reinstall, so it will cause less hassle for you.
Simple to use
Another big concern less about specifications and more about being friendly to the car dash camera beginner is the ease of use.
Like all electronics, there are some car dash cameras out there that will be a bit more complex and suited to those with a little bit of experience, while others are perfect for the beginner just starting.
Those that come with built-in WIFI and Bluetooth connections are preferable here, as they will allow you to easily manage your videos and download them when needed using an app on your smartphone.
The Rove R2-4K Dash Cam, for example, uses the ROVE App to view and manage dash cam recordings instantly on your iOS and Android devices. With this app, you can download your recorded 4k videos directly and share them on your social media if you want to.
Choosing Your Car Dash Camera
While these are just a few suggestions, some other considerations should be taken when choosing your car dash camera as well.
For instance, dash cameras come in a wide variety of price ranges, and while you may think that more expensive means a better cam, this isn’t necessarily the case.
If you can break down the specifications that mean the most to you and figure out what you need from your cam, you can find a car dash camera prioritizing these things for a price that doesn’t include all the extra bells and whistles, but some homework will be required.
Some features, like an LCD touchscreen for instance, will tend to make prices higher on a car dash camera in general, but they can still be found in very affordable ranges.
Also, some car dash camera companies offer warranties, guarantees, and support backing up not only their cameras but their users as well.
If you’re new to car cameras, choosing one that offers a warranty or support is a great way to feel more confident in your purchase and what use you’ll be able to get from it.
Support ranges from email support to phone lines that allow you to simply chat in with your questions at any time.