Testing CarCam

A car-oriented forum I'm on is big on dashcams, and I see a lot of banner ads on rotation for them, and the funniest thing I keep seeing is certain dashcams proudly touting their IR LEDs...

I've seen a few guys do offroad runs with a GoPro mounted to the OUTSIDE of the windshield on their Jeeps.

In terms of GoPro Hero3 as a driver cam, there seems to be a few key features missing for this application.

"1) No loop recording
2) Poor night video quality
3) Large size / not discreet
4) No auto start / auto off"

The other issue I assume is the price. For a driver cam, that is on the very high end.

Btw, I think it would be interesting to test an IP camera vs a Hero3 to see how they stack up.

Different purposes, I suppose - a GoPro wouldn't be your basic everyday dashcam for just recording what goes on around your car. The ones I see on Jeeps tend to be set up specifically to run during off-road trips and are then taken down... or may just as often be mounted to the handlebars of a bike or quad, as they're also designed to withstand the elements and a lot more abuse than your average dashcam would see mounted to the back of a rear-view mirror.

It WOULD be interesting to add to the comparison, though.

I have used Go Pros quite a bit to record POV from various angles and views (including DJI drone) to track construction, events, etc. They are great during day. At night it is a challenge. Hero3 is suppose to be better in low light but it still not there yet.

Recently, I used GoPro on a small mount placed on dashboard to record time lapse while I was in Yosemite. Not straight video recording like Dashcam. I used internal battery. When that ran out I plugged it in the cigarette lighter via inverter.

I have solar panel with built-in battery that I purchased from Amazon but have not tested. I bought it to shot long term time lapse.

I can't wait for other Car Cam reviews. I've been wanting to get one for my car for sometime now.

Paresh

Zetronix zDrive-HDi

This camera seems to get good reviews...

Jon, I think those reviews are not to be trusted and likely posted (or edited) by the seller. It has 5 reviews, 4 of which are 5 star with essentially no cons listed. That doesn't sound like a normal review pattern.

Moreover, scanning this website's reviews, pretty much all their products get 5 stars. Makes me even more skeptical.

Lastly, who is 'Zetronix'? Not a site that has a reputation or track record of providing solid reviews.

Btw, I like user reviews but only trust certain sites like Amazon who clearly show that they allow both good and bad reviews to be posted.

That makes sense. I did also search youtube and there are some good video clips of that dash cam taken from various people. I still think that there is a pretty large market for dash cam's in the USA. Finding the best model hands down seems to take a bit of effort and the costs are over a few hundred.

I guess anything at times is better than nothing.