REVIEW – I will admit this guilty pleasure up front: every now and then I watch dash cam videos from around the world. These videos make people look like the worst drivers in the world. I also know that the good ole’ USofA has its share of people who should not be on the road (don’t get me started on drivers staring at their phone while driving). When I was offered the Thinkware F70 dash cam to test, I was intrigued. I’ve never used a dash cam before, but I thought that in the event of an accident, a dash cam could help prove my innocence—or guilt. What I discovered was that dash cams are cool, but have an issue I naively did not ever consider.

What is it?

The Thinkware F70 is an entry-level front facing dash cam. A dash cam records what you see as you drive. If you are involved in an accident or are witness to one, it will be recorded—as long as it happens in front of you. A separate rear camera is necessary for seeing behind you. The F70 attaches to the windshield via a mounting base and is powered by a 12V (I still call it the cigarette lighter) port.

As an entry level cam, the F70 does not come with GPS (optional if you want it), Wifi or other higher-end features. However, it does have 1080P HD video, 140° Wide Angle, Thermal Protection and incident detection.

Hardware specs

• Camera: Sony Exmor CMOS 2.12M
• Resolution: 1080p Full HD (1920 x 1080)
• Capacity: Micro SD Card 8GB(class 10), 16GB/32GB/64GB(UHS-I)
• Recording Modes: Continuous Recording, Incident Recording, Manual Recording, Audio Recording, Parking Surveillance Recording
• Sensor: 3-Axis Accelerometer G-Sensor (3D, ±3G)
• GPS: External GPS Antenna (Optional)
• Power: Input Power: DC 12/24V
• ETC: Operation Status LED

Design and features

The F70 is a small cam. I’m surprised that it records the image quality it does. When looking at recorded material, I did have trouble reading some license plates on moving cars, but I could clearly make out plates when stopped at red lights. One reason for this is the 140° viewing angle. While it gives you a commanding view of the road, it also makes items appear smaller, so details can get lost. At least the 1080P recording quality helps. 

The cam base mounts in the upper-center of the windshield using a strong adhesive. Once it’s attached, the cam easily slides on and off the base. One major (for me) issue is that the F70 dash cam is not wireless. Call me slow, but that never occurred to me. I have since found out that most—if not all—dash cams are wired because of thermal issues. The heat that can build up in a closed car can harm batteries, so wired it is. 

The wiring is supposed to be tucked under the trim around the windshield, but that didn’t work with my car, so I had to resort to some included adhesive wire clips that hold wires out of the way along the edge of the glass. However, Thinkware only gives you three tabs and I needed about 10-15 tabs—I kid you not. The result is an ugly display of hanging wires—not a good solution. Thinkware offers additional wire clips; five to a pack at 15 bucks/per pack or in my case—$45. That’s almost half the price of the cam! 

Note: Certain car audio shops will perform hardwiring (that will be hidden) for an extra charge. I would only consider that if I had a top-of-the-line dash cam, not an entry-level model. But that’s me.

Once I decided to live with wires hanging down, the F70 dash cam performed flawlessly. In fact, because of its small size and where it was mounted, it became almost invisible—except for the wires. The only reminder I had a dash cam was an audible message I heard when the car was started that told me it was recording. 

Since the F70 plugs into the 12V port, I had to remember to unplug it when I parked the car. Otherwise, it will keep recording even while parked, thus drawing power from the car battery. This could become an issue if the car is parked for a long time. Thinkware does offer an optional external battery that allows 16 hours of parking mode recording.

The F70 has a Front Vehicle Departure Warning.  In case you’re day-dreaming at a red light or looking at your phone (shame) the FVDW warns you that the vehicle in front of you has started to move. This can cut down on those embarrassing honks behind you when the light turns green and you’re still sitting there.

There are three recording modes—Continuous, Manual and Event. Continuous is what it says—it records all the time. Manual only starts when you press the record button. Event is interesting, It has what Thinkware calls Active Impact Monitoring System. It will automatically store video ten seconds prior to and after an event (such as a  collision). I didn’t have to experience Event mode, thank goodness. I decided to set the mode on Continuous and leave it there. 

I muted the audio recording of the car interior. It creeped me out knowing that the F70 was recording private conversations or me (badly) singing along to the music. 

Note that many of the setting changes can only be made through a free Dashcam Viewer app—available for either Mac or Windows. Thinkware calls the app PC viewer, but the app itself is called Dashcam Viewer.

The Dashcam app is a mixed bag. I never could get the video to show up in the app window. Since I have a mac, all I had to do was load the MicroSD card into the included adapter and insert it into the back of my iMac. There is a folder on the card that holds all the videos. 

There are a couple of things to note here: all videos are in 60-second chunks, so a 5-minute trip will be 5 videos. This allows for easy searching and no video is so large that it limits sending or streaming. Also, the provided MicroSD card is only 8GB so it fills up fast. Once the card becomes full, the oldest recording gets overwritten. This allows continuous recording. If you want to save more recordings, just get a MicroSD card with more capacity. The F70 will accept cards up to 128gb.

What I like

The F70 is a simple to use, no nonsense starter dash cam. It’s light, strong, and can be mounted out of the way. If you can tuck the wiring out of the way—great!

What needs to be improved

More adhesive wire clips (at a reasonable price) would be welcome. 

Final Thoughts

I can foresee a future when every car has built-in cams. Until that day, we have dash cams. If you’re undecided about whether you want to live with a dash cam, I recommend trying the Thinkware F70 first. Then, if you decide a cam is right for you, you can always upgrade later to a better model with more features. Thinkware makes many different cams with advanced features like built-in GPS, night vision and more, depending on the budget. 

Price: $109.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Thinkware.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Car Gear, dash cam

Thinkware F70 dash cam review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 7, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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REVIEW – With the advancement of technology in today’s world, we have the ability to automate numerous tasks and to better manage our security. A Dash Cam is becoming more common and necessary for recording accidents or interactions with other individuals. It also allows you to take scenic pictures and videos as you drive. While there are many models available, I am looking for one that takes great quality video and is easily removable for storage when I am not in my vehicle. The VAVA Dash Cam 2K seems like it could work, so let’s see.

What is it?

The VAVA Dash Cam 2K is a windshield mounted dashcam that records video as you drive and is capable of snapshots either via the app or by using an optional remote.

What’s in the box

1 x VAVA Dash Cam
1 x Car Charger
1 x Windshield Mount
1 x Micro USB Cable
1 x Pry Bar
5 x Cable Clips
1 x Instruction Manual
1 x Quick Installation Guide

Design and features

The VAVA Dash Cam 2K is a small, compact and lightweight dash cam that connects magnetically to its mounting base. This type of mount allows you to swivel the camera 360 degrees to record your entire surroundings. It  records in either 2560 x 1440p 30fps QHD or 1920 x 1080p 60fp.

The base attaches to the windshield via the usual suction cup action, and on the other side where the Dash Cam connects, there is the magnetic circle for that attachment, and the micro USB port for the power connection via a micro USB cable and a DC car lighter adapter. The micro USB cable is very long, with enough length for you to use the provided pry bar to run it around the perimeter of the roof and pillars of the car, hiding it in the process. I did not install mine in this manner since I am testing it and did not want a permanent installation. The cable clips that are included are for this purpose.

On the opposite side of the camera lens, there is an SD card port (Supports Class 10 or Above SD Cards up to 128GB), a reset button and two LEDs, one for wifi connection indication and one for power indication.

Performance

The Vava Dash Cam has a 320mah Built-In Battery that allows the 3-axis G-sensor to activate and start recording footage even in parking mode. Both the video recordings and the snapshots are very clear, and the video stabilization is very good.

Snapshots:

Videos: (The following 2 videos were exported directly from my smartphone and then uploaded to YouTube)

On the daylight videos, it is quite easy to see the license plate of any vehicle in front of you. While the nighttime videos are clear as well, the reflection of opposing car lights make that task somewhat harder.

Each time you hit the brakes suddenly or hit a pothole, the Dash Cam detects it as a possible collision and starts an emergency recording. You do have the option in the settings to set the sensitivity for this action. When viewing the camera live on my phone, I noticed that every minute or so the screen would get completely grey and refresh. I did not see this in actual recordings on the SD card. I am not sure if the connection would be different and require less frequent refreshing if it was Bluetooth instead of WiFi.

App

Both iOS & Android Mobile Apps are available for this Dash Cam. Use of the app allows you to Preview, share, download, and edit photos and videos directly from your smartphone. You can also purchase a GPS module separately for GPS tracking. Once you download the VAVA Dash App and select it, you are on the Home Screen as shown first below. There are 4 icons at the bottom of the screen.

The second icon from the left takes you to the Dash Cam connect screen. The app sees the Dash Cam once it is powered on, and the manual provides the default password to connect to it. It connects via WiFi and not Bluetooth. You can also choose the video resolution from the “connect” screen.

Once you connect to the Dash Cam, you have the option to play the live real-time video, and below the video display screen, there are 4 icons. the top 2 icons allow you to take a snapshot of record a quick scene video just by touching them. You can also purchase a snapshot button that would allow you to instantly capture a photo. The bottom 2 icon allows you to view the videos or pictures recorded.

The 3rd icon at the bottom of the app takes you to a screen that allows you to view the recorded Snapshots, loop video, and Emergency videos.

The 4th icon to the bottom right takes you to the Register/ login screen. This screen also includes access to several other data and configuration screens.

With the use of the app and your smartphone, you can manage the recorded media directly without removing the SD card. These functions include previewing, sharing (you can share to social media platforms), downloading and editing photos and videos directly from your smartphone.

What I like

• The size of the Dash Cam.
• The great versatility created by the magnetic mount which is really just a great design.
• The video resolution choices and the quality of the recorded video.
• The built-in battery and the Parking mode.

What can be improved

• Provide video resolution up to 4K

Final thoughts

The VAVA Dash Cam 2K is arguably one of the best dashcams that I have tested. And while I will admit that I have not tested more than 5 or 6 dashcams, I really like this one and the features that it offers. The ability to attach and detach the actual camera from the base magnetically is one of the best designs I have seen for this type of device. I no longer have to unscrew anything to remove the dash cam, and I cannot stress enough the convenience and efficiency of this quick release capability.

Another great feature is the availability of optional add-ons. I am about to purchase the optional GPS module so that I can always journal my trips and in the unlikely event that my whereabouts are ever challenged, I will have some level of proof. While it would be great to be able to record up to 4K, 2K is more than enough, especially since the recordings will eventually record over previous recordings. In my opinion, this dashcam is a great bang for the buck.

Price: $99.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by VAVA.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Car Gear, dash cam

VAVA 2K Dash Cam review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 4, 2018 at 9:30 am.

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I’ve only had one previous dash cam, and it was a very cheap one. While I was waiting for the PAPAGO! GoSafe S780 dash cam to arrive, I didn’t have my hopes set very high because I had never heard of the company. When it arrived I was unexpectedly surprised by this high-quality dash cam. PAPAGO! seems to have quite a variety of dash cams and accessories.

What is it?

The PAPAGO! GoSafe S780 dash cam isn’t your run of the mill dash cam – it’s a high-quality dual camera, low light dash cam that is capable of great performance regardless of the time of day.

Before I received this product I knew nothing more than its name. Being a photography nerd, as soon as I opened the shipping box and saw the “Sony Sensor” on the front of the box, my hopes suddenly raised. Sony makes some of the best camera sensors on the market.

Hardware specs

What’s in the box?

• GoSafe S780
• Rear Camera
• Interconnect Cable
• Car Charger
• Suction Cup Mount
• 3m Adhesive Mount
• Micro SD Card
• User Manual
• Warranty Card

Design and features

The dual camera design allows you to place the second camera either in a rear-facing position out a rear window or facing the cabin of the vehicle to record the occupants. This is a great feature for rideshare drivers who need an extra level of protection for themselves and their passengers. I occasionally do some YouTube videos, so this will come in very handy for those moments when I don’t have my regular camera running.

You can use the far right button to quickly change which camera(s) the display shows. The modes are: Front, Rear, Front and Rear (like picture-in-picture), and off. Regardless of the mode, both cameras record to separate video files at the same time.

The S780 turns on automatically and starts recording when power is applied to the plug. The camera will record 5-minute segments of video, replacing the oldest files when the memory card is full. Embedded supercapacitors provide enough power to save the recording when power is lost, either from turning off your vehicle or in the event that a crash disrupts power to the camera. A 16gb memory card holds approximately 90 minutes of video files before the files are overwritten.

While recording you can press the down arrow button for 3 seconds to capture a picture without interrupting the video recording. These are saved to a separate “photos” folder on the memory card and are not overwritten.

There’s also an emergency mode, which is activated by pressing the far left button while the device is recording. This mode will lock the current file so that it is not overwritten when the memory card is full. The locking of the file will also occur when the g-force sensor detects a crash – something I declined to test.

The main camera has a SONY Starvis sensor with a 150-degree ultra-wide angle lens, which is not only glass but has anti-reflection coating as well to eliminate flaring when facing bright lights. The quality is really good. You can make out street signs very easily, but license plate numbers were difficult to make out, but I think that’s more a limitation due to the 1920×1080 resolution than it is the camera itself.

The second camera has a 180-degree view and a SONY Exmor sensor and also features a glass lens and anti-reflection coating. The camera has a wide enough angle of view that even mounted on my rearview mirror, it was wide enough to capture both driver and passenger, seeing slightly out each side window.

Also available is an optional accessory called the TireSafe D10E (sold separately), which enabled the unit to display your tire pressure and temperature in real-time. The unit also supports a GPS antenna (sold separately) to record speed and for GPS logging on your videos, to automatically correct the time, and for other related functions. However, you can only use one of these at a time.

Something I never expected to see in a dash cam is the PAPAGO Driver Assist Features, which include Stop Sign Recognition, Stop and Go, Driver Fatigue Warning, and Headlight Reminder to help you stay safe on the road. For example, when the unit “sees” a stop sign, it will display a stop sign on the screen and give an audible beep. These features are able to be turned on and off in the settings. The stop sign feature worked well, picking up every stop sign, but if you’re going over 25mph you won’t stop in time. I would be nice if it could pick them up a little farther away. The stop and go feature worked well also, giving a lower toned beep when it detects the car in front of you has started moving, but you haven’t.

The S780 has three recording modes: Automatic Recording (Loop recording), Monitor Mode (1 picture per second to save storage space), and Motion Detection(motion-activated recording). The monitor mode is useful to make a hyperlapse video with, as it saves the pictures as frames of the video.

The unit also supports microSD cards up to 128GB which allows approximately 8 hours recording time before it loops over old videos at 1080p30 setting. The unit comes with a 16GB card.

Although there is an included quick start manual, there were no instructions for the wiring of the rear/second camera. After some discussion with Papago support, I found out that the cable for the rear camera has two bare wires that you must connect to ground and the 12 volt backup light signal. If you’re placing the camera at the back of the vehicle that would mean connecting to the backup light wire. If you’re placing the camera in the passenger compartment then you can just leave the wires disconnected, as it’s not really going to do anything for you.

If you don’t have any electrical knowledge this might require some installation help from an auto shop or a friend.

When you have the backup wires connected, the display automatically shifts to the rear camera and provides some on screen distance guides when you place the vehicle in reverse.

What I like

As I mentioned before, the Sony sensors really make this thing. The clarity and dynamic range for both day and night use are really superb. If you’re not into photography like I am, you might not fully appreciate the low light abilities of this dash cam.

One thing I really liked was the extensive menus and settings. This enables you to customize each of the features, and disable features you don’t want on.

The microphone is extremely good, it picked up sound clearly, and from a fair distance away, such as someone standing outside of the vehicle talking to me and the sound of my turn signal.

The primary power plug has a 13-foot cord, allowing you to run the cable behind panels and such so that it’s not in the way. It also has mini-USB connectors and instead of those tiny and fragile micro-USB connectors.

The GoSafe S780 is eligible to receive a lifetime of free upgrades as soon as they are issued, who can’t like that!

I really like the automatic camera view change when going into reverse.

What needs to be improved

• Needs better instructions about wiring the rear camera.
• I felt the buttons on the camera were a little too hard to push. Being that the camera is normally going to be mounted up and out of the way, I think they could have gotten by with buttons that were a little easier to push so that the unit didn’t move when pressing them.
• Both a suction cup mount and a 3M tape mount are included for the main unit, and the rear camera has a 3M tape mount as well as holes and screws for optionally hard mounting it.

Final thoughts

Being one of the more expensive dash cams on the market, I felt as though it was a little pricey for the features it has. Sure, the video and audio it produces are fabulous, but it lacks things that other lower cost cameras have such as touch screens and fewer cords.

Price: $279.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Papago!

The post PAPAGO GoSafe S780 dash cam review appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Car Gear, dash cam

PAPAGO GoSafe S780 dash cam review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 22, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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I had the opportunity to review another Papago! dash cam not long ago, so I had a little bit of an idea of what to expect. When the less expensive Papago! GoSafe S37 Dash Camera arrived, I was still surprised by the quality of this camera.

What is it?

The GoSafe S37 Dash Camera is a Sony sensor based dash cam that records high quality 1080p HD videos at both day and night. Even though it doesn’t have quite the specifications as its more expensive sibling cam, the S780, this one still has a quite a few nice features.

Hardware specs

What’s in the box?

• GoSafe S37
• Car Charger
• Suction Cup Mount
• 8GB Micro SD Card
• User Manual
• Warranty Card

Design and features

The Papago! GoSafe S37 Dash Camera turns on automatically when power is applied and begins recording immediately. It records 5-minute segments of video, replacing the oldest files when the memory card is full. Embedded supercapacitors provide enough power to save the recording when power is lost, either from turning off your vehicle or in the event that a crash disrupts power to the camera. A 16gb memory card holds approximately 90 minutes of video files before the files are overwritten, depending on the file format that is chosen.

While recording you can press the down arrow button for 3 seconds to capture a picture without interrupting the video recording. These are saved to a separate “photos” folder on the memory card and are not overwritten.

There’s also an emergency mode, which is activated by pressing the far left button while the device is recording. This mode will lock the current file so that it is not overwritten when the memory card is full. The locking of the file will also occur when the g-force sensor detects a crash – something I declined to test.

The camera features a SONY Exmore sensor and a 140-degree ultra-wide angle lens. The lens has an anti-reflection coating as well to eliminate flaring when facing bright lights.

The unit supports a GPS antenna (sold separately) to record speed and for GPS logging on your videos, to automatically correct the time, and for other related functions. Also available is an optional accessory called the TireSafe D10E (sold separately), which enabled the unit to display your tire pressure and temperature in real-time. However, you can only use one of these at a time.

Many of the Papago! cameras have the Papago! Driver Assist Features, which include Stop Sign Recognition, Stop and Go, Driver Fatigue Warning, and Headlight Reminder to help you stay safe on the road. For example, when the unit “sees” a stop sign, it will display a stop sign on the screen and give an audible beep. These features are able to be turned on and off in the settings. The stop sign feature worked well, picking up every stop sign, but if you’re going over 25mph you won’t stop in time. I would be nice if it could pick them up a little farther away. The stop and go feature worked well also, giving a lower toned beep when it detects the car in front of you has started moving, but you haven’t.

The S37 has three recording modes: Automatic Recording (Loop recording), Monitor Mode (1 picture per second to save storage space), and Motion Detection(motion-activated recording). The monitor mode is useful to make a hyperlapse video with, as it saves the pictures as frames of the video.

What I like

I’m not sure if the Sony Exmore sensor isn’t quite as good as the S780’s Starvis sensor or if it’s the difference between the S37 using a .MOV file format instead of .mpeg, but the video wasn’t quite as clear as the S780. However, I think for what it’s designed to do it performs extremely well.

I really liked was the extensive menus and settings, if there’s one thing I like its options and more options. Disabling features you don’t want is really nice.

The S37 comes with its own power plug and separate USB cord, which allows you to use an existing plug if you happen to have one that has a couple of ports on it. The cord is 13 feet long, plenty long enough for you to route it behind panels and out of view.

What needs to be improved

• The Monitor Mode starts a new video every five minutes, instead of every five minutes of recorded video time. This results in a ton of 10 second video clips.
• I felt the buttons on the camera were a little too hard to push. Being that the camera is normally going to be mounted up and out of the way, I think they could have gotten by with buttons that were a little easier to push so that the unit didn’t move when pressing them.

Final thoughts

Overall I thought this was a really nice dash camera. It’s really a set it and forget it type of device, with subtle audio cues to let you know it’s working.

Price: $139.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Papago!

The post PAPAGO GoSafe S37 dash cam review appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Car Gear, dash cam

PAPAGO GoSafe S37 dash cam review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 18, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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