Recommended dashcams?

[griffin]

I'm looking to get a dashcam, and wanted to see what ones people here have, or recommend... maybe with multiple view-points, like front and back views, to capture things hitting other parts of the car and not just what I'm likely to hit with the front of the car.


For those with a dashcam, have you ever had to use the footage yet?

[Trent]

my employer put them in all the work vehicles at the start of the year (hundreds of vehicles) and they have apparently been invaluable in proving just how bad at driving some of my colleagues are . They have also been used quite a few times to prove we were not at fault, mainly cars cutting in front of a heavy vehicle > heavy vehicle runs into back of car > automatic assumption is that heavy vehicle is at fault and car driver claims to have done nothing wrong > dash cam footage shows otherwise.

The ones they installed are a Garmin unit, I don't know which one. It only records in certain scenarios (sudden braking, hard swerving, etc) and are only forward facing. They're small and unobtrusive, installed behind the rear view mirror. I'd consider getting one if it would make a significant difference to my insurance premium but I don't think it does.

[Shirokaze]

After a bit of research, I decided that I would buy the Blackvue DR750S-2CH (front and rear) once I find a good price on it. It's expensive but I feel it's the best price vs video quality option when it comes to actually capturing a recognisable number plate in all conditions.

[DaptoDog]

I highly recommend BlackVue as well. I did a lot of research on it before buying the DR650S-2CH model for $500 from Dash Cams Australia last year. We also had it professionally installed by our local Auto electrics shop for about $120 from memory. You can do it yourself but they do it so cleanly (hiding all the cords) it's worth paying for.

[Galvatran]

I'd been considering one. But I'm not sure I'm willing to spend upwards of $500 on a unit. You get what you pay for I guess.

Does it activate for anti-theft too? i.e. motion sensor while car is parked & locked?

[Ralph Wiggum]

I bought a cheapo $70 dashcam when I was in Hong Kong four years ago. It was more to try out but I’ve had no problems. It’s basic with no fancy GPS or rear cam stuff, but I’m happy with it.

Don’t forget that the more you spend, the more you lose if a thief decides to break into your car to nick it. Putting the camera on and off the windshield gets tiresome pretty fast and you’ll likely end up just leaving it on there permanently.