Buy the best dashboard camera

You would like to buy a dashboard camera, but you're not entirely sure which model is best for your situation? This webshop will help you to choose a good dashcam, regardless of your budget. We have a nice range of the best reviewed dashboard cameras of various price ranges.

Dashboard cameras are also known as dash cams, or in one word: dashcam, the abbreviation. Other common terms are car cameras or car DVRs (digital video recorders), of even accident recorders (although they do a lot more than just record accidents — see more below). Dashboard cameras are getting more and more popular. There is a big variety of devices available on the market, mostly produced by small and unknown manufacturers.

That makes it hard to make a good choice, because there is a lot of fake to be found. Distributors aren't always honest so a lot of fake, cheap dashcams are available!

Wich features to consider in a Dashboard Camera

If you are not familiar with all kinds of technical terms, the decision to buy a dashboard camera might seem more daunting than it actually is. This dashcam feature guide will explain what to look for in an ideal dashcam that is right for you.

Discrete, unobtrusive dashcam

You probably don't want a camera you can spot from miles away. Dashcams come in all sizes and smaller (and therefore more discrete) is almost always better. Of course the smaller devices with many features usually come with a higher pricetag.

An exceptionally discrete dashcam model: Lukas LK-7900 ACE dashboard camera

Equally important is the color of a dashcam. The preference normally goes to black, because it perfectly blends into the environment. Other colors probably draw too much attention. If you're looking for an inconspicuous dashcam, choose black, preferrably not the glossy kind.

Video resolution of a dashboard camera

The most important factor that plays a major part in dashboard camera video quality, is the video resolution. There are a plethora of cheap knock-off dashcams (usually around € 15 à € 50) that record at a VGA resolution (640×480). Those videos won't contain a lot of detail. Facial recognition or reading license plates will be virtually impossible.

Decent results are obtained by using a camera that records at least at 720p resolution (1280×720 pixels). This is better known as HD quality (high definition).

Alternatively, when you're seeking to record top quality dashcam footage that doesn't miss any detail whatsoever (of e.g. a beautiful scenic route), then you'll want a 1080p dashboard camera. 1080p is a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels, better known as Full HD.

Newdashcam.com offers exclusively the best dashcams in the webshop that support at least 720p HD video resolution. The most cameras we offer, support Full HD recording.

Night recordings of the dashboard camera

The most dashboard cameras with a resolution of 720p or higher, provide satisfactory video footage during the day. The capability to deliver acceptable video quality at night, is what separates the best dashboard cameras from the average.

Although perfect nightvision isn't really required for a dashcam because at night you drive with your headlights anyway, you should still make sure the video quality is reasonable in the absence of daylight.

The Vico-TF2+ Premium carcamera offers excellent video quality at night, partly due to techniques as WDR (wide dynamic range) and 3DNR (noise reduction).

Dashcam with cyclic recording

An absolute must-have feature in a dashboard camera, is the property to record constantly en doesn't stop whenever the storage capacity is completely used. Cyclic recording means exactly that: if the memory card is full, the camera will automatically overwrite the oldest files, which implicates the dashcam can practically record endlessly. This has the added advantage of being in accordance with the privacy legislation that says that dashcam video recordings are legal if you don't store them longer than necessary.

Dashcam with G-sensor

Of course you don't want special or even crucial moments you'd like to keep, to get overwritten by accident. If you have a dashcam with G-sensor, all recordings will automatically be stored in a separate directory whenever an impact is detected. This way they are safely stored apart from the normal recordings, keeping them from being overwritten by the cyclic recording feature.

Dashcam auto on/off function

Another important function is "auto on/off". This means the camera will automatically start to record as soon as the key ignites the car's engine. You don't want to end up in the situation where something happens, only to find out later that you forgot to turn on the dashboard camera that day.

Dashboard camera with parking mode

If anybody damages your vehicle during your absence, a dashcam with parking mode will be activated and start recording so you'll know what happened afterwards and you'll know who to look for in case of a hit and run.

Date and time stamp on the dashcam video

This is useful if you ever have to use your video as proof when date and time matter. Make sure to configure this correctly right after installing the dashcam in your car, otherwise you undermine the credibility of your recordings if the date or time are wrong.

Dashcam with display

Optional. Although an LCD display on your carcam is handy to line up the lens in an ideal orientation and to watch what you're doing, it also makes the dashcam bigger and less discrete. A dashcam with display is handy to watch the videos immediately following an accident though.

GPS in the dashboard camera

Optional, but very useful. With a dashboard camera with GPS you keep track of the exact location and speed of your vehicle. This data will be projected on the video itself with some models, but others require a special viewer software to merge the video together with the metadata (such as speed, date/time, location).

The biggest disadvantage is that this also makes the car camera bigger or more expensive. Some models such as the JAEWONCNC Iroad Ione 3800 fu offer the choice to connect an external GPS or not, keeping the dashcam itself small and discrete. You do have to know how to hide the extra cables in that case, though.

Dual-/Multi-channel dashcams

Although normal dash cams only record what's happening in front of them through the front windshield, dual channel cams also record the back window with a second lens so the passengers, the side and the back of the car are recorded, offering an almost complete 360° view around the car.

Although this seems like a good feature, dual channel dashcams of comparable topquality are not available yet so we strongly suggest to use two normal dashcams. These models often can't cope with the heat produced of the continuous recording and suffer from lockups and crashes. That is a major issue of dual channel dashcams. We wouldn't want anybody to end up in the situation where an accident happens and nothing was recorded because the dashcam was frozen. You often don't even notice this until it's too late. All this, in combination with the high pricetag has made us choose not to include this type of dashcams in our webshop as of yet, until there are better, improved models available.

Dashcam power source

The dash cam power cable has to be tucked away around the window between the glass and the rubber or the inner lining and finally has to be plugged in to the cigarette lighter socket. You will probably need a Splitter plug for the cigarette lighter socket. You can also ask your car technician to do the dashcam wiring for you and he might even propose to connect it directly to the fuse box and the internal wiring of your cigarette lighter socket. That way you won't need an extra splitter. See more details of the dashcam installation in this instructional video: installation of a dashboard camera in your car.

Dashboard cameras will usually be placed high on the windshield, mostly behind the rear view mirror, but get their power from the cigarette lighter socket. That requires a long, thin power cable that can be easily hidden from view. You would rather not want to be distracted by a cable dangling dangourously in your field of view. We want to make the roads a safer place by using a dashcam, not unsafe.

Luckily dashcams usually come with an extra long cable (min. 3.5 meters) so concealing discretely them is easy.

Storage capacity

Most dashcams use an external storage disk like an SD memory card or a micro SD-card. These memorycards have different capacities. Dashcams usually support memory cards of 8, 16 and 32GB. Our advice is to always choose the highest possible capacity! A smaller card will have a remarkably shorter lifespan because of the cyclic recordings.

The Lukas LK-7900 ACE is a dashcam that supports cards of a mind-blowing 64 and even 128GB. Bigger cards also come with the extra advantage that you store more video files, making it possible to go back in time even further.

Dashboard camera prices

Although indeed you can buy a cheap dashcam for around € 15 à €50, we don't recommend to purchase such models. If is highly likely that you'll have a fake copy of a dashcam that records videos of horrible quality and probably won't even last very long. These dashcams also have the tendency to overheat quite rapidly because of the continuous writing to the memory disk, causing them to freeze (pun intended) or lockup.

The cheapest dashboard camera we offer on newdashcam.com, is the DVR-027. A seasoned top dash cam when it comes to stability. With its 720p video resolution it satisfies the requirements to deliver excellent video and all this for a rediculous price that makes it basically a steal! The DVR-207GS is the slightly improved version that can be yours for a little extra. This dashcam bargain also comes with an extra G-sensor.

If your budget is a little higher, we can highly recommend the Vico WF1 dashcam.

Of course with extra quality and features, you also get a higher price. Look at our offered dashcams and make your choice: cheap to top quality. Expensive doesn't exist in this case: every extra feature is well worth the extra couple of euros.

Advantages of a dash cam in a car

The advantages of a dashcam in your car are well documented. Most people buy a dashboard camera for security and safety purposes. Quite justified really, because a dash cam will turn out to be very valuable after an accident or hit-and-run and you'll enjoy the priceless advantages if you'd ever need the video footage in court or for insurance claims.

But dashboard cameras have so much more to offer. Something that's easy to miss: they're just a lot of fun to have!

Think of your next weekend out or a vacation trip, that beautiful route through a picturesque landscape or along a spectacular mountain cliff. Wild life or perhaps your idol crossing the road. The possibilities are endless!

With a dash cam you'll be able to immortalize all these magical moments, make a stunning vacation video and share with friends and family.

Do you remember the meteorite in 2013 that crashed into the Siberian landscape? If it weren't for the many Russian drivers with a dash cam, there wouldn't be as many YouTube videos of this rare phenomenon. And who knows, you might turn out to be the next YouTube superstar.

So go ahead and check out the best dashcams in 2014. We're confident you'll find one you're going to love!