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I spent literally two months deciding which dashcam to buy. I know I needed one to record all the stupid things people do out there: unsafe lane changes, cutting me off, running red lights, failing to yield, and all kinds of other unsafe maneuvers. Anyway, this little camera is easy to use and set up right out of the box, and the main reason I bought it, besides that it's under $50, is that it comes with a 32GB SD card, so it's complete and ready to use.
There are two buttons on the left side (pictured): the top is power, and the bottom is configuration and setup. You can change the resolution, all the way from 1920 x 1440 (choppy video, though), all the way down to 320K. I use the 720K setting, which gives more than twice the recording time and still good quality video. About five hours at this setting. Not only can you change the resolution, you can turn parking mode on or off, set the G-factor to 2, 4, or 6 (if you want the camera to turn on if someone hits your car). You can set the loop mode so that a loop is saved every minute, three minutes, five minutes or ten, or you can turn off the loop and have one big recording. The problem with the latter is the huge file size, so if you need a certain segment, it's better to put the loop recording on. If something happens when you drive, you press the lock (!) key, and the camera will not record over that segment. You can turn recording on of off while you drive while the camera is still on. If, however, recording is off and something happens, you're out of luck. Best to leave recording on all the time while you are driving.
You plug the unit in with the cigarette lighter outlet or 12V outlet in your car, and the other end on the right side of the camera. The 11-foot cord can hang straight down without much visibility interference, or you can go to the trouble of routing the power cable above your visor area, down the side of the window and under the dashboard (if you have a power outlet in the center console). The mount is very sturdy, and you place the mount anywhere on your windshield and pull back the lock lever and it's set. The swivel mount also has an adjustment for tightening or loosening, meaning the camera won't move if you hit a bump, and you can swivel the camera as you drive to another angle to catch something outside of the normal 140-degree vision. Best placement I've found is right below the rear view mirror.
You can add another camera in your back window, but you'll need another 12V power supply within the 11-foot length of the cord. Then you would be protected against tailgaters who smash in your rear end but claim it's your fault. Uh uh uh! Got you on video, buddy!
You don't have to hook up the unit or the SD card to immediately view something that just happened, for instance, if you need to show the police right now. You press the (!) button twice, and you're in play mode, where you use the up and down arrows to cycle through the files (loop videos) you've created. This is why one big file is not a good idea, because it could take a lot of manual searching to find the happening that you want. One more press of the (!) button and you're back in live/record mode, so you can switch between the modes at any time.
A word of warning: since this camera and the data can be used as evidence in traffic court, it works both ways. Not only does it protect you against unsafe drivers who lie, it also protects other drivers with whom you might lie against--so having the recorder on while driving means you have to be on your best behavior because just as it points out driving faults in others and any liability, that can also be used against you, so drive safe.
You can also adjust the exposure to be lighter or darker than normal. The unit already has an IR night-vision camera that should be fine for all but the darkest situations. The video below has the exposure set to normal (+0). You can go up or down in increments of 1/3 until +1 or -1, then you can set the exposure to +2, +3, or -1, -2, -3. You would increase (+) the exposure for night driving, or decrease the exposure (-) for bright sunlight. Even +1/3 is too bright for midday, so leaving the exposure at default should be fine.
The SD card has to go in all the way to work. You have to use your fingernail to push it inside past the edge of the unit until it clicks. This should eliminate any "no memory card" issues.
I would buy this camera again in a heartbeat. It's easy to use, comes with default English instructions, on-screen help and setup, and it goes to work right away. You put the SD card in the camera, turn it on according to your settings, and then if you need any evidence, the files are saved in the .avi format, and you use the SD to USB converter that comes with the unit. So you can copy the video files in the loop length you set, rename the files, save them on your hard disk, email the video to your attorney and also the court, or the other person's attorney. I find that three or five minute loops work best. A five-minute loop at 1080 pixels is a file size about 785 MB.
This camera is your "insurance" against liars and bad drivers. It will pay for itself countless times over if you need the evidence in traffic court, so it's some of the best $40-some you can spend. Highly recommended.
