FE ATU R E
Best Dashcams for Australian driversSDcardstorage
Virtually all dashcams use
microSD cards for storage but few
actually come with one in the box.
While this may smack of
stinginess, there’s the issue that
the dashcam maker doesn’t want
to take responsibility for a core
component that is manufactured
by another company. Note that
there are also many different
choices of microSD card on the
market with some offering
certified ruggedisation, which
could be important in a bad
smash. Spending big on high
capacities is unnecessary for
everyone: most people will only
need the footage from the last
incident recorded so it won’t
matter if the camera simply starts
erasing older files once storage is
full. However, some users –
especially commercial drivers
- may need high capacities if they
need to keep a record of footage to
refer back to.
Resolutionand
fieldofview
Nothing affects a dashcam more
than its resolution. Too low and
you won’t be able to see number
plates or faces and the only use
will be to identify fault in
major incidents. There
are still models which
don’t offer widescreen
views either. While this
is technically an
artificial limitation,
cameras which don’t use
widescreen views tend to
omit peripheral detail
and only capture what’s
directly in front of you.
Dashcams with 4K
resolutions are becoming
increasingly common but not all
are created even. The best models
make full use of the resolution
(which is 4x Full HD) by including
wide fields of view that approach a
full, 180o view of what’s
happening ahead and to the sides.Contrastandlow-light
performance
Few people only drive during the
daytime and even if you do,
incidents can still occur in dark
tunnels and carparks.
Consequently, be sure
your dashcam can make
things out in the dark.
However, it’s also
important to check out
the contrast
performance of a
dashcam: in flat light
most cameras operate
well, but in bright
countries like Australia,
there are often
highlights and dark
shadows in the same scene.
These can fox lesser digital
cameras, which can’t always
expose correctly for all areas of
an image. If possible, check
YouTube for footage from your
potential purchase before
buying.Dashcam buyer’s Guide
Alldashcamsarenotcreatedequalandsoyou’llneedtomakesureyou’re
gettingthefeaturesyou’reexpectingandnotpayingthroughthenose for those
you don’t need. Here are some of the main things to watch out for...
Most people will only
need the footage from
the last incident recorded
so it won’t matter if the
camera simply starts
erasingolderfilesonce
storage is full.