Reddit reviews A118-C 1080p HD Car Dash Camera with Capacitor G-Sensor 1.5" HD Screen 170 Degree Wide Angle Lens Records at 60 FPS with Loop Recording
We found 71 Reddit comments about A118-C 1080p HD Car Dash Camera with Capacitor G-Sensor 1.5" HD Screen 170 Degree Wide Angle Lens Records at 60 FPS with Loop Recording. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
NAL. First things first. Go somewhere safe and use something that shows your speed verified by GPS. Maybe Waze. Confirm that your speedometer is not under rating your speed. Side note: most speedometers over rate your speed by a few mph just to be safe.Then buy this one or this one if you want the GPS speed on your videos. They are wedge shaped and hidden pretty well. DO NOT announce that you are recording (MO is single party consent) or have a camera.
Now, if you get pulled over, politely state that you don't agree with the charge if it is again bogus, but then accept and sign it. Then when you go to court bring JUST THAT CLIP(no need to give them your last ~4 hours of driving; have heard of cops giving tickets based on that). Have it on a tablet or something else and also on a cheap flash drive that you don't mind giving away in case they need it. Complain that you keep on getting these tickets by the same officer.
Also bonus points, get the a118 (cheaper) and put it on your rear window where it's hidden to show him following you repeatedly and feel free to bring that if he sometimes follows you. Make a point to take a route that people don't usually take every time to make a point that he's specifically targeting you.
This trusty little bitch, right here
This little guy right here
"Spy Tec A118-C Capacitor Edition"
I've used this camera for the past two years or so. I've not had any issues and the quality is fairly good. Plugs straight into the cigarette lighter.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SK8B47W/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I also have a buddy who got this camera and he's pretty happy with it.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X528FNE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_WJUqybR1YZRGS
I got this one a couple years ago and have been happy with it. I'm sure there's something better if you want to pay more but this does more than I need, and it has a capacitor instead of a regular battery so it's safe in high or low temperatures. Also very easy to install (I just strung it around through the door and into the glove box, then to a Y-splitter into the cig lighter so that the wires are hidden but I didn't have to actually do any wiring).
If you find the Sharper Image dashcam not up to your standards, you can use the same one I have: Spytec A118-C 1080p
Make sure you get one with a capacitor. Regular batteries will fail in the excessive heat that builds in the car sitting in the sun (or extreme cold).
Personally I've had this one for 3 years and love it.
A118-C 1080p HD Car Dash Camera Capacitor G-Sensor 1.5" HD Screen 170 Degree Wide Angle Lens Records at 60 FPS Loop Recording https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SK8B47W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_AJWNBb2CE86TK
EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A DASH CAMERA INSTALLED IN THEIR VEHICLE.
There's no excuse anymore. People are freaking CRAZY. And, god forbid, if something like this happens and it's your word vs. theirs, it's nice to have video backing your story up.
They're CHEAP. They last. You can hook them up to either be on all the time or when the vehicle is running.
From Amazon:
A mere $100 brings a lot of peace of mind. I know it makes me feel a little safer. Plus, I tend to drive safer, because I know it's there, and, if something happens, I don't want to be the one at fault.
EDIT - added hyperlinks to Amazon for the cam, wiring, and SD card. No need to PM me. I don't mind if you do, but...it was like I was hoarding the info to myself...and I thought it seemed kind of weird.
Mod of /r/dashcam here,
> Should I opt for a capacitor version and hardwire it if I'm planning on leaving it in my car? On that note, do you leave it in your vehicles almost 24/7, or do you remove and reattach it every time you get back in and if you do leave it in your car, have you had any issues doing this (theft, hardware...)?
Always get capacitor over battery unless you're willing to get another cam within the year of ownership, batteries used in dashcams are not the best out there and thus tend to wear out rather quickly, especially on very hot or cold weather, plus if you were thinking of using the dashcam entirely on battery, you'd get 10 minutes tops.
Hardwiring is entirely your choice, I personally don't do it, but it's relatively easy to do.
> Is there an advantage over the "wedge" style ones that are stuck right to the glass vs the ones that hang from a mount like a GPS does?
It's night and day, I had a G1WH and now I have a Street Guardian SG9665GC, which has a wedge design. G1WH you could easily see, but the SG doesn't look like a camera at all, one could even think it looks like a sensor of sorts, and unless you're looking for it, you won't see it.
> Makes and models you've owned with pros and cons maybe?
G1WH and the Street Guardian mentioned before,
G1WH has a battery, so I wouldn't recommend, and the one on it barely lasts 20-30 seconds now from fully charged after 7 months of usage. The shutdown delay is 10 seconds, so you can see where I'm going, there's a high chance I'll get corrupt clips when turning off the engine in a year. The battery used to last about 10 minutes.
It has good daytime video, decent non-saturated audio with high volume, but it does have a bit of background noise from the charger when the car is silent. Night video is ok, not mind-blowing but I think it does its job right.
Street Guardian has better audio and night video, and the daytime video is sharper than the G1WH's, that one has a capacitor so I don't need to worry about that.
> Any advice, input, and answers will be greatly appreciated, also any suggestions of what camera would awesome as well.
What I'd suggest for you, since you're worried about theft, get an A118C. It's pretty much like the G1WH in terms of auido/video quality, but it has the discreetness of the Street Guardian, and since it has the same mount as the SG, it's super easy to remove, you just slide the camera and it comes out. It also has a capacitor instead of a battery, so that won't be an issue.
Edit: Thanks for the gold!! :)
There's dash-cams like this one that you can tuck up right by (or behind) your rear-view mirror, and are pretty inconspicuous.
Really critical piece here -- The reason you have to use the USB instead of the battery powered down here in Texas is that the batteries are bad news in the heat. You have to get something with a capacitor. It took me about 20min. to set up mine.
I have this one -- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SK8B47W/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It's been really solid. After a while I just totally forget that it's there. Right now I'm teaching my wife to drive and it's great to review some things she sees on the road to help teach her :-) That's been the best use of it so far.
It took me about 20min. to install. The cable is super long and the dashcam sticks with 3M tape. So you stick it where you want it (for me it's behind the mirror so I don't see it when I drive but it gets the perfect view) and then you just tuck the cable in along the top area where the windshield is and then I went around the passenger side and then under the floor mat and up to the cigarette lighter.
Hope that helps.
Let me know if you have any questions. Happy to answer.
I like the A118-C (aka the B40 Capacitor) because of the wedge shape. It hides really well. It's not amazing quality and doesn't have a ton of features, but it does the job, is unobtrusive, and doesn't break the bank.
https://www.amazon.com/A118-C-Capacitor-G-Sensor-Records-Recording/dp/B00SK8B47W is still going strong since my purchase on August 14, 2014.
Rear cam: A119 ($90 USD) or A118-C ($70 USD).
> interested in a second rear cam
So most 2 channel systems give up a lot to be able to do it, and cost a lot more. ATM it is cheaper to buy 2 cams and you have no loss in quality.
> I don't need it now, but would like an option to add collision detection later if at all possible.
Do you mean a G sensor, or a notification to your cellphone when the G sensor is triggered? - This dashcam notified it's owner Blackvue DR650GW-2CH ($355 USD)
> automatic storage overwrite
I would recommend watching a few more review videos of different dash cams, even ones that are outside of your price range. Sometimes you learn about features that you thought you wanted but are actually useless. Other times you learn about features that are available but you weren't looking for.
Also a moment about Micro SD cards - Sandisk is a terrible brand for Micro SD cards in dash cams. Transcend High Endurance, ADATA, or Lexar are more often recommended.
Edit: Formatting
I have this one, can share photos/video if requested. If I had to buy a new one it would probably be this one.
in texas you'll want one with a capacitor instead of a battery (the battery degrades rapidly in the heat).
I've been using one of these for a while and love it:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SK8B47W?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
I have this one. $100 plus a spare SD card.
https://www.amazon.ca/Spy-Tec-A118-C-Capacitor-Dashboard/dp/B00SK8B47W/
No fanciness like GPS (not like its speed reading is accurate anyways) or internal battery to monitor your parked cars, but it is also tiny and cheap. Stick it on the windshield behind your rear view mirror and you don't even see it at all.
The adapter it bundles with kind of sucks, but you can decide for yourself or just get a 15' USB to USB-mini cable if your car already has a spare USB power out port.
I just installed one of these: Spy Tech A118-C
https://www.amazon.com/Spy-Tec-A118-C-Capacitor-Dashboard/dp/B00SK8B47W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1472749621&sr=8-1&keywords=a118c
I got this one. I think a bit more unobtrusive than others. I mounted it on my motorcycle, works great.
This one is only front facing, but I've had zero troubles with it:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SK8B47W/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Just make sure it's capacitor based and it should hold up to the heat fine.
If you were to drop the WiFi requirement (and not many people use it anyway) you could get 2 really good dashcams and put one in the front and one in the back, that's what a lot of people are doing these days.
The dashcam I am thinking about is the Viofo A118C model which is a small, discreet little camera that delivers high definition video at 1080P. It is very easy to install and very easy to take off and put back on anytime you want to take the camera into the house.
Here is a sample from my A118C https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfojMN_BCWU
and here is a link to a reliable seller https://www.amazon.com/Spy-Tec-A118-C-Capacitor-Dashboard/dp/B00SK8B47W/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1479575031&sr=1-1&keywords=spytec+a118c+dash+cam
I left my A118 plugged in for ten days in January in Canada while I was on vacation - car started fine when I got back.
Reposting an old comment that I had made a while back about the dashcam I have. It's less than half the price ad the one OP linked, and is a lot less obnoxious. I highly recommend it.
I have this Spytec 118-C and am extremely happy with it.
The SD card I use is a 32 GB Class 10 one. I tried using a lower class, but it had issues because the card wasn't fast enough.
The "C" version of this camera (the one I linked to) has a capacitor instead of a battery so you don't need to worry about it getting too hot and exploding or whatever if it gets super hot in your car. I think places where it's cold should get the other one? Do some research.
FWIW I highly recommend https://www.amazon.com/Spy-Tec-A118-C-Capacitor-Dashboard/dp/B00SK8B47W. Make sure you buy from Spy Tec as there are fakes out there and Spy Tec is 100% legit. I used to use a "black box" camera, but they are hit and miss with bunches of fakes.
If you are new and overwhelmed you should check out dashcamtalk.com and look at their recommended devices. I have the A118C ("C" means it has a capacitor rather than a battery - I wouldn't bother with battery ones as they have lifespan issues) as it is a lot less conspicuous. Recommendation depends on your budget, but my budget preference is the A118C, you can get it off foxoffer on eBay for a bit cheaper than amazon.ca. Other sellers may give you a different build which has some audio issues. All versions should be able to take the firmware updates that are listed on dashcamtalk.
If you have a much higher budget and want/need better performance, especially at night, then you can go with the Street Guardian SG9665GC which has the same body style but a sony sensor, making it way better at night. Available on amazon here.
I use this guy, which I'd say is the best value for $80. Sample video 1, sample video 2. The first is in semi-low light, the second in full daylight. And yeah I got the guy's plate in the second one (plates are easy to read in daylight, in low light / at night only really readable if the car is right in front of you).
I got a SpyTec A118-C also on the recommendation of dashcamtalk. Both are great cams. In either case, be sure to get a -C model which uses a capacitor rather than a battery. They handle the winter and summer much better.
I also got this so that I could wire it more descretely than having a usb cable feed up to the cam. I have the cable hidden under the trim. I use the 2nd usb outlet for my GPS.
Camera: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00SK8B47W/
Cable: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00L3XXRI0/
I'm currently running the Spy Tec A118-C which I found on /r/dashcam's sidebar. It handles the Wrangler's high windshield angle just fine.
Regardless of which cam you end up going with, you might want to turn off the "G Force Sensor" (or whatever your particular model calls it). On mine, the sensor is activated by sudden G forces (bumps). When it's activated, it saves the current video to a "don't erase me, bro" area of the card. In theory, this is so that if you have an accident, that relevant video doesn't get erased when your card fills up. In practice, however, it just means your card gets filled with video since you drive a Wrangler and every road is a bumpy road.
The one I have for my front is Z-Edge & for the back I use my older A118-C.
Hope this helps!
Currently unavailable but I’ve had this one for a couple years now and it does just what you ask.
I should have bought two because I’m now looking around for a rear facing one.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SK8B47W/
/r/Iagos_shadow fwiw, the G1W-C is an updated version that doesn't require a battery replacement after a few years. It keeps enough charge in the capacitor to finish recording when you turn off the engine (if you don't hardwire it).
I personally have an A118-C (Amazon) because the form factor is so much smaller than the G1W series. Not worried about theft since the A118-C is barely noticeable from outside
thx for the reply, from what i've been reading thats what a lot of people sugges for this price range is there any difference between this and this
I’ve had this one for about 9 months.
A lot of the cameras of clones of each other. Slightly different hardware possibly, but overall they're generally the same exact camera. Spytec, Viofo, Blueskysea, Rexing are all very similar or identical. Personally I've not heard of that brand, but looks pretty close to an A118C.
I do see they used different chipsets. Similar model, not sure what the difference is. Maybe someone can chime in.
Levin - Novatek NT96550 Chipset
Spytec - Novatek NT96650 Chipset
https://www.amazon.com/A118-C-Capacitor-G-Sensor-Records-Recording/dp/B00SK8B47W
https://www.amazon.ca/Spy-Tec-A118-C-Capacitor-Dashboard/dp/B00SK8B47W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1458003682&sr=8-3&keywords=dashcam
I have it and its great, very discrete. Not the best for nighttime recording though.
EDIT: This is the one i actually have https://www.amazon.ca/Battery-Capacitor-Version-Recorder-Dashboard/dp/B00UURTAS6/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1458003682&sr=8-8&keywords=dashcam
They both have good reviews though so either or should be good. There are a lot to choose from on amazon.ca, some are cheeper than those ones.
Hell no! Not for that price! I purchased this one, which is the same exact thing (same parts, even) for a fraction of the price! Sorry :\
http://www.amazon.com/Spy-Tec-A118-C-Capacitor-Edition/dp/B00SK8B47W
I have the A118-C (http://www.amazon.com/Spy-Tec-A118-C-Capacitor-Dashboard/dp/B00SK8B47W)
It's been great through summers and it's really inconspicuous and out of the way unless you're looking for it. I always forget its there. This or the g1w-c are great.
Spy Tec A118C. Its worked pretty well for me so far. A 32GB micro SD holds about 5 hours at the highest quality.
This is what I got a month ago.
Spy Tec A118-C Capacitor Edition Full 1080P HD Video Car Dashboard Camera
Does everything you need a dash cam to do and its at a fair price.
You can mount it up high above and behind your mirror and it records great quality video.
Also pretty discreet too.
No complaints whatsoever about this dash cam.
Personally I think that resolution is way too low. for a bit more you could get 720p + 720p from the blackvue dr430-2ch at $170 USD or 1080p + 720p from the blackvue dr470-2ch at $200 USD. https://dashcambros.com/collections/2-channel-dual-camera-dashcams
for the price of that finevu, I think you are way better off getting two cheaper single channel cameras like maybe the A118C for $70 USD each :https://www.amazon.com/Spy-Tec-A118-C-Capacitor-Dashboard/dp/B00SK8B47W
it will have way better video quality, the only real downside is it has no parking mode. Do you care about parking mode or not? With parking mode, if you have the camera hard wired, it can run off your cars battery and it will sit in an idle state waiting for motion and/or a g shock to "bump" it and make it start recording. this protects against stuff like parking lot hit and runs when you aren't at your car. the hardwire kits typically are designed to cut power off to the camera tho if the car battery is getting too low.
if you don't care about parking mode there are a lot of good cheap 1080p single channel cams you can double on on like the a118c.
Edit oh haha I just searched for "B40 camera" since I've never heard of it and its the same!
NoYes its this one: Spy Tec A118-C Capacitor Edition Full 1080P HD Video Car Dashboard CameraMy problem with the G1 is that it was nearly as big as my rearview mirror, and wouldn't sit behind the mirror so it was either on the dash (ugly and obvious) or under the mirror (blocking my view significantly). Putting it on either side up high would block the visors.
This one as far as I can tell uses the same software, and is rock solid with the same bluray quality video. And it fits behind my mirror so its virtually invisible.
BTW I didn't realize you were the estore009 guy, thanks for the great service you do for all the dashcam folks, you have a hella good reputation.
I have this one, I've seen videos posted form it that look pretty good
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SK8B47W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Used to have G1WH, it was total crap. try to get capacitor based one if you live in hot climate, batteries are the the first thing to go.
A118-C
I have a 2014. Here's my setup.
I used a simple circuit tester like this one in order to find a fuse in the driver's side box that would switch on/off with the car's power.
I went with an A118 capacitor style camera that would hold up better under heat.
I used a simple add-a-fuse adapter into the power-switching fuse that I found, then used an appropriately sized fuse to support my camera but not set the car on fire. Then I soldered the add-a-fuse adapter to a simple 5V hardwire power supply. Don't forget to ground. Finally, it's a matter of mounting the camera (left of rearview mirror in my case), running cables, and plugging in the camera.
It's worked just fine for over 2 years. There's many ways to hardwire a camera, but I was cheap and this is what I did. Hope this helps.
I have this one and it's great.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SK8B47W/
I have this one and it has been great.
I have this one
Spy Tec A118-C Capacitor Edition Full 1080P HD Video Car Dashboard Camera - No Internal Battery | Novatek NT96650 Chipset + Aptina AR0330 Lens| 170 Degree Super Wide Angle 6G Lens | B40 G-Sensor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SK8B47W/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_gTsjybPK1Z6AC
With a sd card and a adapter to hard wire in your car its $90. I am very happy with it and plan to get another to face the rear someday.
https://www.amazon.com/A118-C-Capacitor-G-Sensor-Records-Recording/dp/B00SK8B47W/ref=zg_bs_3248689011_64?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=4SFXBW4J72RM1P7H6EEG
This is mine. 64$ bucks gets the job done, no issues at all with the cold or heat.
Works great for its price.
There are a ton of options out there:
http://dashboardcamerareviews.com/best-dash-cams-of-2015/
I ended up with the A118-C and wired it directly to my fuse box inside the car using a hard wire adapter off eBay and an add-a-circuit connector. Including the SD card I spent right at $100 total. Very inconspicuous and all the wires are hidden.
The one I have is this one, which is $200 but there's a cheaper option with the same body style here. The cheaper one just doesn't perform as well at night because the sensor isn't quite as good, but it should be more than sufficient for most people.
I did pretty much what you're planning on doing back in November, on a relatively similar budget.
A118C (http://www.amazon.com/Spy-Tec-A118-C-Capacitor-Edition/dp/B00SK8B47W)
A 64GB microSD card (~$20)
And an external USB3 hard drive (think it was ~$60), because my laptop SSD wasn't big enough to hold the whole trip.
Dumped video to the hard drive every 8 hours or so (probably could've gone a bit longer but I didn't want to accidentally overwrite any footage) when we stopped to fill up on gas or grab something to eat.
http://www.amazon.com/A118-C-Capacitor-Edition-Recorder-Authentic/dp/B00SK8B47W/
I love it. Super discrete, easy to wire without having the wire visible, and the quality is good. Cons are that the quality sucks in 720p mode (it goes down to like 360p).
I have the A118-C with the Samsung 32GB EVO card.
Both have worked solid together. Records in 3-minute intervals and rewrites oldest footage unless it is locked/saved footage.
Definitely my choice for a cheap but quality dash cam. Around $60 for the cam and $15 for the card.
I've been using this one since July 2013 with no problems and the install is completely stealth. It's right next to my rear view mirror and you don't even notice it.
I've had to pull the card and look at the videos a couple of times and it looks great, no complaints other than not having one on the rear window too.
https://www.amazon.com/A118-C-Capacitor-G-Sensor-Records-Recording/dp/B00SK8B47W
This one though Amazon says unavailable: A118-C 1080p HD Car Dash Camera with Capacitor G-Sensor 1.5" HD Screen 170 Degree Wide Angle Lens Records at 60 FPS with Loop Recording https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SK8B47W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_lJ3yCbEZXYVCY
I just replaced a failed G1W-C with this: https://www.amazon.ca/Spy-Tec-A118-C-Capacitor-Dashboard/dp/B00SK8B47W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458873489&sr=8-1&keywords=a118c
Seems good so far.
I have the one mounted on the windshield behind the mirror. Never had to take it off except when I got the windshield replaced, that's about it. this is the one I have
This one?
> recommendation for that style? Something comparable to the YI price point
The A118-C is a small wedge shaped cam, with capacitor and good video quality for under $60: https://www.amazon.com/A118-C-Capacitor-G-Sensor-Records-Recording/dp/B00SK8B47W/
Looks the same as this one? https://www.amazon.ca/Spy-Tec-A118-C-Capacitor-Dashboard/dp/B00SK8B47W/
I ordered this camera yesterday afternoon.
Here's the review from dashcamtalk.
The recommended budget dashcams that offer Wifi include B1W dashcam (capacitor-based) for like $55. But that doesn't include the microSD card though. This is pretty inconspicuous.
Other options include Viofo A118C or the A118C2 which is stealthy shaped budget capacitor-dashcam, but lacks Wifi.
This is the one I got, along with the recommended micro SD card. Was easy to set up and is working great.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SK8B47W/
No experience installing. Super easy, just hide wires.
A118-C 1080p HD Car Dash Camera with Capacitor G-Sensor 1.5" HD Screen 170 Degree Wide Angle Lens Records at 60 FPS with Loop Recording https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SK8B47W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_qSLWAbKRGJ2M4
Oof, that sucks. Do you have comprehensive? Your insurance might pick up the tab if you do - a lot have $0 deductible for glass damage.
Might I recommend that your next upgrade be a dashcam? You can get a quite good one for sub-$100, and it can easily pay for itself in circumstances like this. Plus, it's fun to record your track days :)
I'm a big fan of the A118-C, which you can have on Amazon for about $70. You can also throw on a GPS module for another $25, and have something to use against cops who think that because you're in a Mustang, you just have to be speeding.
In addition to /r/dashcam you can check out dashcamtalk.com. It sounds like you want an out-of-the-way install, like an A118C next to or behind your rear view mirror. Add to that a hardwire kit with low voltage cut-off to prevent draining the battery if you park for a few days. The power cable will tuck behind the headliner and pillar and go to the fuse box. You'd need to know how to install that or have someone do it for you.
This is mine
Works good, wires are pretty well hidden with a little work, and was a good price for the features.
This is the one I have, although it's almost 2 years old now so I think they have an updated version out. The only thing that sucked was the power cord that plugged into my cigarette lighter was pretty shitty and broke within 3 months. I ended up buying a longer mini-usb to usb cable and just plugging it into the cell phone charger that I have in my car since it has 2 usb ports. Other than that I've been really happy with it.
https://www.amazon.com/Spy-Tec-A118-C-Capacitor-Dashboard/dp/B00SK8B47W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1485576819&sr=8-2&keywords=dash+cam+a118
The reason I ended up getting this one was it's very compact and it's black so you can't even see it if you're outside the car because it blends in with my rear view mirror.
http://www.amazon.ca/Spy-Tec-A118-C-Capacitor-Dashboard/dp/B00SK8B47W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450210881&sr=8-1&keywords=a118-c