Most of them will come with a cigarette lighter plug... or you can splice it in. The extra wiring kit for the first one I think is a convenience. I've got some more homework to do, but this may be a "shortly after xmas" present to myself.

I'm interested to see how it works, and what all the up's and down's are.

Good topic. Last time I researched, a system that fit my idea of security cameras was still way to bulky and way to expensive. Thousands.

I acually run this, and it does really well for its cheapness (even if its 200 bucks). Has GPS tracking, G sensor and front and rear facing camera with audio recording, AV out... and external SD slot.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1355971401
http://www.amazon.com/Dash-Dual-Came.../dp/B002XXHPIC

oh and the video quality is decent and sharp.

Hi, I am also thinking of getting a dash camera but have no idea about these devices, I just googled and found so many items and most of them described similarly, can any body give some tips on choosing a decent one. I just come across this item HD1080P Vehicle Video Recorder CVR022 which is really good looking I think, usually how many hours can a 32G SD card record? How you deal with after sales service as I live in Mountain View.

BUMP: After watching another round of Russian dash-cam videos, I dove into the homework on this again and pulled the trigger.

I found:
dashcamtalk.com
and
carcamcentral.com

After just an hour or so of clicking through threads and watching a few YT reviews of various products, I went the the Chinacam DVR007.

In a couple weeks when it gets here, I'll throw it in and let you know what I think. Originally I didn't want a built-in LCD, but then decided real-time playback at an accident might be something useful. It's got a relatively small form-factor, and I'll make my own mount that snugs it up against the headliner to keep it out of site.

For $58 shipped, I think it's a good foray into this kind of security.
HD720P DVR007 Car Dash Dashboard Camera Cam Accident Recorder DVR | eBay

Be advised, I have discovered that there are DOZENS of knockoffs of this particular looking camera, and estore009 is the only ebay seller the forums recommend to buy from.

http://www.etronixmart.com/images/DVR-007

Ive been thinking about starting to sell these. I know I can get them for pretty cheap from several of our suppliers.

Why didn't you go for the DVR-037 for .15 more and night vision?

Night-vision is actually a detriment... the small LED's only throw a few feet, light up the hood causing reflections, and any dirt on the windshield will be lit up. The various chips in these things actually do a pretty good job of using available light at night... just watch a few of the night-time driving videos on Youtube, plenty of clarity/resolution. Plus the ones with IR LED's have a larger form-factor.

I've seen some of these, and the most impressive showing has been with WDR cameras.

I wouldn't want to go with any in car that wasn't WDR.

So, Sam, how'd you like the DVR007? And to clarify, it can be wired up for key on, camera on and it wipes oldest footage to make new footage, correct?

Also, why aren't most cameras always on to catch vandalism? Would that be too much of a strain on the battery? I wouldn't think they would draw too much power.

Thoughts on this? HD Dash Cam Mini 0801 Ambarella A2S60 Chip Car DVR Blackbox 1080p G Sensor GPS | eBay

Here' a (lengthy) review with some footage

I'll be driving around this week with it temporarily suction-cup mounted and plugged into the lighter socket... will report back after viewing some video and making menu adjustments.

Most of them can be programmed to be a motion sensor that starts recording when it senses something. This function relies on the internal battery of the unit that should last a few weeks if it only sees a few events per day... draws very little in standby when waiting for motion, and is recharged with the engine on.

Here's the subforum at DashCamTalk for that camera.
Mini 0801 | DashCamTalk
Here's the FAQ:
Mini 0801 | Dash Cam Talk

The new Umbarella A7 processor is what drives the GoPro Hero3, so the A2 is a predecessor. The review says that this camera comes in at least 4 different models, so be sure you get the right one for you and don't just pick the cheapest:
No GPS, No internal memory
No GPS, 8GB internal memeory
GPS, No internal memory
GPS, 8GB internal memory

That camera will be a consideration for my next unit... be advised, I expect the market for these to explode as they get smaller and more user-friendly... and standby for insurance companies to jump in feet first when these are unobtrusive enough to be invisible. I'm seeing a few different form-factors needed, but they need to be name-brand (Panasonic/Sammy/Sony) and be a full-function DVR/GPS/G-sensor/Camera/MotionDetector, and be idiotproof and totally reliable... and be down to the size of a chapstick or Zippo. There are actually ones that small now, but they're more of the "need-to-be-a-hacker" type.

The bigger consideration is of course "big brother" wanting access to your footage after an incident... best not to mention to the cops you have footage until after your lawyer has been informed.

I'm also really curious as to why the big names haven't put out anything. There's obviously a market in Eurasia.

And why aren't there any with the option to put a small camera in the back window and run a wire to the main unit? I know you can buy just a camera for pretty cheap. It'd be nice to have a little box that can take x number of camera inputs and do all the functions of a ready-to-go dash cam. I guess modular would be the adjective. I know its possible to make one but I don't have the time or patients to learn all of that.

I'll settle for one forward facing camera for now. Its way better than nothing. I think I'll order a Mini 0801 after I recover from Christmas spending.

Does the mini 0801 record over the old footage? Like someone else mentioned I want mine to be a set it and forget it.

Yes. You can make it loop in 1, 3, or 5 minute segments.

Subbed, this is good stuff.

To be clear, all of them do this... different models have different time-blocks they record in (so you don't have a single 3hr-long file) and then record over the oldest when the card gets full. I think the one I bought has up to a 15minute block.

Quite often, individual cameras will have firmware issues that prevent a particular Class/Size/Brand of SD card from working properly... they end up freezing when the card gets full or refuses to playback from the unit itself. The grass-roots efforts of the forums at keeping the manufacturers constantly updated with issues has been key in the growth of this market. Firmware is constantly being updated to fix bugs and open new capabilities... I actually just read a review on a cam with the exact chipset that's in the GoPro Hero3... yup, can you say 3D dashcam?

I just picked up the mobius actioncam for christmas - the 808 keychain cams have piqued my interest for awhile, and the mobius looks to hit my price point ($80) without a screen or GPS (features I don't want). Since it's so popular the software quality and support seem much greater than grabbing a cheapy chinese cam.