Dash cams have become a popular addition to the cars of Malaysians these days. That’s not surprising because dash cams can help you get out of sticky situations like these:
In the video above, the driver in front stops abruptly in the middle of a highway. Shortly after, he decides to roll his car backward, bumping his car’s rear end to the front of the car behind him, creating what would seem to a casual observer like an accident caused by the driver behind.
Road laws make it easy to find out who’s at fault: it’s the driver behind’s. Or, so it would appear had the driver behind not installed a dash cam. Further along the video, you will see the front driver exhorting the back driver for $500 for damages, or, he’ll call the police. The driver behind informs him that that isn’t the case and his dash cam footage would prove his innocence.
Imagine if the driver behind didn’t install a dash cam. Would he be able to get out of the sticky situation? I highly doubt it.
This is why dash cams can often make one of the most practical gifts to give someone. Most people can find an immediate use for a dash cam they receive.
Though so, buying dash cams can be something difficult, especially when you have a tight budget. First of all, there are only a few well-known brands that produce high-quality dash cams. So most of the dash cams you find in the market within this budget are unbranded ones which promise a lot but deliver very little. Worse of all, they break down within a few months or a week of using them.
This is why we’ve compiled this guide for you to help you choose a reliable, high-quality dash cam that anyone will be proud to gift to someone. With this guide, you will avoid wasting money on cameras that are unreliable.
A note about the budget we have chosen. We’ve discovered that most dash cams under RM160 have a lot of reports of breaking down. They are unreliable. You buy one, then you might need to get another one a year or even a few months later.
If you have a limited budget but still want to make an impression with your gift, check out our dash cam selection.
[su_box title=”Our Top Choice: Viofo A119″ style=”soft” box_color=”#0574de”]
Within this budget, the Viofo A119 offers one of the most decent night vision compared to other dash cams. Other than that, the Viofo A119 is a capacitor-based model which means it is not prone to overheating under the hot climate of Malaysia. The video is 1080p HD.
The cheaper version of the A119 does not come with CPL (which helps you to remove reflections) but if you are willing to pay more, you will be able to get a CPL unit for just under RM400.
[su_button url=”https://www.lazada.com.my/viofo-a119-v2-1440p-160-degree-wide-angle-car-dvr-with-gps-109755330.html?” target=”blank” style=”3d” background=”#ef8b13″ size=”5″ center=”yes” radius=”5″]Check it out on Lazada (non-CPL version)[/su_button]
[su_button url=”https://www.lazada.com.my/viofo-a119-v2-1440p-160-degree-wide-angle-car-dvr-with-gps-amp-cpl-102343461.html?” target=”blank” style=”3d” background=”#ef8b13″ size=”5″ center=”yes” radius=”5″]Check it out on Lazada (CPL version)[/su_button]
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Some Things to Consider When Buying a Dash Cam
Before we jump into the reviews, let’s take a look at some of the things you’ll need to consider when getting a dash cam.
Temperature. The last thing you want is for your dash cam to become overheated or in some cases, melt. One thing to note is that all the dash cams we covered in this guide are best suited for tropical weathers like Malaysia. They may not be suitable when used in countries where temperatures can go upwards of 60 – 90oC, in which case all the dash cams covered would be highly unsuitable.
If you are someone who tends to leave your dash cam out in the sun, then a capacitor-based model is preferred as these models tend not to overheat as easily. Capacitor-based models tend to also be slightly pricier than X based ones.
Field of View (FOV). This is how much of the scene the dash cam will be able to capture
Motion sensor. So that in case your car stops because of an accident, the camera will stop recording.
Night vision. You might want your dash cam to capture clear images not only in the daytime but also during the night time. This is especially important if you are the type to drive around at night often.
After sales service. With any electronics, you would want to buy them from reputable brands with good after-sales support.
Dual mode (front and back recording). For most people having just the camera for front will be enough but if you would also want to record the rear, you will need to make sure that your dash cam comes with both. For a budget of under RM300, you’d be hard pressed to find any good quality dash cams with dual functionality. We would recommend that you go up at least twice this budget to get a decent front and back car camera.
GPS. The GPS will enable you to stamp the location of your video. This can be useful if you need evidence of the exact location of the accident. GPS-enabled dash cams can cost a bit more than those without GPS.
Cables. Too many cables dangling around the dash cam can make the front of your car look unsightly.
CPL. The CPL will reduce the glare from your front screen.
Ease of installation. Some dash cams require a professional to do it properly. This means shelling out more money on top of what you have already paid for your dash cam for installation. This can cost you anything from RM20 to RM150 depending on how difficult it is to install and of course, who you go with.
Parking mode. Motion detection when there is movement.
Size. The last thing you want for your dash cam is for it to be obvious enough for potential thieves to notice. You may risk a potential glass breaking. So you would want a size that is discreet enough to hide behind.
Mount. The mount is how you will position the dash cam in your car.
Our Top Choice: Viofo A119 Dash Cam
[su_box title=”Our Top Choice: Viofo A119″ style=”soft” box_color=”#0574de”]
Within this budget, the Viofo A119 offers one of the most decent night vision compared to other dash cams. Other than that, the Viofo A119 is a capacitor-based model which means it is not prone to overheating under the hot climate of Malaysia. The video is 1080p HD.
The cheaper version of the A119 does not come with CPL (which helps you to remove reflections) but if you are willing to pay more, you will be able to get a CPL unit for just under RM400.
[su_button url=”https://www.lazada.com.my/viofo-a119-v2-1440p-160-degree-wide-angle-car-dvr-with-gps-109755330.html?” target=”blank” style=”3d” background=”#ef8b13″ size=”5″ center=”yes” radius=”5″]Check it out on Lazada (non-CPL version) RM350[/su_button]
[su_button url=”https://www.lazada.com.my/viofo-a119-v2-1440p-160-degree-wide-angle-car-dvr-with-gps-amp-cpl-102343461.html?” target=”blank” style=”3d” background=”#ef8b13″ size=”5″ center=”yes” radius=”5″]Check it out on Lazada (CPL version) RM384[/su_button]
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Viofo A119: The Good
Good quality videos. Out of all the dash cams, Viofo A119 has the best video quality. The video quality is pretty good during daytime and decent for night time.
Capacitor based dash cam. In the hot Malaysian weather, this is a definite advantage.
Viofo A119: The Bad
Pricier. At RM350, the Viofo A119 is the best but also the priciest out of the bunch. But it has all the qualities of a decent dash cam you can use for quite some time. But if you prefer something cheaper with less features, feel free to check out the other dash cams we recommend.
Adhesive mount. Adhesive mounts mean that it will be tricky to move the dash cam from one position to another.
Our second choice: SJCAM SJDash M30 Dash Cam
[su_box title=”SJCAM SJDash M30 Dash Cam” style=”soft” box_color=”#0574de”]
SJDash delivers solid HD video recording. The G-sensor inside the camera will also be able to detect when you get involved in an accident, stop recording and save the video.
SJDash is a strong contender for the Viofo A119 that goes for under RM300.
[su_button url=”https://www.lazada.com.my/original-sjcam-m30-sjdash-wifi-dashcam-smart-car-dvr-novatek-nt96658-1080p-dash-cam-30-inch-dvr-24ghz-wifi-wireless-connection-140-degree-wide-angle-g-sensor-motion-detectionwdr-80192766.html?” target=”blank” style=”3d” background=”#ef8b13″ size=”5″ center=”yes” radius=”5″]Check it out on Lazada RM299[/su_button]
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SJCAM SJDash M30: The Good
HD Video quality for daytime. The SJ Dash can record good quality HD videos and within a close range of 10m or less, you can visibly see the car plate numbers. Check out the video below:
Capacitor based dash cam. Like the Viofo A119, the SJDash is a capacitor-based dashcam and is suitable for hot climate countries like Malaysia.
Suction mount. Easy to move around compared to adhesive mounts.
Good night vision. Other than clear daytime footage the SJDash can also deliver good quality night recordings. Although the videos recorded at night aren’t as clear as those recorded during the day, they are certainly decent:
Gravity sensor (G-sensor). The G-sensor stops recording and saves your video when it gets the sense that you have been involved in a car accident.
Brand with ongoing support. SJCAM is a company known for constantly updating the firmware of its products so you can expect the firmware of your SJDash to be updated just the same.
SJCAM SJDash M30: The Bad
Poor stabilization. One of the biggest drawbacks of the SJDash is that it does not have great stabilization, resulting in motion blur at times.
Our Top RM200 and Below Choice: Xiaomi Mijia Dash Cam
[su_box title=”Xiaomi Mijia Dash Cam” style=”soft” box_color=”#0574de”]
The best feature of the Xiaomi Mijia dash cam is its high-quality day and night time video recordings.
The biggest drawback of the Mijia dash cam is that the entire interface is Chinese language, which can be a hassle for some to look for translations.
[su_button url=”https://www.lazada.com.my/original-xiaomi-mijia-1080p-30-inch-tft-screen-car-recorder-camera-dashcam-160-degree-wide-angle-viewing-support-tf-card-g-sensor-app-viewingblack-22022046.html?” target=”blank” style=”3d” background=”#ef8b13″ size=”5″ center=”yes” radius=”5″]Check it out on Lazada RM209[/su_button]
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Xiaomi Mijia: The Good
High-quality Video. When compared to our second choice, Yi Dash Cam, the colors on the Mijia dashcam are more vibrant and clearer whether during the day or at night:
(Though so, the Yi Dash Cam is a lot brighter at night but if you are looking for sharper night videos then the Mijia is the clear winner here.)
Wide enough to view three lanes (170degree view). As you can see from the video above, with the Yi Dash Cam Even, you can record quite a wide view of the road you are driving on.
Xiaomi Mijia: The Bad
Chinese Language. Probably the biggest disadvantage of the Mijia is that the entire interface is in Chinese. If you can’t read Chinese or prefer an English-language interface, there is the slight inconvenience of having to get the interface translated first. If you hate having to do even this, you might be better off with an English-language based dash cam.
Lithium-ion battery. The second biggest disadvantage of the Mijia is that it uses Lithium-ion batteries that can get heated up pretty quickly in hot climates like Malaysia. To prevent overheating you may need to consider hardwiring the dash cam to your car.
Adhesive mount. The adhesive mount makes it tricky to move the Mijia dash cam from one position to another.
Our Second Under RM200 Choice: Yi Dash Cam
[su_box title=”Yi Dash Cam” style=”soft” box_color=”#0574de”]
The Yi Dash Cam is a good quality dash cam that can take good quality videos. Though compared to the Mijia dash cam, the videos from the Yi Dash Cam are less sharp.
Though so, it’s the cheapest dash cam on this list so if you’re on a tight budget, this might just be the camera for you.
[su_button url=”https://www.lazada.com.my/xiaomi-xiaoyi-yi-smart-wifi-car-dvr-camera-dash-cam-dashcam-165-1080p-adas-g-sensor-chinese-ui-sealed-21073187.html?” target=”blank” style=”3d” background=”#ef8b13″ size=”5″ center=”yes” radius=”5″]Check it out on Lazada RM179[/su_button]
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Yi Dash Cam: The Good
Good value. For under RM200, the Yi Dash Cam gets you decent features. If you are really tight on budget this could be just the dash cam for you.
Good video quality for daytime. The Xiao Yi Dash Cam records at Full 1080 HD, which makes it super easy for you to spot any car plate numbers you record on your cam. Take a look at some of the shots made using the Xiao Yi Dash Cam:
Wide enough to view three lanes (170degree view). Like the Xiaomi Mijia, the Yi Dashcam also comes with a view wide enough to get in at least three lanes along with details of the scenery.
Good quality night videos. The Yi Dash Cam delivers decent night videos. As we’ve seen before, though lacking in details, it’s a lot brighter than the night videos from the Xiaomi Mijia:
Suction mount. The adhesive mount makes it easy to move the dash cam from one position to another.
Yi Dash Cam: The Bad
Lithium-ion battery. This means that the dash cam will get heated up more easily. This can be one of the biggest disadvantages that the Yi Dash Cam has. Though it is a good dash cam for its price, there is a big risk of overheating.
Too wide. For some people who prefer to have a narrower view, the wide view can be a big disadvantage.
No GPS. If you are keen on adding location details to your video recordings, you will be quite disappointed with the Yi Dash Cam that comes without the GPS option. But if you’re fine without GPS then this dash cam could be good enough for you.
Conclusion: Which camera should you go for?
If you have can afford it I would definitely recommend the Viofo A119. It has all the features you need: high-quality videos recordings for both day and night shoots, capacitor to prevent overheating, GPS and more.
But if the A119 is beyond your budget, I would highly recommend you to get the other capacitor-based model the SJCAM SJDash M30. At just under RM300, it has all the features of the Viofo A119 except for the GPS. Though the video recording from the SJDash is slightly less high-quality when compared with the Viofo A119, it is still decent enough for you to capture all the important features on the road whether during the day or night time.
Say even RM300 is beyond your budget, I’d go for the Xiaomi Mijia which comes at just over RM200. The biggest drawback about the Mijia is that it is Lithium-ion battery powered, which makes it easy for it to overheat in the hot temperatures of Malaysia. Though so, if you can find a way to overcome the overheating issue, the Mijia is a great dash cam for its budget, producing high-quality videos both day and night.
There you have it. Those are my dash cam recommendations. In general, I’d avoid dash cams that don’t have any brands or come with unknown brand names. The worst thing about these dash cams is that they are often unreliable, or even if you manage to use them for a little while you’ll get stuck with outdated dash cam firmware. So try to go for reputable brand names. That’s the reason why I have only chosen to recommend dash cams sold by brand names that are already well known for their quality.
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Extra Tip: Get a high-performing memory card to go along with your dash cam
It’s worth getting a high-performing memory card to go along with your dash cam. The worst thing you want to happen is to find the important videos that can possibly help you completely corrupted. This is something that commonly happens with cheap, low-performance memory cards.
So if you are already investing in a good-quality dash cam, I would suggest that you complement it with a high-performance memory card.
If you have no idea which memory card you should go for, I’ve got two suggestions for you.
[su_box title=”Samsung Evo Memory Card” style=”soft” box_color=”#0574de”]
First up is the Samsung Evo. This memory card is one of the best affordable memory cards on the market now. Prices range from ~RM45 for the 32GB card and ~RM95 for the 64GB card.
This card boasts fast read speeds at 100MBPS and write speeds of 60MBPS.
They are suitable for all types of dash cams but do check on your dash cam specifically to make sure you get the right size. Some dash cams can only accept up to 32GB and others only 64GB.
[su_button url=”http://invol.co/claES” target=”blank” style=”3d” background=”#ef8b13″ size=”5″ center=”yes” radius=”5″]Check it out on Lazada RM95 (64GB) [/su_button]
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[su_box title=”Sandisk High Endurance (HE) Memory Card” style=”soft” box_color=”#0574de”]
If you can afford it, the San Disk High Endurance (HE) Memory Card is definitely something you should pair with your dash cam.
Its performance is superior to the Samsung Evo Memory card and because of that, it is also pricier. For a 64GB card you can expect to pay up to RM150 per piece.
If you can afford it and really want to make sure all your videos stay in tact after each trip, I’d highly recommend you to get the San Disk HE Memory Card.
[su_button url=”http://www.lazada.com.my/sandisk-64gb-20mbs-high-endurance-video-monitoring-class-10-microsdxc-memory-card-for-dash-cams-amp-home-security-cameras-19454429.html?” target=”blank” style=”3d” background=”#ef8b13″ size=”5″ center=”yes” radius=”5″]Check it out on Lazada RM149 (64GB) [/su_button]
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Over to you! Did you like our dash cam recommendations? Have any good dash cams you’ve used that you’d want our readers to know about?
References:
https://jwtechreviews.com/
https://www.dashcamtalks.com/
