Our 2021 Dash Cam Recommendations & Top Picks
2021 will be another standout year for Dash Cam use in Australia. Year on year we see increased attention on Dash Cam use via all media platforms. This attention and awareness about the benefits of Dash Cam use will be even more widespread this year. The most significant attention on Dash Cam use is in the following areas:
1. Road rage incidents – drivers are becoming more frustrated, more impatient and angrier on our roads. Unfortunately, day to day living and work pressures are being exacerbated and vented on our roads. People generally put on their best behaviour if they know they are being recorded by a Dash Cam.
2. Increase in car accidents – listen to the traffic alerts on peak hour radio, road accidents are on the rise. This causes increased road congestion, increased driver frustration and increased insurance costs. It is a vicious cycle.
3. Dangerous driving behaviour – mobile phone use, driver distraction, drugs and alcohol are all affecting driver behaviour and our safety on the road. Everyday we assist customers in purchasing a Dash Cam because they are sick of the “bloody idiots” on our road. Dash Cam footage can be used to track down drivers doing stupid things around you.
Everyone’s driving is potentially being recorded by Dash Cams which can keep drivers honest and ultimately our roads safer. Should you be involved in an unfortunate incident, your Dash Cam footage will help protect your innocence and your good driving behaviour. Maybe your Dash Cam will record footage of an incident you aren’t involved in. Your footage could be provided to assist an innocent driver involved the accident, particularly if other witnesses drive off. Benefits for everyone!
4. Media attention – Australian Dash Cam footage is now shown daily on the news and other media platforms. It is, unfortunately, becoming the norm to see stupid and avoidable accidents occurring far too often.
5. Police Appeals for Dash Cam footage – pretty much after any severe incident on our roads, police appeal for Dash Cam footage from the public. This highlights the important evidence that Dash Cams provide road accident investigators. Not only does the Dash Cam footage assist with road incidents, police appeal for Dash Cam footage to investigate other crimes like assaults, vandalism, robberies etc…
In 2020, we saw keen customer interest in parking mode Dash Cams. Many customers are sick to death of having their cars damaged while parked and the offender not leaving details (which is a criminal offence). If the Dash Cam was successful in picking up the number plate of the offending driver, then the offender could be tracked down. 2021 will be a popular year for parking mode Dash Cams and we have a great selection of parking mode Dash Cams. You can check them out here on our “Most Popular Parking Mode Dash Cam Comparison” or our article on “How Parking Mode Operates”
If you have been putting off getting a Dash Cam, make 2021 the year you install one. Dash Cam footage not only benefits yourself but everyone else on our roads.
So which Dash Cams should you be looking at 2021?
2021 DASH CAM PICKS
FineVU GX30-2CH
Why a top pick?
We consider the GX30-2CH Dash Cam to be one of the best all-round Dash Cams for its features, reliability and performance vs the price. The GX30-2CH offers a compact design, quality hardware and great features without paying top dollar.
The GX30-2CH offers a great parking mode feature and does the job of much more expensive units and does it properly.
If you want good bang for your buck, the GX30-2CH is a model to look at.
The FineVU GX-30 also offers a confident 30 month Dash Cam warranty which is testament to the build quality of this unit.
Check out the FineVU GX30-2CH by clicking here
NEW JUNE 2021 DASH CAM RELEASE – FINEVU GX300-2CH
The FineVU GX300-2CH is June 2021 release. It is an updated QUAD HD 1440P version of the GX30-2CH.
Check out the FineVU GX300-2CH by clicking here
BLACKVUE DR750X-2CH PLUS
Why a top pick?
The BlackVue Dash Cam range are always popular and have always featured in our top recommendations for a number of years now.
The BlackVue Dash Cams are trusted for excellent performance, functionality and durability. The BlackVue Dash Cams also have an edge on style and design over most other brands.
They are premium price, but you get premium performance and reliability.
The BlackVue DR750X-2CH PLUS is a go-to Dash Cam if you want pretty much every feature on offer in a Dash Cam. It even has an optional modem which allows you to tap into the camera remotely.
The parking mode is probably the most customisable of our range and it exclusively has 60FPS recording.
So why not the DR900X-2CH as a top pick?
The BlackVue DR900X-2CH is a great unit also, however the front camera does not have the Sony Starvis sensor like the DR750X-2CH PLUS. Therefore, we find the DR750X-2CH PLUS night time videos better in quality than the DR900X-2CH. So we recommend the DR750X-2CH PLUS as a better “all-rounder” for good day and night performance.
The lower price point and front and rear SONY STARVIS sensors make the BlackVue DR750X-2CH PLUS a 2021 top pick.
The BlackVue DR750X PLUS comes in a 2CH and 1CH version to suit all buyers.
Check out the BlackVue DR750X-2CH PLUS by clicking here
FINEVU GX5000-2CH
Why a top pick?
The FineVu GX5000-2CH is our top pick LCD screen Dash Cam. It is hands down the best LCD Dash Cam we have supplied to date.
The GX5000-2CH is one of FineVu’s best selling LCD Dash Cams globally and has a proven track record of reliability and performance. Whether wanting to record while driving or parked, the GX5000-2CH is an intuitive and smart Dash Cam option.
The FineVue GX30 and BlackVue DR750X models above are screen-less. They can be configured and operated by pairing them via Wi-Fi to a smartphone and accessing the manufacturer app. After dealing with tens of thousands of customers and enquiries over the years, we understand that there is still large majority of customers that find Wi-Fi and apps undesirable. There is nothing wrong with this and simply comes down to personal preference.
Many customers still want the easiest method of operation. They feel the Dash Cam should sit on the windscreen and do its job without too much mucking around, no Wi-Fi, no apps, just record. This is where the LCD touchscreen FineVU GX5000 comes in.
The clear, high resolution IPS LCD touchscreen gives the mental reassurance that the camera is ON and recording and the angle adjustment is correct all the time. The touchscreen also allows for simple menu navigation and camera set-up, no fuss.
The wide 145° front angle of view ensures maximum coverage and video evidence around your car (with less edge distortion) and super-capacitors are used rather than lithium ion batteries to excel in heat resistance and heat durability.
Pre-buffered parking mode recording is a must. The FineVU GX5000 Dash Cams record 20 second parking mode files when triggered by either motion and/or impact. The parking mode files are recorded 10 seconds before the trigger and 10 seconds after the trigger capturing some of the important lead up to the event.
We consider the GX5000 Dash Cam to be an excellent all round performer, with a friendly LCD touchscreen interface. The FineVu GX5000 Dash Cams offer daily reliability, fuss-free features and easy, intuitive operation.
Check out the FineVU GX5000-2CH Dash Cam by clicking here
LUKAS QVIA AR790
Why a top pick?
The Lukas QVIA AR790 is a quality Dash Cam in the mid price point range. It is a 1080P FULL HD Dash Cam which offers excellent features like a SONY EXMOR sensor for excellent video quality, Wi-Fi and inbuilt GPS. The free Lukas smartphone App and PC Viewer are both functional and intuitive.
The Lukas build quality is exceptional and the compact design makes it one of our thinnest most discreet Dash Cams.
The reliability and temperature resistance ratings are the same if not better than most premium models on the market.
The Lukas AR790 was a very popular fleet choice in 2020. It was fitted into many fleet vehicles/trucks that are on the road and recording for 10-12 hours straight per day. It is a very durable model. Fleets responded well to the large 512GB Micro SD card support, the tamper case option and the overall reliability.
For those customers wanting longer recording times it can take a larger 512GB Micro SD card.
The Lukas QVIA AR790 comes in both a 1CH (front recording) and 2CH (front and rear recording) model. The front camera also has an optional Lukas tamperproof case for those customers not wanting other drivers to tamper with the unit or Micro SD card.
Check out the Lukas AR790 Dash Cams by clicking here
Abee M638G
Why a top pick?
For the most cost effective option the Abee M638G fits the bill.
The Abee M638G caters for the “school drop-off” journeys and the “short distance to work/supermarket” journeys. This requirement doesn’t need anything fancy. The Abee M638G starts and stops recording automatically when the engine turns on and off. It records the journey and that is it. Easy.
If you need to watch a video file, pop the sd card into your computer, double click a video file and there is the footage. Easy.
The beauty about the Abee M638G can be summarised below:
- 1080P FULL HD Resolution + the quality Sony Starvis sensor + Novatek processor – these are high end pieces of hardware built into a well priced camera.
- Equipped with a large f/1.5 lens aperture + WDR (wide dynamic range) functionality. The large f/1.5 lens aperture complements the Sony Starvis sensor by allowing maximum light to flood into and reach the sensor and improving video quality.
- Ultra Wide 155° angle of view to ensure you have maximum coverage and video evidence around your car.
- Super-capacitors are used rather than lithium ion batteries to improve heat resistance and heat durability.
- Built-in GPS module which imprints the vehicle speed onto the footage (this can be turned off if not desirable).
- Large 128GB Micro SD card capacity which can hold approx 28 hours of total video files before filling up and looping over.
- Tactile, one-push SOS button – quickly and easily lock and protect important video files from loop recording. You always have the important files saved on the SD card at the touch of a button.
- Snapshot button – quickly take a photo of what is front of you by pressing the handy snapshot button
- Smallest and most compact Dash Cam body – neat and tidy fitment on your windscreen. The mounts are also small and short for neater placement on the windscreen.
- All inclusive accessories – Abee have included both a suction mount and a 3M double sided adhesive mount for extra flexibility.
The Abee M638G is a simple, fit for purpose Dash Cam for those customers wanting a no fuss, set and forget Dash Cam.
Check out the Abee M638G Dash Cam by clicking here
PARKING MODE DASH CAM RECOMMENDATIONS
A Dash Cam with a reliable and intuitive Parking Surveillance Mode is becoming the fastest growing requirement of our customers.
We have created a dedicated page comparing our Top Parking Mode Dash Cams which have the most reliable and intuitive parking mode features. Check them out by clicking here.
The BlackVue, FineVu and Lukas Dash Cams mentioned all have pre-buffered parking mode recording which is essential for capturing the lead-up to an incident while parked. They also have customisable motion/impact sensitivities and motion detection areas to tailor the performance and settings to your needs.
For a general explanation of Dash Cam parking mode and how it works, have a read of our parking mode article by clicking here.
There you have our top picks for 2021. Please check in regularly on our website or facebook page to keep up to date with any new models or updates on Dash Cams under testing.
If you have any further enquiries or would like more assistance please do not hesitate to contact us on (03) 9350 2605 or info@dashcamsaustralia.com.au or chat with us live on our LIVE CHAT tab on the site. We are more than happy to answer any questions or assist you with a Dash Cam recommendation.