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Ever been in a car accident or road rage incident that wasn't your fault? When it's your word against someone else's, video from a dashboard camera could be useful to prove your case.
We test more than 50 car dashboard cameras – also known as dash cams – priced from $50 to around $600, to help you find the models that:
Our interactive comparison tool helps you easily compare the pros and cons of each model, and our Recommended list lets you see at a glance which dash cams get the thumbs-up.
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List of brands we tested in this review.
Recommend retail price as of July 2018. Keep in mind most of the dashboard cameras tested don't come with a required microSD memory card, which will cost you more money.
enter value/s in increments of 1 between 50 and 599
We recommend dashboard cameras with an overall score of 70% and above.
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Type and size of screen on rear of dashcam (if applicable).
This information can be useful for police and insurers if you're involved in an incident that results in an investigation/claim.
This notes when the car has been bumped or moved. Most dash cams will highlight and isolate the video segment using a date and time stamp. This includes the moments leading up to, and after, the incident. Some will isolate and protect this segment so you won't accidentally delete it.
Lets the camera run without permanent power connection for a short period. This is essentially a fail safe should the dashcam disconnect from the power supply, in most cases. Many brands replace the internal battery with a capacitor that has enough power to save the video and shut down before the power runs out. These models, however, will not keep recording.
This is the highest vertical resolution capability. For example, HD is 1920 x 1080.
enter value/s in increments of 1 between 480 and 2160
A few dash cams partner with rear cameras to capture what goes on behind your car, including the NanoCamPlus DVRHD2, Navman MiVue 630 and the Kapture KPT-722, but all three rear cameras scored borderline scores less than 50 for picture quality. It should be noted, though, that the rear camera scores don't count towards the overall score for these dash cams.
Our tester installs the dash cam in a car and parks in a well-lit enclosed garage (simulating an underground carpark or road tunnel), then assesses the recorded video for clarity, fluidity of motion and colour accuracy.
enter value/s in increments of 1 between 0 and 0
Our tester installs the dash cam in a car, drives a set route in clear daylight, and assesses the recorded video for clarity, fluidity of motion and colour accuracy.
Our tester installs the dash cam in a car and parks in an enclosed garage but with most lighting and the car's headlights turned off. If the dash cam has a 'night vision' function, this is turned on. He then assesses the recorded video for clarity, fluidity of motion and colour accuracy.
A Similar model is identical in most aspects except for a few. This means that a majority of its test results are identical so you can reasonably expect to get the same results from the model we tested, but for those aspects which aren't identical, we'll note these as "Not Tested" in the Compare tables.
A Tested model refers to a model that is still current and available in the Australian market. You should be able to order this model through your local retailer, or find it online.
These models can't be found in retailers or online or are no longer manufactured. You may still find these models on second hand websites, or in second hand dealers. Test methods may change over time, so criteria which can't be directly compared will contain an N/A.
An Identical model is exactly that. Performance characteristics will be identical and the only difference will be something trivial such as colour, which won't have an impact on performance.
These are models we haven't yet tested but that are available.
We measure the camera's field of view horizontally, vertically and diagonally. The wider the angle of view, the better.
Comprises supplied instructions (10%), installing the mount (10%), attaching/detaching the camera (50%), adjusting settings with on-board and/or software controls (10%), viewing the recordings on the built-in display (if applicable) (10%), and accessing and viewing the recordings on a computer (10%).
