Dashcam question. Recommendations?

[Batesmotel]

Looking for a dashcam. I am experiencing information overload and a lot of the advertising information is very misleading or actually incorrect.

Not a permanent installation. I need a portable one. Like my GPS. One unit I can transfer to different vehicles. With my GPS I have mounts in each vehicle and just move the unit. I don’t care about a power cord in the car.

High resolution. No 720P crap that won’t identify a face or plate number.

Long recording time. I looked at one that only has a 2 minute loop.

Easy to download the video. No expert level software needed.

Any recommendations are appreciated. Even just a good website.

Thanks again. 

[El Spicoli]

I have one and It's made by the same folks that make radar detectors but it is pretty old.  I tried to get office to buy a new one for work SUV.

Sam's Club had a good deal on a front/back cam system I was looking at.

[Eric]

What kind of resolution do you get from your phone?

 

[janice6]

I had a good dashcam on my new vehicle, I bought it aftermarket.  I could resolve license plates close up.

I pulled out of the service road to cross a highway a block from a set of traffic lights.  Apparently I pulled into a drag race.  First they were a block away, then one was centered on my right front wheel.  It was a small sports car, new.  I was driving a Nissan Pathfinder.  twice or more his size.

I was spun around 90 degrees.  The impact rotational forces sent me over the center console and the drivers air bag missed me completely.  My wife was trapped inside of the side air bag, the dash air bag, and the rear seat airbag.  The impact was the wheel in front of her.  She was unhurt, so was I.  They had to cut off the door and slice all the airbags to get to her.

My dash cam was ripped off the dash  mount and wound up in the rear seat. The power cable was ripped out of the cam, all recording in that last loop was lost due to file corruption.

His insurance company said I hit him.  I asked if they would like to see the pictures of the accident for themselves.  The said yes.  The pictures my neighbor took were high resolution printed out on 8 1/2"x 10" color glossies, and they showed the other guys car glued into my right front wheel.  His insurance company paid for everything.  He stopped to see the big accident and realized it was me!  He saved my ass.

My point here is that the dash cam was torn out and had crap for video.  Pay special attention to a secure mount the might hopefully survive a collision if you plan to use it for legal purposes.  So not underestimate the acceleration forces involved in a worst case collision.

[LostinTexas]

Following for results.

 

[minderasr]

 

[Fog]

Gal that works for my insurance company said to get one that looked both ways. 

My brother has one on his commercial truck that covers all around, even when the truck is off, so a security camera system too. 

Another driver borrowed the truck, was in an accident, his boss got sued, then they showed them the footage. Suit got dropped like a hot potato. 

[railfancwb]

Years ago my son was in an accident, turning left at a light - busy intersection. No one was really hurt, apparently. Other car occupants sued us - car in my name. Filed last day before statute of limitations would have prevented it, so I couldn’t counter sue. Q and A under oath in lawyer’s office. Among other things it was alleged he was using the car without my permission.

My insurance company settled - to avoid costs of going to trial. They told me their payout was less than if the other people had accepted the no fault medical insurance which was offered. The passenger had also sued the driver of the car in which she was riding - her sister.