A really user friendly "rear view mirror" mounted dash cam...

why do you feel the need to continually video outside your car?

 

I can tell you why. A week ago my car (not the Prius) was T-boned by a lady who is lying through her teeth about what happened. No witnesses.

A dash cam is now at the top of my priority list.

 

Staged accidents are also becoming much more prevalent now that many more people are waaaaaaaaaaay upside down in their cars.
There are few ways to do them (I won't go into them here,) and unless you have witnesses (or a vid) then you're going to find your insurance rates going up to pay for some creep's new car and false injury.

I have to admit that as a M/C rider this accessory is climbing on my priority list.

 

Excellent points. Installation does sound indeed easy.

One question: how bulky/heavy is this unit? The specs say 11.4oz, two-thirds of a pound. Is the rearview mirror sturdy enough to support this additional weight permanently?

And how good is the actual mirror on this unit. After all, this is the primary function...

Thanks

 

Thanks. Since posting yesterday, I spent hours researching dashcams. Holy mackerel, I had no idea of this ecosystem out there! There must be hundreds of them, and tens of thousands of postings. Looks like I am not allowed to include URLs but I found a whole set of forums under dashcamtalk which seems helpful. The result of all this sleuthing is that I am now more confused than ever what to buy. Probably I should just order ANY one of them, anything is better than nothing which is what I have now.

 

Oh absolutely, it should be as undetectable from the outside as possible, this is one of my prime criteria.

I ordered a simple but reportedly good dash cam last night (DVR-007). It is NOT a mirror cam but glues to the windscreen. But given your good experiences, I may order this one, too. We have two cars so I need two cams.

 

So, I ordered an ABEO rearview camera, not the one the Rude person's bought but their slightly newer model with higher resolution (1050). It arrived very quickly, directly from Taiwan within 5 days. I am essentially happy with it. Installation is super-easy (just clip on the mirror) and it is pretty stealthy (even more once I get the cables tucked away properly). Quality during the day is quite decent (easy to read license plates in front), at night, not so much. It also records sounds and it comes on if something shakes the car while parked (hit-and-run!). It is obviously larger than the stock rearview mirror but JUST small enough that it does not interfere with either of the visors in my Prius V.

I am still waiting for the DVR-007 which should come from mainland China but Taiwan clearly has the shipping better under control.

 

So, I ordered an ABEO rearview camera, not the one that Rude person's bought but their slightly newer model with higher resolution (1050). It arrived very quickly, directly from Taiwan within 5 days.

I am essentially happy with it. Installation is super-easy (just clip on the mirror) and it is pretty stealthy (even more once I get the cables tucked away properly). Quality during the day is quite decent (easy to read license plates in front), at night, not so much. It also records sounds and it comes on if something shakes the car while parked (hit-and-run!). It is obviously larger than the stock rearview mirror but JUST small enough that it does not interfere with either of the visors in my Prius V.

I am still waiting for the DVR-007 which should come from mainland China but Taiwan clearly has the shipping better under control.

 

Sorry about the double-posting, I tried editing but apparently it posted everything again.

And also apologies for 'replying' to my own posting. There is something I thought might be useful:

While the rearview-mirror mounted dashcams are very easy to install (doesn't get any easier than clip it on the mirror), there is one disadvantage that you may want to consider: You cannot dim your mirror anymore.

Obviously, if you bought the fancy auto-dimming rearview mirror, you may want to think twice before even considering this solution.

Just something to think about.

 

Just look at that...made in Russia

 

Ah, I understand your "need". Didn't realize you drove your Prius in Russia that often. Do you also stockpile food for your trips in Bangladesh? Can't be too careful.

 

Oops! Back to USA then

 

I bought a dash cam a month ago....I drive regularly on this highway in Toronto and this video intrigued me.

 

How often do you get in "accidents" that you feel the need to record every minute of your driving? I see an accident once every few years. Get in one every ten years or so. Is the camera a substitute for good driving?

 

I have not had an accident to date and that's in far more than 10 years of driving. No reason one can't be both a good driver and a dashcam owner. The driver on the highway in post 15 was a "good driver", but it really did not help him in that situation.

In any case, it was a very minor expenditure. Not sure why you feel I have to justify it.

Live and let live.

 

Besides the fact that is creepy that your are invading every other driver's reasonable expectation of privacy, there are specific legal issues involved in video taping people without permission.

 

Not true in the USA.

In 2012, the Supreme Court upheld the right to videotape even the police - as long as it's in a public place.