Considering GoPro 5 Hero as dash cam

[Rocinante]

I love how folks jump in with, “I have nothing to hide,” and other nonsense. I recommend all those folks be their own defense attorneys at all times. [emoji57][emoji38]🤣

[Road Geezer]

I tried using a gopro as a dash cam a couple years ago and gave up. It does have loop recording, but the camera isnt really designed for dashboard use and its cumbersome to operate.



Things like remembering to power it off when parked, then remembering to power on when starting I found to be a pain. Also the looping on my model is a bit quirky; if I shut it down when stopping for lunch, etc, it started a new loop rather than simply adding to the old one.


All in all, I think it's best to buy a well thought out dash cam and use the Hero for what it does best, action video.

[Gansett]

I researched dash cams and got an OWL designed by a former Apple iPhone engineer, it hooks up to TV full time, took 10 minutes to install, records 24 hours inside and out, is connected to cloud storage by cellular LTE, and you can review recordings or live video through the app anywhere.

I bought mine partly to record what other drivers do in front of me, partly to record what happens when parked, and partly to create clips of beautiful scenery. You create separate clips through voice recognition. “Ok, Presto” creates the clip, you can name it by voice, and it is sent to the cloud. Works very well. Check it out.

[DGJackson]

Here are some Pros & Cons as I see it. These options are from somebody that has two Hero 5 and one Hero 5 session.

+ GoPro can do looping, while I don't think that's what you want - it can do it.

- Battery life is terrible, I power from Anker power bank and then have that plugged into cigarette lighter when used as DashCam.

+ If you enable GPS the GoPro will record a map and speed data of your trip. I believe it is only available in GoPro software. I haven't figured out how to make this appear in iMovie. It is nice feature.

- I've read about over heating issues. I've run mine for +2-hours and it gets warm. Replacing plastic housing with aftermarket aluminum housing helps. In car with A/C don't think this is an issue.

+ Image stabilization on Hero 5 is decent. I use GoPro clamp with black flex and usually clip on headrest of passenger seat - your wife might not like this option.

+ Check out Costco- they sometimes have Hero 5 bundle for just under $300 with dual battery (~$20 + $5) and GoPro Casey (~$60) plus other junk.

+ Check eBay for GoPro mounts. Kids buy and sell there. I have three clamps and seven of the black flex stuff that I picked up cheap.

- Issues with starting and stoping camera are valid. GoPro Hero 5 is voice activated - so so feature. Unfortunately it doesn't speak Alabama very well.

+ Versatile camera that is not a dedicated DashCam. Can use for other applications. I use as a back-up camera via APP to connect trailer.

+ I generally use app on iphone to control and start/stop. Been very pleased with this interface.

- Uncertain of future of GoPro as a company. Not sure Fusion is selling like they hoped and financial reports are not promising. This may limit future software updates, developments, etc.

While not perfect I enjoy mine and constantly find more applications - I guess that's why I have three.

dennis

[TinVenture]

I also chose to go with the BlackVue dash cam.

I like this option because:

-it records all the time while I am driving
-when parked, it records whenever motion is sensed
-it hooks up via WiFi to my iPhone/iPad which I can then use as a backup camera

Here I a link to an overview of my install:

http://www.tinventure.com/backup-camera.html

I had my local car audio shop do the install. The shop owner was so impressed that he now keeps these cameras in stock.

I’ve been using this setup for about 2 years and haven’t come across any issues. I would suggest if not using a BlackVue branded memory card, to use a SanDisk HD card. HD stands for high endurance and it’s the only card SanDisk manufacturers which is warrantied for use in a dash cam (per SanDisk representative I spoke with on a phone). The HD cards are easily identifiable by the white color of the card.

I have 2 of these same setups in my personal vehicles and couldn’t be happier.

Good luck with your search!

[mbubbaca]

Based on a whole lot of opinions and much research I purchased a Vehicle Blackbox DVR ( Actionpie Dash Cam 1080P Car DVR Dashboard Camera Full HD Recorder, G-sensor, WDR, Loop Recording, (BLACK)) from Amazon on Prime day. I am very pleased with its performance so far. It has a very small footprint ( or windshield print ) and took only a few minutes to set up and install. I've downloaded some video and the quality in both day and night is pretty darn good. It's been hot here in NC and the high temperatures haven't inhibited anything so far. I say the only downfall is the instruction book is barely adequate. It's just a poor Chinese to English translation and takes a little work but workable.

[goholoholo]

Originally Posted by blkmagikca

Yes, that and the fact that when it is hardwired into the TV with the power module, you don't have to always remember to turn it on. As well, it can be left quietly running when you are parked. If you have it with the rear cam too, then you have almost 360 degrees of coverage in the event of wilful damage.

Can you tell us more about your set up? We are evaluating would like 360 degree monitoring.
Thanks!

[abqdor]

I realize that the original post is over two years old, but had never seen it before and wanted to give my two cents.

The OP mentioned using a Hero 5 as a dash cam, but looking at his post, I think he was looking to document the trip more than just looking forward over the hood of his tow vehicle.

The Go Pro camera, even with it's problems is a great way to document a journey. I used one on a trip to Cuba in 2013 with a Ram Mount attachment. Ram Mouunt is basically a suction cup that attaches to glass or any other smooth surface at any angle and is much more versatile than the Go Pro suction cup. This way, the Go Pro can be placed in a variety of positions and is far superior for documenting a trip than a dash cam.

Here is the YouTube link to our Cuba trip called, "From the Bus Window". I shot it with a Go Pro Hero 4.

https://youtu.be/ZPh59GF1wXY

And here's the link to Ram Mounts:

https://www.rammount.com