With Atlanta's grueling commutes, having a dash cam installed in your car seems like a necessity rather than an extravagance.
Sure, they can record your Sunday drive through the twisted roads that cut through the North Georgia Mountains, and capture that graceful mother deer and her adorable fawn wandering across the road. However, dashboard video cameras have a far more serious role. A dash cam can provide an expert, irrefutable eyewitness in case of an accident. It can capture something your eyes missed, which could come in handy for you and your insurance company. And if you opt for a dashboard video camera with a parking mode option, the camera can capture activity even when you're not in the car and the motor isn't running. A dash cam can offer peace of mind.
How dash cams work:
The camera attaches to your windshield, rear view mirror, or mounts on your dashboard, much like a GPS device. It can be hardwired or simply plugged into the cigarette lighter, and some are battery powered.
The camera automatically activates when you start the ignition, and it begins to record a wide-angled view of the road in front of you. There also are cameras that will record the rear view as well.
The camera uses a memory card. Once it's full, the camera will then record over the old footage in a process called loop recording. However, when the camera senses an accident, the dash cam is designed to store the footage , allowing you to review the saved footage later.
Some dash cams offer GPS features, which also record your speed, direction, location and even the weather during recording time.
Three dash cams under $200 to consider:
KDLINKS X1 Full-HD 165-Degree Wide Angle Car Dashboard Camcorder with GPS, G-Sensor, $170
Key features include:
* This Alpharetta-based company offers premium real HD quality video (1920x1080) for day and night use.
* An 8 GB Micro SD card.
* A 2.7-inch screen.
* Professional Windows and Mac GPS video data player software with Google Maps Route Animation.
* WDR (Wide Dynamic Range) video system, which is important for sharp images in night or low-light situations.
* One-year warranty covers any issues.
Available through Amazon.
Falcon Zero Touch HD Dash Cam 1080p 24-7 Surveillance , GPS, $180
Key features include:
* Touch HD 4-inch touch screen allows you to see what your camera is seeing
* A 32 GB SD card.
* Six glass lenses utilizing Wide Dynamic Range technology (WDR) for optimal video quality night or day.
* 24/7 surveillance. The Falcon Zero 24 On hardwire kit hooks up to your vehicle's fuse box and allows the Touch HD to be powered at all times.
* GPS Geo Tagging. Using the GPS module included, your recordings will be geo tagged and embedded to the SD Card.
Available through Amazon.
Swann DriveEye Ultra HD Dash Cam/Action Cam, $140
Key features include:
* Automatically begins recording video and audio when you start your car's engine.
* Upon impact, the device stores 30 seconds of video captured before the incident and records for another 30 seconds afterward.
* Full-HD 1080p 1920x1080 video recorder and 3 megapixel camera.
* Built-in HDMI output for easy viewing on any display.
* Supports up to a 64 GB SD card for recordings up to 2000 minutes. Card is not included.
* Lithium ion battery for video recording when the camera is not connected to a power source.
* Outside of the car, Swann dash cam can be used as an action camera through a special mode that allows you to record high resolution videos.
Available at Fry's Electronics.
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