[REFURBISHED] VIOFO A119 V3 QHD+ Dash Cam

VIOFO A119 V3 QHD+ Dash Cam

I picked up the A119 Mini 2 dash cam because I wanted to see the Sony Starvis 2 sensor in action and didn't want to pay 2.5X the cost for the Viofo A139. For general footage and putting up crazy Youtube dashcam videos, any of the Viofo's will do the job. But license plates and details are more difficult. Even the 4K front cam on my A129, with the original Starvis sensor, struggles at night and to capture license plates. Capturing license plates while moving at night is the worst combination. They all suffer.

The Mini 2 with upgraded sensor does considerably better. Turning on the HDR is a noticeable improvement. I ran my Mini 2 alongside with my A129 4K in my car for a week. Some of the time, I ran it at 2K@60FPS. Sometimes, I ran 2K@30FPS with HDR on. While no dashcam is exceptional at getting license plates (even worse when moving and at night), the Mini 2 was noticeably clearer, even 2K compared to 4K with the A129.

My only complaint is that you can't run both HDR and 60FPS at the same time. Turning on HDR will remove the option to run 60FPS. And ideally, I'd like both. This shortcoming is not exclusive to the Mini 2. The top of the line A139 can't do it either and it appears there's no dashcam on the market that has this capability. Probably a sensor and processor shortcoming.

I also wish that I could have a setup with dual front and rear dashcams that both had Starvis 2 sensors. All manufacturers cheap out with 1080p rear cams.

So, I bought two Mini 2's and wired both into my car. I'm running dual Mini 2's, front and rear, both 2K with HDR. Short of replacing the front one with an A139, that's probably the best setup for this generation of tech. Oh, and spend the $15 to get the CPL filter.

VIOFO A119 Mini 2 2K QHD Dash Cam