Lazy Daze Owners' Group

The main things I look for in a dashcam are:

* The highest possible resolution (e.g., 3,840 x 2,160), because I may want to read license plate numbers in that video.

* A built-in "supercapacitor" to maintain clock and other settings, rather than just a rechargeable battery--the windshield can be a very hot location, and in my experience batteries don't do well there.

* GPS capability--this records time, date, speed, and exact location as part of the video, all of which are potentially very useful if the video is ever needed as evidence.

* A small LCD screen and button controls, as well as Wi-Fi.

At first I favored small, cylindrical dashcams because they're inconspicuous. But after owning a couple different brands of that type, I found that the Wi-Fi connections were not always reliable. When that's the only way to configure the dashcam (there are a lot of settings), it can be frustrating. And of course if the accompanying smartphone app "breaks" when you update your phone's OS, you're out of luck. Granted, it's usually easier to configure a dashcam using a smartphone app, as long as that works... but a camera that has its own screen and buttons gives you a second way to do it, if the phone-based approach fails.

I've owned a variety of dashcams over the years, but the best ones I've found so far are two Rexing models. Their V1-4K is reasonably priced at $120 including a small separate GPS module. Their $200 V5 model has the GPS built in, which is convenient. And the V5's lens is mounted on a ball joint, which gives you a bit more flexibility in aiming--for example, if you mount the camera on the right side of the windshield, you can angle the lens left a bit to center its field of view on the road. (The V1-4K's lens swivels up and down, but not side to side.)

One more note: many people are adding rear cameras, and judging by some of the videos I've seen of cars being rear-ended, that seems like a good idea. The V1-4K doesn't have this option, but the $160 V1P-4K model does--it comes with a 1,080 x 780 pixel rear camera that can be wired to the main camera in front. The Rexing V5 doesn't come with a rear camera, but their $60 wired accessory camera records 2,160p video. I plan to add some kind of rear camera to my car soon.

"I wonder if they could be used with a larger dash monitor..."

Judging by the last few vehicles I've owned (two Ford pickups and two Subaru SUVs), the problem is that there just isn't anyplace to put a large dash monitor. Most modern vehicles already have one built in, but what's missing is a way to get a video picture onto that screen.