When I received this cam, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it's a nice, palm-sized, light weight device. I am a stickler for a clear field of vision when I'm driving (which could have something to do with prior accidents that I still swear were NOT my fault), and this cam requires very little windshield real estate. I found it incredibly intuitive to install--you stick it on the windshield, where is stays securely with the provided suction.
The operation of this little cam is also intuitive. The included directions will guide you to button functions, but honestly, you probably won't even need them, it's that straight forward. You plug it in with the included adapter. start your vehicle, and the cam starts recording. You stop, turn off your vehicle, and it stops recording and turns itself off. All video is captured on a micro SD card (which you must purchase--buy a class 10 32g and save yourself the trouble of having to coax a recording). The cam features on board playback as well, so chances are you will never have to remove the card to view vid on your computer (unless you want to see more detail in the video, as the cam screen is small). If, however, you do wish to view the vid outside of the cam, there's an included USB cable. Once attached to your computer, it's truly plug and play--just follow the cam's onscreen prompts and then choose your file. I recently purchased a Windows 10 HP laptop, and this cam was immediately recognized.
Oh sure, there are more modes, bells and whistles on this cam. You can set it to detected changes in acceleration to trigger recording, it has auto infrared for night recording, it can be set to record on motion detection, you can take snap shots and you can even change the resolution, allowing more or less recording time on your sd card. Like anything, if you want to learn the intricacies. just play with it. The buttons are clearly labeled on cam and in the included instructions, so don't be afraid to get your feet wet and try a few! Some of the reviews reflect a reticence to give things a go and some seem to be intimidated by the technology. Out of the box, this cam is super simple, but take a few minutes and learn what ELSE it can do. It's packed with the options I've listed that you only need to press buttons to discover.
Overall, this is a great entry level dash cam that says what it does and does what it says. It provides a decent recounting of your driving through micro SD saved video, has on screen playback and can be set to only record with motion detection. If you're not looking to determine whether a penny on the street is heads up or down, this cam will definitely do the job.
Note: I received this cam at no cost in exchange for my honest review.
