Reviewed in Canada on November 15, 2024
As this is my first dash cam, I did a lot of research before deciding on this brand, which is in everyone鈥檚 top 5, and more research again to decide on this particular model. The most popular for years has been the A119 V3, which is a great camera with a larger screen, but I wanted something smaller - and this is small.
It鈥檚 honestly almost overwhelming how many options there are, and price points, when if what you are looking for is a decent video, there really isn鈥檛 much difference between a $100 and a $400 camera - most of them use the same chips. The features change from front & rear, raider, internal video, hard wire parking monitor, GPS, etc - figure out your wants & need and then find something reliable and within your price point.
I am not mechanically inclined, so it took me about an hour or more to install into my RAV4. I hid all the cable along weather stripping, trim, through the glove box and into the supplied 12V power jack that fits into what used to be referenced as the cigarette lighter. I chose not to hard wire the unit for parking monitoring as you need another component as well as a something for the fuse box. It was too daunting for me and I din鈥檛 want to pay someone to do it for me. Before install, download the most recent firmware update and set a reminder to check it, looks like they update at least a couple of times per year.
Pros: decent video results, it鈥檚 small, 3M sticky pad is really sticky, so no concerns there. It takes up to a 512GB micro sd card so less worry around overwriting and what not. It鈥檚 small, takes up less real estate on your windshield. USB-C, includes durable cables as well. It has HDR which is supposed to be better for nighttime (though you can鈥檛 do 60 fps with HDR on). It has a new Sony Starva chip which is also supposed to be better for low light, but again, I have no reference points being my first dash cam. The ap is ok, though it uses your cell data (you can鈥檛 connect to home wifi and access). If you have wireless CarPlay, it gets confused between the two which is pretty annoying. It has a capacitor vs lithium ion battery, so far more durable when you have extremes of hot and cold like we do here in the great white north. There is a GPS but you don鈥檛 have to use it. Reminder that it tracks speed and location, so no hiding if you did something wrong.
Cons: Video is ok. It鈥檚 not the same as having a go pro. I鈥檝e only used it in the rain and night so far, but good luck getting all the details like every license plate, street sign, etc. THere is an overpriced filter that is supposed to help so I may try that later on. The app is ok, uses cell data (files are big), and if you have wireless car play, it gets very confused and drops the connectivity to the cam. My advice? Use a card reader and a computer to download the files. There are definitely more pros than cons.
Overall, happy with the unit, already contemplating purchasing one for my other vehicle. I want to see how it does in the day and during different types of weather before ai make that decision, and I will probably get the polarizing filter anyway! Ultimately, after viewing dash cam videos on social media, anything is better than nothing, and VIOFO A119 Mini2 is better than most! 4 stars because I鈥檝e had it one day in a car that I picked up the same day and I鈥檝e only seen video in the rain. As a category, there is room to improve.
