Product review: K&F Concept® Full HD 1080P Car Video Camera 2.0" Mini Car DVR Dash Cam

The video quality that KF concepts camera records is pretty decent especially at night, however I ran into several problems with it. First, the camera is shipped with the default language set to Chinese. The manual is not detailed and has no information on how to change the language. I had to manually select every option on the menus one by one remembering what I already looked at by position (I do not read Chinese) until I found a menu choice that allowed me to switch the menus to English. I show where that option is located in my video. The second problem was the mount does not stay on the windshield during cold weather. We had a cold stretch of weather (12°F in the morning) and the suction cup mount does not stay on the windshield at this temperature. In the afternoons when the weather warms up I am able to mount it and stays for as long as I need. So if you live in a cold weather this dash cam will not work well for you. The mount is custom made for this camera, so you cannot replace it with another better mount.



On the positive side I like that the dash cam's compact size (2.25" x 2.25" x 0.75"). It does not block much of the windshield. The video quality is fine. It is not as good as 4K cameras, but quite reasonable and it does quite well at night. My video includes snippets under various conditions - day and night. 170° wide angle lens gives a good view of the entire road.



It turns on as soon as it gets power so you don't have to remember to turn it on. It can be turned off manually if desired. It is powered by a regular mini USB cable. The package includes a 32GB Class 10 micro SD.



When the dash cam writes out files to disks it saves them every few minutes, this is good, because if there is a problem you lose just a small segment not the entire video. I have not had any corrupted files with camera, but from experience with other cameras I now it can happen. I should note that the camera does not write out files to a standard directories. It creates three directories: event, jpg, and video. It uses JPG directory instead of DCIM for photos.



I received this camera for testing and review as part of a new product introduction. Overall, the camera has its pros and con. Hopefully, the manufacturer will fix the default language in the future versions of the camera, and I provided some help in how to do it now. So the only serious issue here is for the folks in the cold climates is the issue with the mount.



YOu can find K&F Concept Dash Cam on Amazon via this link.





AshopZones review ★★★☆☆

Product review: Z-Edge Car DVR Dash Cam

Through the years we owned a few dash cams which gives me a chance to compare Zedge with other car dvrs. Zedge video quality is pretty decent, the colors seem to be a little washed out, but the clarity is good during the day and during the night. The suction cup worked well even on very cold days (it never let go and fell off). The user interface however was not as intuitive as other dash cams. It has a menu driven interface which I like, but the navigation though the menus were not as intuitive or easy to remember.



' This camera comes with a 32G Class 10 micro sd card, and will work with 64g gig card.



' I had no technical issues of any kind. All files were readable. The camera writes out video frequently, by default it saves a file every 1 minute. The size of each segment in my video was about 125.9MB. Writing small files improves overall reliability. It is much better than writing one large file at the end of the trip.



' The dash cam uses stands micro USB cables, the package includes a charging cable and a cable with car port charger.



' Audio is recorded clearly, the default setting is to record with the microphone turned on. It can be turned off with one button push on the side.



' Motion activation mode/parking mode is very sensitive. I hear the camera turning on and off without any particular reason. I am not sure what is activating it. As a result there is a lot of uninteresting files saved in 'event' mode. On the positive side it records even with the car not running.



Overall, I thought this dash cam falls in the middle of the pack. The video is reasonable although not the best, user interface is menu driven and logical but navigation through menus is not as simple as other dash cams.



I received this camera for testing and review. Getting a free unit does not effect what I say. The review is based purely how the dash cam worked in my experience based on my experience with a variety of different car dash cams. So far after two weeks of use the dash cam had no issues. I will post an update if it dies prematurely as I saw some people reported problems after more extended use than the 2 weeks I had with it so far.



You can find Z-Edge dash cam by following this link to Amazon.



AshopZones review ★★★★☆

Product review: Prime Pro Spy camera hidden in Glasses

I have tried a couple of "spy" cameras before this one: a pen which has a camera built into the cap and a clip with a built in camera. The main issues with those cameras is aim. You don't know what the camera is aimed at exactly and if you are trying to take video in covert manner you can't be constantly checking it and aiming it. Putting the camera in the frame of the eyeglasses totally solves the problem! All you have to do is look in the right direction. The biggest problem is solved.



Now, how is the video quality? The clarify and color is excellent in good light, the sound is captured well, however the video is not smooth, it is rather jerky. Seems like it falls behind and then skips a few frames to catch up. It is fine for a convert video to document something but not something that would look good in an artistic documentary project. The camera did rather poorly in the dim light and the dark. I am including several video clips (good and bad) to give you a better idea of what this camera is capable of.



The glasses are designed well, it is impossible to tell they have a camera - there are no give away lights, noises, the frame does not get warm. The interface is pretty easy and the feedback via blinks is simple enough that you don't need to carry a manual with you to know what is happening. One long hold puts the glasses into stand-by mode, a second long hold starts the video. The confirmation that video has began is three blinks with a red LED after which the LED is turned off so there are no give away lights. To stop the video you need to press the button again, the confirmation is the blue light blink.



As the camera records the video is saved every 10 minutes. After I fully charged the camera, I was able to record four 10 minute segments (each one was 1.5G). The camera still had a little more power left and I was able to record another shorter segment, about 4-5 minutes.



The camera has no controls. The only thing you can control is setting the date to the current date, and this is done by creating a text file which contains the current date. A sample copy of this text file is present on the micro SD card. Just edit it with any text editor and modify sample time to current time. Save the file. The name of the file us Time.txt.



To charge the glasses from empty to full takes about 2 hours. The charging cable is unique - I don't have anything like it in vast collection of cords. It is smaller than mini USB, I believe it is USB-MINI4P. Bottom line - DO NOT LOSE THIS CABLE!!!!



Micro SD is slot is revealed when you bend the arm of the glasses, it took me a few minutes to find it (I show where it is in my video). When I plug in the USB cord into my computer the 8G drive is mounted and I can copy all files from it to my computer. 8G SD card is included in the package. The glasses can take a card up to 32G. The camera produces either jpg photos (1280x1024) or AVI videos (1280x720).



Finally, if something goes wrong it is nice to have an escape hatch. There is a reset to manufacturer's setting pin hole on the camera.



Overall, a very good combination of stealth and video.



This camera is provided by Prime Pro.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★

Product Review: Crenova HD 12MP Infrared Trail Hunting Camera Wildlife Camera

I am really enjoying this camera. We see a lot of wild life in our area and we have many bird feeders that are fun to watch. The camera is activated only when something interesting is happening, so every video it captures has something good on it. The battery use is quite good it runs several weeks on one set of batteries while capturing hundreds of short videos every day. I checked that after 1 week the battery level indicator showed remaining battery capacity of 2/3. In attached video you have a sampling of videos with the camera mounted in four different locations. The large birds you see in the first segments are the wild turkeys which come to visit us almost every day.



The camera runs on eight AA batteries (not included) and you need to provide your own SD card (up to 32G in size).



The video quality is highly dependent on lighting. In the day light it is very good, however at dusk or right into the sun the video is okay but not as good as say my SONY NEX5 camera. The wild life camera also takes infrared pictures in total darkness (black and white). I have included a couple of video clips taken at dusk when the camera switched to infrared.



This camera is large, robust, has a great camouflaged case. It is waterproof and has been out in several rain storms without any problems. The camouflaged case is 5.5" tall x 4" wide x 2.5" thick.



The camera can run in "test" mode or real mode. Test mode allows you to see what the camera is recording using the LCD screen. In the test mode you can also change settings via menus displayed on the LCD screen. The interface is intuitive and controls are easy to use.



The camera produces AVI and JPG output. The files appear under the standard DCIM directory on the memory card.



The camera records 1080P video and images up to 12MP.



* Image Sensor: 12.0 Mega Pixels

* Picture Size: 12MP=4000x3000 / 8MP=3840x2160 / 5MP = 2944x1656 ,2MP=1920x1080 (JPEG)

* Video Size: 1920x1080 (15fps), 1280 x 720 (30fps), 848x480 (30fps), 640 x 480 (30fps)

* Memory: SD-card up to 32GB

* IR flash effective to 20 meters (65 feet)

* Motion detection: center 30-40°, side 30°, all three sensors 120°

* Lens: F=7.45; FOV=55°

* Trigger distance: up to 20 meters (65 feet)



In addition to the camera in the case, the package include USB cable for TV hookup, a mounting bracket, and a user manual. The user manual is pretty good: 25 pages with diagrams.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★

Product review: AmorTek Original Car Dash Cam

When this dash cam works and the video file is saved successfully and can be displayed the quality of the video is quite good. However I ran into a number of technical issues which detract from what could have been a nice dash cam.



The first unit I received could not advance past the "welcome" page. The return and replacement was easy as anything on Amazon.

The second unit records without problems, however many of the files on the micro sd are not viewable. The error reads "The format of xxx.mov cannot be detected." This is a serious problem because unlike many cameras that save small files often this camera saves large files, so if something goes wrong when it saves the entire recording sessions is lost.



By trial and error I determined the video files are not saved correctly related to how the dash cam is stopped. It appears that if I disconnect USB power and let it run for a few minutes on internal battery until it runs out of juice it saves the file the file is saved fine and they can be played back. However if I stop recording by just turning off ignition in the car (which is what I have always done with the other dash cams) the file is not saved properly and is corrupted. I also was not able to read the file when I used on/off button to turn off the unit itself prior to turning off ignition.



On the positive side:



✔ Video quality of the dash cam is quite good as you can see in attached video.

✔ This camera has an excellent suction cup mount, stayed on even on rough roads.

✔ The dash cam uses standard micro USB cables.

✔ The cam has an LED display so I can tell that the cam is aimed correctly. The display flashes a bit as you drive, I have not seen this with the older dash cams we own.

✔ Recording starts as soon as it gets power so you don't have to remember to turn it on.



The AmorTek package includes the camera, two mini USB cables, and cigarette lighter USB adapter.



The user interface is straightforward and even though the manual does not contain details for each button and each option, it contains a picture where each button's function is labelled. I found the manual sufficient to configure my video cam. All defaults are reasonable.



Overall, this dash cam has good potential but appears to be an early version which still has some technical issues to iron out especially with reliable saving of files.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★☆☆

Product review: Prime Pro Spy Camera Pen 720p Video Camera

This is a pretty neat spy camera. Don't expect the results to be as good as a digital SLR, but for taking video and sound in a covert manner it is quite good. In attached video you can see and hear snippets of my evening out with the pen in my pocket. The video the pen takes pretty good quality but since you can't tell exactly where you are pointing the framing is difficult. The video has quite a bit of shake because it is taken while the person is walking or moving. In addition for the ladies the pockets are often on the part of the chest that is not flat so the camera lens will be pointing a bit up rather than straight ahead. In my video I got a lot of ceiling shots. Carrying this pen in the purse might be another option that will work in some situations better than a shirt pocket. Attached video contains the video taken with camera in my shirt pocket, I did not hold the pen in my hand so this is a realistic example of what the video would look like if I wanted to take video in a covert manner.



After I fully charged the camera, I was able to take video for 40 minutes. It is a little difficult to tell if the camera working or not. I could tell it was recording because it got slightly warm. When it stopped recording it got cool so I knew it stopped recording. When I got home I found two video files with a total recording time of 39 minutes. It is also hard to tell when it is fully charged or how long it take for it to get fully charged. When I charge it the indicator light is red, but it continued glow red even overnight when I think it was already fully charged.



The camera has no controls, it operates by detecting motion. The only thing you can control is setting the date to the current date, and this is done by createing a text file which contains the current date. A sample copy of this text file is present on the micro SD card. Just edit it with any text editor and modify sample time to current time. Save the file. The name of the file us userconfig.txt.



This pen camera looks very similar to a normal pen and it even writes well. It has a very short ink canister because most of its body is the battery and the camera.



The camera lens is right above the clip. The clip has a nice mechanism which closes the lens when you don't want it to take pictures. Very thoughtful!



The charging port and the port for Micro SD are revealed when you take off the cap.



The status indicator is a small light on the opposite side from the camera lens. If you are carrying the pen with the camera out then the light is facing you so you know what the camera is doing. To start recording you need to do a short press on the button on top of the pen. Another short press turns it off. A long press while it is on puts into motion activation mode. Note that the instruction refer to the color of the light is amber, but to me it looks like light green light. Do not remove the micro sd card until the pen stops saving the file which is indicated by status light being off.



The camera produces either jpg photos (1280x1024) or AVI videos (1280x720). The camera is 8 mega pixels. It can take TF card up to 32G.



Finally, if something goes wrong it is nice to have an escape hatch. There is a reset to manufacturer's setting pin hole on the camera. I was able to reset the camera by pushing it with the back end of a needle.



Overall, a very good combination of stealth and video.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★

Video Goggles Are The New Way To Watch Movies

Video goggles may sound like a futuristic concept, like something out of your favorite science movie, but they are actually one of the most innovative ways to watch movies when you are on commuting on a plane, train, or bus, or when you simply want to watch movies around the house.

The average American spends over 100 hours a year commuting. While most of this commute time is by motor vehicle, a vast majority of business travelers also log in weekly hours on planes, trains, and buses.

The longest and shortest commute states, respectively, are New York and Montana, but when you consider that the shortest is thirty minutes, you can see that this time can really add up, and this statistic does not take into account the time spent by the business travelers and commuters.

This is time that can be spent doing work, reading, and of course, taking a much needed break by watching a favorite movie. In addition, non business travelers in the United States can expect to take at least one plane trip per year, so virtually everyone, then, can benefit from the ability to watch movies privately and on the go.

If you have a video Ipod, you know how convenient it is to be able to download movies online, and take your Ipod with you to watch them wherever you go. Less convenient, however, is the small screen and the sometimes compromised sound quality depending on the type of headphones you have.

Companies that make video goggles have addressed this problem by making eyewear that looks like regular sunglasses, but allows the wearer to watch movies in full screen format, and in some cases, with stereo quality sound. This way, if you don't like the inflight movie, or if the commute has you bored and looking for a distraction, you can literally slip on your glasses and enter your own private movie theater.

You can also use video eyewear to watch movies around the house, which is nice if you want to watch a movie that other people in the house are not interested in. Depending on the model, these glasses allow for peripheral vision correction and have an adjustable viewing range.

It may sound like a futuristic concept, but many major retailers carry these products, and people are taking notice and purchasing them for themselves and as gifts. Video goggles may just replace the way that the family watches TV, together, but separately at the same time.





For more information about video goggles and personal media viewrs visit our site.