Street Guardian Dash Camera V2 (SG9665GC) Discussions | Drop

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Street Guardian Dash Camera V2 (SG9665GC)

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Street Guardian Dash Camera V2 (SG9665GC)

Apr 4, 2016

I actually purchased and installed the generic version of this camera (A-118) a few weeks ago. Works great and very discrete. Mine was only $80 though. The only differences I'm aware of are the maximum SD card size (mine is officially 32GB maximum or 64GB in fat32 format), and the lens having a metal housing rather than plastic. Since these overwrite the oldest footage first, 32GB is plenty in my opinion. The metal housing could potentially be important in case of the camera getting too hot and the plastic potentially warping, but for me that's $5 more in parts for twice the price of the camera. You can upgrade the lens yourself pretty easily, too. Everything you need to hardwire can also be easily sourced on Amazon for under $15, just a mini-USB voltage converter and a little add-a-fuse adapter. As a side-note, a 2 amp fuse is plenty.
If you're not knowledgeable about dash cams, batteries are a safety concern as well. Generic models of this camera have the option of a capacitor in place of the battery to prevent any rupturing while being locked inside your hot car for hours. I got the capacitor model as my car is parked outside in LA 24/7. You're only sacrificing the option of recording when your car is off (unless you wire it to an always-on fuse). So if you're worried about someone vandalizing your car or hitting it while you're parked, a battery is best. The best thing about the A-118 is how it clips onto the windshield mount for easy removal and re-attaching if you're parked outside on a dangerously hot day. Most dash cams use suction cups which are usually a pain.
So, if you're hyper cautious and want an abundance of footage backlog this can be a good deal, otherwise the generic models are about the same. You wouldn't call them knockoffs or bootlegs so much as the exact same base models with no upgrades. You can even upgrade the firmware from any of these re-branded cameras if it's the same model, although if you get this one I'm not sure if that would affect the maximum SD card size.
Just thought I'd share my experience with this camera as the info is pretty spread out in bits around the net.
One last note, I believe an upgrade to this camera, the A-119, is going to be available some time this year. From what I've seen it's slightly larger, but flatter, with a significantly larger screen, and back-lit buttons as well. Something to keep in mind.

MmmBeer

Apr 4, 2016

dabinchiThere's one critical difference you're missing.. the Street Guardian has a much better image sensor. By far the most important component in the device. The A118/A118C uses the Aptina AR0330, the SG9665GC uses a Sony IMX322. The Sony sensor is a better in every respect.. better overall image quality, better low light performance, and better motion capture.
Here is a side by side of the low light quality in both cams:

Skip to about 1:30 to really see the A118 start struggling.
I've been researching cams for months, this one has the best quality I've seen by a long shot.