Garmin Dash Cam 55, 1440p 2.0" LCD Screen, Extremely Small GPS-enabled Dash Camera with Voice Control, Loop Recording, G-Sensor and Driver Alerts, Includes Memory Card

After having purchased two "cheapo" imported dashcams, I decided it was time to buy something more substantial since I rely on it every day. The first thing I noticed was how tiny the thing is. It mounts to the glass by way of a small adhesive magnet. The power cord is also magnetic and not the typical micro USB. Though other mounting configurations can be had.A word about the memory card: DO NOT skimp on quality. In fact, I learned that some cards are not good enough. I purchased a Transcend 32GB High Endurance card. Basic low-end cards will fail.The resolution upon playback is highly detailed and it sees well at night. The features that sets this Garmin apart from the "imported" cams are unique. It uses voice commands - after saying "Okay Garmin" it allows the user to take a picture, save a video, etc. When sitting at a light or in traffic, once the traffic starts moving, it signals me to look forward - which really comes in handy at times when I'm distracted by my dog or my phone. If I veer from my lane, another warning sounds. But the warning that I disabled is the collision avoidance. I found it annoying - especially in 'stop and go' traffic.After setting the date and time, I can also choose whether (or not) to have the speed stamped on the video. I'm not a cop, so I chose to turn the speed off. I find the quality of the sound to be quite good as well. There are four (recording) video resolutions to choose from as well. I find the menu navigation to be intuitive and compared to other dash cams, it's fairly easy.Since I have a Garmin GPS that has lifetime alerts, the red light camera alerts also show up on the dashcam. This is convenient if my GPS happens to be off.A minor gripe is that the lens has a copper-colored ring around it which negates any chance for stealth factor. If it was all black, it would be a bit harder to notice through the windshield. I learned that there is no option for any kind of add-on ND filter.The computer interface is hit & miss I'm afraid. Once I downloaded the app and linked my dashcam to my laptop, navigation was simple BUT it doesn't save the files in 1, 2 or 3 minute chunks. Let's say you park and leave the cam on. When you view the footage, it could be two and a half hours or more and you'll have to do some creative editing. They should allow us to save footage in 1-3 minute increments to make things easier. So from the time you start recording until you turn the cam off, it will force you to download huge time-consuming files. This needs to be addressed in the software on the computer side.A nice feature (for older vehicles) is the ability to purchase a wireless rear camera for backing up. It takes a bit to set it up and adjust the lane markers, but once it's set, it makes it easier to park and avoid hitting things or people. I just didn't want to run a wire all the way from the back of my SUV. The image can get slightly grainy, but it sure beats hitting another vehicle or stationary object.If you'd like to record footage while your car is parked, buy a "Power Magic Pro." It will ensure you do not drain your battery.While this dashcam is more expensive than most, the features and conveniences make it worth the price of admission. I feel secure in the fact that it's backed by an American company with American tech support. Oh and I also purchased a "Square Trade" extended warranty to really be sure.Overheating: From what I have read, this unit had a problem working in warmer climates. I also read that a firmware upgrade solved the issue.

First, I am mad because the price dropped for the second one I ordered, well actually happy but mad for the first one. Second, what an amazing device. It takes great video, listens to sound commands, tells you when traffic is moving and warns you of a potential crash. All for under $200. Video saves what you want it to. Very easy to work and really you don't need it much until you need the video which you can get by downloading the app. I've had no problems with it and nothing to get technical about. It does what you want it to do.

—————-UPDATE March 2019——————Since I got the camera and had it hardwired into the car, I had the parking mode feature on to run continuously, seeing as some reviews suggest they have left their cars not driven for several days and no problems.I’ll skip the long version and cut to the issue: the camera, in parking mode, pulls a draw of 2.0 amps (I’m assuming amps... dealer never gave a unit of measure...) and because of this, I went through 3 Volvo car batteries from July 2018 to February 2019. Luckily warranty covered it even though it shouldn’t have.. they did me a huge courtesy because i asked initially if the camera could be a problem and they said no.Through process of elimination and several hours spent making trips to the dealership and waiting, we determined it was definitely the dashcam and I changed the parking mode to only 4 hours. This helped and I haven’t had an issue since.I contacted Garmin customer service and they had never heard of this issue before. They apologized many times and sent a new hardwire kit without charge. I would have to have it rewired which I don’t want to pay $30 to do since it hasn’t been an issue, but Garmin did say that if after installation the issue persists, they would replace the whole unit.I haven’t seen anywhere else from anyone that has had a similar experience so I’m thinking it could be an isolated issue.The parking mode motion sensitivity is very high and cannot be adjusted, so simple things like lightning or heavy winds blowing branches, or rain drops on the windshield will trigger recording. I know there has to be other people that use the feature the same way I do in just as busy if not busier areas.. and again haven’t seen this problem elsewhere.I've had this camera for about a month now and love it. I'll start with Pros and Cons, then give a bit more information-Pros:-Tiny! Very discrete size-Easily mountable with a magnet you install on your windshield or what have you. After this, it's pretty much stuck. The camera itself sticks to the magnet while driving... and unless you have a major crash, I can't see how it would fall off.-Easy mounting via magnet makes it very very easy to take down and bring inside to watch videos or whatever.-The setup is very easy, so much so that you might feel like you're forgetting something.-GPS requires no setup, the speed is not accurate at all- doesn't update fast enough, but provides an accurate reading when at a consistent speed.-Black car, July in NC, and global warming considered, the heat has had no effect.-Voice control is convenient especially for saving videos, instead of fiddling around trying to find the button.-The WiFi share thing is actually really simple to use. Weirdly, despite the files being recorded in 1 minute intervals, if you share a video it shares several minutes at a time, which can take a while to transfer. That said, it's nice to have if you want it.Cons:- I'd like to be able to have more information on the features. It's kinda hard to find. And the instructions are less informing than those of IKEA furniture- There isn't an option for how long you want the saved files to be. They're one minute clips, which isn't a huge deal by any means, but an option to do 3 or 5 or even 10 minutes would be nice.-Parking lot recording mode: Not much information, if any, is given on this feature. Today I had the hardwire installed to the fuse box so the camera runs, and records, continuously. As far as power consumption, I was told it uses about as much as a clock or less. I thought this would be the kind of option that only records events by detected motion or G sensor, not of the absolutely nothing that will probably happen overnight. This makes me wonder how much the parking lot recordings are going to lead to the overwriting of other files that weren't saved. One option for this, if you are parking your car in a place you know is safe and don't need recording, is to simply unplug the power cable from the camera directly.-It needs to be made clear that the SD card you use can handle 4K video recording. The one that is suggested here can only do 1080p. I found this card (see link) for an extremely good deal at the time of writing this Samsung 128GB 100MB/s (U3) MicroSD EVO Select Memory Card with Adapter (MB-ME128GA/AM)-The forward collision and lane departure are no where near like you'd find in an actual car with this technology. However, the Go Alert (lets you know when traffic is moving) is a nice feature for sure.I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY NO DASH CAM CAN CAPTURE LICENSE PLATES!!!!-I've been recording in 1080p 30fps HDR, and like all other dash cams, the license plates of cars is totally illegible. So I mean it cannot be HD... I'm not sure how this claim can pass, but the whole point of a dash cam is to capture not only events that merit recording, but to also capture the only identifying factor about the other party: their license plate.After a few bad experiences with other dash cameras, I chose this one because of its size and the fact that it is made by Garmin. But also the reviews.I'm still trying to figure out the best way to record the video, currently I'm recording in 1080p 30fps HDR, but once I get the new SD card that can handle 4K, I'll give an update on this.