Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Super-small, good-looking profile
- Very good day and evening 1440p captures
- Voice instructions/alerts and cellphone connectivity
- Integrated GPS
Our Verdict
if you’d like a small sprint cam that takes good captures, then the Viofo VS1 competes nicely with the Garmin Mini 2, upping the decision ante. It even has the GPS that the Garmin Mini 2 lacks.
Price When Reviewed
$139.99
Best Prices Today: Viofo VS1 Mini 2K
Viofo makes succesful sprint cams, however the $140 VS1 Mini 2K, notable for its diminutive measurement, is well the most effective that the corporate has requested me to evaluate. It’s tremendous small, good trying, and voice managed, with cellphone connectivity and voice alerts,. And better of all, it takes superb 1440p captures day and evening. It even has GPS, although it gained’t watermark such.
With GPS and higher decision, it’s a horny various to the 1080p GPS-less Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2, or could be if the GPS had really labored in my testing. More on that in a bit.
Further studying: See our roundup of the best dash cams to find out about competing merchandise.
What are the VS1 Mini 2K’s options?
The VS1 could be very small, measuring 1.3 inches extensive by 1.18 inches thick by roughly 2.85 inches tall. It’s styled properly in black with tastefully minimal accents. The proper facet of the unit is house solely to the Type-C USB energy port. The left facet sports activities the microSD slot (a 32GB card is included) in addition to the microphone on/off button.
The again of the digicam is house to the facility indicator, microphone, video save/Wi-Fi button (brief/lengthy press), and standing mild. There’s nothing on the entrance apart from the lens, which, in contrast to many cameras, doesn’t protrude. Despite that seeming drawback, the VS1 produces superb captures.
The Mini 2K makes use of a semi-permanent adhesive mount that the unit slides on and off of. The digicam swivels vertically on the mount, however that’s it, so watch out whenever you affix the mounting plate to the windshield.
Use the dwell view to orient it correctly. Also, reality be identified, in case you don’t press too arduous whenever you first affix it, you’ll be able to pull it off and check out once more. Too many makes an attempt, nevertheless, will spoil the adhesive. There’s an additional pad within the field, as with most sprint cams.
As somebody who’s vulnerable to forgetting the place his cellphone is, I’m not an enormous fan of display-less sprint cams. Of course, any display on a splash cam this small could be close to not possible to learn anyway.
Also, the VS1’s plentiful voice instructions (“Turn on/off audio,” “Turn on Wi-Fi,” and so forth.) assist compensate, and there’s after all the app proven beneath.
The VS1 connects to your cellphone through Wi-Fi and the Viofo app discovered the digicam shortly. Such just isn’t at all times the case. I additionally discovered the app straightforward to navigate and use.
One different notice: Viofo supplies a standalone cigarette-lighter adapter with two Type-A ports — one for charging, and one other free. Nothing bugs me greater than adapters with just one port, particularly for sprint cams that require a cellphone to configure. I like to recommend that you simply swap to an OBDII adapter to energy the sprint cam anyway because it makes for much less obtrusive cable runs.
How are the VS1 Mini 2K’s captures?
To be trustworthy, I used to be not anticipating the VS1 to carry out in addition to it did. Viofo sprint cams usually produce better-than-average video, however not so good as what we noticed from the VS1.
I used to be particularly impressed with the evening video. Headlight flare was dealt with splendidly, and California’s brilliant white license plates have been nonetheless fairly readable when my very own headlights lit them up.
This daylight seize exhibits superb element, and the colour is correct for a grey day in San Francisco. This is the San Francisco DMV car parking zone, in case you have been questioning — and I’m driving by, not into it.
The VS1’s captures are top-notch — within the working for greatest 1440p I’ve seen.
You can see the proof of my claims in regards to the VS1’s evening captures beneath. This is considerably improved from the just lately reviewed Viofo A119 Mini 2.
As I’ve already stated, the VS1’s captures are top-notch — within the working for greatest 1440p I’ve seen. The processing actually makes a distinction.
You might have observed that whereas the VS1 sports activities GPS, there’s no watermark within the captures. That’s as a result of the GPS on the primary unit I used to be shipped, which the captures are from, was defective. Viofo shipped a alternative and the GPS was positive. I solely point out this in order that if you are going to buy a VS1 — and also you may wish to — you take a look at the GPS instantly to be sure you didn’t get one in all a nasty batch..
Should you purchase the VS1 Mini 2K?
The VS1 one bests the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 (our former favourite tiny mannequin) in each decision and by offering GPS. It’s a pair bucks extra and barely bigger, however the superior captures give it the win.