A dashcam, short for dashboard camera, is a compact video camera installed on a vehicle’s dashboard or windshield. Its primary function is to record video footage of the road ahead, and in some cases, the interior of the vehicle. Dashcams have gained popularity due to their versatility and practicality. They serve as invaluable tools for various purposes, including documenting accidents, providing evidence in disputes or insurance claims, enhancing vehicle security with parking mode features, and recording evidence of road incidents like road rage or hit-and-runs. Dashcams come in various types, from basic models with minimal features to advanced ones with GPS, Wi-Fi connectivity, and even smart features that use AI to detect collisions or lane departures.
VIOFO is a renowned brand in the dashcam industry, known for manufacturing a wide range of high-quality dashcams catering to diverse user needs. VIOFO dashcams have gained popularity due to their exceptional video quality, reliability, and affordability. They offer a variety of options, including single-channel dashcams for front-facing recording and dual-channel setups that capture both the front and rear views of the vehicle. These dashcams typically feature high-resolution video recording, ensuring clear and detailed footage. With wide-angle lenses, they provide an extensive field of view to capture a broader perspective of the road.
We recently got our hands on VIOFO A119 Mini 2 Dashcam from VIOFO. The VIOFO A119 Mini 2 Dashcam offers a range of impressive features designed to enhance your driving experience and security on the road. It uses the Sony STARVIS 2 sensor for excellent video quality even in low-light conditions. With the ability to record in 2K resolution at 30 fps or 1440p at 60fps, this dashcam can capture sharp and detailed video content. Its 140-degree wide-angle lens offers a broad field of view, allowing you to capture more of your surroundings. Additionally, the built-in GPS enables precise location tracking, enhancing the accuracy of your recorded data. With Wi-Fi connectivity, you can effortlessly transfer recorded videos to your smartphone for easy management. Moreover, the parking mode feature ensures continuous recording, even when your car is parked, providing added security and capturing unexpected incidents.
This is the review of the VIOFO A119 Mini 2 Dashcam. In this review, we will see our experiences of installing and using the VIOFO A119 Mini 2 Dashcam, quality of the footage during day time and nighttime, useful settings and features, app experience, and many more. Continue reading to find out more about the VIOFO A119 Mini 2 Dashcam.
Before unboxing, we would like to state that along with the main dashcam unit, we also got some accessories such as the hardwire kit, Bluetooth Controller, Polarizing Lens, and microSD Card. All these accessories are optional and you have to purchase them separately. That said, let us proceed with the unboxing of the VIOFO A119 Mini 2 Dashcam.
First, we have the A119 Mini 2 itself. It is a compact little unit with display facing us and the camera the other way. We will take a closer look at the dashcam unit in the next section. We then have couple of cables and a car charger adapter. The short USB-C cable is for syncing data to a computer while the longer cable is for powering the unit.
There is a pry tool in the box that helps you remove the headliner trim of your car to tuck the cables. There are some spare mounting stickers and a couple of windshield static stickers.
The VIOFO A119 Mini 2 Dashcam has a sleek and compact design that makes it easy to install and conceal behind your rearview mirror. It has a 1.5-inch HD LCD display that allows you to view live footage or review recorded footage. The dashcam also has a built-in speaker and microphone, so you can use it to record audio as well as video.
Just below the display, you get 5 buttons that help you operate the dashcam as well as navigate through the settings. With display facing you, the right of the unit has a USB-C port for syncing data and a microSD Card Slot. On the top, there is the main power port. The other side of the dashcam has the mounting adapter which houses the GPS Module. Just below that, you have the start of the show, the camera module.
Before installing the VIOFO A119 Mini 2 Dashcam to the windshield, you have to insert the microSD Card. We’ve got a 64GB VIOFO branded UHS-1 microSD Card as a part of the accessories package. If you chose only the camera, you won’t get the microSD Card and you have to purchase it separately. The VIOFO A119 Mini 2 Dash supports Class-10 or UHS-1 microSD Card up to 256GB.
That said, installing the VIOFO A119 Mini 2 Dashcam is fairly simple. Although, you have to make your hands work a little as you have to remove the headliner trim to tuck the cables. If you are not comfortable, you can get help from any professional.
Pick a nice spot on the windshield to mount the dashcam but make sure that it is behind the rear-view mirror and doesn’t obstruct your (driver’s) view. You get all the things to mount the dashcam such as the static stickers and the sticky pad in the package.
Once you install the cable and mount the camera, you can power it on and adjust the camera s per your liking. While the mount is fixed to the windshield, you can still remove the dashcam from the mount by sliding it.
The A119 Mini 2 dashcam stands out as the pioneer in integrating Sony’s latest STARVIS 2 IMX675 image sensor technology. This sensor provides a dynamic range of an impressive 78 dB in a single exposure, approximately 2.5 times that of the previous STARVIS sensor of the same size. The result is exceptional video quality with reduced noise and motion blur, unveiling more details in both day and night recordings. Even in challenging scenarios like dimly lit roads or abrupt changes in brightness, the A119 Mini 2 maintains precise image capture without overexposure.
With the STARVIS 2 image sensor, the A119 Mini 2 supports 2K recording at 60fps, ensuring critical details such as road signs and license plates are captured accurately. With HDR (High Dynamic Range) enabled, the frame rate drops to 30fps while enhancing the video’s ability to handle varying brightness levels.
Night vision capabilities have been significantly enhanced in the A119 Mini 2. The IMX675 image sensor with larger pixels maximizes light reception under difficult lighting conditions. Furthermore, the integration of 2K HDR technology optimally balances extremely bright and dark areas, delivering precise 2K@30fps HDR videos, particularly effective for night-time recording.
A noteworthy feature of the A119 Mini 2 is its voice control functionality, a first for VIOFO dashcams. This feature allows users to initiate and terminate recordings, capture photos, and toggle Wi-Fi on and off using simple voice commands in multiple languages. With this hands-free capability, drivers can remain focused on the road and maintain a firm grip on the steering wheel. The A119 Mini 2 is equipped with an upgraded 5GHz Wi-Fi connection module, ensuring data transfer speeds four times faster than conventional 2.4GHz Wi-Fi. This facilitates seamless video previewing, downloading, and sharing via the VIOFO app, making file transfers more efficient.
Intelligent Parking Modes offer continuous surveillance of your vehicle, even in your absence (requires optional HK4 Hardwire Kit). The dashcam employs a buffered function that triggers automatic recording upon detecting moving objects, storing video footage 15 seconds before and 30 seconds after the event, ensuring comprehensive coverage. The dashcam also provides the flexibility to record video at lower frame rates (1 / 2 / 3 / 5 / 10 fps) without audio, conserving storage space and power. Moreover, it supports continuous recording in a compact file size with audio, optimizing MicroSD card storage.
When playing back videos on the VIOFO app or a computer, the dashcam provides detailed vehicle location, speed, and time data, enhancing the overall viewing experience. To efficiently manage storage, the A119 Mini 2 features seamless loop recording, automatically overwriting the oldest videos with the latest ones. Additionally, the built-in G-sensor locks footage in the event of a collision or crash, preserving critical evidence and providing peace of mind.
As we mentioned before, our VIOFO A119 Mini 2 Dashcam came with a bunch of optional accessories. The first accessory is the Circular Polarizing Lens (CPL) filter. This will help reduce reflections and glare from glass, metals, shiny surfaces, and road surfaces, significantly improving image clarity, contrast and rendering colors more vibrant in both day and night conditions. At the same time, this filter also serves as a protective barrier against fingerprints, scratches, and dirt that can degrade camera lens quality.
You can enhance your driving experience with the optional Bluetooth Remote Control, which can be conveniently positioned for easy and safe use while on the road. A simple press of the button instantly protects the current video clip and image, allowing you to focus on driving without distractions.
The HK4 Hardwire Kit enables parking mode, providing surveillance for your parked vehicle. This kit ensures continuous power to the dashcam while also safeguarding your car battery from discharge when the engine is off. With ACC detection, the dashcam automatically switches to parking mode upon engine shutdown and reverts to normal recording when the engine is running.
The HK4 ACC Hardwire kit allows you to configure a voltage cut-off value with four options. When your vehicle’s battery voltage drops to the set cut-off value, the HK4 stops powering your dashcam, protecting your battery from excessive discharge.
So, how was the performance of the VIOFO A119 Mini 2 Dashcam? We are really impressed with the quality of the footage from this dashcam. Both day time and nighttime footage looked very good. With the combination of Sony IMX675 and Night Vision 2.0, the low-light and nighttime recording can capture good amount of detail. The HDR feature is definitely a standout. You can clearly see this when you are coming out of a tunnel or suddenly entering sunlit are from a shady area.
The VIOFO A119 Mini 2 dashcam can clearly capture license plate for one or two vehicles in the front. Beyond that, the number and alphabets become blurry and mostly unreadable.
While you can control most of the things directly from the dashcam itself, the VIOFO App (available for Android and iOS) also allows you to do that. Thanks to the implementation of 5GHz Wi-Fi technology, transferring data between the dashcam and the smartphone is now a breeze. You can see the live feed on the app and even start or stop recording. Additionally, you can view all the recorded files and even change settings of the dashcam.
Surprisingly, the VIOFO A119 Mini 2 Dashcam doesn’t have any built-in battery but rather uses a supercapacitor to provide power in emergencies.
The listing price of the VIOFO A119 Mini 2 Dashcam is $139.99 but with offers and coupons, you can get the product for $119.99 (or less). Note that this includes only the main dashcam module without any accessories. The default warranty is for 12-months but you can extend it up to 6-months by registering the product with VIOFO.
Overall, we really liked the VIOFO A119 Mini 2 Dashcam. VIOFO has been making very good dashcams and the A119 Mini 2 might be one of the best entry-level dashcams out there. It uses the latest Sony STARVIS 2 IMX675 Sensor and makes full use of it.
Both the day time and nighttime performance is decent and the HDR quality (at least in well-lit conditions) is surprisingly good. You get a ton of adjustments in terms of resolution, HDR on/off, exposure, and bit rate. While it has the hardware and software to implement the Parking Mode, you need to purchase a hardwire kit separately to make use of it. Installing the dashcam is very simple but the mount isn’t movable (you can adjust the camera and even slide-out the dashcam). The companion app is also very good.
If you are looking for a decent single channel dashcam for your vehicle, the definitely checkout the VIOFO A119 Mini 2 Dashcam. Its 2K footage looks very good and you also get a decent HDR quality for the price.
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