Bottom Line: The Rexing V1 is a budget friendly dash cam that offers excellent recording quality and a robust set of features.
Pros: Easy to install, lightweight, great video and audio recording quality, useful on-device playback screen, available GPS-logger add-on
Cons: Button placement could be better; taking still photos is difficult; requires the separate purchase of a class 10 micro-SD card
Review: Installation of the V1 is straightforward and fairly easy. The instructions recommend locating the unit right behind the rearview mirror and routing the power cable up into the front lip of the upholstery, down the side trim/weather seal, under the glove box, and into the car power port. This was actually a lot simpler than I thought it would be, especially since the V1 comes with an upholstery tool and cable clips that can be attached to the underside of the glovebox/console. The whole process took about 15 minutes.
The V1 requires that it is connected to a power source (it has a battery but it’s only used for saving files after the unit is disconnected from power), In addition to powering the V1, the car adapter has a USB passthrough built into the socket-end, which is really useful if you want to change the settings or review videos while in the car (a USB to micro-USB cable is also included).
Design-wise, the V1 is a sleek looking device that you’ll hardly notice if you install it behind your mirror. Despite it’s sleek appearance, the unit houses a 2” screen for video playback, and a series of buttons on the left side and its face. The only minor issue I have with the design is that the unit would be easier to use if some of the buttons on the side and front were flipped. For instance, the microphone mute button is on the face, which is then underneath the unit by the windshield when the camera is installed. It would have been more convenient to locate that button the side instead of, say, the settings button.
The V1 automatically turns on/off when your car charging port powers on/off, so there’s not a lot of work involved once you have it installed. Video recording at 1080p looks great, especially in bright sun, and it does a fantastic job of recording audio inside the car (dialogue between my wife and me was crystal clear). I did notice that video quality decreased a bit, particularly driving at higher speeds (55mph) in shadier areas (country back roads with lots of trees). I don’t do a lot of night driving, so I haven’t recorded videos in the dark yet. Still pictures also look really good, and you have the ability to do a digital zoom. There’s a bit of distortion on the sides from the wide angle lens, but it’s not nearly as noticeable as I expected given other wide angle lens products I’ve used.
My only real issue is that taking a still picture is pretty difficult. When you turn your car on, the V1 powers on and starts recording. To take a still photo and return to video recording, you need six button presses, which are all on the front of the unit (therefore, bottom near the windshield when installed). First, you have to hit “REC” to stop video recording. Then, you need to hit the ‘camera’ button to switch from video mode to photo mode. Next, you have to hit “OK” to take the still photo. To start recording, you need to press ‘camera’ twice (the first press switches to playback mode, the second back to video recording) and then “REC” to resume recording. It would have been really great if you could take a still shot while recording by hitting a button on the side of the unit.