FITCAMX is BEST dash cam anywhere, APPEARANCE-WISE !!!
The media could not be loaded. Packaging: Packaging was very nice with thick foam that was form-fitted to the item, ensuring that only a heavy crushing force could damage the FITCAMX during shipping. I always look for any signs that I might be receiving a used product. From the shrink-sealed outer box, to the packaging of the contents, I could definitely tell my FITCAMX was new & never opened before. INSTALLATION: First off, I have to admit I never even looked at the instructions, (I usually only look at them for a chuckle at the use of the English language), so I can’t comment on them. Prior to the arrival of the FITCAMX, I watched two or three installation videos on YT (highly recommended) & read some very helpful reviews containing tips. That was all that I needed, to install & operate camera & app. (Installation was under five minutes – excluding hair dryer time – see below.) From previously viewing videos & tips, I was prepared for a bit of a struggle with the smaller plastic part of the cover that is located directly behind the mirror. Since I was installing in 32-degree temps, I decided to use a hair dryer to gently warm that piece up in the area of the clips. I think that was perfect – the piece I was worried most about popped right off. (The clips on this piece are pretty stiff – but it is really helpful this cam includes a replacement for this piece. This allows to see in advance EXACTLY where the clips are going to be & how they function.) If you try the hair dryer technique, do not directly heat your cold windshield in cold weather – it may crack.) One reviewer indicated they cracked their windshield with the plastic pry tool while removing the larger part of the cover. With that in mind, after removing the small piece, I just reached inside the larger piece & pulled in straight way from the window without any tools – just using my hands/fingers. After that, the FITCAMX is quickly plugged in & the new covers snapped back in place. APP: I downloaded the FITCAMX app, however, I understand there are at least two apps that will work, from reading reviews. The app was simple to use – very self-explanatory. I did need to set the exposure a bit – my video image (monitored on my phone) was pretty dark initially – a simple slide of the exposure setting. My first videos were set for 1 minute (options for 1, 3 & 5 minutes), which supposedly is better for the life of the microSD. In playback, if you highlight / select a block of videos, they pretty much playback continually (for example, on my laptop PC). Just a note: One reviewer included a pic of a washed-out image & complained about image quality. It very much appeared to me that all was needed was an adjustment to the EXPOSURE setting in the app, from the image provided. 64GB MicroSD Card: I really didn’t care about this so I didn’t let this affect my 5-star rating, but the 64GB MicroSD card that I received was corrupted. It would not format on any device (you should format it with the FITCAMX). It could not be read on any device. The card was total garbage – but I didn’t care, because I wanted more hours of recording stored before the overwrite begins. So, I ordered a 256GB High Endurance SanDisk MicroSD Card which is the max size the FITCAMX will work with. The 256GB card will give me 24 hrs of driving (videos) before overwriting begins. I preferred that because I occasionally have back-to-back ten-hour days of driving. Storage: A few more words about storage that I think I discovered. First, I only checked this a couple times so far, but when you push the right button to preserve a file from being written over (btw, when you do this that video goes in a separate folder named RO), that video is written ONLY to the separate RO folder & will be absent from your main MOVIE folder. While that is entirely logical to me, it creates a gap in your playback from the MOVIE folder if you want to watch a longer drive in sequence. What I had to do was copy those “saved” recordings that were in the RO folder, also back into the MOVIE to make that folder into a complete/sequential series of videos without any gaps. My thoughts on this for real-life application are that I will likely NEVER save a video & instead simply note the exact time I want to view and/or share (with police or folks involved in an accident that my cam might have “witnessed”.) This way, I have a complete sequential series of videos without any gaps in the MOVIE folder. This is one of those things that is “six of one – half dozen of another”. If you want to hit the right button to SAVE videos to RO, just do so, then if you want the MOVIE folder to be a complete sequential record, when you get to a PC, again, simply COPY the videos in the RO folder also in the MOVIE folder. Easy to do. SHARING VIDEOS: This is actually where a dash cam is of value, although this has NOTHING at all to do with the review/rating of the FITCAMX. There are many ways to do this. The method I use is pretty simple & I will share it here for anyone wondering how to do this. I simply use Google Drive (again there are many options here). I start Google Drive on my phone (with the MicroSD card inserted via the adapter), upload the file to Google Drive. (Don’t forget to change the access permissions from “Restricted” to “Anyone with Link”.) Copy the link to the phone’s clipboard & send the link to anyone via email, messages, messenger, or your favorite communication app that will accept a link. You can also share that link to FB or other social media. Anyone who has the link can view the video (as long as you remember to change the permissions after uploading to DRIVE, to “Anyone with Link”). The advantage of sharing the file in this manner is anyone with the link who is viewing it will see an original/uncompressed version of the video, as opposed to something like FB or YT where the platform may apply some type of compression. What does this mean? If the platform is applying some degree of file compression, you may not be able to read license plates. OVERALL: This FITCAMX is absolutely the BEST cam on the market appearance-wise. There is no other camera that I am aware of that actually looks like it is built-into / came with the vehicle. It 100% looks as though it came from the factory. Of course, along with that, comes the wireless look. I’ve installed hard-wired cams before & have used them for years, but eventually, I get tired of them blocking my view (I just don’t want to see them on my windshield) & get tired of seeing even the small run of wire that extends from the windshield-mounted cam to the headliner molding or mirror housing (depending on vehicle). Even hardwired cams with concealed wiring have some wires exposed. AND… how many times have your suction-cup mounts fallen off the windshield in the hot summer or cold, dry winter? With the FITCAMX, no one driving with you will even know you have a dash cam, it’s that good. KUDOS to the folks who designed this cam housing – it is truly the best cam anywhere appearance-wise. Feature-wise, I’ve had better cams. I’ve had cams that take verbal commands, cams that tell me they are saving files, cams that record full-time until my battery reaches a minimum setpoint, etc. I have definitely had cams with many more features. But the video quality is the same as any cams I’ve used in the past. So, I am quite happy trading fewer features for the best appearance possible, as long as the video quality is the same. Some reviews say the cam “engine” is identical to much more expensive cams & only exceeded by the Sony Starvis 2. I have no idea if any of this true. Suffice it to say, the video quality meets my requirements of legible license plates. (NOTE: My sample video that I uploaded was on a cloudy, misty day.) LONGEVITY: I am writing this review after just a few days. I’ve seen reviews where the cams stop working rather quickly or even after a year or so. I cannot address that at this point. If the FITCAMX fails within a short period of time, I will return it & update this review. I anticipate that if it fails right away the Customer Service will be there for a replacement, based on reviews I’ve read. I do have experience with FITCAMX’s Customer Service since I emailed them before ordering (as they suggested) to confirm the correct model & they replied to my email almost immediately. That was a good indicator to me. Another review addressed a failure after warranty & it seemed they happily replaced that person’s cam for a very small fee. Read more
