Thinkware F50 Dashcam Review

What We Say

What is it?

Thinkware simply describe it as "The dashcam has a Sony Exmor CMOS image sensor that captures Full HD 1080p video at 30fps, giving you a reliable witness in the event of an incident. A built-in Active Impact Monitoring system uses a 3-axis G-Sensor to monitor and differentiate incidents based on various recording modes."

The dashcam attaches to the windscreen with a 3M adhesive mount near the rearview mirror, unfortunately it doesn't come with a suction mount, so once it's in, there isn't any moving it. The power cable supplied plugs into your cigarette lighter socket and is long enough to route around the dashboard and up to the camera. Then you just need to pop in the supplied Micro SD card (8GB) and that's all you need to do to get started. Easy.

The F50 records in 1080p Full HD and using a Sony Exmor CMOS 2.12M image sensor and has a 140 degree wide angle to record as much of the road as possible.

The dashcam like many now features 'Parking Surveillance Recording'- so once you've parked your car the dashcam will continue to monitor for impacts. You can only use this option if you are hardwired, however if you're concerned about this draining your battery (which no one wants) there is an option to switch the dashcam off if the battery voltage drops below a specified level. We set ours at 11v.

The built-in G-sensor will allow the dashcam to record any impacts or sudden movements and the footage is automatically protected on the memory card. You can also choose to press the Record button briefly to manually protected footage.

Finally, the software - available to download from the Thinkware website it allows you to easily review recordings including additional information from the GPS if equipped. It works well and is certainly easier that trawling through all the individual files.

This was one of the mid to high range dashcams we tested that has a RRP of £79.99 (£99.99 with GPS and hard wiring kit).

How we tested it?

We tested the dashcam individually over a period of time and followed the manufacturers'recommendations when configuring the recorder. We tested it in both daytime and nighttime.

We Liked:

• It was easy to setup, you can get away with just popping in a Micro SD card and plugging it into the cigarette lighter.
• It's small and discrete - with there not being an LCD screen it allows it to be very small, you forget it's actually there.
• Parking Mode is a very useful feature meaning you have additional protection even when parked (when hardwired).
• The video quality is very good which is expected from the Sony Exmor CMOS.

We didn't like:

• I like an LCD screen - it's just makes it easy to change settings and review clips, but you could argue the size is worth it.
• No built in GPS - if you want GPS monitoring you've got to fork out about £20

Video Example

Overall:

Just like the X550 that we tested, this performs equally - so for value for money the F50 seems like a sure bet, however it's missing features such as GPS logging and an LCD screen that the X550 boasts. If video quality is the most important thing to you and you can live without the extras then it's a good shout, if you want a dashcam with a bumper pack of features then certainly look at the X500 review or even the Nextbase 312GW review.

Specifications