Superior low light vision relies on the image sensor with Sony Exmor much brighter. Viofo is currently altering its Lens lineup, replacing the A129 & A119S wider angle with a narrower version.
Windshield Mount stability and reliability are extremely important for vibration free video footage. Here the A129 is far superior to the other models using old single clip design requiring additional EVA Foam pad replaced yearly to reduce mount vibration.
All Dashcams allow continuous Loop Recording as 1, 2, 3, 5, 10 minute clips to control video file sizes from exceeding 2 GB allowing error/corruption free memory card recording. A single 64 GB microSD card may contain hundreds of 350 MB clips before Looping feature starts to overwrite new clips over oldest. Viewing the clips in sequence produces seamless video without breaks.
Parking Mode protection is becoming a very popular feature, it involves automatically detecting when the vehicle has parked with no movement enabling the preset recording option to activate. Never use vehicle interior windshield sunshades while Dashcam is mounted or in Parking Mode. The reflected extreme heat will damage and reduce component lifespan destroying dashcams.
Repeated long duration Parking Protection using hardwire kit will reduce vehicle battery lifespan especially if battery is old with weak alternator. Vehicle batteries are designed for short duration engine startup, when long duration (hours) discharged by radio, lights or other accessories occurs with engine off sulfate crystals collect on plates after 33% power drain. Setting Hardwire kit power cutoff at 12.2 or safer 12.4volts can reduce some battery damage which is worst in extreme temperatures. There are risks using Hardwire kit connected to wrong circuit which can void new car warranty. There are risks using Power Banks especially in extreme temperatures for long duration.
The A119S + A119 Pro + A119V2 all support 1fps - 5fps - 15fps Parking Mode options. When 5fps selected (example) Camera will enter Parking Mode after the vehicle has stopped for 90 seconds determined by the G-sensor. If no visual motion near center of view is detected and no impact event is detected the camera will enter standby mode not recording anything lowering power consumption. When visual motion is triggered Cam will record 5fps Time Lapse clips without audio until motion has stopped. If an impact event is detected by G-sensor it records 60 seconds normal 30fps video clips with audio. A predictable issue occurs resulting in hundreds of false recordings from rain or strong wind. Parking Mode works using 2-wire hardwire kit connected to vehicle fuse box or from power bank. Watch my Power Bank Parking Mode video.
The A129 Parking Mode feature is very different requiring the new 3-wire hardwire kit set at 12.2v connected to camera side power port not GPS mount port to enable all 7 parking modes by monitoring ignition voltage levels. Low Bitrate Recording mode works from all power sources including power banks which records continuously at 1080P@30fps with 4Mb/s in Dual Cam setup or 8Mb/s in single.
Parking Auto Event Detection Mode is the most advanced feature and now available in A129 and A119V3 models. It continues to evolved with user input allowing multiple configurations with control over visual and impact sensitivity. Drivers wanted extended parking protection can now turn OFF visual event detection eliminating 100's of useless clips and turn on super sensitive G-sensor detection recording 45 second buffered impact events with audio.
The RO G-sensor clip folder has an undocumented folder limitation. The memory card may include this protected RO folder containing "read-only" MP4 clips created by G-sensor impact/vibration events. There are now two G-sensor Menu settings > Parking G-sensor + Driving G-sensor. When one or both have their sensitivity too high creating too many events or even a single recording the Dashcam tests for remaining card space.
The "All data will be erased" warning can occur in Parking Mode or while driving when algorithm calculates the 30% space remaining for protected G-sensor clips is reached. If the RO folder contains 100's of clips the warning will appear when 30% of card is empty, or appears when three RO files are saved with only 1.2 GB card space free.
To prevent this silly "All data will be erased" prompt always copy RO footage to PC then delete the RO folder. Now you know why Viofo's newest firmware has moved all Parking + G-sensor clips into main folder to prevent RO being created with 30% free space limit.
WDR - Wide Dynamic Range feature improved greatly after August 2017. WDR image improvements are amazing with side effect of increased motion blur especially at night. The enhancements are only noticeable on scenes with both dark and bright areas. WDR does alter colors and brighten dark scenes which is great for recording accident evidence. Wide Dynamic Range color contrast adjustment combines multiple images at different exposure levels to brighten dark scenes or darken bright scenes. WDR enhances night scenes when both very dark and very bright areas occur at the same time. Watch my WDR Comparison video.
These models all use SuperCapacitors to supply power to the Dashcam long enough to save the last recorded clip after power is cut. These capacitors reduce internal heating and increase reliability in hot and cold extremes, unlike lithium-ion battery versions which fail quickly.
| Features | A129 Duo | A129 | A119S | A119 Pro | A119 V2 | A119 V3 |
| Resolution | 1080P 60/30fps | 1080P 60/30fps | 1080P 60/30fps | 1440P 30fps 1080P 60/30fps |
1440P 30fps 1080P 60/30fps |
1600P 30fps 1440P 30fps |
| Lens | F1.6 130-140 FOV | F1.6 130-140 FOV | F1.6 130-140 FOV | F1.8 130 FOV | F1.8 160 FOV | F1.6 130-140 FOV |
| Sensor | Sony IMX291 2MP | Sony IMX291 2MP | Sony IMX291 2MP | Aptina AR0521 5MP | OmniVision OV4689 4MP | Sony IMX335 5MP |
| Chipset | Novatek NT96663 | Novatek NT96663 | Novatek NT96660 | Novatek NT96660 | Novatek NT96660 | Novatek NT96670 |
| Rear Camera |  |
optional | ||||
| Wi-Fi Control | |
|
||||
| G-sensor | |
|
|
|
|
|
| WDR | |
|
|
|
|
|
| Parking Mode | 7 Modes | 7 Modes | 3 Modes | 3 Modes | 3 Modes | 7 Modes |
| SuperCapacitor | |
|
|
|
|
|
| File Format | MP4 & TS | MP4 & TS | MP4 & TS | MP4 & TS | MP4 & TS | MP4 & TS |
| OPTIONAL Accessories | ||||||
| GPS Mount | |
|
|
|
|
|
| CPL Filter | |
|
|
|
|
|
| Hardwire Kit | |
|
|
|
|
|
| Bluetooth Remote | |
|
||||
| IR Camera | |
|
