Unboxing The DOD RC500S: The Best Night Vision Dash Cam for Front and Rear
Posted by The Dashcam Store on Oct 17, 2017
We have been on the hunt for a high-quality, low profile dual lens dash cam with superior night vision for quite some time, and we've finally found it. The DOD RC500S now takes the top spot for our recommendation for the best dual camera dash cam with exceptional night vision.
Since the RC500S is a brand new camera from the DOD Tech brand, we wanted to unbox this dash cam so we could go over the features of this HD dash cam one by one.
What's in the box?
Packaging
Starting off, the packaging of the RC500S is nice! You get a good look at the forward-facing and rear-facing cameras and a quick rundown of the technical specs.
By default, the RC500S includes a 32GB memory card. This is pretty cool of DOD Tech, as most dashcams will only include an 8 or 16GB card with your new car video security system. You can of course upgrade to a 128GB card if you have a need for more storage.
(1) Front Camera
Inside the box, you get the RC500S cameras safely packed in a foam block. Both front and rear dash camera units record in Full HD 1080p and feature Sony STARVIS image sensors for top recording quality in a range of lighting conditions.
We're going to come out and say it: DOD Tech dash cams is one of the best dsah cam brands for night vision and low light recording capabilities. With their large aperture f/1.6 lens and ISO sensitivities of up to ISO 12800, the RC500S cameras are aggressively good at low light and night video recording.If you're looking for a dual-lens dash cam recorder with top-of-the-line low-light performance, The DOD Tech RC500S is your dash cam.
A built in ultrafast GPS system provides speed and location logging for your vehicle. With their sleek designs and DOD Tech’s high-quality internal features, the RC500S is a great choice for anyone looking for a high tech and discreet dashboard camera system.
For being as small as it is, the front camera is actually pretty hefty; it’s got a solid feel to it. The wide angle, 6-element glass lens gives you 145 degrees of forward coverage.
On the side, you will find a microSD card slot and connection ports for your microUSB power cable and the rear camera cable. On the back, you’ve got an unobtrusive light display for reading WiFi connectivity, microphone, and camera recording status.
Underneath, a row of tactile buttons for toggling WiFi connections, microphone recording, and an event button for manually tagging files to protect them from being overwritten.
(1) Rear-Facing Camera
The rear camera unit is much smaller and appears simpler in design, but still has a high-quality STARVIS image sensor packed inside. The wide angle 6-element rear glass lens gives you 140 degrees of coverage.
On the side you have your cable port and only one single status light on the back of the unit.
Accessories
As far as accessories, DOD Tech keeps it simple. The RC500S comes packaged with a standard 12v cigarette power cable, a rear camera cable, your microSD card and SD card adapter, a couple replacement 3M adhesive pads for your camera mounts, and a glare reducing polarizing lens for the front camera. Courtesy of DOD Tech, this cool accessory comes standard with the RC500S to help reduce external light and windshield glare for your recordings. Simply screw the polarizing filter onto the front lens and adjust as needed.
User's Guide
The included User Guide’s setup instructions includes a number of clear images to walk you through the process of connecting the camera with DOD Tech’s phone app over wifi, with separate instructions for both Android and iOS devices. The phone app is available in the App Store or on Google Play, or you can scan the QR codes located on the back of the RC500S’s packaging for easier navigation. The packaging also includes a warranty card and a quick start guide that’s light on text, but includes a QR code to download the full user manual online.
Additional Features
With a dashcam hardwiring kit, the DOD Tech RC500S supports a parking surveillance mode, which activates and protects your car whenever you’re away from it. The camera system also features another DOD Tech favorite: a speed camera alert, which notifies you to hidden speed cameras in your area. This feature is supported across most of North America and a number of international locations. If you’re outside of the U.S. or Canada, you’ll have to refer to the documentation to check your regional availability.