Garmin Dash Cam Mini Owner's Review
Vložit
- čas přidán 16. 06. 2024
- UPDATE August 17, 2020: even with the new 7.9 firmware it still craps out if parking mode is on. I even tried parking mode with just the impact trigger instead of the motion trigger, and it still causes terminal malfunctioning of the camera when it returns to regular driving mode. Everything still works flawlessly as long as parking mode is turned off.
UPDATE March 8, 2020 : After testing the 7.50 firmware update for many months it appears it does NOT fix the overheating problem. The camera had been working fine most of the winter, but yesterday it was 62º out and the car was parked in the sun. This was apparently enough to cause it to overheat, lock-up, and not power down until the power cord was detached. So, this camera's parking mode is still unusable.
__________________
I bought the Garmin Dash Cam Mini back in July, shortly after it was released, and after my first unit kept shutting down I returned it and got a 2nd unit. This 2nd unit continued to shut down randomly. Then I realized it was overheating, but only when it came out of Parking Mode. So, I've had to turn Parking Mode off because that is the only way this dashcam will function properly. The video quality is descent (not great), but for what it is I think this is a good dash cam. Hopefully Garmin can fix the overheating issues at some point.
Jan 5, 2020 UPDATE: I now have the 7.50 firmware installed and have been using Parking mode again. So far it seems to be working correctly, however, it is winter and it is cold out. I won't really know for sure if this has fixed things until summer when it is hot again.
0:00 - Introduction
0:47 - Polarizing Filter
1:51 - Slots and Buttons
3:01 - Mounting to the windshield
3:31 - Sample Footage
5:23 - The Garmin Drive App
12:34 - The Problem with Parking Mode & Overheating
17:53 - Conclusion - Auta a dopravní prostředky
This is precisely how a product review should be presented! You are a scholar and a gentleman. Well done.
I like this man 34% focus, 33% intelligence, 33% directness, 0% bullcrap. Good job sir, younearned a subscriber
Such a fair and reasonable review. So sick of watching sycophantic CZcams’s reviews when it’s clear all they care about is kissing ass to get free products from manufacturers.
These issues sound like something one might expect from a $30 no name brand product, not Garmin. I’m surprised they haven’t sent a rep out too you to help diagnose the issue for the benefit of all their customers.
Agree!!!
When did you see a review that was a kiss ads for free products.
Real reviews, even with free products will be honest reveiws
Rich Laue I meant by other youtubers. Apparently youtubers isn’t in the dictionary so it autocorrected in my comment above to the word “CZcamss” and I should have included “other” but I thought that was implied.
I assume that’s what you were referring to.
Just to be 100% clear... I really applaud YOUR review style.
J P Well, I understood your intent. Implied or spelled out for those that have never been taught the meaning of ‘critical thinking’. That said, his review was ass kickin not ass lik’n well done. Exactly what I was looking and I don’t give a hoot about the parking mode. I’m ordering two (front and rear). Implied. :-)
What a fantastic video . What makes it so fantastic?
An intelligent presenter
Logic
Lucidity
Well thought out and presented . All of the things that most others youtube videos lack.
Sirios Star ditto!!
Yes , and no silly 5 minute animation intro like most reviewing videos on youtube
@@tahirahmed33 yes! Hate those intros with music. Just play the video.lol
Greetings from Verona - Italy for your gorgeous presentation. I thoroughly enjoyed it and subscribed to your channel in no time. All the best and cheers.
Thank you Brian for giving a real user experience review. I was going to buy one today but now I think I'll wait.
Great review and explanations! I also appreciate the footage from night driving and note regarding the filter during night driving. Keep up the great work.
The build up to parking mode almost killed me with anticipation!
Great review. My concern was the overheating part. Garmin needs to work on that problem. Don't want the concern of finding my car burnt to a crisp as I see it..
Thank you for that info, I was just about to get it, now I am checking for other reviews of other Dashcam. Before making a decision.
Thanks for this review!
Not only were you very thorough, but you also gave excellent buying tips - getting a polariser to reduce the dashboard reflection and so on.
Well done!
Cheers from Italy
Very sober, very calm and to the point. Perfect english so that even foreigners can understand clearly. Great job!
Good custom review, Wow, I worry about the over heating in park mode because damage may happen and its not working to catch the person also driving mode you want to feel sure it will record a accident. Thanks, I will keep looking they need to fix!
Up to the point where the camera was overheating, I was considering buying one of these cameras, NOT NOW !!!
Very nice review, I really like your style! Keep up the good work. PS I just subscribed. Thanks !!!
Honest review! I was thinking about getting this one but I think I'll pass
Thanks from a wet and windy UK for a brilliant review. Your comments about the overheating have given me concerns . Up until that point I was sold, but now having second thoughts. I've not had a dash cam before so don't really know yet if i need, or want a parking mode. I think a bit more research is in order, but this Garmin is at the top of my list at the moment. Thanks.
They released firmware 7.30, but I haven't had a chance to see if it fixes the overheating yet. The customer support people said the release notes only said "misc fixes", so I'm guessing not.
Great review! Your experience is consistent with every Garmin product I own.
+1. .. Excellent heads-up. .. Recently purchased a Garmin Dash Cam Mini. .. Thanks!
Great review, wanted to buy the Garmin mini for parking mode... Now I will wait a bit. To see if garmin will come with a firmware fix.
Thanks again....
Fantastic review. I have the Garmin 55 dash cam and love it but I didn’t not know about the polarize lenses until now, and for that, thank you! Ordered it right away.
Great review! I went ahead and ordered one from Amazon here in the UK. The most impressive thing is all of the functions via Bluetooth and Wifi, which have been built into this incredibly small camera. I've previously used all of the Mini 0806 cameras from eBay, they're pretty much junk and actually cost more than this Garmin camera. Thanks again 👍
Great review, ordering one asap. I would've never thought of a filter, that's awesome advice. Thanks.
Keith Niederstadt does it come with a filter or do you have to buy it separately?
Gwion Davies I just bought one and mine didn’t come with it.
Outstanding review!
You've answered my concerns thoroughly and I'm well satisfied. I'm very grateful brother.
Such a great in depth review! This camera is great for ppl that wanna forget they have a camera and just want to have something in case an accident happens.
Thanks for the review. I have an older Garmin dash cam and it over heats and freezes up. I have a screen on it and its frustrating.
I can only agree to other commenters that this is how a review should be. It's is like sitting next to you in the car and discussing the good and bad of this dashcam, although - of course - it is a monologue, you did point out what is important to us. Thanks a lot, Brian.
After my coworker got into an accident and cannot prove what really happened it has put me in the market for a dash cam I watched countless videos on different dash cams and have now settled on this one the camera quality is excellent during the day and at night it's small enough to be out of the way on the windshield and it's just what I'm looking for thanks for the review.
Nice and thorough review, wish all YT reviews were like this. Thanks Brian.
Well, bad news guys it’s still overheats and locks up. There’s a warm day today and it happened again. So I guess it has not been fixed. I will have to turn parking mode off now but it’s getting warm out.
How's it working now did you do any troubleshooting? I'm thinking of getting one of these I like how you can pair it to your phone pretty awesome
Damn. Mine is on it’s way. Ordered it without seeing your video first. It was on sale. Ughh
so save my money and don't buy the Hardwire powering kit?
I have the same problem, but also incorrectly connected wires. my car maintains power to most fuses after the ignition is turned off. therefore the camera does not switch to the parking mode ... I do not have video records with the letter "P" next to the logo, the camera indicator light is constantly on, it should flash in parking mode. This can be checked by disconnecting the "ACC" cable. I am not able to confirm this at the moment but it may cause the camera to freeze.
Did you tried to change the memory card with a different producer, like Sony, SanDisk...etc?
Really thorough review, nice job. Been holding off on installing my unit due to the overheating complaints I've seen elsewhere...fortunately parking mode is not an important feature for me so I may give the Mini a try. The small form factor is unbeatable (until the remote cam options start hitting the market), so it would be great if Garmin could fix some of the issues it has.
Did you end up purchasing the dash cam? How has it held up?
Yea
This is the first video of yours I have watched and you are so clear and concise that it was an instant Subscribe.
Nice review. We have had Garmins for about 7 years. Just upgraded to the 66. Was thinking about adding the mini as a rear cam.
Awesome and thorough review. Wasn't even looking for a dash cam. 😊
Damn thanks for the review! It saves me from buying this since I wanted this for my rear since I already have it for the front.
Great review with very useful info. You must have worked for Consumer Reports at some point in the past, because this is such an unbiased report the likes of which are found only in CR. You have presented the info with clarity, an even flow and without any bells and whistles. Thank you Brian! Excellent job!
Thanks! Nope, just a forever video game programmer :)
Awesome review; feel very confident that I'm getting an accurate review of the Mini.
Fantastic real life review! Thank you
Thanks for the review.. it helped me a lot.
Great guy, in a great car, doing a great review. Low key, on point, love it! And the mini cam is really elegant and fits the car perfectly!
I'm from those people who watch a gazillion reviews before buying something. This is one of those straight-to-the-point, no music, no intro videos that answer all your questions right away. Thank you Brian for this review!
Thanks! Yeah, I can’t stand those reviews with unnecessary music and 2 minutes of animated title sequences. Get straight to the point with no fluff - that’s my goal. oh, and I never beg people to subscribe or like.
@@BrianGreenstone
I am going to beg for you... we need to keep your superb reviews coming. So come on people, hit that subscription button!
Btw, does anyone know if they fixed this overheating problem as they are still selling this 4 years later (and I want one ONLY if I am not going to be killed in a Garmin fire)?
I have one of these Mini’s, used in the rear of the car, in conjunction with the Garmin 66 front of the car. One of the issues I have found is, even though its got a 64gb micro sad car in it, it doesn’t seem to loop overwrite. So it fills up and the throws up a fault with the card. I then have to reformat the card, before it starts working again. This seems like a major flaw, as you are having to delete fileS that may have just recently occurred, that you might want to review!
I like the size and look of the mini, but it seems to have quite a few issues. Disappointed with Garmin really, reason I went with them, was I thought they would be more reliable than the cheaper Chinese dash cams!!!!
Has there been a firmware update to correct the issue with parking mode since you filmed this?
SJCAM doesn't have reliable updates for their camera. Functional partially doesn't work at all.
Great video...informative and straight to the point. All youtube reviews should be like this. No annoying background music either. Big Thanks for this.
Excellent review! Well-done!
I'm on my second Garmin Dash Cam Mini. The first lasted less than 3 days. Via the Garmin Drive Android phone app, the memory card needed formatting again on the 3rd day. Sandisk Ultra 128GB Class 10 SD card. Format the card. Then app says the card has reached end of life. Fine. It's from my previous dash cam, a year-old Zero Edge Z3. I bought two Sandisk Ultra Plus 64GB Class 10 SD cards. Cam did the same with these new cards just removed from their sealed package, purchased at the local big box store.
Garmin had an exchange replacement to me today, 9 days after I reported the first had failed. Hopefully I get at least a year of use from this one. Both run quite warm, dare I say, hot! No parking mode. No matter the power source, my car's accessory/ignition-enabled USB port, laptop USB, or cell phone charger, this thing gets very warm to the touch. It does not matter if it's recording video, or connected to my phone via Bluetooth/WiFi.
So far it's working, having recorded two 15-minute drives. I'll see how it does on an hour-long freeway trip in the next few days.
(Edited several times due to CZcams's inability to properly line space between paragraphs. What's the secret to a single blank line between paragraphs? It's either no spacing between paragraphs, or two blank lines, even though while I edit, seeing one line between paragraphs.)
Have you ruled out the possibility that your car traveled to the future, resulting in the 2089 date "error?"
Thanks for vid
Thanks for honest review
Thank you for the review, I was about to buy the cam. Overheating problem concerns me, I am cheking for other options.
Thanks for the info ,I was going to buy it due to it size but the down side is now the parking mode is one of my main reasons for buying the dash cam
Bought this on impulse after I nearly experienced two car accidents within a few days apart. I will test it to see if they fixed the over heating issue and get back on here.
After a week of owning this camera...
Pros: Small, not so noticeable, good quality video, able to detach from glued-on hook.
Cons: Overheats quickly, downloading video takes a long time, camera must be on to see any videos on the app.
Overall, it is a good camera but the overheating issue may be a dealbreaker for me. Nothing has happened to the camera yet, but summer is coming and being that I live in south Cali, summers hit triple digits very often. For that reason I will return it and get a camera with no overheating issues.
Oscar Navarro thanks for your review lol, just convinced me not to buy it
@@ON760 which one did you get instead?
Thank you for your review. Bought one because of it.
Forgot to mention, you may have just bad wiring, or a problem with the wiring harness ;) You only swapped the camera units right?
Daniel Lopes is your parking mode working/not overheating?
GREAT review! Maybe the best review on anything I was looking for more info on! Thank you for sharing!
Very helpful video. Been having horrible luck with people hitting me! Definitely time to invest in one of these. Love how it’s so tiny, thanks for details
Nice Aston Martin!!!!
Nice Aston 🤙🏼
excellent presentation! Thanks. I just received one as a gift and this video saves me from discovering the flaws the hard way.
Thanks for a fantastic, objective and holistic review of the product. This is how product reviews should be !
Unfortunately, this is not the only device Garmin produces that suffers from the White Hot Overheating Issue. I have multiple Garmin Drive (and older Nuvi) units that also do tis. Garmin have replaced them all at least once, always without improvement.
I suspect they have a bug in the Voltage Regulating circuitry they all must share that allows this to happen. Apparently, this is a hardware failure as many many firmware updates on many many devices yield no improvement in behavior.
How Garmin can allow their engineering department to put this kind of Garbage out is beyond me. How many cars have burned to the ground after these things catch fire? How many homes have burned?
Don't get burned by Garmin!
I guess I'm the only one that sees that this man is posted up in an Aston Martin.
I didn't notice until you pointed it out. It looks like a Chrysler inside 😀
The polarising filter was a great tip..just bought this dashcam based on this review
Gosh so many important advices (filter is a must!!!) you gave us on this video. Was looking for my very FIRST dash cam video and i'm so glad i saw this.
Buying two for inside car if cops pull me over
He said no sound recorded.
@@rterry2752 No he said it wouldn't play on the app. It will play with audio recorded on your computer. :)
doing a garmin dash cam review in an Aston Martin....LOL.
Try MINI
Not sure why CZcams recommend this video but I thoroughly enjoyed it despite not being in the market for a dash cam
Thank you for making this review. I wish more people would take the time you did to make a proper review.
Until garmin gets the camera fixed, BUY ANOTHER BRAND OF CAMERA...
I don't even have a car😂
Im homless
@@eronpino But you have a outrageous priced cell phone though.
I really like your review and your overall style and persona. You’re direct and to the point, and you don’t overhype things. This is how all reviews should be. If I had one criticism, as someone who is researching dash cams and wants to understand some of the features, a quick explanation of what Park Mode is and why you use it would have greatly helped. I can google it, of course, but I would have appreciated a short description. Other than that minor criticism, it’s a great video.
Good point, thanks!
Thank you for honest review. Honest reviews are worth millions compared to videos that try their best to sell it.
You should do all kinds of tech reviews. Just found this video and sir.....you are very talented at doing reviews.👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
great review..better than the others. i was almost convinced to buy it but i'm in Florida and worried about the overheating. still thinking about it though! thanks for updating information!!
Very good review. I like the camera I am tempted to go out and buy it. I have been using the 0801 mini dash cam for 4 years now and its been very. in the last year its started to play up on me. it looses the date and time and i had to keep resetting it. Ive given up on doing that and now it stops after about 10min after i drive off. Would like to get the garman but not having the screen puts me off. Just a glimps of the screen assures me the cam is working. Thanks for the review (Wish their was more reviewers like you) .
Benny (From Ireland)
I have the Tandem and was going to buy the parking mode cable accessory but will not now--saved me $30 plus the pain of installation! Even though the problem was shown for a Mini I'm assuming the parking mode problem is common to all Garmin dash cams. Still planning to buy the Mini as a rear-facing camera. Will aslo be coming back here to see if Garmin ever fixes the parking mode overheating problem. Great video!
That is Called a Review.
First time I enter you channel, First minute….You got a new subscriber.
👍🏼
Very well made informative video. I appreciate your review especially your comparison to the Thinkware as that is the other dash cam I was considering.
Great review I have a Garmin 55 that just paid for itself. I was looking to upgrade and get one to use with Bluetooth and my phone.
I'm really late to this party, but thank you so much for the very best review I could have asked for! I am grateful for your fantastic info.
I think the best CZcams informational video I have ever seen. Straight to the point👍🏼
Thanks!
Just got this camera...Excellent unbiased review and good tips!
I'm glad I found this. I still have some unanswerd questions about how I'm going to be using mine, but you've answered some of my concerns at least.
I decided to get a Dashcam 46 for my car after watching this video and I love it. It has all the features of the mini, and more. I still have two minis waiting for me when I get home next week, and one will go into the car as well as the rear camera, which can be networked to the 46 through the Garmin Drive app.
I'm still glad I ordered the minis - two of them - and I'm still glad I watched this video, but now I have to decide if I want to return the second Mini to Sam's Club or find a different use for it than intended.
On a side note, I was able to watch the live feed of my 46 from the cab of my truck as I backed in in front of my car, to watch for spacing. It won't always be useful to do so, but it will sometimes.
Seriously great video man. Exactly the type of review i wanted before buying it.
Simply elegant review! You are quite articulate and unbiased, witch I really like. Please keep up the good work. On a side note, I believe you said you had a workaround for the parking mode issue but I missed it. Did you mean you just keep it off parking mode?
Thanks! Yes, the workaround was to simply not turn on parking mode. With the 7.50 firmware it seems to be working properly now, but it's winter and cold, so next summer I'll have to test it properly and see if it still overheats.
Great review. I have subscribed Brian. Simple to the point and honest. One thing, what colour is the parking mode light?
It blinks red.
I just installed the mini 2 and it got very HOT to the touch as well, and didn't know why, so I took your advice and shut down the parking guard mode and see what happens. Also I am returning the parking cable and suction mount and opted for the continuous power cable that use's the ODB II port with the auto shut off mode to save on the battery. Thanks for the video.
Great video! and thanks for the continued updates. I didn't even know Garmin had these.
i use a vanture and like it. i reviewed it on my channeling and why i hate rexing too1
Thanks for the video. It appeared like the Parking Mode was already removed from the Garmin app. Thanks for bringing this up to everyone!
Parking mode is still there, but it only appears when the parking cable is plugged in.
As others have already said Brian, an excellent review and from a buyer who understands what should be and what should not. I also am surprised that Garmin have not contacted you to make suggestions, or, perhaps, to offer another 'updated' model for your review. Your presentation has been so good that I feel you should continue doing this and possibly offer your review services to other manufacturers who are looking for a genuine buyer review and not a review by someone who is trying to help sales. I have not had a dash cam before, but have been looking for a front and rear model that is small, easy to operate and I slso am not interested in a screen, as that is not needed unless it's an actual 'insident' that needs to be viewed. Thanks again. What do you use to record yourself, as hat is very good also?
Thanks! The camera I used was an old Panasonic HMC-150.
Brian, Great review and diagnostics, its hard to understand that Garmin can't figure it out but having worked to a tech company before I know why as well. The reason I haven't bought a dash cam yet is that I have been waiting for a unit that is even more stealth, meaning the smallest of cameras that can be fitted to the windshield and rear window with main unit under the dash out of sight. I don't want something large enough in view that will give a thief a reason to break into my car. Thanks again for the great review.
Thanks! What I can't understand is why they try to cram everything into the main camera body. Why don't they just put the video chip in a tiny enclosure and run a data wire to the main box behind the dash? Just integrate it into the parking cable so all of the work is done there. Then they could deal with a better cooling solution and the visible part of the camera could be so tiny you wouldn't even know its there.
I know this is a review about a dash cam but that Aston is absolutely out of this world 😍
Great review. Actually I heard the exact overheating issue on another YT video and their fix was the same as yours. They stopped using park mode. And never had the overheating problem again
A1 review. Short and sweet to the point. Keep it up!
Great honest review with CNET quality. thank you.
Hi! Thanks for a very good informativ video. Bought my mini cam a few days ago. Me too: I don't want a video screen in my windshield. Just a camera. My Garmin Mini needs a second cable for Parkmode, so that's not a problem here. Still - your video was very useful for me installing and operating my first Car Cam. Works great. Thanks!
Awesome review! I was going to purchase the Garmin 66W because of parking mode but I'll look in to another dash cam.
The 66W is completely different, so I don’t know if it has the same problems as this one.
What a great video. You answered all the questions one would have without even asking. :)
Great review. Subscribed with enduring thanks from the UK!
Hello Brian. By now, hopefully the problem with the parking mode overheat has been resolved. Looks like you did this video last year, so hopefully so. Garmin would not be the first company to deny when they are experiencing a known issue. They don't want to let on to the public that there is a problem at all. That's typical. But anyway, great video! When it is working, it seems to work great!
Great review, well done. Wish all reviews were done this way. Thanks
Thanks!
Thanks for a great review Brian. I’m in Australia and am having problems sourcing the polarising filter. Would another brand/model fit this cam?
I don’t know of any that would slip on correctly. Try www.thedashcamstore.com That is where I got mine, and they may ship internationally.
Thanks, after 2 failed dash cameras been looking for a new one . Thanks as I see this camera is not what I’m looking for
I bought one of these today. I had no SD Card inserted and just plugged it in on the drive home. The led's were flashing constantly and within 5 mins it was easily at 70 Centigrade so I just unplugged it.
With the card now inserted and formatted it seems to be working fine but the app is really slow to show footage on my phone. The card works fine in my PC so I'm happy enough with my purchase.