- :
- Canada
Hey guys, here's my review of the Redtiger ViewClear 70 2-channel dashcam.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I did not pay for this dashcam. A big thank you to Redtiger for offering me the opportunity to test and review this dashcam.
First, a quick highlight of the primary specs according to the manufacturer.
Unboxing the Camera
The dashcam comes in a shrinkwrapped box, with major components (front and rear cams) nestled securely in foam. Minor components (cables, connectors, manuals) are packed and labelled in smaller boxes within.
Installation
Installation was typical. The included instructions are helpful if you need them. I chose to position the dashcam just to the right of the rearview mirror. Like my other, current dashcam (Redtiger F17 Elite), I routed the rear camera cable from the camera into the headliner, then over to the driver's side A-pillar, and down the front of the A-pillar to it's base. From there, I crossed over the A-pillar to avoid interfering with the side curtain airbag deployment, and ran the cable into the weatherstripping, which I then ran all the way to the back. For testing and review purposes, I used the included 12v socket adapter to power the VC 70.
Basic Functions and User Interface
The front cam has plenty of adjustability. You can tilt the lens about 15 degrees in any direction, and you can also rotate the lens slightly to get the view that works best for you. There are buttons on the bottom for navigation. You also have the option to tilt the rear camera up or down, and you can flip and mirror the camera's image to give you more versatility with mounting the cameras.
Everything is easy to find and adjust thanks to the 3" touchscreen display. An unexpected surprise is how smooth and responsive the UI is.
In addition, updating the firmware can be done OTA via the app. I've had to update the firmware on my F17 Elite, and overall it was a very quick and easy process.
Parking Mode requires you to hardwire the dashcam - if you use a mirror tap kit like the Dongar Pro, Parking Mode will not be available and instead, the dashcam will continue to record as normal, which can drain your car's battery fairly quickly. If you're at all interested in this dashcam for the Parking Mode benefits it advertises, I'd highly recommend buying the hardwire kit for it as well.
Clip Transfer
Clip transfer is easy. I just enable the dashcam's wifi, connect to the dashcam's wifi on my phone, then use the Redtiger Cam app to select the dashcam and pick and choose which clips to download. You can choose up to 10 files to download at a time, and with wifi 6 the transfer speed is very fast.
Video/Audio Quality
The main difference between the F17 Elite and the VC 70's front and rear cams is that the VC 70's rear cam uses an OmniVision Wondrix OS04J10 sensor instead of the Sony IMX675 in the F17 Elite's rear cam. The VC 70's rear cam lens looks slightly different as well, but the field of view is the same.
I find the video quality from the VC70 to be great in the daytime footage I've recorded and viewed. Depending on the speed of my car and the speed of oncoming cars, I can read their license plates pretty easily. At night, it is typically more difficult to read plates due to the low lighting and the glare from headlights and from my own lights, but in some cases the plates are indeed readable, like if I'm travelling at a slower speed or if I'm stopped in traffic. I will say that I think the ViewClear 70's rear camera low-light video quality is better than that of the F17 Elite's rear camera. Colour accuracy is really good, and audio recording quality is also good in my experience. I made a comparison video to show the difference between the F17 Elite's rear cam and the VC70's rear cam.
Video uploading..
In the video, you can see more detail on the grassy boulevard and the trees compared to the F17 Elite's footage.
Redtiger does advertise better Parking Mode video and image quality from the rear cam with the OmniVision chip, thanks to the "Noctura" tech. They call this feature NiteGuard, and to my understanding, it only works while the camera is in Parking Mode. I'm in the process of getting Parking Mode footage to show the difference between the F17 Elite and the VC 70, and I'll update here when it's ready.
Areas of Improvement/Adjustment
The size of the unit is pretty standard. Generally I prefer the more discrete wedge-style cameras like the Viofo A129, but it's a worthwhile tradeoff to get a larger display. The larger screen also makes menu navigation much easier.
Like my F17 Elite, I would have liked to be able to modify more of the information overlay on each clip. With this dashcam, it lists the date/time, the model of the cam, the Redtiger logo, and if you have it enabled, your speed and GPS coordinates. I would love to be able to add my license plate to the overlay to further personalize my clips when I save and upload them.
Another point of improvement would be the ability to download more than 10 clips at a time, if possible.
The worst thing about this cam, IMO, is that I have to wake the screen, then press the button to save/lock a clip. This is a pretty minor inconvenience all things considered. It's just something that I need to get used to, but if it's possible for Redtiger to adjust this in a future firmware update somehow, that would turn it into a near-perfect dashcam for me.
Final Thoughts
Well specced dashcam with better than average rear camera quality, especially when it comes to low-light details. I'd like to see the improvements/adjustments I suggested in future versions or newer models from Redtiger.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I did not pay for this dashcam. A big thank you to Redtiger for offering me the opportunity to test and review this dashcam.
First, a quick highlight of the primary specs according to the manufacturer.
- 4K front cam, 2.5K rear cam
- Hyper Night Clarity
- NiteGuard Tech for Parking Mode
- Dual HDR
- 3" touchscreen display
- Wifi 6 connectivity
- Warranty coverage (18 months)
Unboxing the Camera
The dashcam comes in a shrinkwrapped box, with major components (front and rear cams) nestled securely in foam. Minor components (cables, connectors, manuals) are packed and labelled in smaller boxes within.
Installation
Installation was typical. The included instructions are helpful if you need them. I chose to position the dashcam just to the right of the rearview mirror. Like my other, current dashcam (Redtiger F17 Elite), I routed the rear camera cable from the camera into the headliner, then over to the driver's side A-pillar, and down the front of the A-pillar to it's base. From there, I crossed over the A-pillar to avoid interfering with the side curtain airbag deployment, and ran the cable into the weatherstripping, which I then ran all the way to the back. For testing and review purposes, I used the included 12v socket adapter to power the VC 70.
Basic Functions and User Interface
The front cam has plenty of adjustability. You can tilt the lens about 15 degrees in any direction, and you can also rotate the lens slightly to get the view that works best for you. There are buttons on the bottom for navigation. You also have the option to tilt the rear camera up or down, and you can flip and mirror the camera's image to give you more versatility with mounting the cameras.
Everything is easy to find and adjust thanks to the 3" touchscreen display. An unexpected surprise is how smooth and responsive the UI is.
In addition, updating the firmware can be done OTA via the app. I've had to update the firmware on my F17 Elite, and overall it was a very quick and easy process.
Parking Mode requires you to hardwire the dashcam - if you use a mirror tap kit like the Dongar Pro, Parking Mode will not be available and instead, the dashcam will continue to record as normal, which can drain your car's battery fairly quickly. If you're at all interested in this dashcam for the Parking Mode benefits it advertises, I'd highly recommend buying the hardwire kit for it as well.
Clip Transfer
Clip transfer is easy. I just enable the dashcam's wifi, connect to the dashcam's wifi on my phone, then use the Redtiger Cam app to select the dashcam and pick and choose which clips to download. You can choose up to 10 files to download at a time, and with wifi 6 the transfer speed is very fast.
Video/Audio Quality
The main difference between the F17 Elite and the VC 70's front and rear cams is that the VC 70's rear cam uses an OmniVision Wondrix OS04J10 sensor instead of the Sony IMX675 in the F17 Elite's rear cam. The VC 70's rear cam lens looks slightly different as well, but the field of view is the same.
I find the video quality from the VC70 to be great in the daytime footage I've recorded and viewed. Depending on the speed of my car and the speed of oncoming cars, I can read their license plates pretty easily. At night, it is typically more difficult to read plates due to the low lighting and the glare from headlights and from my own lights, but in some cases the plates are indeed readable, like if I'm travelling at a slower speed or if I'm stopped in traffic. I will say that I think the ViewClear 70's rear camera low-light video quality is better than that of the F17 Elite's rear camera. Colour accuracy is really good, and audio recording quality is also good in my experience. I made a comparison video to show the difference between the F17 Elite's rear cam and the VC70's rear cam.
Video uploading..
In the video, you can see more detail on the grassy boulevard and the trees compared to the F17 Elite's footage.
Redtiger does advertise better Parking Mode video and image quality from the rear cam with the OmniVision chip, thanks to the "Noctura" tech. They call this feature NiteGuard, and to my understanding, it only works while the camera is in Parking Mode. I'm in the process of getting Parking Mode footage to show the difference between the F17 Elite and the VC 70, and I'll update here when it's ready.
Areas of Improvement/Adjustment
The size of the unit is pretty standard. Generally I prefer the more discrete wedge-style cameras like the Viofo A129, but it's a worthwhile tradeoff to get a larger display. The larger screen also makes menu navigation much easier.
Like my F17 Elite, I would have liked to be able to modify more of the information overlay on each clip. With this dashcam, it lists the date/time, the model of the cam, the Redtiger logo, and if you have it enabled, your speed and GPS coordinates. I would love to be able to add my license plate to the overlay to further personalize my clips when I save and upload them.
Another point of improvement would be the ability to download more than 10 clips at a time, if possible.
The worst thing about this cam, IMO, is that I have to wake the screen, then press the button to save/lock a clip. This is a pretty minor inconvenience all things considered. It's just something that I need to get used to, but if it's possible for Redtiger to adjust this in a future firmware update somehow, that would turn it into a near-perfect dashcam for me.
Final Thoughts
Well specced dashcam with better than average rear camera quality, especially when it comes to low-light details. I'd like to see the improvements/adjustments I suggested in future versions or newer models from Redtiger.
