The thing about your
car's windscreen is that it is see-through. So, y'know, you can see
through it and drive your car without smashing into anything or
anyone. So the last thing you need is for that precious windscreen to
be choked up with gadgets blocking your view. Regular visitors will
know that we're big fans of dash cams here, so we're looking for a
small and tidy cam to keep that all important dash as clear as
possible. We just might have found it in the RAC 205.
Here are your headlines
for this plucky little chap: the RAC 205, manufactured by ProofCam,
is a small, compact cam that captures footage in 1080p Full HD. It
features a 2.3 inch screen for checking angle of the lens and also
for reviewing clips, loop recording as standard, and an included 16GB
SD card. It is powered by the included power lead, but also uses an
internal battery for whenever you need to remove for the suction cup
mount to use a stills camera – which it does using a 2MP sensor.
And that's basically
it; no speed cam warnings, no lane departure warnings, and no GPS
tracking data. This is, therefore, just a simple point and shoot
camera for constant recording of the road ahead. The lack of features
is represented in the price, as the RAC 205 dash cam could be yours
for less than £100, which is pretty good considering the brand.
However, most of the
other dash cams we've reviewed in the past did have those kinds of
features, with many of the cams weighing at not all that much more
than £100, so why have ProofCam brought this model out? Well, the
size is a real issue here, as the reduction in capabilities has
resulted in a far smaller product. The 205 genuinely is the kind of
dash cam you can mount behind your rear view mirror and have it fit
snugly. That will help to keep your windscreen clear and also provide
a better, higher view of the road ahead.
The quality of the
image is very good, which we would have expected from a ProofCam-made
cam anyway. The angle of view is 140 degrees, so you get a great wide
shot captured by it with very little image wrap distortion at the
edge of the footage. Number plates are discernible from a pretty big
distance, and we're guessing the smoothness is down to a frame rate
of at least 25fps, although we couldn't find anywhere that confirmed
that.
As a bit of extra
value, ProofCam throw in a couple of useful accessories. First up,
you get a pouch, which is always a very handy thing to have with a
dash cam. Although it is designed to stay in your windscreen whenever
possible, there be times when you want to remove it from sight and
stash in the glove box. Putting the cam in a proper pouch will help
to keep it scratch free when its in there, along with all the
accumulated crap your glove box tends to attract, and it is generally
good for long term storage when not in use. Plus, we just really like
bundled carry cases for everything.
Secondly, you get an
RAC branded torch, and if you don't already have one in your car,
SERIOUSLY, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? It is a good one, too, with
side-mounted LEDs and an easy grip, perfect for sticking in the glove
and forgetting about until you need it for break downs, or for
hunting for your wallet under your seat.
So a good bundle set
with an excellent and easy to use cam. You are missing out on several
features that have become standard on most other dash cams, but the
small size and pleasing price will no doubt snag lots of interest.
£64.95
Available from www.amazon.co.uk