Cam-do.
'Hang on,' we hear you
say. 'Didn't you review this last month?' Well, no – that was the
RAC 205 Dash Cam, a pint-sized plucky little chap which was
essentially nowt but a camera. Now we're back in dash cam land with
another from RAC (or rather ProofCam, who make cams for RAC), to
review the step up that is the 210. Let's see what extras you get
with this version.
Whereas the RAC 205 was
all about having a clean and crisp video image (and nothing else),
the 210 throws a lot more into the mix, bringing it up to what we've
come to expect as standard amongst dash cam manufacturers. It does
that at a cost, however, as it weighs in with a far higher price tag.
Just like the 205, the
210 records video in Full HD 1080p through a lens with a 127 degree
field of vision. As you might expect, that recording can be set to
loop, so you never have to worry about erasing data manually from the
Micro SD Card. And hey – you get a 8GB card included in the box.
High five!
So far, so good. But
the 210 starts to excel over the 205 when you take into account the
extra connections this thing has available. It features WiFi so it
can link to a smartphone to download footage, and also GPS to track
your exact position on the road. The screen, however, is the same as
the 205's at just 2.3 inches. Still, it's more than enough for lining
up your shot when installing it on your windscreen.
The RAC 210 Dash Cam
also benefits from speed camera warnings, which is always something
of a divisive issue. We found the alerts came at the right time and
place on the road, but features like that always seem to be more
about avoiding getting caught then actually helping to keep speeds
low. Updates to the system can be made via the Proofcam website, and
it was nice to see that it is a free life-time service offered to
their customers.
Installation was as
easy as pie thanks to the included suction cup mount, and the cup on
this version is actually a wee bit smaller than other cams we've seen
recently. The hold was still excellent, but it meant it was easier to
fit higher on the windscreen and position it as far behind the rear
view mirror as possible. Although you should keep it plugged in via
the included USB cable, the cam will work for a time on the built-in
battery – good for being used in Snapshot mode to capture photos of
your car in case of an incident.
Despite those extra
features, the RAC 210 Dash Cam is not much bigger than it's little
brother, and the two look almost identical. You also get a carry pouch
included in the box, but no LED torch this time, as with the 205.
Still, the GPS and the WiFi more than make up for that.
The price is a bit of a
step up from the 205, but the RAC 210 Dash Cam pretty much ticks all
the boxes you would want to for a modern dash cam. Having the GPS
data embedded in your video footage would help to a better degree if
proving your innocence during a dispute, while the quick and easy
transfer of files to your phone thanks to the WiFi is really
convenient. We like this.
£159.99
