VIOFO A119 V3

[Dashmellow]

HDR shouldn't be used at night, there should be a HDR timer so you can turn it off. HDR is most beneficial during the day time

Not so!

In fact, it is literally the opposite of what you are saying, Agie.

HDR should be OFF during the day and ON at night, especially in countries with European sized license plates.

HDR during the day, especially the A119 V3 HDR causes a ghost-like double exposure due to way HDR functions. The camera takes two exposures at 30 fps each - one for the highlights and one for the shadows and superimposes them together as one properly exposed image, however because of the way HDR is implemented in this camera, the two images are out of register, thus causing the apparent double exposure.

(Note that the problem appears on the fast moving truck but not on the hood of my vehicle because the camera sees it as not moving.)


At night, the same HDR phenomenon, two differently exposed images superimposed over one another but also slightly out of register, allows for the capture of license plates at high speed, especially if the plates have good reflectivity and you have decent headlights.

Here is a good night time HDR example I've borrowed from @Karagandinez using the 2.6T firmware to illustrate.

 

[mihai21roo]

Yep, I did activate the HDR timer. I was referring about the EV -1/3 if it's fine to use during day as well.

@Agie I can't see any licence plate at night, except for the ones in front of me or to the right of the windshield.

 

[Dashmellow]

Yep, I did activate the HDR timer. I was referring about the EV -1/3 if it's fine to use during day as well.

@Agie I can't see any licence plate at night, except for the ones in front of me or to the right of the windshield.

I always use -1/3 EV on both of my V3s and get better results than when I had it set to 0 EV. Many other V3 users do the same.

 

[Agie]

Yep, I did activate the HDR timer. I was referring about the EV -1/3 if it's fine to use during day as well.

@Agie I can't see any licence plate at night, except for the ones in front of me or to the right of the windshield.

That's the one! Had the order jumbled around , doesn't help when I'm bleary eyed at 2am answering! haha

 

[Dadi_T]

HDR shouldn't be used at night, there should be a HDR timer so you can turn it off. HDR is most beneficial during the day time

Is this a joke?

 

[Dashmellow]

Is this a joke?

@Agie lives in the southern hemisphere. Everything is the opposite there, like the seasons.

 

[Dadi_T]

Ok, I understand the opposite theme. It's a rule of these days. Everything it's upside down.

 

[Agie]

@Agie lives in the southern hemisphere. Everything is the opposite there, like the seasons.

We have pretty good weather but with global warming, I'm sure we'll catch up

 

[Agie]

Ok, I understand the opposite theme. It's a rule of these days. Everything it's upside down.
[/QUOTE

Ok, I understand the opposite theme. It's a rule of these days. Everything it's upside down.

Better than Europe though

Ok, I understand the opposite theme. It's a rule of these days. Everything it's upside down.

Except the lifestyle. Australia is still pretty good haha

 

[mihai21roo]

I always use -1/3 EV on both of my V3s and get better results than when I had it set to 0 EV. Many other V3 users do the same.

Thank you, I'll try it tomorrow

 

[gse]

Attaching a few screenshots. I tried both HDR on and off, I don't see any difference to be honest. The darker it gets outside the worse it is: in the third picture you can see the license plate clearly enough, but when it gets fully dark all of them look like the other pictures.

These are not night shots, but late evening, twilight, at which time not a single registrar will read the number.
Try to drive when it is completely dark, after 22-00 and see.
HDR has a negative effect in daytime and twilight scenes, but is very positive in night videos.
Install HDR auto.

 

[mihai21roo]

@gse I did drive in completely dark as well, same result. It's even worse, in late evening I can see a few numbers but when it's completely dark I can only see the numbers from the cars in front of me (and they have to be close, 3-4m)

 

[Kremmen]

From the screenshots I've seen here the position of the dashcam seems to make a difference.

I have mine on the passenger side which seems worse than those who have theirs on the driver's side which is nearer to the oncoming cars.

I'm not prepared to move mine as it would hinder my view due to a very large centre pod behind the rearview mirror.

 

[gse]

@gse I did drive in completely dark as well, same result. It's even worse, in late evening I can see a few numbers but when it's completely dark I can only see the numbers from the cars in front of me (and they have to be close, 3-4m)

Can you give the original video to watch after 22-00?

 

[mihai21roo]

From the screenshots I've seen here the position of the dashcam seems to make a difference.

I have mine on the passenger side which seems worse than those who have theirs on the driver's side which is nearer to the oncoming cars.

I'm not prepared to move mine as it would hinder my view due to a very large centre pod behind the rearview mirror.

I also thought about this. Mine is also on the passenger side. I'll try moving it to the center and see if there are any changes.

Can you give the original video to watch after 22-00?

I didn't save it unfortunately. I'll try to record a new one as soon as possible.

 

[Karagandinez]

I also thought about this. Mine is also on the passenger side. I'll try moving it to the center and see if there are any changes.

My V3 is installed slightly to the left of the interior mirror mount.
Screenshots from my videos can be viewed on the previous page.

 

[mihai21roo]

I have a new problem after installing a CPL filter. I can sometimes no longer see license plates coming from the other side of the road even during daytime. I could see all of them at any moment when pausing the videos. What is happening? The image looks worse (and I'm not talking about the lower brightness), the image stabilization looks bad. I also moved the camera closer to the center of the windshield, can this be the issue? I'll try to move it back and see if there are any improvements.

Video with CPL:

.
Video without CPL:

.


Try pausing both videos and look at the license plates of the vehicles coming from the left side. The location is exactly the same. You can clearly see the difference between the blurriness with CPL on and the details with CPL off.

 

[Dadi_T]

Have you removed the protective film from the CPL filter? Check out if it has one.
It is lined up correctly? I don't know if there are signs on A119V3 for correctly install or if you need to adjust like in the video below.

 

[mihai21roo]

Can you give the original video to watch after 22-00?

HDR ON:

.
HDR OFF:

.

Have you removed the protective film from the CPL filter? Check out if it has one.
It is lined up correctly? I don't know if there are signs on A119V3 for correctly install or if you need to adjust like in the video below.

I did remove the protective films from both sides and also aligned it correctly, I've watched this exact video before installing it.

 

[Dadi_T]

Try pausing both videos and look at the license plates of the vehicles coming from the left side. The location is exactly the same. You can clearly see the difference between the blurriness with CPL on and the details with CPL off.

Ok, now you have posted those video samples.
The comparation it's not fair. At 17:25 it is 45 minutes before sunset. Very hard condition, especially with CPL.