Thinkware Dash Cam F800 Pro Overview
Rapidly becoming a must-have item, dash cams are one of the biggest success stories in recent years of consumer technology.
Seeing similar advancements in tech that have helped smartphones become ubiquitous, Dash Cams are more affordable and full of far more technology than only just a couple of years ago.
The F800 Pro develops Thinkware's popular range with enhanced Night Vision and Motion Detection available on both front and rear cameras. Power draw in parking mode has also been significantly reduced, with the addition of a 'sleep' mode which will wake and record 2-channel footage if the car and camera are sufficiently rocked or jolted.
Thinkware F800 Pro AIR Features
The F800 was announced in January 2017 as the F800 "Air". This related to new Cloud storage and backup service, as well as the ability for the F800 to deliver remote notifications to a Smart app on your phone/tablet via a Thinkware account.
Thinkware F800 Pro Low Power Parking Mode
The new low power F800 Pro reduces power consumption in Parking Mode by 1/3 compared to previous models. If sleep mode is active, the F800 Pro will wake up within a second of registering a rock via the G-=sensor and record for the next 20 seconds.
Time Lapse
Continuous recording is useful but can be storage intensive if your vehicle is stationary for longer periods of time.
With time-lapse, you can record at 2 frames per second. This ensures passing vehicles and people will be captured, without filling up your storage card too quickly.
To help with the review, time-lapsed footage can be watched at up to 15x standard speed.
Please Note: Sleep/Low Power recording and Time-Lapse are not inter-compatible. You must choose one mode or the other when leaving the F800 Pro in Parking Mode.
Front & Rear View Full HD Recordings
Full HD 1080p footage can be recorded from both the front and rear cameras simultaneously. A wide 104-degree angle is available on both channels too!
Super Night Vision 2.0
New for the F800 Pro is an upgrade to Thinkware's Super Night Vision Technology. Already one of the market-leading examples, Super Night Vision 2 now provides even clearer images in low light environments.
This enhances footage recorded on the road at night, and when parked.
Sony Exmor R STARVIS Image Sensor
The STARVIS sensor from Sony is designed to deliver perfect image processing in low-light environments.
The images captured by the STARVIS module are already rich in colour and detail, ready to be processed by Thinkware's night vision technology. STARVIS improves upon previous camera modules used by Thnkware by developing the image quality in the visible ray and near-infrared ranges.
Safety Camera Alert
A database of known safety camera locations is included with every F800 Pro. This works out at over 18,000 locations in the UK!
Thanks to the built-in GPS, F800 Pro knows if one is coming up.
This database is constantly updated, so if F800 Pro is updated regularly, new locations will be added. Updates can be handled automatically and wirelessly if in the range of your home Wi-Fi or other public Wi-Fi access point.
You will also be informed when you are speeding excessively and in known areas of average speed checks. Overall, F800 Pro can provide audible warnings for 5 types of road safety cameras:
Red Light Warning System (on traffic lights)
Speed Camera Warning System (traditional yellow box)
Red Light & Speed Camera Warning System (a combination of the above)
Average Speed Warning System (used in contraflow systems)
Mobile Zone Warning System (Known short term deployments - keep software updated regularly to keep these up to date)
Road Safety Warning Systems
To keep you safe on the road, especially if traveling to new areas, Thinkware F800 Pro features a number of state-of-the-art warning systems. These are all optional within the settings and can be switched off via the settings, accessible from the F800 Pro app for iOS or Android.
Lane Departure Warning System
F800 Pro is constantly checking the road ahead and scanning for painted lines. Should you be traveling over 50km/h (~31 mph) and stray outside of your lane, the warning system will provide you with an audible alert.
High-Speed Urban Forward Collision Warning System (FCWS / uFCWS)
Keeping a good distance from the vehicle in front of safe driving practice. F800 Pro calculates the distance between you and the vehicle in front. At speeds of above 30km/h (~18.5 mph) a 3 stage warning system will provide alerts as you approach the car in front.
Front Vehicle Departure Warning (FVDW)
Ever looked up to realize that the cars in front have started moving already? With FVDW, you'll get a buzz if you're stationary and the vehicle in front has moved off without you reacting.
Video Enhancement Technology
Top of the range enhancement technologies ensures that the Thinkware F800 Pro captures exceptionally high-quality video every time it turns on.
Wide Dynamic Range
Useful for reducing glare and improving the contrast between light and dark. The high-resolution Sony CMOS sensor has a wide dynamic range to compensate for quick exposure changes.
This is the sort of thing that can occur as you emerge from a tunnel or turn a corner into direct sunlight.
Night Time Picture Quality Correction
Driving at night invariably makes it difficult to record decent quality footage. With the Thinkware F800 Pro, brightness, colour, and artifact correction clean up your videos.
Automatic Exposure
A sudden rise in light exposure causes glare that can adversely affect the final recorded image. Moving from light to dark and vice-versa (such as tunnels or entering/leaving an area with street lighting) has the same effect. F800 Pro manages incoming light levels from all sources to balance the final footage and avoid glare.
Mobile App
Thinkware has developed a brand new mobile app exclusively for the F800 Pro. This is available to download for both Android and iOS devices:
Google Play | iTunes
Using this app, you can connect directly to the F800 Pro on the move with a Wi-Fi direct connection (no external Wi-Fi router required).
The app lets you review recorded footage, downloading it to the phone or deleting it. You can also update the F800 Pro firmware and change settings, such as the Road Safety Notification Systems.
Live View from the camera is also available.
Reasons to buy Thinkware F800 Pro
- Eligible for F800 "Air" upgrade (cloud features and remote notifications) when available
- 1080p Sony Exmor R STARVIS Image Sensor with Super WDR
- Extended low-current parking mode (up to 1-week standby)
- Super Night Vision 2.0 (Driving & Parking mode)
- Time Lapse (parking mode only)
- Safety Camera Alert
- Road Safety Warning System (LDWS, FCWS, uFCW, FVSA)
- 140° Wide Angle (Front & Rear)
- Advanced Video Clear Technology
- Built-in Wi-Fi / Built-in GPS
- Format Free 2.0
- Mobile App (iOS & Android Compatible)
- PC Viewer For Windows And Mac OS
- G-sensor Incident Detection
- Integrated Thermal Protection
Box Contents
- F800 Pro Dash Cam Unit (an optional rear camera if purchased)
- Mount with 3M tape (1x)
- 12V jack power cable / hardwire power cable (depending on the package purchased)
- Adhesive cable holder (3x)
- MicroSD memory card with adapter
- Quick Start Guide/Warranty Card
Dash Cam F800 Pro Specifications
Dimensions
107 x 60.5 x 32.5 mm
Weight
104.5 grams
Camera
Sony STARVIS Exmor R CMOS IMX291 2.13 MP
Viewing Angle
140 degrees (diagonal)
Video
Full HD (1920 x 1080), front & rear cameras
Capacity
Micro SD supported up to 128 GB UHS-1
Recording Modes
Super Night Vision 2.0
Continuous Recording Mode
Incident Recording Mode
Manual Recording Mode
Parking Surveillance Recording Mode (in parking mode - requires hard wiring)
Time Lapse (in parking mode - requires hard wiring)
Capturing Still Image
Audio Recording
Power Consumption
Continuous Recording
2 Channel: 4.2 W
1 Channel: 2.9 W
Parking Mode
2 Channel: 2.4 W
1 Channel: 1.6 W
Low Power Mode (F800 PRO Only)
2 Channel: 0.84 W
1 Channel: 0.84 W
Recording Time
Recording data/bit rate TBC
Acceleration Sensor
3-Axis Acceleration G-Sensor (3D, ±4G)
GPS
Built-in GPS with GLONASS support
Power
Input Voltage: DC 12/24V (Max 35V)
Power Cable Port x 1 (3.5pi)
Interface
1 x Video-IN (micro USB), DC-IN, Micro SD slot
Operating Temperature
-20°C to 65°C
Storage Temperature
-40°C to 80°C
Extras
Security LED
Operation Status LED
GPS Receiver LED
Wi-Fi LED
