Thinkware is set to release its new Q200 dash cam that will come with a set of new features that includes improved night vision. The more affordable dash cam maintains a smaller profile that won’t obstruct vision for drivers, yet casts a fairly wide 125-degree field of view to capture everything happening in front of a vehicle.
As is often customary for Thinkware, the device doesn’t have its own screen. You initially set it up via Thinkware’s Dash Cam Link app on iOS or Android, where you can then view its feed live or download clips afterward. The app is also where you can change settings or update the firmware to keep the device current.
What the Thinkware Q200 can do
On its face, the Thinkware Q200 is a dash cam but its feature set expands to include some security settings as well. On the road, the cam records video in 2K QHD quality at 30fps with a 125-degree wide angle. Thinkware says footage should show better contrast and more accurate colour balance. It supports microSD cards up to 256GB (the unit comes with a 32GB card in the box) and software that can hold off potential file corruption so you don’t lose anything.
You have to install the camera onto your windshield or dash using the included adhesive, as there is no suction cup option. Built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enable secure ad hoc connections with your phone, and you can also invite select friends and family to receive alerts if something happens while driving.
The Q200 only has a camera facing forward, not one facing the cabin, so it doesn’t record anything there. There is a bundle that includes a rearview camera to go with the main unit, but there is no variant that includes a cabin view.
The dash cam draws power from a vehicle’s 12V socket, and Thinkware includes a plastic trim tool to help hide cables under the panels in the car’s interior. You also have an option for a hardwiring installation. Thinkware includes the cables to do it, though if you don’t know how to install things that way in the car, there are instructions to do so included.
Expanding the functionality
One advantage with a hardwired installation is that it means the dash cam is always active. That’s where the Parking Surveillance Mode comes in. There is a catch in that the Q200 needs a separate accessory adapter that would connect to the vehicle’s OBD-II port. When done, the camera would be able to detect and record instances of an impact or movement in front of the vehicle while parked.
The Q200 is already built to handle the hot and cold of Canadian weather, but the Smart Parking mode uses a low-power mode if the cabin gets too hot. There’s even a Time Lapse in Parking Surveillance mode that records at just 2fps, creating a continuous recording period that doesn’t sap much power from the battery while the ignition is off.
The Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) takes things further with more precise alerts for forward collisions, lane departures and front vehicle departures. It also shows speed and red-light camera alerts, and embeds the speed, time and location for all footage the dash cam captures. You need Thinkware’s GPS separately sold GPS antenna to make it work though.
The Thinkware Q200 dash cam is available for pre-order now at Best Buy either as a single camera or bundled with a rearview cam as well.
