Ring Automotive – RSDC3000 Smart Dash Cam Focus problem.
Ring Automotive – RSDC3000 Smart Dash Cam Review
What is the Best Dashcam?
Ring RSDC3000 vs Viofo
Should I buy the RSDC3000 Dashcam? (In short… NO!). (SOLVED).
So like many I want a dashcam! I did my research and thought that the Ring Automotive – RSDC3000 Smart Dash Cam would be a good choice. I also purchased the optional rear facing camera too. I will get onto that later.
Of course, I, like many, watched YouTube videos saying how great it was, but they omit a few details.
When you first get it you tend to try it on the kitchen table, you know to check it is working before you install it. This is what I assume 99% of people do. It looked great. So installed it behind my rear view mirror in a Fiesta. Probably the most common car in the UK, so shouldn’t be any problem there?! It went in a treat and set it up.
The first issue is the rear camera has to take quality from the front camera to operate. Rather than being its own camera that can feed a signal to the front camera, it uses the main camera to run it. This heavily impacts on the main camera. Your drop in resolution is massive. You go from HD Where you can read numberplates to not being able to it becomes a 480/320? Yeah noone tells you that!!! >:( I will put a video here to demonstrate below with the rear dashcams effect. And yes as an ex professional photographer I did remove the plastic lens protector.
The next problem with the Ring RSDC3000 Dash Cam is its ability to focus. All it has to do is focus on the road. I mean the worse smartphone on earth can with its wide angle set to infinity do a better job than this. Every phone can do this better or even a cheap second hand GoPro (or Chinese knock off version that uses the same GoPro mounts). but the Ring RSDC3000 focuses on the frame of the window? Take a look at the video above. Look at the dashboard and windscreen wipers (they are sharp as are any marks on the windscreen) then try and read the numberplate of any car beyond that or sign? The inability to read a numberplate makes this dashcam less than useless in any legal context. It is bloody awful!
Part of the problem is I think although I cannot be certain without dismantling the camera that it is using a budget Novatek Chip. When you turn it on it sounds exactly like the chimes here in the video below. In fact this segment by Linus Tech Tips (it is time stamped) is quite apt. And he also cannot understand why a GoPro would be stunning and all the dash cams in the price range suck! Remember the cameras tested by LTT below did not have a rear camera leeching of them either! And they are already not great!
My advice is if you buy this camera ensure you test this in position using a temporary clamp (do not use their ultra sticky mount until you are certain). Drive around with it. Then use the rear camera and see the difference (keep the box ready to return it). Also be careful that your windscreen is crystal clear… one dead fly (or spec of dust) and you are done! Probably the worst dashcam on the market at the price range for 2 cameras, simply because as mentioned a cheap sports cam (a go pro knockoff) would deliver 10 times the quality of this and mounts are plentiful and cheaper! And this is for legal reasons. If you cannot identify people or vehicle registrations (licence plates US) how can you prove it was that car? This is so serious its frustrating. So as a result this offers no peace of mind whatsoever.
Just to note, Ring is not an Amazon owned company despite Amazon owning the home security network part it is in fact owned by OSRAM Licht a German lighting company. So being happy with you home doorbell may mislead you!
Again this is just an opinion and your milage may vary. But had I known what I now know I would have shopped elsewhere that’s for sure or simply bought two of Linus’ recommendation above. It is cheap/er for reason. Be very careful if you buy the rear camera. And remember when you first open it and try it you are not seeing what you actually get, if there is some legal event, accident, theft or hit and run etc… whilst you maybe able to prove to your insurance no fault, as far as a the police are concerned I doubt they will be able to trace the car let alone the driver as they will be too blurry. Most do not check the footage if the buyer knows it is working, that is until something happens that requires you to review the footage Only then, you discover to your horror this bottle top lens and terrible quality(!), so you have been warned!
Remember on the Kitchen table after unboxing…
- There is no windscreen (or reflections no polariser for removing them is included or able to be fitted as there is no filter thread mount) in the way
- There is no rear camera zapping its juice! You are seeing it at top quality!
- It is in a controlled environment (no road vibration or adverse lighting conditions).
- The screen is tiny… everything on a small screen looks sharp!
If for some reason Ring get in touch I will alter this review. But what are the chances of that?
So what do I buy then?
Having done some considerable research I think like Linus above and the video below seems to be concerned with the common chips in use so for that reason I recommend that Cameras with the Starvis 2 chip are the way to go. And the company Viofo seem to be the market leaders. Here is a link to the S2 cameras. They all take a hit when you add the rear camera but nothing like the loss of quality with the RING!
https://viofouk.co.uk/product-category/dash_camera/sony-starvis-2-dashcams
Here is a very good review and look out for the Viofo cameras in it!
Have fun and happy days…. and drive carefully!
Surfwidow