Garmin Dash Cam 65 Reviewed

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Garmin Dash Cam 65 Reviewed Review Facts

There are plenty of dash cams on the market that you have the ability to choose from, and on the following link, you can see our selection of best dash cams. These small yet necessary devices will make all the difference in how you drive and how comfortable you feel while on the road. You will be able to take footage of everything going on around you as you drive, which can be important if you ever need to make an insurance claim or if you need to provide evidence of an incident taking place.

Garmin is a brand that is well-known for the powerful and high-quality dash cams it produces, having frequently topped many people’s lists of the best of the best.

The Garmin Dash Cam 65 is no different. People enjoyed the fact that it offers voice command, WiFi connection, GPS navigation, alerts and warnings, and that the device has a nice compact design. The only main issue people had with this product is that it does not provide you with the highest quality for resolution- 1080 pixels instead of 1440- and there is a slight fish-eye effect.

But overall, many people seemed to be pleased with the way this product worked, so let’s check out some of the different features it has to offer.

Editor's Pros & Cons
Pros

Provides a 180 view of your surroundings

Has a nice, small design

Allows for WiFi connectivity

Gives warnings for red light, collisions, bad drivers

Includes voice control features

Allows you to film while parked

Cons

Does not have the top-quality resolution

Has a fish-eye effect with 180 lens

Basic Features

Aside from providing you with all the regular features that typical dash cams come with, there is a lot that you will be able to get out of purchasing this device. For one, it provides 180-degree views of your entire surroundings, which means that you will even be able to see what’s going on in your peripheral. This could be essential depending on the situation.

The quality is also 1080 pixels, which isn’t the best that it could be, but most people did not have much of a problem with the quality of the footage it was able to provide.

This camera also comes with a ball socket and magnetic mount that help to make it much easier for you to attach to the windshield or your dashboard. There are multiple different ways that you could position the camera for your added convenience, and you also will have an easy time installing and removing it from your car.

You also have the possibility of using this product both during the day and at night. While some people notice that their dash cams do not provide the best-quality footage at night, those who used this product did not necessarily notice the same issue, which is important.

This camera will run for a little while when you turn off the car engine. It needs to be plugged into a 12-volt power source, but the simple fact that you can rely on it running for a bit of time when the car is turned off will provide a lot of relief. Aside from that, the battery life is 30 minutes. When using the parking surveillance feature, make sure that you have a 12-volt power source on hand.

When you purchase this camera, it comes with an 8GB SD card, which means that you can film 8GB of footage before it gets overridden. The camera has the capacity to support an SD card up to 64 GB, however, and you will be able to get started as soon as you receive the package.

Advanced Features

This cam’s biggest selling points were some of the advanced features that it has to offer. For one, it has a compatible app and a WiFi hotspot that will allow you to download the footage onto your phone. This app can work on any smartphone, so it doesn’t matter whether you have an iPhone or Android. This will allow you to store the footage for any necessary situations.

Perhaps one of the most useful and critical features that this product provides is voice control. This also will provide you with extra protection because you won’t have to take your hands off the wheel in order to operate the device. You can tell the camera when you want it to stop recording. When you want it to save a photo or video, and if you want a time-lapse to be recorded. The voice control feature is available in French, Italian, German, and English, which is great if English isn’t your first language.

In addition to all of this, the camera will also provide you with warnings if there are bad drivers on the road. This will usually include if there are lane departures, collisions, and warnings for red lights. This last feature works in connection with the GPS feature, so you will be able to get accurate information for wherever you’re going. But do keep in mind that you will have to pay a yearly subscription fee in order to use the red light feature after the first year. It will cost $25 annually after the initial year. In some regions, you will also be able to receive warnings if there are speed cameras in the area.

And finally, the camera will also allow you to take footage when you are parked. This is important because incidents sometimes occur in the parking lot, and you want to make sure that you have the evidence on you. It works through motion detection, so if the camera happens to detect any movement, it will begin to record. Just make sure that you have a 12-volt power source that will maintain its energy. As we said above, however, you can also rely on the camera to take 1 minute of footage after you turn the car engine off.

Connection

This cam will connect with the use of WiFi, which means that you will be able to upload videos to your smartphone. You will need to download the VIRB app, which is compatible with any type of smartphone. You will have to connect your phone to the WiFi hotspot provided by the device and share the gallery. This means that you will be able to store all your videos in case they ever become necessary. There are not too many settings to play around within this app, however, so there isn’t much that you will be able to do on that end.

The cam turns on and records when you connect it to your car’s charging port and it will work automatically when you start the engine. However, since the product also allows you to use it for parking surveillance, it needs to be connected to a 12-volt source that will provide constant energy in order for you to be able to use this feature. It’s apparently said that the camera can also be connected to a computer, but you will need to also purchase an SD card reader as well as the device’s WiFi and compatible app.

Ease of Use

Overall, it is easy to figure out how to use this device, even if you’re not someone who is technologically savvy. The buttons on the side are clearly labeled for you to see what you’re doing.

But the main feature that allows you to use this dash cam as easily as possible is the voice control feature. All you need to do is speak and tell the camera what you need it to do. This makes driving a lot more convenient and easier.

Video Quality

Even though this dash cam does not provide 1440 pixels of resolution as some other options on the market do, that does not mean that you are getting a poor-quality dash cam out of the deal. It will provide you with 1080 pixels at 30 frames per second, which is the perfect and maximum resolution that is recommended if you intend on using a dash cam for its normal purpose.

A great thing that users noticed is that you will be able to get high-quality footage both during the day and at night, which is important because some cameras do not offer the ability to get clear footage at night. If you brighten the photo when you download it to your phone, you will be able to see all the license plates and other details even more clearly.

Field of View

As we have mentioned several times, this Garmin dash cam will provide you with a fairly large field of view, especially in comparison to some of its predecessors. You will be able to get a 180-degree view, which will allow you to see all your peripherals and everything else clearly.

Although there is a fish-eye effect on the sides, but this seems to be a common feature among wide-angle cameras. But the wide field of view is an important feature to take note of if you want to be on the safe side because this is what will ultimately allow you to stay safe and keep note of everything going on around you.

Design

Plenty of people were pleased with the fact that this dash cam offers a compact and lightweight design. It looks very similar to a regular camera and its dimensions are 1.6 x 0.8 x 2.2 inches. This means that it will not be an obstruction to your view when you place it on the dashboard, which is critical for your safety.

The device comes with a magnetic mount, so you will be able to attach it to your dashboard or windshield easily. It is both easy to install and to remove. You may also change the device’s position to one that suits you best.

There are four buttons next to the screen on the side. One is for going back, the next is for going up, the next is for going down, and the next is to play to footage. It also has a wider lens in comparison to its predecessors, which will allow you to get a clearer view of your surroundings.

There is also a USB port on the left side, as well as a slot of the SD card and a heat vent on the bottom of the device. You will be able to point the cable toward the ceiling, which was a design feature that plenty of people appreciated.

The camera is black and has the brand name written next to the lens.

Price

When compared with other dash cams that are available on the market, this Garmin device is a little bit on the more expensive end. But it is important to note that this is due to the fact that it was manufactured by a highly reputable company that is known for its top-quality products.

And, you get plenty of innovative and new features with this device that might not be available in some of the competing products. The official retail price of the 65 dashcam is $250, but you will be able to purchase it for $190 on Amazon, which we think is a pretty good deal.

Key Features

The device has a compatible app and WiFi
It provides warnings for red lights, collisions, and more
The product is small and compact
Voice control allows for easier control while driving
Includes a GPS feature
Captures high-quality footage both during the day and at night

Bottom Line

Overall, Garmin is known for producing some of the best dash cams on the market, and the Dash Cam 65 is no exception. Many people raved about the different features that this product had to offer, especially the voice control, WiFi, high-quality resolution, parking surveillance, and more.

The only things that you might want to note are that there is a fish-eye effect due to the wide-angle lens and it doesn’t have the highest resolution available. But it comes in a compact design and you will be able to see everything within 180 degrees. The resolution works well both day and night. In all, you will be able to trust this product in any situation while on the road.