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Vantrue E1 Professional sprint cam: two-minute evaluate
Whereas there are actually lots of of fashions to select from on the market, I at all times favor to stay with the big-name best dash cams. This contains the likes of Nextbase, Garmin, and Vantrue, which just lately unveiled its new and up to date Ingredient 1 Professional Sprint Cam (extra generally known as the E1 Professional).
The E1 Professional is nicely price a search for anybody who wants a compact, value efficient in-car resolution. It is centered across the small black field design, which measures (approx) simply 4.7 x 2 x 4.7 inches / 12 x 5 x 12cm. Even then, the design manages to squeeze in a neat little LCD display screen on the rear, which proves invaluable for setup steps throughout set up. The knowledge graphics are rather less simple to learn when it’s getting used on the transfer, but it surely’s a worthwhile a part of the E1 Professional’s attraction.
Vantrue initially launched this mannequin a couple of years in the past, and we obtained to take a primary have a look at it again in 2022, when it was often known as the Vantrue E1. The design seems to have modified little since then, with considered one of its most distinctive options being the protruding round lens association.
Nonetheless, Vantrue has beefed up the innards, so as an alternative of two.5K video there’s now crisp and clear 4K 3840 x 2160p 30fps footage on supply because of a Sony IMX678 Starvis 2 sensor. One other interesting issue of this mannequin is the 158-degree wide-angle lens, which gives a reasonably expansive view of the street forward.
Vantrue additionally likes to focus on its PlatePix software program, which is designed to supply higher readability when capturing particulars corresponding to license plates or street indicators. The corporate claims this delivers a 50 % clearer view than normal 4K HDR.
Excessive-quality footage wants card area, and to that finish Vantrue has upped the microSD card compatibility to a whopping 1TB, though my take a look at unit arrived with a quite leaner 128GB card. Alongside the improved taking pictures capability, the Vantrue E1 Professional Sprint Cam packs in loads of different options and capabilities, together with voice management, a stable supporting app with quick Wi-Fi switch charges, GPS, and improved temperature safety, in addition to the advantage of a supercapacitor inside battery.
My evaluate unit additionally got here provided with a round polarizing filter or CPL, which may be screwed to the entrance of the lens. This cuts via reflections and glare, and may be significantly helpful in conditions the place harsh gentle is a matter, particularly in the case of capturing finer particulars together with license plates. There’s additionally a distant management if the buttons on the field itself, or voice management, don’t attraction.
The field contains every part it’s essential to stand up and working, together with all of the cables and an set up device for pushing wires behind trim. The Vantrue E1 Professional is designed to function as a solo unit, so there isn’t any choice to plug a rear-facing digicam into the meeting. Nonetheless, it is keenly priced, so ought to attraction to anybody who’s going to be content material with a front-facing solely mannequin.
One other level to recollect – and that is the case for almost all of sprint cam fashions, is that the Vantrue E1 Professional Sprint Cam will have to be hard-wired right into a car to take advantage of its superior parking options. Energy may also be provided through a regular 12V socket, which is discovered within the majority of autos; nevertheless, there may be worth within the parking mode, through which the E1 Professional can seize footage 15 seconds earlier than and 30 seconds after movement is detected. If you happen to’re liable to parking in less-than-ideal neighborhoods, it could possibly be a worthwhile characteristic, and value the additional value of including within the hardwire equipment.
Vantrue E1 Professional Sprint Cam: value and availability
The Vantrue Ingredient E1 Professional Sprint Cam is usually listed by its mannequin quantity, the E1 Professional, and is on the market now immediately from the Vantrue website in addition to on-line retailers together with Amazon. VanTrue has it listed for £139.99 within the UK market and $129.99 within the US, whereas Amazon lists it for £129.99 within the UK, and sells the E1 Pro for $149.99 within the US. As at all times, it’s price purchasing round and preserving an eye fixed out for particular gives, as costs for sprint cams can fluctuate quite a bit. I might anticipate this mannequin to be repeatedly on sale for a great 10% much less.
The eager value level pits the E1 Professional towards the likes of the Nextbase Piqo 2K and Miofive S1 and is great worth for the options on board.
Vantrue E1 Professional Sprint Cam: specs
|
Video |
Entrance 4K 3840 x 2160p 30fps |
|
Subject of view (FOV) |
158 levels |
|
Storage |
MicroSD as much as 1TB, Cloud |
|
GPS |
Sure |
|
Parking mode |
Sure, with fixed energy cable, not included |
|
App assist |
Vantrue app |
|
Dimensions |
4.7 x 2 x 4.7 inches / 12 x 5 x 12cm |
|
Weight |
3.35oz / 95g |
|
Battery |
Sure |
Vantrue E1 Professional Sprint Cam: Design
Some of the interesting elements of the Vantrue E1 Professional is its cute, cubist design. It’s mainly only a small black plastic field, however with all the stuff wanted to make it interesting on the identical time. There’s an LCD display screen on the again, which packs in a really respectable decision and appears nice in use, despite the fact that the data icons packed into the small viewing space are a bit an excessive amount of to absorb with a fast look.
One other nice characteristic with this mannequin is the mounting bracket, which may be connected to a windshield immediately through an adhesive pad or by first mounting it to a static sheet, which makes elimination simpler if the digicam must be transferred to a different car. Whereas it’s in situ, the sprint cam additionally contains a slide-out bracket, which suggests the digicam may be pulled out and put away if wanted, leaving simply the windshield half in place.
As talked about, Vantrue now provides this mannequin with a polarizing filter, which I discovered to be a worthwhile addition, particularly to be used in variable lighting circumstances. Becoming it may be slightly awkward, thoughts, particularly for anybody with massive fingers, because the threading course of is sort of fiddly. However, I like the way in which this additionally retains the F1.8, 7-glass lens properly lined, and it is a lot simpler to wipe over in case of any undesirable fingerprint marks. General, the construct high quality could be very spectacular, and every part it’s essential to get began is contained in the field, together with a Sort C information cable if Wi-Fi isn’t out there.
Vantrue E1 Professional Sprint Cam: Efficiency
Specification was left slightly bit wanting on the unique incarnation of this design, and that i’s on this division the place the true enhancements have been made. Vantrue has upped the standard of the innards, with 4K 3840 x 2160p 30fps footage now delivered very properly by the Sony IMX678 Starvis 2 sensor. The F1.8 lens and 158-degree wide-angle area of view captures spectacular protection of the street forward, and I discovered little to grouse about throughout on a regular basis use.
The addition of the polarizing filter is beneficial, and it did appear to maintain glare to a minimal, and VanTrue’s PlatePix software program appears fairly good at boosting the definition of license plates and the like. Equally spectacular outcomes have been recorded after darkish, so I do assume this mannequin is a stable all-rounder, and clearly an enchancment over the unique mannequin – and it may be bought for roughly the identical value.
Vantrue is a previous grasp at delivering nice app assist, and that’s very a lot the case right here. As this mannequin shoots 4K there is a bit more to consider by way of file administration, though the up-to 1TB microSD card choice takes the strain off quite a bit. That capability can deal with as much as 66 hours of footage, plus the loop recording may be adjusted in 1-, 2-, or 3-minute segments. There’s additionally the attraction of Wi-Fi switch; in any other case the Vantrue E1 Professional helps what’s pretty normal 5G, or cable switch if that’s most well-liked.
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How I examined the Vantrue E1 Professional Sprint Cam
- I put in the sprint cam right into a take a look at automobile for an preliminary interval of two weeks
- I used it for numerous journeys through the day and at evening
- I linked it to my cellphone and downloaded recordings for comparability
After receiving my evaluate mortgage unit, I fitted the Vantrue E1 Professional Sprint Cam to a family-sized automobile utilizing the provided cable and powered it through the 12V socket. The digicam was fitted with a 128GB microSD card, which allowed me to check the reliability of recording 4K information to media. The ensuing information was additionally shared to my cellphone, with information being managed by the VanTrue app on an Apple iPhone, together with cable switch for good measure.
One of many very helpful options of the Vantrue E1 Professional Sprint Cam is the mounting bracket, which allowed me to take away it every time wanted and click on it again into place simply as rapidly. Though I wasn’t capable of hard-wire this mannequin into my take a look at car, I’ve each purpose to anticipate the non-compulsory parking monitoring options to operate simply in addition to every part else.
- First reviewed April 2025