Thinkware F200 Dash Cam 2020 Latest Updated Review
The Thinkware F200 is a mid-ranged car cam that is meant to deliver slightly better features than a baseline dash camera at a more reasonable price than the cameras with more bells and whistles
Overview
Thinkware F200 comes with a 16 GB SD card but supports up to 128 GB, which will hold several more hours of video.
Given that this is a mid-range dash camera, it also has some features not found in cheaper models, like a companion app, a built-in WiFi connection, and a Parking Mode.
In order to use the Parking Mode you will need to purchase a hardwire kit from Thinkware or a generic one that will allow you to wire the dash cam unit directly into your cars fuse box.
That kit can be used on any Thinkware model however, so if you are simply upgrading your Thinkware device then you can use an old hardwire kit if you have one.
It only records when it detects motion and has a built-in voltage meter to prevent your car battery from draining because of Parking Mode.
Key Features
- Full HD 1080p front recording
- Optional HD 720p rear recording
- Wide Dynamic Range, True color video quality
- Improved night time picture quality recording
- Built-in WiFi with mobile app viewer for compatible iOS and Android smartphones
- Optional GPS antenna
- Red light camera and speed camera alerts
- Parking mode – impact and motion detection
Pros
- Optional GPS and rear camera extras
- 16GB microSD card included
- Wi-Fi configuration
Cons
- Only Full HD resolution
- Mediocre image quality
- No LCD panel for menu operation
Mounting Options
Thinkware appears to focus primarily on dash cams meant to be permanently installed.
The F200 is rather small and innocuous, and comes only with an adhesive windscreen mount, rather than a suction-based option.
However, you do get an additional 3M sticky pad in the box, in case you need to move the F200 to another car.
In fact, the F200 doesn’t even come with a power cable in the box, leaving you to choose one of its two separate options.
Thinkware F200 – Wi-Fi
If you want to change any of the settings on the F200, you’ll first need to turn on its Wi-Fi and connect to it via your smartphone, and then load the Thinkware app.
However, this doesn’t include a lot of extra options, other than being able to change the exposure for dark, middle and bright, independently for front and rear cameras.
You can alter the sensitivity for the G sensor’s incident capturing, and enable a parking mode so the cameras will record if they detect motion when your vehicle is stationary.
You can set some voltage limits for this, so the F200 doesn’t drain your battery below a certain level. It’s also possible to enable or disable safety camera warnings
Whats More
Its full HD 1080P image sensor with wide Dynamic range records in true color video quality, while the Built-in Wi-Fi allows ease of access to device Settings and video download from your smartphone.
The rear camera records at 720p but still feels adequate for capturing that tailgating jerk. It’s not as sharp as the 1080p up in front, so don’t exactly count on being able to read license plates of vehicles until they are up on your car’s butt.
In perspective, you would be hard pressed to read a license plate of a car that is more than 3 car lengths in front of you. Nighttime driving is a whole different story, and I’m pretty sure all cameras dip in image quality in low light conditions.
The F200 utilizes a feature called WDR (wide dynamic range) to not overreact to blinding incoming headlights and maintains a stable exposure and contrast at night.
Thinkware F200 – Optional Extras
Whilst the specification of the F200 itself is somewhat pedestrian, Thinkware has numerous options for extending the dash cam’s functionality.
For a start, you can purchase an external GPS module for £25, which enables the F200 to record your location along with its video.
This also allows you to install a safety camera database on the F200’s memory card and receive audible notifications when you’re approaching a controlled zone.
The GPS antenna plugs into a micro-jack on one end of the F200, and then sticks to the screen using a 3M adhesive pad.
Optional Accessories
The core specs for the Thinkware F200 are a fairly standard affair. The front camera does 1080p with WDR, the rear does 720p, you’ve got 140-degree wide recording, plus support for up to 128GB microSD cards
But if you want to get the most out of what this dashcam can do, you’ll need to invest in some optional accessories.
The external GPS module is about $40, for example, and that’s what you’ll need for the safety camera alert.
There’s an infrared internal camera, the BCH-610IR, which looks similar to the BCH-610 and costs £60 – but it features a couple of infrared LEDs.
If you want to record external events in complete darkness, the final option is the BCH-600IRW. This infrared camera is waterproof and has a larger array of LEDs.
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