MINI Pro 1296P

PB tech has cheap ones on sale if after a front cam only. [I got this one when it was like $80-$90ish? ](https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/CARDDP0011/DDPai-Mini-Pro-Dash-Cam-1296P-UHD-Resolution-Mini) If you are after a front + back camera[ I got this one for my mum which did front and back](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32931282121.html), but it's a good dashcam but will be a few weeks wait ordering from Aliexpress

I have had the DDPAI MiniPro Dashcam for a year or so now. It was easy to self install (YouTube tutorial). I’d recommend as it was ~$80 when I bought it on sale, very easy to connect and pull footage of it. However it’s clear during the day, the reflectiveness at night time for number plates can be an issue.

Me and my co-worker have had great luck using the DDPAI Mini Pro (no longer available) for the past nearly 25 months. One is in my work truck and the other two in his car & pickup. Hard to complain considering the initial purchase price(s) were $40 CAD. Decent enough video quality IMO for what it is. I was contemplating trying one of their newer models but I already too many good dash cam than I know what to do with... Been using dash cams since 2010 having very little issues with any of them. At present my personal vehicles are equipped as follows... Pickup - Wolfbox G900 Pro front & rear, Vantrue E1 Pro front, Viofo A119M Pro rear, and soon-to-be-installed Vantrue E360 ACE front, inside, rear. SUV - Viofo A229 Plus triple channel, Vantrue E1 Pro.

If you want something simple and affordable, I’d honestly look at the DDPAI Mini Pro. I put one in my own car after a sketchy rear-end situation and it’s been very much a set it and forget it kind of thing. It turns on automatically with the truck, records everything up front in clear 2K quality, and saves clips if there’s a hard stop or impact. No screen, no buttons to mess with, which is great if your husband isn’t tech-savvy. I haven’t had to use the footage for insurance yet, but just knowing it’s there gives real peace of mind. It’s usually well under $150 and feels like good value without being overcomplicated.

If you want something reliable in that price range, I’d honestly look at DDPAI. I swapped out my old sketchy Chinese cam for the DDPAI Mini Pro 2K and it’s been rock solid. Video quality is great, it keeps date and time perfectly, and you don’t have to worry about a dead internal battery, it uses a supercapacitor instead, so it handles heat and long-term use way better. Setup is easy too, just stick it on the windshield and it starts recording automatically. Feels way more dependable than the cheap ones I tried before.