X1S Dash Cam by Black Box

X1S on Amazon

The XS1 is a good little camera that works but isn't without it's faults. When it comes down to it once it is placed in a car and powered on it records nice video and the GPS information is a neat addition. It comes with two suction cups; one with the GPS and one without so you can choose or use it as a spare.

Build- The entirety of the camera is made of plastic. This makes it very light but I'd prefer something a little stronger as you never know where you may have it for downloading video. The body is about half an inch thick and the lens sticks out the front another inch. Speaking of the lens: for something that records such nice video I'm disappointed that the housing is made of that cheap chrome plastic. There are 5 buttons: power, menu, ok, and two directions. To attach to the mounts you just push up and slide over for a friction fit but be careful because the joint is just plastic. The included charging cable is VERY long so you can tuck it behind the cars trim and still have it reach anywhere you need. Anyone decent with wires could chop the plug off and wire it right into the car too. If you're planning to use the GPS version of mount it's really handy because the antenna is hard mounted right to it. You won't have to deal with running any cables behind bodywork.

Function- First off I have to point out the menus are somewhat confusing to use because of the minimal buttons you are working with. You'll get it with a little work though and there should be no reason for you to have to touch them after that again. This is due to the fact that once the camera detects that power is on it automatically activates and starts recording. You don't need to take it down until there's something you want to pull off the card and even then you could just pull the card itself out. The ability to set it and forget it is great. Just remember that if your car doesn't disable the plugs when it turns off you'll have to plug and unplug yourself to turn it on(or use the power button). The screen on this model always stays on and that's a big minus. If you're driving at night you don't want to be seeing it the whole time. Once you have a video you can take the card or attach the supplied micro usb cable to a computer and watch them. If you are using the GPS you can open the video in the supplied program and see location and speed on a map as the video plays. I recommend searching for a program called Registrator Viewer as it's a little nicer if not still somewhat clunky. Those aren't even the only ways to watch. If you have a mini-hdmi cable you can plug the camera right into a big screen TV and let everyone see.

This model by Black Box is a decent choice. I have a few complaints but nothing that would keep me from recommending it if you find it for the right price. I received this product free in exchange for nothing more than my honest opinion.