Garmin Dash Cam X310 | Unboxed, Installed, and Tested

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf2mN7z9Tcs

Testing out Garmin's Dash Cam X310. In this video, we take a hands-on look at the Garmin Dash Cam X310 from unboxing to installation, and a real-world test drive. Whether you're considering upgrading your current dash cam or investing in your first one, this review gives you an inside look at what the X310 has to offer.

 

updated

 

Nice video. I have a Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2. I love that it is small and is hidden from view between the windshield and the mirror. What I don’t like is the resolution. In order to read a license plate on a still picture my 4Runner needs to be very close to the car in front. I see that the x310 is 4K. Have you experimented to see how far away a car can be and still have the plate be legible in a still photo?

 

I had the Garmin Mini 2 in my Tacoma. It was very good, but not great. The two biggest drawbacks:

1) Reading license plates. Like you mentioned, I had to be very close or going at a slower speed. If I was doing 65MPH and someone wizzed past me the 1080p quality would blur the plate. Low light was also an issue.

2) It was mounted to my windshield via an adhesive sticky. When I would clean the window I would sometimes bump it out of position and I'd have to spend time turning it back on, logging in via the app and setting it juuuuuuust right for how I liked.

My current cam solved both of those problems.

 

@Borracho Loco what are you running now? Where is it mounted? Pic of the installation? I love that the Mini 2 is so stealthy. While I’d love to upgrade to something that lets me see license plates, the Mini 2 is perfectly adequate to show the insurance company that “it wasn’t my fault.”

I’ve always thought logging in via the app was a bit cumbersome.

 

I have the FitCamx. I've had it for almost 2yrs now and love it. It records in 4k. I had to replace it recently (under warranty) because the built in battery caused a minor issue that annoyed me. The clock would show that it was 7:32pm when it was actually 7:32am.

I have two options to get the video:

1) Open the app (after it's connected to the dash-cam wifi) and then download it.
2) Pop out the micro SD card put that into an SD card reader then pop it into my laptop and view the file that way. Oh, I upgraded the SD card so I can save more videos. You know, just in case.


FitCam told me the internal battery holds that information and if it wasn't holding it, the battery was bad. BUT, the battery is sodered to the motherboard, so it had to be replaced. They sent me a replacement and I swapped it out. Easy Peasy. The new model is a bit different than my old one:

1) It puts "FitCamX" as a watermark on all videos. You can turn this off with the app though.
2) The new cam ONLY records in 4k. This is fine for me, but video files are larger.
3) The old dash cam let me record for 5min intervals. The new one only allows 1 or 3 min intervals. Not an issue for me, but they took away an option I liked.

The best part, it has an OEM look! Most people don't even know I have it because of how cleanly it installs.






This is an installation video that I found. It was super easy for me to install. It took me longer to get it out of the box than it did to pop it into place and get it working.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTq-oVHoDCQ

 

Thanks for that Loco. Looks impressive. I already have the Dongar adapter. Can I power the FitCamX with that?

 

You don't need it. My FitcamX came with it. When I sold my Garmin Mini 2, I included the adapter...as a bonus to the buyer. I think I sold it to someone on this site?


Here are two videos of my communte to/from work. At night it's almost impossible to read a license plate, but the video quality is excellent. During the day, I can read plates even when I'm doing 70MPH and someone zooms past me. They aren't always easy reads, because it depends on a few factors: How fast they/you are going, the amount of light/reflective surfaces, etc..

Give me a few minutes and I'll upload some videos so you can see the quality.

 

If it’s a pain to load the video then just a screenshot or two at native resolution would be great.

 

@Captain Spalding

Click the links so you can watch them on YouTube's webpage. They'll auto default to 4k if you do.

At 1min 57 seconds (you can slow down the video to half speed or pause it). You'll see a douche-nozzle fly by me in his DoucheBag Mobile AKA Dodge Charger. You can clearly make out his plate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Zwsa-VVD1Y


The night time video is pretty boring and uneventful. But you want that sort of thing on your morning commute to work. Am I right?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCPnIoIdjs8

 

Thanks for that effort @Borracho Loco . I can’t read the license plates on your video. I screen shotted them while viewing in the app (on an iPad). I don’t know if it’s a YouTube issue or a FitCamX issue or a streaming issue. Can I please impose upon you again? Can you screenshot the clearest image you can get of the license plate of the white car with black stripes?




it could be that my expectations are too high.

 

I slowed down the video to half speed, then paused it. Texas Plate: 7DV-0433




It's blurry in this picture, but that's because Microsoft Viewer is shit.


This is a bit harder to read: WDW-1671





if you ever found yourself in a hit-n-run situation, the fact that you have: Time, Date, Location, Lane of travel, Description of the car and a PARTIAL plate is a huge help. The cops can find out who owns the vehicle based off a partial plate, plus the make/model/color.

 

It could also be your iPad. I don't know how old it is. But if the display isn't 4k, then you won't be able to accurately watch 4k videos. The video card on my laptop has 4k resolution, so my videos stream in 4k. The quality is MUCH clearer compared to 1080p. The details are finer. That's how you can read plates.


Also, that video shows someone blowing past me doing 70+ MPH while I'm going 70MPH. It would be very rare to need to see a plate from the video at that speed. Most of the time you'll be driving slower, like city streets, thus it will be way easier to read plates of moving vehicles.

 

My iPad display is more than 1080 but less than 4K. It’s 2388x1668. Still, comparing your screenshot to my screenshot is the difference between illegible and mostly illegible. IDK if it’s worth the upgrade. Thanks though! You’ve gone above and beyond and it is much appreciated.