It’s been a big year for dash cams as I’ve never had to look at so many before. I’ve looked at units that were just front cam units, ones that were dual cam units, ones with built in GPS, and ones without. Much of them have similar features and mainly the only differences are mainly in aesthetics, the software used, and how they’re installed. Regardless of those differences, a dash cam is a device I believe every person should have installed in their vehicle both for safety and peace of mind. With that said, the latest dash cam I’m looking at is the Thinkware F200. This is a dash cam packed full of many of the features you’d find on their flagship devices, but in a more compact package.
The Thinkware F200 is much smaller than the similarly spec’d F800 Pro I looked at earlier this year. It’s slimmer, lighter, and takes up less space. It also comes with a rear view camera. Because of the 2-channel design, it’s able to record both the front cam and rear cam at the same time – front at 1080p and the rear at 720p.
Installation is pretty simple for both units as it’s quite similar to other dash cams. Find a place on the front windshield for the front camera and then figure out exactly how you want to mount that rear camera. Most likely with this, you’ll want to run it all the way to the rear window because the cable connecting the two is just too long for any other type of install. Depending on your level of expertise, you may need someone who is knowledgeable in removing parts as you will need to tuck these cables in behind panels in order to get a very clean install. The lat thing you want is a bunch of wires hanging everywhere. That also goes for the power cable. It’s super long so you should be able to route it all the way around the windshield, down the side of the pillar, under your dash, and then to any available power port you have, whether it be on the dash or in your arm rest.
Back to the features, like most dash cams, the Thinkware F200 has a wide, 140-degree view angle which should capture all you need up front and out the back. It has built in video enhancement technology ensuring the most vivid video recordings under any circumstance. The wide dynamic range allows the camera to eliminate excessively bright spots on the recording to correct its color balance in order to ensure a clear image. The unit also has full voice alerts. There isn’t built-in GPS however, but you are able to purchase an option GPS antenna and get that feature by connecting it to the main unit.
To get the most out the Thinkware F200, you will need to download the Thinkware Cloud mobile app on either iOS or Android as well as the PS Viewer app for your computer. The mobile app is used to connect to your dash cam when you’re out via built in Wi-Fi. With this you can view recorded video, live view, and adjust the settings of your dash cam. The PC Viewer app on the computer is used to view your captured videos in greater detail. You can use it to scan all recordings, share and save video files, view detailed GPS logs, and also adjust dash cam settings.
Final Thoughts
The Thinkware F200 is another quality dash cam that does exactly what it needs to do. I like the fact that it includes the second rear view camera with the option of also adding a GPS antenna. On the negative side, it doesn’t have it’s own screen like some other dash cams I’ve looked at, but hat remedied by using the Thinkware Cloud app on your phone which will allow you to view your videos while you’re out and about.
It’s also got a boat load of features usually found in their flagship dash cam, but in a smaller package. With that said, the Thinkware F200 is a quality dash cam and well worth the price of admission. It might not be as cheap as some of those “discount” dash cams you can find on Ebay, but the saying goes, “you get what you pay for.”