Brian...I've watched a *LOT* of product reviews during the preceding 15 years and this is HANDS-DOWN the most PROFESSIONAL, UNDERSTANDABLE, USEFUL I've seen. Just SUPERB! I hope other TH-camrs take a lesson from you regarding how it should be done. You set the standard with this one! Thank you sir.
*You're an amazing person for doing reviews. You have such a real down to earth personality & yet professional of detail is spot on. Your speaking of details is flawless. Thank you. 😊😊😊* Sharon in SC
Straight to the point, doesn’t beat around the bush, no annoying music. Great review, I’m highly considering cancelling/returning my Gramin 57 for this. You made great points.
Well thought out review sir! Simple and straightforward description and explanation. Purchased one on the basis of this review 3 days ago. Very pleased so far. Thank you!
Hi Brian. Just came across this vid and your channel by accident. Great explanation of the pro’s and con’s of this cam. I will certainly investigate getting one of these fitted. Very impressed by your content. A must subscribe and I have passed on your link to others. Keep up the good work.👍
@@no-knickers-emma1112 it’s solid for 1080. Not the best video quality at day or night but it’s so small and out of the way that it’s a fair trade off. If they made a 4K version I’d definitely upgrade.
Hi Brian, this is the best review of a product that I have seen for all the products that I have lloked for, you explained everything that I wanted to know and even you talked about other things that I was not aware, Congratulations!!
Got one because of your review! Thanks! Regarding the annoying beep, you can now turn the beep off in the app settings its called "Alert Volume". While I never had the mini 1, I can tell that the mini 2 still gets warm (almost like when your phone gets hot) but no issues so far. Overall it's a massive upgrade from my old dashcam from wish.
Brian, thank you very much for this review. I must admit that this is the best review of a product that I have seen in a very long time. Super informative!
Great review. I use a Garmin 57 on my primary car, and Mini 2 on my secondary cars. The 57 is better in every way (resolution, build quality, ease of use). But the 57 still works well if you need a smaller, more discrete camera. The Mini 2 resolution is ok, but hard to make out license plates unless you are close. The plastic feels cheap all around, and can wiggle a bit more on the mount compared to the 57. The Garmin dash cams work well powered by a cigarette lighter or usb, and turns off and on reliably when you turn the car off and on. No need for the parking cable, unless you want it to record while the car is parked. Also, the Mini 2’s had a firmware update that enables you to mute the beep if you find it distracting.
Probably the best dash cam review I've seen anywhere. Answered all my questions, and I am now certain this is the dash cam for me. Thank you also for posting the update about the annoying beeps as I absolutely despise needless beeping from obnoxious gadgets and appliances. Great stuff!
Thank you for this review. I was about to order this cam but the beeping is something I cannot accept. Good thing you updated the info and pointed out it can be disabled now.
Thanks for great review. Especially thank you for not having annoying music. Many you tubers think music makes their videos somehow better. But music makes many videos inaccessible to older folks who are a little hard of hearing and cannot tolerate the distraction of music. (My pet pieve.)
This Mini2 video convinced me to have one fitted earlier this week and it is excellent. Having enquired about the same one in the rear of my car, I found that the instructions were rather lacking in how to adapt front and rear cameras if you wish to take photos of the 'chump' behind. So, having set up the front camera to answer a call of Hi Garmin ...... take photo, for the rear camera that needs to be set up to have a Wake Word that is different. So set up with Hi Dashcam .... take photo. You may need to raise your voice a little, but they then both answer verbal commands. I hope this helps others.
Thanks for the follow up review on the new model! I'd been meaning to get around to test out the parking mode overheating issue with mine, but now I know. Glad you mentioned the WIFI inconsistency as I noticed that too. Hoping they release a firmware update that might fix it. Great review!
Thanx for the great review Brian, I purchased the mini 1 on your recommendation and had it installed with the parking cable. Fortunately for me I have been using the parking mode ever since install (about 3 months ago) without a single overheating incident. I was also hoping for a higher resolution in the mini 2 but since it's still 1080p I see no point upgrading. Let's hope for a 4k mini 3
Brian - fantastic review! Thanks for your time and great information. I purchased the dash cam based on your review and overall really like it. I have one major flaw with it's design and that's the LED brightness. I don't think it was an issue for you based on where you had it mounted. Based on the best available place on my car - I have it on the drivers side of the rear view mirror and the mirror blocks about 98% of the unit. The only thing that is slightly visible is the bottom where the LED light is. During the day no issue - but at night the LED is so bright and intense it really interferes with driving. So just a note to anyone considering this - it's a great unit, but don't mount it anywhere where the LED may be very visible when driving. I ended up using LED dimmer tape to correct the issue, but not sure how long that will last when the car is in the heat. It's hard to stick anything on the unit based on the non-flat plastic that was used. I did call Garmin support and there is no LED brightness adjustment.
Excellent review, sir. Didn't expect to watch the whole thing but I was impressed by your delivery. I've been thinking about getting a camera for a few months now. Had a moment today with my mom in the car and finally decided to get a camera. It was between this Mini 2 and the 47 but settled on the Mini 2. Thanks, and that Aston Martin sounds amazing!
Just adding this to the comments even though you added it in the video description. The beep is now easy to disable: Connect the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 with the Garmin Drive App. Launch the Garmin Drive App. Touch the Gear Wheel icon in the Garmin Drive App. Select the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 under devices. Uncheck Alert Volume.
Owns a $300,000 Aston Martin Vanquish and yet recommends one of the cheapest dash cams on the market. Full respect. We just installed a Garmin 67w and absolutely love it so far! Great video!
Thank you Brian for your detailed review. My Garmin nuviCam from 2014 finally failed this week and I'll be purchasing this dash cam now. I have used dash cam footage on several occasions to show that I was not at fault for an accident. Dash cams are indispensable, especially in Florida.
Brian, thank you for such a detailed but at the same time practical review which also feels very balanced - you've helped me make up my mind to buy a Mini 2.
Thanks for these reviews. I own two Garmin Minis and they had the overheating issue with parking mode. Even with parking mode off I found sometimes they still got hot, and once or twice while the car was in the sun they turned off. Rare situations, but it happened. My new Mini 2 doesn't overheat, but also gets very hot which I understand is normal. So maybe overkill, but I bought some small black stick-on heat sinks (~3/4" x 3/4") and stuck them on the back of my cameras. It really helps to reduce the heat load due to the increased surface area of the heat fins. The cameras are so small I don't even notice it, and the extra cooling was only a few dollars on Amazon. So maybe this will help someone who is experiencing heat issues.
@@BrianGreenstone Seems to work well, and you can feel the heat radiating off the fins and the camera body is cooler. Here's the link to the heat sinks if you're interested: Easycargo 10pcs 22mm Heatsink Kit 22x22x10mm + 3M 8810 Thermal Conductive Adhesive Tape, Cooler Heat Sink for Cooling Raspberry Pi, SSD M.2 2280 GPU IC Chips VRAM VGA RAM (22mmx22mmx10mm) www.amazon.com/dp/B07D4DY2MZ/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_GN6RDW2SG2TT4FN7AZ3F?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Excellent video, and well, perfectly stated. Started off with the mini myself, and loved it! I now have the same 512g Micro SD running in my mini 2, and a second mini 2 at the rear window, both using the Garmin constant power adapter. Mini 1 is now only recording when I start the vehicle, and records inside the vehicle. Before the second Mini 2 was purchased, I used the Mini 1 in the front window, and it would continuously record with the adapter. (There is a difference between the cable and adapter.) (You need the cable to have the Mini 1 work in parking mode) Information I noticed, The mini 1 didn't overheat, it did record day and night, the 512g SD held 3 days of video before rewriting the card, and it didn't drain my battery. Keep in mind, I drive a 2018 Tacoma with a Truck battery, so more cold cranking amps than a car battery. Cheers!🍺
I don't know how/why this popped up in my YT feed. I use a Garmin 55 and have been happy with it. BUT, I had never heard of the polarizing lens! Just ordered one. Thanks.
Excelent video ,,very well explained, no music ,just what i was looking for, in the process of finding a camera i found this channel. Thank you for taking the time creating it
G'day Brian, Thanks for your review, which is straightforward, neutral and easy to follow. Based on your previous review about mini 1, I bought a bargain-priced mini 1 on Xmas last year, and it works like pro and does what it say on the tin except the overheating problem you mentioned. It turned out that the glitch does not affect other functions at all, though. IMO, the resolution of the recorded videos from mini one does not live up to my expectation. I'm quite interested on mini 2 and would like to get one on boxing day this day. intersections cheers
Holy moly, that beeping sound is VERY obnoxious! I can imagine it becoming annoying, very quickly. Please do keep us updated if Garmin ever addresses this issue!
Be advised about connecting the camera and the phone app. If your phone turned on VPN, your phone Garmin app can't connect to the camera. I have had this problem, and it took me a long time to figure out. So, you have to turn off your phone VPN in order to connect the camera and the phone app.(I have the Iphone and in 2022)
This is an excellent review---thank you, Brian. And...I think it's nice to know when the Dash Cam is operational by an audio on/off beep indication, such as we experience with a cellular phone, GPS unit, car security system, et al. Beeps are good. Video Recording awareness is a good feature for commercial drivers advising passengers they are being recorded. PS...I just subscribed to your channel with hopes of learning more great stuff. Thanks again. PS...Texas Hill Country is awesome. I live in Fredericksburg
I found it interesting that you were bothered by the obnoxious beeping but not the really obnoxious LEDs! Perhaps where you’ve mounted your camera obscures them, but because of the way I had to mount mine, it’s to the left of the mirror, and those darned LEDs are bright! I’m not bothered by the “audio on” one, because I don’t have the audio on very often, but the power indicator was too much, even in daytime. So I put a small piece of electrical tape over it, and I punctured the tape so that there’s a pinhole size hole that allows me to see the LED without it being nearly so bright. Your video was otherwise very helpful. Incidentally, my camera and iPhone have connected quickly 100% of the time so far, so perhaps yours is anomalous. I’ll update my comment if I find out otherwise with more use.
another excellent review. I’ve had the Dash Mini for 6 months now after you convinced me. I haven’t had any of the heating issues so far. 🤞🏽I regularly post my videos and friends think it’s a higher end cam like a blackvue. Love the form factor, no frills (screen/cloud) and even with the wire dangling (because I didn’t bother getting it installed properly), people don’t notice it until they’re right in front of the car.
Just purchased OG mini. It was $45 cheaper than mini 2.. I'm happy with it. Connected it to powerbank, so when car is parked, it uses power bank and when the car is running, powerbank recharges.
Do you still use the power bank? How does it work? I didn’t know we had to install it perm and my battery is draining I figure it was the dash cam. If I can avoid the extra purchasing I would, I have so many power banks.
Wow thank you! I coincidentally bought one this morning and afterwards I found your very good video 👍🏻. Some peace of mind now with all these maniacs out on the road…
Hello Brian, I have just bought the Mini 2 to replace my Mini 1. One thing I have recognized that despite both being advertised as 140 degree angle, the Mini 2 has a much wider angle. Just wanted to chime-in with this info. I liked the somewhat narrower angle of the Mini 1 much better.
@1:05-@1:15 "If you speed everywhere like me, you don't want something that tracks your speed, so that when an officer pulls you over there's no evidence". Great review, but that's an interesting bit.
Thanks Brian great review I went through all videos about mini dash cam and just ordered mini 2 as I am fed up with all no name dash cams. Great reviews and keep it up.
This is the real issue i have with trying to by a dash cam today. 90% of them have a rear facing screen. Why do i need a screen on my dash cam. I don't understand why almost all of them have screens.
Thank you for providing such a detailed and thorough review of this camera. I purchased one today and learned so much about the operation and features from the information that you provided. I have a couple of accessories to acquire before I install mine, so thank you for recommending them.
When i start recording, does it record from the last 30 seconds or does it record when I click record? Just wondering because it would be a shame to forget to click record one day, and you get into an accident with no evidence
Thanks for the review! I will stick to my original minis. Your video helped me decide not to upgrade: - they added unnecessary beep - I don't use parking mode (for this camera) - I would want cloud functionality only if there is push notification
Anything that needs installation with wiring, forget it. It’s about time they came up with a camera that works off a rechargeable battery that you can place on the dashboard and you are good to go. A camera that can charge off the cigarette lighter for example or even be powered like that if the battery runs low.
@@BrianGreenstone A little GoPro can record for up to 2 hours at 1080p anyway, cameras should come with a lead that plugs in a cigarette lighter or 12v output that most cars have these days, problem solved.
@Enpassantful yeah, that’s a GoPro, but something tiny like a Garmin Mini won’t have any space for a battery that can do that. Either way, you’re recharging it every day. People just want a dashcam that they don’t have to think about. It just turns on, records and turns off automatically for years and years.
Hopefully, more car manufactures will start to add a USB port to the windscreen to make connection these dash mount camera a lot simpler and more streamlined. A few off-road vehicles such as Jeeps and the new Ford Bronco already have -- albeit on the dash. Better still, some simply allow you to record via the car built-in camera system. However, you only see that on luxury cars so far. For older cars, these retro fixes are an excellent aftermarket solution. Anyway, the issues with 4k is that the amount of data is not just doubled but 4 times what it is at 1080p. There's also generally a sever loss in detail and quality for night footage
Thanks for the great review! I just received the Mini 2 as a birthday gift, and your review answered the questions that I had, so I think that I'll keep it. Initially GPS was a feature that I thought that I wanted, but your comment about "evidence" quickly squashed that. Thanks again!
Great review thanks. I can't live with the annoying beeps so this is a no go for me. You really helped with the Vault stuff too. I don't want to pay Garmin for storage so wanted to make sure I didnt HAVE to use it.
Thank you for all the information. I have this dash cam in my Amazon cart and wanted to find a quality YT review before I hit PURCHASE. This told me everything I needed to know about the mini 2. One thing though: I'm curious why garmin doesn't include a Bluetooth connection to transfer video from the cam to one's phone? That seems like a non-brainer option for the future. Thanks again!
Good coverage of most useful questions we could have! Bonus points for the polarizing lens! Three questions from me if you have the time: 1- I'd like to get an immediate notification on my phone when my car is parked and something triggers the dashcam. 2- When this notification happens, I'd like to be able to view what the camera is filming, "live." Imagine I'm overnighting at a motel on the road, and I don't have a direct view of my car, this would be very useful for safety. 3- Is there a setting to adjust how much footage will be kept permanently upon being triggered? You say 10 seconds prior to trigger and 60 seconds after. What if I prefer to have 20 seconds prior and 2 to 3 minutes "after"? Many thanks!
I haven’t found the cloud feature to be all that useful because the camera has to be connected to a Wi-Fi signal which usually isn’t the case when you’re out and about. There are other Dashcams out there that have cellular connections, and will alert you from anywhere. I don’t believe you can change the amount of patting on the incident recordings. I believe 10 seconds of pre-roll is all that it can buffer up.
Really like your review! I'm getting my first car and my insurance and cops I know, have all said get a dash cam. I live in a city where if you don't see an accident every day it's a big deal. I like how small it is. I agree I didn't get why they needed a screen. i've seen some uber drivers use the screen and didn't get why. Thought it was probably a deterrent for aggressive people. Thanks for the info, that polarizing lens is a must!
I love my Garman Mini, but it does have one big drawback. The camera mount is on the front and not on top. Sometimes there’s action happening on the sides the camera can’t catch because it doesn’t rotate far enough. One example is if you get pulled over and want to capture the video exchange with the officer, you can’t. Garman needs to move the mount to the top so you can get 360 degs .
It really depends on your needs. I mean for discretness this one is the best, but if you need a multi channel camera or a camera with 4K then there are bazillion other options. Generally speaking, however, the Blackvue and Thinkware cameras are typically among the best.
The issue with image quality, for which you wish the camera shot in 2K, has much more to do with the sensor size, bitrate, and possibly some other specs. I have projected a 1080p movie onto a movie theater screen with no issues. Today, 1080p video cameras typically have a bitrate of about 32Mbps or more. This dash cam only has a bitrate of 15Mbps, which was more common around 10 years ago for video cameras. The combination of a tiny sensor and slow bitrate is much more the issue than anything else. However, this is a dash cam. The requirements are much different from taking home video or making movies. For the purpose it serves, the image is great. It is also the trade-off for the small form factor. If it provided 2L footage it would likely be 1080p footage upscaled, instead of actual 2K footage anyway.
Thanks for the review. I am going to get one for my work vehicle. I inquired with Garmin support about the beep and they said it's not addressed yet, but that there is an ongoing "support case" that they are adding to, so my request got added as well. So everyone who has one should just jump into the Garmin Chat support and quickly make their plea to hopefully speed up the fix!
Excellent review Brian. I just set one up and it took me an afternoon to figure everything out and install it. Wished I'd watched your video first! Also lots of useful tips. Still deciding on the filter as I'm in UK... so may wait until the summer.
@edgarnavarro3652 it records anywhere you aim it. Some people buy 2: one for the front and one for the back, but if it were me I’d just buy a multichannel dash cam if that was my intention.
Your reviews are excellent. I got a new Dashcam2 a few weeks ago and for some reason I don't get the beep when driving on rough roads or hitting a pothole. As you mentioned wifi is slow to connect but mine almost always connects. Overall I think this is a good upgrade, not perfect but for a discreet reliable dash cam you can't go wrong. I will be adding another for rearview protection. Please keep the updates coming.
Please let me know when you get the rear camera. Specifically, how you get Garmin to take photo on front camera and rear camera and if you use just one App or two?
Another great review! Many thanks! Little less than a year ago, I bought the Garmin Mini 1, following watching your review of that camera and I'm very happy with it - thanks again! For me the small size trumps over everything else. So I will probably buy this Mini 2 as well at some point or when my Mini 1 gives up working. Interestingly the same problems with connecting the phone to Mini’s Wifi, as you have mentioned, I have with the Mini 1. Luckily I only use it as emergency recorder, so this is not a big issue for me. I also don’t use parking mode and hence had no overheating or concerns there.
Hi, great videos, thank you for that. I am not sure if I should buy a 1080p camera, or shoot for a 4k. do you know if a camera like this would capture the plates at night of a hit and run, something like that?
I’m sure my 10-year-old self would not be surprised that the creator of Bugdom and Nanosaur would go on to own a Bond car and produce brilliant product reviews.
Sounds good-ish and a very well reviewed production. For my money the one thing that would stop me getting one is the typical frustration of wi fi connection problems. Same with bluetooth such things are annoying enough to make you want to chuck the stupid thing in the trash! Think I'll wait until later generations solve the connection problem - if they ever do!
This video review is excellent, No music, informative, clarity, personal review. Well done Sir.
Thanks. I hate videos with long intros and unnecessary music and fluff. I just want the facts, so I just give the facts.
@@BrianGreenstone the video exceeded my expectations, well done sir 👏
Agreed. Such a great review
When I plug the camera into a USB charger while I set up the app, the mini 2 was already very hot to the touch. Is that normal?
Agreed. Excellent review!
This review is light years better than most "professional" review channels
Thanks!
I prefer a small camera without a screen. The camera should be almost invisible.
It’s rare to find review videos this comprehensive and straightforward these days. Thank you; I watched the whole thing.
thanks!
Brian...I've watched a *LOT* of product reviews during the preceding 15 years and this is HANDS-DOWN the most PROFESSIONAL, UNDERSTANDABLE, USEFUL I've seen. Just SUPERB! I hope other TH-camrs take a lesson from you regarding how it should be done. You set the standard with this one! Thank you sir.
Wow, thanks!
*You're an amazing person for doing reviews. You have such a real down to earth personality & yet professional of detail is spot on. Your speaking of details is flawless. Thank you. 😊😊😊* Sharon in SC
Straight to the point, doesn’t beat around the bush, no annoying music. Great review, I’m highly considering cancelling/returning my Gramin 57 for this. You made great points.
Well thought out review sir! Simple and straightforward description and explanation. Purchased one on the basis of this review 3 days ago. Very pleased so far. Thank you!
Hi Brian. Just came across this vid and your channel by accident. Great explanation of the pro’s and con’s of this cam. I will certainly investigate getting one of these fitted. Very impressed by your content. A must subscribe and I have passed on your link to others. Keep up the good work.👍
They’ve since updated with the ability to turn off the beeping on/off and alerts. Purchased this camera because of this review. Thanks for the review.
How are finding it? Night time ?
@@no-knickers-emma1112 it’s solid for 1080. Not the best video quality at day or night but it’s so small and out of the way that it’s a fair trade off. If they made a 4K version I’d definitely upgrade.
@@arxvphoto809 Thanks. I'm holding out for a while to see if there is a mini 3 with 4k in the pipeline. I really want a dash cam.
@@no-knickers-emma1112 I’d get this one for now. It’s important to have!
Hi Brian, this is the best review of a product that I have seen for all the products that I have lloked for, you explained everything that I wanted to know and even you talked about other things that I was not aware, Congratulations!!
Thanks!!
You sir are a brilliant reviewer. You should be on TV with your own review show.
Got one because of your review! Thanks!
Regarding the annoying beep, you can now turn the beep off in the app settings its called "Alert Volume".
While I never had the mini 1, I can tell that the mini 2 still gets warm (almost like when your phone gets hot) but no issues so far.
Overall it's a massive upgrade from my old dashcam from wish.
Brian, thank you very much for this review. I must admit that this is the best review of a product that I have seen in a very long time. Super informative!
Great review. I use a Garmin 57 on my primary car, and Mini 2 on my secondary cars. The 57 is better in every way (resolution, build quality, ease of use). But the 57 still works well if you need a smaller, more discrete camera.
The Mini 2 resolution is ok, but hard to make out license plates unless you are close. The plastic feels cheap all around, and can wiggle a bit more on the mount compared to the 57. The Garmin dash cams work well powered by a cigarette lighter or usb, and turns off and on reliably when you turn the car off and on. No need for the parking cable, unless you want it to record while the car is parked. Also, the Mini 2’s had a firmware update that enables you to mute the beep if you find it distracting.
Probably the best dash cam review I've seen anywhere. Answered all my questions, and I am now certain this is the dash cam for me. Thank you also for posting the update about the annoying beeps as I absolutely despise needless beeping from obnoxious gadgets and appliances. Great stuff!
70mai Dash Cam Pro Plus+ A500S much better camera
There are plenty of “better“ Dashcams, but that’s not the point of this one. The point of this one is that it is discrete. The 70mai is not.
@@denstorebog no uses lithium..
This is an EXCELLENT example of how to review a product. You have a new sub!
Stunning monologue, no prompts, no aid-memoirs, no idiot boards, very impressed.
Thanks, but it’s mostly good editing to make it seem seamless. I usually do quite a lot of takes of each segment before I get it right.
@@BrianGreenstone "to make it seem seamless" I'm even more impressed now! keep up the good work.
Thank you for this review. I was about to order this cam but the beeping is something I cannot accept. Good thing you updated the info and pointed out it can be disabled now.
Thanks for great review. Especially thank you for not having annoying music. Many you tubers think music makes their videos somehow better. But music makes many videos inaccessible to older folks who are a little hard of hearing and cannot tolerate the distraction of music. (My pet pieve.)
well delivered, well spoken, articulate - thats how a proper review should be carried out !!
I use Dash Cam Mini 2 as a rear camera, and put Dash Cam 57 on front. Perfect!
Hopefully Garmin has been made aware of your concerns with this product. Great review.
This Mini2 video convinced me to have one fitted earlier this week and it is excellent. Having enquired about the same one in the rear of my car, I found that the instructions were rather lacking in how to adapt front and rear cameras if you wish to take photos of the 'chump' behind. So, having set up the front camera to answer a call of Hi Garmin ...... take photo, for the rear camera that needs to be set up to have a Wake Word that is different. So set up with Hi Dashcam .... take photo. You may need to raise your voice a little, but they then both answer verbal commands. I hope this helps others.
Thanks for the follow up review on the new model! I'd been meaning to get around to test out the parking mode overheating issue with mine, but now I know. Glad you mentioned the WIFI inconsistency as I noticed that too. Hoping they release a firmware update that might fix it. Great review!
Thanx for the great review Brian, I purchased the mini 1 on your recommendation and had it installed with the parking cable. Fortunately for me I have been using the parking mode ever since install (about 3 months ago) without a single overheating incident. I was also hoping for a higher resolution in the mini 2 but since it's still 1080p I see no point upgrading. Let's hope for a 4k mini 3
@@mornebenkenstein318 is the overheating issue fixed with a firmware upgrade? Or is it a hardware problem in earlier versions of the mini 1?
@@MartyInTheWoods I don't think firmware updates fixed the problem that some of the units had, it seems very random and still unresolved
@@mornebenkenstein318 Thanks, I will look into the Mini 2 then!
Brian - fantastic review! Thanks for your time and great information. I purchased the dash cam based on your review and overall really like it. I have one major flaw with it's design and that's the LED brightness. I don't think it was an issue for you based on where you had it mounted. Based on the best available place on my car - I have it on the drivers side of the rear view mirror and the mirror blocks about 98% of the unit. The only thing that is slightly visible is the bottom where the LED light is. During the day no issue - but at night the LED is so bright and intense it really interferes with driving. So just a note to anyone considering this - it's a great unit, but don't mount it anywhere where the LED may be very visible when driving. I ended up using LED dimmer tape to correct the issue, but not sure how long that will last when the car is in the heat. It's hard to stick anything on the unit based on the non-flat plastic that was used. I did call Garmin support and there is no LED brightness adjustment.
@islamisthesolution4347 I actually used an LED Dimming sheet. I still like to know when it's on to make sure it's working.
What a great, professional, detailed, review. I'm very impressed!
Excellent review, sir. Didn't expect to watch the whole thing but I was impressed by your delivery. I've been thinking about getting a camera for a few months now. Had a moment today with my mom in the car and finally decided to get a camera. It was between this Mini 2 and the 47 but settled on the Mini 2. Thanks, and that Aston Martin sounds amazing!
Just adding this to the comments even though you added it in the video description. The beep is now easy to disable:
Connect the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 with the Garmin Drive App.
Launch the Garmin Drive App.
Touch the Gear Wheel icon in the Garmin Drive App.
Select the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 under devices.
Uncheck Alert Volume.
Yes, they added that a while back.
Thank you Sr for taking the time to share with the community your experience with those cameras. What an easy to watch video. 👍
Owns a $300,000 Aston Martin Vanquish and yet recommends one of the cheapest dash cams on the market. Full respect.
We just installed a Garmin 67w and absolutely love it so far! Great video!
$327,000
@@BrianGreenstone :😊
@@BrianGreenstone 😂
@@BrianGreenstone Holy Shit! Just... wow. Had no idea.
Thank you Brian for your detailed review. My Garmin nuviCam from 2014 finally failed this week and I'll be purchasing this dash cam now. I have used dash cam footage on several occasions to show that I was not at fault for an accident. Dash cams are indispensable, especially in Florida.
Such a thorough and thoughtful review. So many cameras to choose from and this review said everything you need to know! Thank you.
Brian, thank you for such a detailed but at the same time practical review which also feels very balanced - you've helped me make up my mind to buy a Mini 2.
Thanks for these reviews. I own two Garmin Minis and they had the overheating issue with parking mode. Even with parking mode off I found sometimes they still got hot, and once or twice while the car was in the sun they turned off. Rare situations, but it happened. My new Mini 2 doesn't overheat, but also gets very hot which I understand is normal. So maybe overkill, but I bought some small black stick-on heat sinks (~3/4" x 3/4") and stuck them on the back of my cameras. It really helps to reduce the heat load due to the increased surface area of the heat fins. The cameras are so small I don't even notice it, and the extra cooling was only a few dollars on Amazon. So maybe this will help someone who is experiencing heat issues.
I thought about adding heat sinks but ever tried it. Glad to see someone tried it!
@@BrianGreenstone Seems to work well, and you can feel the heat radiating off the fins and the camera body is cooler. Here's the link to the heat sinks if you're interested: Easycargo 10pcs 22mm Heatsink Kit 22x22x10mm + 3M 8810 Thermal Conductive Adhesive Tape, Cooler Heat Sink for Cooling Raspberry Pi, SSD M.2 2280 GPU IC Chips VRAM VGA RAM (22mmx22mmx10mm) www.amazon.com/dp/B07D4DY2MZ/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_GN6RDW2SG2TT4FN7AZ3F?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
👍 Good idea 👍
how much power does the camera use in normal operation?
Excellent video, and well, perfectly stated.
Started off with the mini myself, and loved it!
I now have the same 512g Micro SD running in my mini 2, and a second mini 2 at the rear window, both using the Garmin constant power adapter.
Mini 1 is now only recording when I start the vehicle, and records inside the vehicle.
Before the second Mini 2 was purchased, I used the Mini 1 in the front window, and it would continuously record with the adapter. (There is a difference between the cable and adapter.)
(You need the cable to have the Mini 1 work in parking mode)
Information I noticed, The mini 1 didn't overheat, it did record day and night, the 512g SD held 3 days of video before rewriting the card, and it didn't drain my battery.
Keep in mind, I drive a 2018 Tacoma with a Truck battery, so more cold cranking amps than a car battery.
Cheers!🍺
Dude…is Adam West your dad? You could totally do a passable 60s Batman.
I’m not seeing the resemblance, but WHAM!!!
I was thinking the exact same thing!! He really looks like Adam West
I don't know how/why this popped up in my YT feed. I use a Garmin 55 and have been happy with it. BUT, I had never heard of the polarizing lens! Just ordered one. Thanks.
Thank you from Germany for sharing your experience with the dashcam with us.
Excelent video ,,very well explained, no music ,just what i was looking for, in the process of finding a camera i found this channel. Thank you for taking the time creating it
I kinda wish they had a firmware update to disable the annoying LED light. I can't stand seeing that LED light in my view.
G'day Brian, Thanks for your review, which is straightforward, neutral and easy to follow.
Based on your previous review about mini 1, I bought a bargain-priced mini 1 on Xmas last year, and it works like pro and does what it say on the tin except the overheating problem you mentioned. It turned out that the glitch does not affect other functions at all, though. IMO, the resolution of the recorded videos from mini one does not live up to my expectation.
I'm quite interested on mini 2 and would like to get one on boxing day this day. intersections
cheers
Love Garmin products, GPS devices, watches, etc,, but BEEPING feature kills it for me. Great and honest video.
Beeping was fixed in a firmware update
Best review I’ve seen on this camera. Told me everything I wanted to know in the first 2 minutes. Thank you.
Professional installation of power source----do car dealers do this type of work with experience and competence. What is the price range?
Holy moly, that beeping sound is VERY obnoxious! I can imagine it becoming annoying, very quickly. Please do keep us updated if Garmin ever addresses this issue!
He put an update on 9/21 regarding this, you must've overlooked it. The beep can be turned off. Great news!
Be advised about connecting the camera and the phone app. If your phone turned on VPN, your phone Garmin app can't connect to the camera. I have had this problem, and it took me a long time to figure out. So, you have to turn off your phone VPN in order to connect the camera and the phone app.(I have the Iphone and in 2022)
Excellent to know, thanks
This is an excellent review---thank you, Brian.
And...I think it's nice to know when the Dash Cam is operational by an audio on/off beep indication, such as we experience with a cellular phone, GPS unit, car security system, et al. Beeps are good.
Video Recording awareness is a good feature for commercial drivers advising passengers they are being recorded. PS...I just subscribed to your channel with hopes of learning more great stuff. Thanks again. PS...Texas Hill Country is awesome. I live in Fredericksburg
I found it interesting that you were bothered by the obnoxious beeping but not the really obnoxious LEDs! Perhaps where you’ve mounted your camera obscures them, but because of the way I had to mount mine, it’s to the left of the mirror, and those darned LEDs are bright! I’m not bothered by the “audio on” one, because I don’t have the audio on very often, but the power indicator was too much, even in daytime. So I put a small piece of electrical tape over it, and I punctured the tape so that there’s a pinhole size hole that allows me to see the LED without it being nearly so bright.
Your video was otherwise very helpful. Incidentally, my camera and iPhone have connected quickly 100% of the time so far, so perhaps yours is anomalous. I’ll update my comment if I find out otherwise with more use.
What a great review. It’s nice to see someone review an item and explain it clearly and honestly.
another excellent review. I’ve had the Dash Mini for 6 months now after you convinced me. I haven’t had any of the heating issues so far. 🤞🏽I regularly post my videos and friends think it’s a higher end cam like a blackvue. Love the form factor, no frills (screen/cloud) and even with the wire dangling (because I didn’t bother getting it installed properly), people don’t notice it until they’re right in front of the car.
Just purchased OG mini. It was $45 cheaper than mini 2.. I'm happy with it. Connected it to powerbank, so when car is parked, it uses power bank and when the car is running, powerbank recharges.
Nice you can now get rid of clutter and power bank and use garmins new OBD connector cable :D
Do you still use the power bank? How does it work? I didn’t know we had to install it perm and my battery is draining I figure it was the dash cam. If I can avoid the extra purchasing I would, I have so many power banks.
Purchased. Almost purchased Nexar, only by chance saw your reviews in recommended videos. Thank you for saving me from stepping on the rake.
Wow thank you! I coincidentally bought one this morning and afterwards I found your very good video 👍🏻. Some peace of mind now with all these maniacs out on the road…
Hello Brian, I have just bought the Mini 2 to replace my Mini 1. One thing I have recognized that despite both being advertised as 140 degree angle, the Mini 2 has a much wider angle. Just wanted to chime-in with this info.
I liked the somewhat narrower angle of the Mini 1 much better.
@1:05-@1:15 "If you speed everywhere like me, you don't want something that tracks your speed, so that when an officer pulls you over there's no evidence". Great review, but that's an interesting bit.
We have a right to remain silent, which includes the right against self-incrimination. So it's a valid point!
Thanks Brian great review I went through all videos about mini dash cam and just ordered mini 2 as I am fed up with all no name dash cams. Great reviews and keep it up.
This is the real issue i have with trying to by a dash cam today. 90% of them have a rear facing screen. Why do i need a screen on my dash cam. I don't understand why almost all of them have screens.
Nor do I
Thank you for providing such a detailed and thorough review of this camera. I purchased one today and learned so much about the operation and features from the information that you provided. I have a couple of accessories to acquire before I install mine, so thank you for recommending them.
Great,Great video.Thanks so much for explaining so perfectly how this camera works.Very professional.
Thanks!
Excellent Garmin mini 2 review. Well presented with good detail. And I agree that a display is useless on a dash cam for most drivers. 👍😎
When i start recording, does it record from the last 30 seconds or does it record when I click record? Just wondering because it would be a shame to forget to click record one day, and you get into an accident with no evidence
Thanks for the review! I will stick to my original minis.
Your video helped me decide not to upgrade:
- they added unnecessary beep
- I don't use parking mode (for this camera)
- I would want cloud functionality only if there is push notification
Anything that needs installation with wiring, forget it. It’s about time they came up with a camera that works off a rechargeable battery that you can place on the dashboard and you are good to go. A camera that can charge off the cigarette lighter for example or even be powered like that if the battery runs low.
Rechargeable battery? You’ll get 30 minutes of recording and have to recharge it constantly. Nobody wants that.
@@BrianGreenstone A little GoPro can record for up to 2 hours at 1080p anyway, cameras should come with a lead that plugs in a cigarette lighter or 12v output that most cars have these days, problem solved.
@Enpassantful yeah, that’s a GoPro, but something tiny like a Garmin Mini won’t have any space for a battery that can do that. Either way, you’re recharging it every day. People just want a dashcam that they don’t have to think about. It just turns on, records and turns off automatically for years and years.
You really want day to day inconvenience to avoid 30 minutes of wiring install work..That makes NOOO sense.
Hopefully, more car manufactures will start to add a USB port to the windscreen to make connection these dash mount camera a lot simpler and more streamlined. A few off-road vehicles such as Jeeps and the new Ford Bronco already have -- albeit on the dash.
Better still, some simply allow you to record via the car built-in camera system. However, you only see that on luxury cars so far. For older cars, these retro fixes are an excellent aftermarket solution.
Anyway, the issues with 4k is that the amount of data is not just doubled but 4 times what it is at 1080p. There's also generally a sever loss in detail and quality for night footage
Your reviews are the best man, keep it up!
Thanks for the great review! I just received the Mini 2 as a birthday gift, and your review answered the questions that I had, so I think that I'll keep it. Initially GPS was a feature that I thought that I wanted, but your comment about "evidence" quickly squashed that. Thanks again!
Great review thanks. I can't live with the annoying beeps so this is a no go for me. You really helped with the Vault stuff too. I don't want to pay Garmin for storage so wanted to make sure I didnt HAVE to use it.
Looks like they updated the software so that you can disable the beeping
Yep, beep has been fixed.
Thank you for all the information. I have this dash cam in my Amazon cart and wanted to find a quality YT review before I hit PURCHASE. This told me everything I needed to know about the mini 2. One thing though: I'm curious why garmin doesn't include a Bluetooth connection to transfer video from the cam to one's phone? That seems like a non-brainer option for the future. Thanks again!
Garmin's fix for the feature that causes overheating is to remove the feature (parking mode motion detection)? That is so lame.
Yep, unfortunate.
Honestly the best review I’ve ever seen. You deserve more subscribers. At least you got my subscription today.
Thanks!
if you use a cigarette adapter for power, does the camera turn on and off automatically? Is it set it and forget it?
If the cigarette plug turns on/off with the car then yes. But if it stays on then it’ll drain your battery.
thank you@@BrianGreenstone
Good coverage of most useful questions we could have! Bonus points for the polarizing lens!
Three questions from me if you have the time:
1- I'd like to get an immediate notification on my phone when my car is parked and something triggers the dashcam.
2- When this notification happens, I'd like to be able to view what the camera is filming, "live." Imagine I'm overnighting at a motel on the road, and I don't have a direct view of my car, this would be very useful for safety.
3- Is there a setting to adjust how much footage will be kept permanently upon being triggered? You say 10 seconds prior to trigger and 60 seconds after. What if I prefer to have 20 seconds prior and 2 to 3 minutes "after"?
Many thanks!
I haven’t found the cloud feature to be all that useful because the camera has to be connected to a Wi-Fi signal which usually isn’t the case when you’re out and about. There are other Dashcams out there that have cellular connections, and will alert you from anywhere. I don’t believe you can change the amount of patting on the incident recordings. I believe 10 seconds of pre-roll is all that it can buffer up.
Nice job dude, anybody ever tell you you look like Adam West from TV Batman series?
Really like your review! I'm getting my first car and my insurance and cops I know, have all said get a dash cam. I live in a city where if you don't see an accident every day it's a big deal. I like how small it is. I agree I didn't get why they needed a screen. i've seen some uber drivers use the screen and didn't get why. Thought it was probably a deterrent for aggressive people. Thanks for the info, that polarizing lens is a must!
Plus, the parking mode removed the motion detection makes it less desirable
I love my Garman Mini, but it does have one big drawback. The camera mount is on the front and not on top. Sometimes there’s action happening on the sides the camera can’t catch because it doesn’t rotate far enough. One example is if you get pulled over and want to capture the video exchange with the officer, you can’t. Garman needs to move the mount to the top so you can get 360 degs .
If I had a Vanquish, I would have a dash cam covering all four corners!
It’s a convertible, so can’t put a rear dash cam anywhere.
Very good commentary. To Garmin: We don't need a "beep" to tell us that we hit a pothole.
what kinda car is that? is that a austin martin?
indeed it is
Spot on review… the Information was presented in a concise, detailed, & thoughtful manner. Thankyou !
I want to buy a dash cam. If we forget about price, what dash cam with of April 19/22, what dash cam do you feel is the best of the best?
It really depends on your needs. I mean for discretness this one is the best, but if you need a multi channel camera or a camera with 4K then there are bazillion other options. Generally speaking, however, the Blackvue and Thinkware cameras are typically among the best.
@@BrianGreenstone Thanks!
The issue with image quality, for which you wish the camera shot in 2K, has much more to do with the sensor size, bitrate, and possibly some other specs. I have projected a 1080p movie onto a movie theater screen with no issues. Today, 1080p video cameras typically have a bitrate of about 32Mbps or more. This dash cam only has a bitrate of 15Mbps, which was more common around 10 years ago for video cameras. The combination of a tiny sensor and slow bitrate is much more the issue than anything else. However, this is a dash cam. The requirements are much different from taking home video or making movies. For the purpose it serves, the image is great. It is also the trade-off for the small form factor. If it provided 2L footage it would likely be 1080p footage upscaled, instead of actual 2K footage anyway.
Lol says it’s quite expensive as you humbly sit in your Aston Martin, great video very informative!!!
Just because people have nice things doesn't mean they don't care about the price of things.
Thanks for the review. I am going to get one for my work vehicle. I inquired with Garmin support about the beep and they said it's not addressed yet, but that there is an ongoing "support case" that they are adding to, so my request got added as well. So everyone who has one should just jump into the Garmin Chat support and quickly make their plea to hopefully speed up the fix!
I just got an email from Garmin saying that with firmware v2.70 they now allow you to turn off the annoying beeps! Yay!
@@BrianGreenstone same here! 🙂
It's on Amazon for $109 as of this moment in case someone catches this.
That’s what I just paid. I’m waffling on parking mode. Some say it needs wi-fi to work?
Excellent review Brian. I just set one up and it took me an afternoon to figure everything out and install it. Wished I'd watched your video first! Also lots of useful tips. Still deciding on the filter as I'm in UK... so may wait until the summer.
Hi Brian does this camera record inside car as well and front and back ?
@edgarnavarro3652 it records anywhere you aim it. Some people buy 2: one for the front and one for the back, but if it were me I’d just buy a multichannel dash cam if that was my intention.
Yesterday a new update come out and now on the camera settings you can disable this annoying beeping sound when starting dash cam or sawing video …
Actually, the update that removed the beep came out over a year ago.
Ok I just purchased dash cam a few days ago and just updated.
Your reviews are excellent. I got a new Dashcam2 a few weeks ago and for some reason I don't get the beep when driving on rough roads or hitting a pothole. As you mentioned wifi is slow to connect but mine almost always connects.
Overall I think this is a good upgrade, not perfect but for a discreet reliable dash cam you can't go wrong. I will be adding another for rearview protection.
Please keep the updates coming.
Please let me know when you get the rear camera. Specifically, how you get Garmin to take photo on front camera and rear camera and if you use just one App or two?
“Because that’s what we call evidence” that killed me lol!
EVIDENCE! sooooooo true. I’ve wondered and have been looking for a cam like this. Thanks for the great review!
Great review. Really enjoyed it. Thanks for posting.
Another great review! Many thanks!
Little less than a year ago, I bought the Garmin Mini 1, following watching your review of that camera and I'm very happy with it - thanks again!
For me the small size trumps over everything else. So I will probably buy this Mini 2 as well at some point or when my Mini 1 gives up working.
Interestingly the same problems with connecting the phone to Mini’s Wifi, as you have mentioned, I have with the Mini 1. Luckily I only use it as emergency recorder, so this is not a big issue for me. I also don’t use parking mode and hence had no overheating or concerns there.
Hi, great videos, thank you for that. I am not sure if I should buy a 1080p camera, or shoot for a 4k. do you know if a camera like this would capture the plates at night of a hit and run, something like that?
If you don’t care if the camera is discreet go for 2K or 4K, but if being discreet matters this is the one to get.
I’m sure my 10-year-old self would not be surprised that the creator of Bugdom and Nanosaur would go on to own a Bond car and produce brilliant product reviews.
“That’s what we call, EVIDENCE.” Lmfao thanks for the review.
@stanhalen4072• this guy is basically telling about all the features that you would need, but this Garmin camera doesn't have.😆😂🤣
Sounds good-ish and a very well reviewed production. For my money the one thing that would stop me getting one is the typical frustration of wi fi connection problems. Same with bluetooth such things are annoying enough to make you want to chuck the stupid thing in the trash! Think I'll wait until later generations solve the connection problem - if they ever do!
“Because that’s what we call… Evidence”
When I tell you I fell out of my chair
Super professional presentation - you must be a pro. Love it - getting mine fitted tomorrow.
Thanks. Nope, just a retired video game developer.
Which 4K dash cam would you recommend? I just got the mini 2 and I am not a big fan of it. The app is super glitchy
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