Technical Details
– Max. resolution: 1920 × 1080 @ 30fps
– Price: n/a
– Aperture: F/2.4
– GPS
– WDR Super Night Vision
– Bit rate: 12 Mbps
– 2.4″ Screen
– Small size (70mm x 36mm x 31mm)
– Weight: 94g
– 1/3.2″ Aptina 3135 CMOS Digital Image Sensor
– Angle of view: 130° diagonal
– Operating temperature: from -10°C to 60°C (14°F to 140°F)
– Storage temperature: from -20°C to 80°C (-4°F to 176°F)
– Video format: MOV
– Photo format: JPG
– Photo resolution: up to 5M
– Supports up to 32GB SDHC cards, class 6 or above
– Time, date, and speed stamp on video
– Loop recording, auto on/off, G-Sensor
– Interfaces: HDMI, USB, AV
HP F210 Review
The demand for dashboard cameras continues to grow, yet few well known Western brands are offering any dash cam models of their own. With the F200 and F210, HP is one of the first big companies to jump on to the trend. We will have a look at the HP F210 here, which is clearly superior to its predecessor, the F200, because of its much improved night vision,.
The F210 was released in early 2013. It records 1080p at 30 frames per second or 720p at 60 fps. Video quality is excellent during the day time, and good at night. Unlike the F200 which had rather poor night video quality, the F210’s uses WDR (Wide Dynamic Range), which thankfully, greatly enhances performance in low light conditions. Unfortunately, this camera’s video has in some cases been observed to be quite shaky as you drive, which is apparently caused by the rigidity of the suction cup mount.
While this device has quite a modern look, the form factor is a bit square and may not be to everyone’s taste. At 70mm x 36mm x 31mm (2¾” x 1½” x 1¼”), the device is on the smaller end of the spectrum. Nevertheless, due to the form factor this is not one of the most discreet dashboard cameras.
Build quality is very solid as the camera is made of high quality materials. The F210 supports all the usual features such as loop recording, time/date/speed stamp, auto on/off and G-sensor to protect you from critical footage around the time of a potential impact becoming accidentally overwritten.
The camera features a 2.4” screen for easy configuration. The menus are very user friendly and allows you to take still snapshots with a 5 Megapixel resolution at the touch of a button. One of the biggest strengths of this camera is that it is quite simple to configure even for less tech-savvy users. However, the same cannot be said about the PC software that accompanies the HP F210, which is quite poorly structured to say the least. Of course you can always use a 3rd party video player so this is not a huge issue.
Some users have complained that they are unable to change the speed displayed from kmh to mph. This is a setting that needs to be configured when you first set up the camera. If you need to change it afterwards, you can always reset the device to factory settings by pressing the power button for at least 10 seconds, which will allow you to choose your preference again.
Video is recorded in the MOV format and a class 6 or better SDHC card is required (not included).
HP F210 Video Samples
For full original video quality, make sure to watch on full screen and select maximum video resolution (use the cog icon in lower right corner). You may have to rewind the video after changing the resolution.
Day Time Video Sample
Day time video is crystal clear, and license plates can be read while driving even from a distance. Note that if you pause the video at 0:16, you can even read the license playes of parked vehicles while driving by. Note that while the video is sometimes shaky, this doesn’t have a huge negative impact on visibility and clarity.
Night Time Video Sample
Night video is good as well. While it’s not as easy to read license plates when driving at a distance, they can definitely be read when nearby or overtaking (e.g. truck at 1:40).
Where To Buy
The HP F210 is no longer available.
