Technical Specifications
– Dual channel dash cam
– Released 2023
– Best resolution: 1440p @ 30fps, front and rear
– Price: Amazon US / CA / UK – AliExpress – more countries & vendors (ad)
– GPS and GLONASS in mount
– Wi-Fi (2.4 or 5 GHz)
– Video format: MP4
– 2.45″ Screen
– Supports up to 512 GB MicroSD cards
– Novatek processor
– Time and date stamp on video
– USB Type-C port
– Lock file button
– CPL filter: Optional
– Loop recording, auto on/off, G-Sensor, motion detection
– Parking modes: Buffered, time-lapse, low bit rate
– Operating temperature: from -20°C to 70°C (-4°F to 158°F)
– Apps for Android / iOS
– Wide Dynamic Range (WDR)
– Internal capacitor instead of battery
– Internal microphone and speaker
– Adhesive mount
– Voice control
– Remote control
Front Camera:
– Max. resolution: 2596×1944 @ 24fps
– Aperture: F/1.8
– Size: 90mm x 80mm x 30mm (3.54″ x 3.15″ x 1.18″)
– Sony Starvis 5MP CMOS sensor
– Angle of view: 160° diagonal
Rear camera:
– Max. resolution: 2596×1944 @ 24fps
– Aperture: F/1.8
– Sony Starvis 5MP CMOS sensor
– Angle of view: 160° diagonal
Vantrue Element E2 Review
Vantrue’s Element series has been launched in 2023 and consists of three different dashboard cameras: The E1, a single-channel dash cam; the E2, a dual-channel (front and rear) cam; and the E3, a three-channel camera.
We’ll take a detailed look at the Vantrue E2 here.
Design
The first thing that strikes the eye about the Vantrue Element E2 is its unusual oblong shape. It comes in a rectangular plastic casing, with a matte black finish.
While the camera is quite small at 9x8x3cm, it’s doesn’t seem to have been designed to be particularly stealthy.
A feature that stands out is the bright orange “lock file” button on the left-hand side. For operating and configuring the camera, there are also 4 black navigation buttons underneath.
Both the front and the rear cameras attach to the car’s windows with electrostatic mounts that leave no residue on the glass when they are removed.
Installation and setup is quite easy, both via the app and through the buttons on the camera itself. No prior dash cam experience needed.
Video Quality
At day, the Vantrue E2 records very good video with both the front and the rear cameras. This means that you will be able to easily read license plates of other cars, even when just driving by.
At night, the video quality of both cameras is fair. You’ll be able to read license plates only when the other car is nearby, or under ideal lighting conditions.
It should be said that the Vantrue E2 supports a maximum resolution of 2596×1944 pixels, or 1944p. This is a 4:3 format and it will only support a frame rate of 24 frames per second (fps) when both cameras are running.
We therefore recommend setting the resolution to 1440p (2560×1440), which will run at 30fps. Also, 1440p is a 16:9 format so it looks much better than 4:3.
Remote Control
The Element E2 comes with a remote control that can be placed near the steering wheel. It features a large lock file button, and a smaller mute button. This is definitely more convenient than having to reachi over to the camera itself, but you have to be careful not to accidentally mute the recording when you’re just aiming to save a video file.
Voice Control
You can also save video files by voice command: “Lock the video”
Voice commands are supported in English, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian.
Available command include: Take photo, turn on/off Wi-Fi, turn on/off screen, turn on/off audio, lock the video, and more.
Parking Mode
When running in buffered parking mode (needs a hard-wiring kit or a power bank, both of which are not included), the Element E2 saves video footage from 5 seconds before to 30 seconds after any detected event.
Events can be detected by the camera’s G-sensor, or by visual motion detection.
Other supported parking modes are low bit rate (records continually at lower resolutions) and low frame rate (i.e. time-lapse).
A drawback here is that the E2’s parking mode will only start recording after the car is parked for 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can long-press the “down” button on the camera to activate parking mode immediately. However, if you don’t remember to do this every time you leave the car parked, you won’t have video footage of the first 5 minutes.
User Manual
The Vantrue E2’s English user manual is clear and (mostly) very well written. A PDF file is available for download here.
Other Observations
Some users have reported that the mount can be a bit wobbly when driving on a bumpy road or at high speeds, which can negatively affect video quality.
How Does The E2 Compare To Its Competition?
A direct competitor in the same price range would be the Viofo A229 Duo, which also records 1440p front and rear. The Viofo A229’s records noticeably better forward video at night, but the Vantrue E2’s rear camera performs slightly better during the day.
Points in favor of the A229: It doesn’t have the quirk of delayed parking mode recording, and its remote control has only one button so there is no danger of accidentally hitting the wrong one.
The Vantrue E2 comes at a lower price though, and supports 512GB memory cards as opposed to the Viofo’s 256GB.
Conclusion
The Vantrue E2 is a competitive front and rear dash cam in the $150-$250 price range. While its video quality during the night could be better, its versatility and ease of setup and use partially make up for that.
Vantrue E2 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 Front Video Sample
Forward video during the day time is very good. It is easy to read license plates of cars going by.
Day Time Rear Video Sample
Rear video during the day is also very good, comparable to the forward camera’s footage.
Night Time Front Video Sample
Forward video quality at night is fair. You can read other cars’ license plates only when they are close.
Night Time Rear Video Sample
Rear video at night is also fair. License plates are only readable under ideal conditions.
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The Vantrue E2 is available for sale from the following vendors:
Amazon US / CA / UK / DE / FR / ES / IT
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