When it comes to dashcams, the technology can be overwhelming. From AI tools and voice control to parking sentries, GPS to wifi connections, things can get complicated very quickly.
But dashcams have one job: to record footage through your windscreen. So it makes sense that the most important feature out of all of these is the ability to record good-quality footage.
This is where the Miofive S1 Ultra does a great job. Yes, it has the extras, but the important thing is that the footage it delivers is sharp, clear and usable in case the worst happens – even in low light.
That is partly because Miofive uses 4K for both the front and rear camera, instead of opting for 1080 for the secondary camera. It also has a decent night-vision mode.
Inside the box you get the two cameras, mount, assorted sticky pads, cables and a tool to help you tuck all the wires away. You will need the latter, especially if you install the rear camera; hanging wires are at best an aesthetic affront and at worst a safety concern. Plus if you get them caught, you risk damaging the (non replaceable) wire and breaking the camera.
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The front camera feels sturdy, so you can adjust the angle of it to suit your windscreen, both horizontally and vertically; there is less flexibility with the rear camera, which can only move on one axis. The mount for both the front and rear cameras is fixed with 3M sticky pads, so be sure that you have the general position of the device right before you make anything permanent.
It is easy enough to do with the built-in three-inch screen. You can line everything up before you start fixing sticky pads everywhere. The screen is not touch sensitive, but is controlled via buttons on its right hand side. These feel a little rocky but work well, and controls are kept to a minimum.
If you want something that is easy to get started with, the Miofive has it covered. It starts recording quickly after booting up, with the 64GB card already installed in the device.
The footage from this camera is sharp and clear, although at 30 frames per second it may not be as smooth as you would get from 60fps. You can dial down the resolution, but the maximum frame rate it 30fps regardless. Unless you are planning on public viewings of your dashcam footage (please don’t), this shouldn’t trouble you too much, and it is more than adequate for the intended purpose – acting as a witness on the road.
The downside of 4K? The file size. Recording in this quality means you will quickly eat up your memory card’s space. However, like most dashcams, the Miofive records on a loop and only locks footage when it detects a crash, or if you do it manually. The camera comes with a 64GB memory card included, so you can get going out of the box, but if you want to keep your files for longer you will need to invest in a larger memory card. You can also transfer files to the Miofive app on your smartphone if you want to save them, complete with all the data stamped on them, from time and date to speed collected by the GPS.
If there is one thing about this camera I would change, it is the default voice alerts
The S1 Ultra has a few features that bring in AI. It is not the type of AI that will talk back – no ChatGPT or Gemini here – but rather it will identify hazardous driving, such as driver fatigue or what it calls harsh driving, and alert you about it. There is also a stop and go reminder, although having a dashcam bleating intermittently may be more of a distraction for some people.
If you have the emergency recording feature enabled – it is on by default – it will trigger when the camera detects a collision, locking the footage until you can transfer it elsewhere via the Miofive app.
Clips are captured with sound by default, but you can disable the microphone in the settings. That isn’t the worst idea in the world; your private conversations stay private and, in the event something does happen to trigger the emergency system, whatever choice language you choose to use won’t be included with an insurance claim.
If there is one thing about this camera I would change, it is the default voice alerts. It talks to you when you plug it in. It talks to you when it turns off the rear screen. “Miofive is here for you” and “Miofive continues to serve” gets tedious after a while, so one of the first things I did was mute it.
Good
The footage on this camera is great, with the 4K putting in some heavy work here. It performs well in low light, too, which is crucial for night incidents.
There are some extra safety features, such as the stop and go alerts. Equally handy is how easy it is to disable the features you don’t want, such as voice alerts.
Bad
Being able to bump up footage to 60fps would be nice. The default voice alerts are mildly irritating too.
Everything else
A 64GB card is included, but the camera can take a maximum of 512GB micro SD card.
If you want to use the 24-hour parking mode to monitor your car, you will need to buy a hardwire kit, as one is not included in the box.
Verdict
A decent dashcam at a good price.
