Papago! GoSafe S30 Dashcam

Testing

The installation process is fairly simple; first we mounted the adhesive mount up behind the rearview mirror. To mount it properly we would advise you to power the device onto the mount so you can make sure you’re capturing the best possible field of view. Then start the camera and carefully tuck the USB cable up into the roof seam between the headliner and then down behind the windshield pillar. Then you will want to figure out how much length you need to the power adaptor so that any excess cable can be tucked up under the dash. This will give you a professional installation that not only looks good but also makes it look like it belongs there. You could mount it to the dash but it causes blind spots and makes you a target for thieves.

We have to applaud PAPAGO! on their efforts designing the user interface of the S30. We found the menus to be very simple and straightforward in such a way that anyone can set it up and navigate its menus.  It can be accessed and navigated through 4 buttons and is not overly cluttered and was very responsive. While the little 2 inch screen isn’t high resolution  and not the most clear to view  video on, we found it very useful for the intended purpose of setting up the dashcam and getting a general sense of what is going on in the video until you can view it on a computer.

Video

During the duration of our testing we experimented with the various video resolutions that the S30 has available and found that overall we preferred the 1920×1080 resolution at 30 frames per second. We found that the PAPAGO! choice to go with the Sony sensor was the right decision. We had zero issues and found the video and image quality was clear and it was easy to make out even minute details.

Shown in this video was normal daylight driving to give you a good idea of the video clarity. We found the Sony lens they choose for the S30 did an amazing job with changes in lighting when transitioning and made very little impact on the quality of video even when it transitioned from bright direct sunlight to having the dashcam pointed away or in the shade, oh and make sure you keep your windshield clean because it will have a effect on the video it captures.

Shown in this video we can see the video quality during nighttime driving when most accidents occur. Overall we were impressed with the quality of video. While there was minor washout when exposed to bright lighting before the exposure could adjust, we found the video quality remained clear so that you could still make out what was happening. Also in the event of accident the clarity of the video will be sufficient to figure out what happened and help law enforcement get the big picture since typically people are a bit in shock and dazed after an event that starts and ends in a matter of seconds.

Audio

While the S30 in the test features a built in microphone, it only really picks up the audio from inside the vehicle and after playing with it, we disabled it in the menu and would highly advise you do the same. Not only is it illegal to record a conversation with someone without their knowledge, but in the event of an accident if the camera and/or card are taken as evidence, any audio could shed light on what you were doing before the crash. For example in some states it is against the law to use your phone while driving and the audio captured could hurt you (not that we recommend you use the phone while riving, on the contrary!).