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VIOFO A329 Dashcam Review: Do you need 60FPS?

  • VIOFO A329 dashcam tested
  • 4K 60FPS recording quality
  • External storage and fast download capability

Written by Naveed Hussain Updated: 17 December 2024

The technology that goes into popular dashcams is improving every day, and devices like the VIOFO A329 continue to push the boundaries of what we should expect. While 4K resolution is common in these cameras, it’s less common to find one that offers a frame rate of 60 frames per second (FPS).

Of course, you can take proactive measures to safety and security by fitting your car with a steering wheel lock, but other measures like fitting a tracker can help in the occasion that your car is stolen. Having a dashcam acts as a bit of security in the event of an accident, as it can provide invaluable evidence to help your claim.

There are a number of great dashcams available on the market, and some that are integrated into your cars mirror, but the big talking point for the VIOFO A329 is that it offers 60FPS where most dashcams would make do with 30FPS. Why is this significant? Well, it means that high speed footage, like on a motorway, can be recorded smoothly and even slowed down should you need to capture certain details while driving.

Verdict: An impressively technical dashcam that comes with great video quality, but low-light performance can be better

Score: 4/5

Expert rating:

4.0

Pros

  • 4K 60FPS
  • Wi-Fi 6 for fast downloads
  • Can connect external SSD

Cons

  • Memory card not included
  • File sizes are quite large

VIOFO A329: The Good

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VIOFO A329 dashcam
VIOFO A329 dashcam

The design and build quality of the forward-facing camera is great. It feels robust, even if at times it feels quite chunky, but it certainly feels like a premium piece of kit. We’re big fans of this sort of design, as it integrates the 2.4-inch screen into the main body of the camera that is then mounted directly to your windscreen (rather than the adhesive being on an arm). This means that the camera takes up less room despite being rather large, and it doesn’t block much vision. Even the cables feel strong, especially the one that connects to the rear camera, so tucking them into your car’s trim shouldn’t damage them.

The video footage is a huge selling point of the VIOFO A329. It is billed as the world’s first 4K 60FPS camera, but in addition to this it comes with an IMX678 STARVIS 2 sensor on the front and an IMX675 STARVIS 2 sensor at the rear. All this means that the camera can better capture footage in low-light situations and has an impressive dynamic range.

Despite claiming the title of the world’s first dashcam to capture 4K 60FPS footage, the VIOFO also claims to be the first dashcam to use Wi-Fi 6 technology. This means that it can operate faster in the 5GHz band, so you can expect quicker video previews and download speeds of up to 30MB/s.

The A329 supports micro-SD cards up to 512GB, and it can loop record so old files are overwritten as new ones are captured. While this is pretty standard tech on modern dashcams, VIOFO has gone one step further by offering the ability to connect the camera to an external SSD with up to 4TB of storage. It is expected that 4k 60FPS video files will be rather large, so having the option of an external SSD is welcomed. A 4TB SSD should be able to support over three weeks of footage according to VIOFO.

VIOFO A329: The Okay

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VIOFO A329 dashcam
VIOFO A329 dashcam

While the attention-grabbing headline is the world’s first 4K 60FPS recording quality, the rear camera must make do with just 2K 30FPS. This means that footage from the rear camera won’t be as silky smooth as the front, but it is still on par with industry standards in the premium dashcam sector. The IMX675 STARVIS 2 sensor in the rear camera (which is different from the sensor in the front) means that it is more sensitive to light and has a good dynamic range. This is a smart decision since it can be dazzled by other motorists’ headlight often.

You get everything you need to get started apart from a micro-SD card, that will need to be purchased separately. The design of the A329 doesn’t make it any easier or harder to install. We found the trim removal tool to lack the sort of material quality we were expecting, but it is a piece of equipment you should only need to use once during installation.

You do get a circular polarising lens (CPL) to use on the front camera, which should be great to avoid reflections and glare in your footage, but we didn’t think it made a huge difference as the camera quality out of the front is already quite good. You can get a CPL for the rear camera separately, but we didn’t think it made a significant impact to the footage. Another optional piece of equipment in the Bluetooth remote, which can be used to save footage at the time of your choosing. It can operate from up to five metres away, but again, this isn’t a necessary accessory as the camera has a voice command function to save clips.

VIOFO A329: The Bad

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VIOFO A329 dashcam footage
VIOFO A329 dashcam footage

We must start by mentioning the low-light performance of the A329, which isn’t as good as we expected. It seems that VIOFO implemented the HDR (High Dynamic Range) feature in order to focus on details such as registration plates, but that means the entire scene appears rather dark. When you playback the footage the footage is difficult to see unless you’re able to edit it to adjust the brightness. We must also add that a darkened scene with rain further adds to this effect. There is a sense that this has been set up by someone who has advanced knowledge of photography/videography which can be a positive and a negative depending on how you see it. The idea of being able to see the registration plates of other cars does add a level of comfort knowing that important details will be captured should you need them.

Storage is another aspect that you must consider, not least because the micro-SD card is sold separately. While there are a couple of storage options, including an external SSD, we found that the size of each video file was rather large. As most dashcams the A329 saves each video clip as one-minute-long clips, and since the clips from the front camera are shot in 4K 60FPS it means each file is over 300MB in size. That means you’ll need a large storage solution. We used a 64GB micro-SD from VIOFO and were only able to save slightly over a week’s worth of footage at a time.

VIOFO A329: Verdict

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VIOFO A329 dashcam
VIOFO A329 dashcam

There’s no doubting the VIOFO pushes the boundaries of what is possible when it comes to mainstream dashcams. It offers a premium product with impressive capabilities, like the 4K 60FPS recording quality. As you increase the video quality that will increase the file size, and there is a sense that is why VIOFO have opted to offer the option of an external SSD up to 4TB and Wi-Fi 6 capabilities. Without the extra storage of an SSD and the download speeds of Wi-Fi 6 you would struggle to take advantage of the 60FPS frame rate.

Clearly a lot of thought and engineering knowledge has gone into the A329, with a focus on prioritising the product above all else, and that is exactly what consumers would appreciate. It may all seem unnecessary, and inflates the price of otherwise common technology, but if you want absolute peace of mind then 60FPS might seem attractive. The low-light performance lets the A329 down a little, but aside from that it is a brilliant piece of kit.

Other dashcams to consider

The VIOFO A329 is rather unique as it offers 4K 60FPS, but there are a few other dashcams with some incredible tech:

The Miofive S1 Ultra offers 4K resolution from both the front and rear camera, while most other dual dashcams settle for 1080p at the rear. Despite all of the clever tech, even the VIOFO A329 doesn't offer 4K resolution at the rear so that makes the Miofive great value if you want high quality video.

If you want to know more about the Miofive S1 Ultra then take a look at our review here.

Pros

  • 4K resolution front and rear
  • Good low-light performance

Cons

  • Hardwiring kit needed for some functions
Best three channel dashcam
If you want even more peace of mind than you'd get with a dual dashcam, then why not get a three-channel dashcam that captures video out of the front, rear, and interior of the car. This A229 bundle from VIOFO comes records at 2K (1440p) out of the front and rear, and 1080p out of the interior camera. The A229 offers similar performance as the A329 as it comes with similar STARVIS 2 sensors and fast download speeds.
Highest resolution dashcam
If you thought 4K was impressive then take a look at this 5.2K dashcam from Vantrue. It comes with two 210-degrees cameras that can stitch the image together to create a 360-degrees panoramic recording. That means you can view out of the front and into the cabin at any particular moment, and videos can be played back in 360 mode using the Vanture Player or App. STARVIS 2 sensors come as standard, and there are a few different recording modes.

How the VIOFO A329 was tested

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VIOFO A329 dashcam
VIOFO A329 dashcam

The VIOFO was tested over the course of a month by mounting it to a Toyota Prius. Both the front and rear cameras were mounted and connected using the 2.8mm coaxial cable which was tucked away using the tool provided. Video files were saved on a VIOFO 64GB micro-SD card, and the front camera was fitted with a circular polarising lens that comes with the dashcam.

The Prius was driven in a variety of environments, particularly in the dark as it was late November/early December. We were keen to see how the dynamic range would fare against a dark scene and the brightness of other cars’ headlights, especially if it would capture other vehicles’ registration plates. We also had an opportunity to test out the A329 in the rain (in the dark).

The app is a part of the A329 that lets it down. It’s great to use it to setup your dashcam, but to save your file we would recommend you either use a data cable, micro-SD card, or external SSD. In fact, since the camera comes with a 2.4-inch screen, and buttons that you can use to control, you don’t really need to use the app at all to get started. If you do want to adjust some settings through the app then be aware that it is quite basic which may be a good thing as it is easy to use. We did suffer from some connectivity issues but nothing that caused a major inconvenience.

Who tested the VIOFO A329?

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VIOFO A329 dashcam
VIOFO A329 dashcam

Commercial content writer Naveed Hussain was able to test the dashcam thanks to his background in photography and videography. He was able to understand the significance of the features that the A329 offered and was able to confidently assess its abilities.

Naveed Hussain is a commercial content writer at Bauer Media writing for Parkers and CAR. He enjoys anything with four wheels and is always planning his next road trip.

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