Viofo A119 vs Vantrue X2

Categories Dashcams

This video puts two 2k cameras side by side. Viofo takes the edge, with slightly sharper video and a super-capacitor. The Vantrue has slightly better color/exposure and less distortion.


Where to Buy

Viofo A119: USA | Canada | International
Vantrue X2: USA | Canada

Video Transcript

Hey, Dreki here and today I’m comparing the Viofo A119 and the Vantrue X2. These are both 2k cameras but the Viofo is based on the Novatek platform while the Vantrue is based on the Ambarella A12. I’m gonna say straight up that Viofo wins this face-off but it’s pretty close. Video quality is solid from both cameras, but the Viofo has a better design and some features that push it over the edge.

To start, here are the two cameras side by side. They look very different. The viofo camera is wedge shaped and sticks to your windshield while the Vantrue hangs from a suction cup mount. I prefer the design of the Viofo because it is more discreet, but the Vantrue does look pretty nice if you’re the kind of person who wants to show off a camera. It can be discreet too but my windshield has those little black dots on it that the suction cup won’t mount to so there’s no way to hide it behind the rear-view mirror. I prefer the user interface and menus on the Vantrue but the Viofo is straightforward enough.

Now, I’m gonna be a bit of an ass and let you play the guessing game. Sound fun? No? Well, here are some side by side samples of the video. The left will be one camera and the right will be the other. I took away the watermarks so that you won’t be able to easily tell which camera is which. I am doing this so that you can make a less biased decision to which you think looks visually better.

The camera on the left has a sharper picture in the center but a bit of fall off/blur on the edges. The camera on the right has less sharpness but a more consistent picture. I pulled the cameras outside of the car so that there is no interference from my windshields and took some footage around the nearby freeway. As you can see both have decent exposure. The camera on the left is a little bit sharper but my preference goes to the camera on the right because it is a little bit brighter and more contrasty. At night, both cameras hold up fairly well. Let’s freeze-frame on this street sign now. The one on the left blows it out while the one on the right manages to hold it in. The left video is a little bit darker and more constrasty than the right. Prference, at night, goes to the right video for me because it has slightly higher dynamic range.

Well, it’s time for the grand reveal. The left video is the Viofo A119 and the right video is the Vantrue X2. Hmm. Video is so close that either camera will perform adequately. Each camera has its situation it does better in. I prefer the video from the Vantrue a little bit more as it has better colour and contrast, but the Viofo is very close, apart from the nasty distortion. If you didn’t have the cameras side by side you probably wouldn’t notice a difference. Video quality on the Viofo is good enough that for practical purposes it won’t make much difference but the Vantrue does have the edge here.

Don’t both with either of these cameras if you plan to film in 1080p60. The Viofo A119S is superior in every way. These cameras are for the extra resolution, not frame rate.

Audio is pretty damn close too but Vantrue wins by a little bit. The audio is slightly louder, clearer and has less road noise. Here’s a sample.

OK, If video is close and audio is … well … close enough. Parking mode on the Vantrue is better in my opinion… The menus on the Vantrue are a little bit nicer. Other features are sort of gimmicky… I like the body of the A119 better. So which camera wins then? I already spoiled this earlier, and it’s the A119 and there’s one reason why I forgot to mention earlier: It has a capacitor. I live in Canada, and as you can see it is winter. While I personally haven’t had issues with the Vantrue yet, battery based cameras are less reliable when the temperature drops below freezing or is above 35 Celsius. The A119 is based on a capacitor instead of a battery, so it doesn’t have that potential reliability issue.

So yeah, go with the A119 if you want higher reliability. The Vantrue is a good camera too with great video, but for most uses I’d edge towards Viofo here.

Thanks for watching. If you have any questions or comments please leave them below.


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