Dash Cams
How to choose a dash cam
How many cameras
A two lens system covers the road ahead and behind, which is what most drivers want and what an insurer asks for first. A three channel system adds the cabin, which matters if you carry passengers for work, and a four channel system covers the road ahead, both sides of the cabin and the road behind from one unit. The more channels, the more likely you want it hardwired rather than plugged into the accessory socket. 4K matters most for reading plates at speed or at distance; 2K is enough for general evidence.
Socket or hardwired
Plugging into the accessory socket is simplest and covers driving. Hardwiring runs the camera from the fuse box instead, which is what makes parking mode work: the camera keeps monitoring after the engine stops and wakes on impact or, on radar models, on movement near the car. Whichever you choose, give the camera a new memory card of its own and format it in the camera every couple of months, because the card is the part that fails.
Compare the types
 Front and rear |  Three channel |  Four channel |  4G dash cam |  Motorbike | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Covers | Road ahead and behind | Road, cabin and behind | Road ahead, both cabin sides and the road behind | Road ahead and behind, plus live view | Road ahead and behind on a bike |
| Parking mode | With a hardwire kit | With a hardwire kit | Yes: built in radar wakes it on movement, hardwire kit in the box | Yes, with live view from your phone | Check the listing |
| Footage to phone | Over WiFi | Over WiFi | Over WiFi, beside the car | Over 4G from anywhere | Over WiFi |
| Suits | Most drivers | Rideshare, taxis, fleets | Couriers, delivery and fleet vehicles that want every angle from one unit | A car you want to check on while parked | Riders |
| See | Front and rear dash cams | Three channel dash cams | Four channel dash cams | 4G dash cams | Motorbike cameras |
Buying guides
Dash Camera Buying Guide NZRelated
Motorbike Cameras Car GPS Trackers Bodycams Memory Cards
Common questions
Does it record while parked?
Only with a hardwire kit fitted. Plugged into the accessory socket, most cars cut power with the ignition.
Will it drain my battery?
A proper hardwire kit has a low voltage cut off that stops recording before the battery drops too low to start the car. Check the kit has one and set the threshold conservatively on an older battery.
Which memory card?
A new card kept for the camera alone, not the one out of an old phone, because a dash cam overwrites its card continuously and an ordinary card starts dropping files within months. Check the largest size and any speed rating the camera's manual asks for: our cards are sold brand neutral, so contact us before you order if you need a particular rating. Format the card in the camera rather than on a computer.
Are dash cams legal in New Zealand? NZ law
Yes. The footage is yours to keep and to give to Police or an insurer. Mount the camera where it does not block the driver's view. If you carry paying passengers, the camera is part of a business and the Privacy Act 2020 applies: passengers need to know they are being recorded, and audio should stay off unless there is a specific reason for it.