The Mola is has to make do without a display screen too, but it can be set up using a WiFi connection to a smartphone app. The poor translations to English make some tasks difficult, but hopefully it’s not something you’ll have to use often. Just make sure you turn off the embarrassing bleeps and welcome message before you take any passengers. Ring RSDC3000 A full HD dash cam with a resolution of 1296p, a 130-degree field of view and 30 fps. Built-in GPS records your vehicle’s location and speed. A built-in G-sensor automatically saves the current file in the event of a crash. The size means you have to do without a screen too, but there’s a WiFi link to Garmin’s app which allows you to view footage and take a live feed so the camera can be set up. If you want to access menus while on the move, the Garmin will respond to voice commands if you need to save clips or turn off the audio recording. This works well in a closed car, but we suspect it may struggle on a roadster with the roof down on a motorway.

That’s amazing value, especially as the camera has the best resolution footage here at 1600P (that’s an image 1600 pixels deep – more than the 1080P commonly dubbed “HD”). The images are noticeably better than the other cameras here in the day, although the software doesn’t seem to cope quite as well at night compared to the Kenwood, Garmin and Ring. We also awarded points for features such as GPS location and speed data stamps, which give more accurate evidence after an incident. DDPAI Mola N3 Dash Cam Record vital evidence in the event of a crash. Protect yourself from insurance fraud, and in some cases even lower your insurance costs.As the number of incidents on UK roads increases, installing a dash cam brings a range of benefits to new and experienced drivers. Having the ability to easily resolve disputes, offer witness information, produce supporting evidence for an insurance claim, capture that unforgettable moment or even potentially reduce your insurance costs, means a dash cam makes a lot of sense for the modern driver. The footage quality is acceptable, but the steep cost of the hardwire kit – plus an SD card – means the Mio doesn’t seem like a bargain compared to the far superior DDPAI and Ring rivals. Verdict There is a tiny 2-inch screen to help you scroll through the menus and position the camera, although it is permanently switched on – unlike most rivals which have the option to switch off after a short period of time. This screen can prove distracting, especially at night in an otherwise dark car. The Garmin Mini 2 is missing a feature which we consider almost essential on a dash cam – the GPS sensor which stamps speed and location info on your footage. But it has still made it to our top tier because it is absolutely tiny. Even with the mount, it is small enough to be hidden in your hand, which means it will not be visible to anyone but the nosiest passer-by or concours judge. That might be important if you are trying to maintain the original look of your classic.

Like the Kenwood, it has to make do with 1080p video capture, but some clever Garmin tech means it is better than average quality. Pioneer VREC-DH200 To test the cameras, we attached them to the windscreen of our test car and drove on a selection of roads in a variety of conditions. The best cameras should be able to capture detail such as numberplates in bright sunlight and at night. In Top Gear Magazine (yes the one that is linked to BBC's Top Gear show), they reviewed what they thought were the Top 5 budget Dash Cameras.This is occasionally useful, as it allows you to view your videos even if you are not near the car. You might want to do this if you want to show someone footage or share it with your insurer or the police. Looking head on, it’s no bigger than the average business card and the mount is compact too, meaning it will fit discreetly behind most rear-view mirrors. Despite the size, it has a screen which makes navigating menus and aiming the lens easy. When you start the car, the dash cam automatically powers up, and there’s high-contrast night vision to keep things clear in low light. It’s also WIFI enabled and works with the Ring Connect App, so saving videos is far less of a faff. But the constant nagging of the app, as well as the heavy data and power usage demands on your phone, soon become an annoyance if you just expect your camera to be quietly watching over you and the car. On the plus side, the footage quality is good for a 1080P camera. Mio C312

While these high-tech devices are never going to blend in totally with a classic, we selected cameras which are small and discreet enough not to be noticed at a glance. This also means they won’t take up valuable space on the windscreens of roadsters and smaller cars. FREE UK delivery applies to Zone A, UK Mainland England, Wales and Southern Scotland (Central Belt of Scotland) and Excludes surcharge post codes and areas.Express delivery option to offshore, highlands and remote postcodes may take longer than the usual one working day. The surcharge may not apply to small items being sent via Royal mail or MyHermes etc... Where possible we will try our best to avoid courier service for surcharge areas. The Ring comes in a close second, and would be our first choice if you prefer to have a screen to play with the menus. The Kenwood feels like a quality product and delivers consistently good quality footage too. The Ring RSDC4000 HD GPS & WiFi Enabled Slim Smart Dash Camera offers a superior-high-quality recording solution that combines state-of-the-art technology with GPS and Wifi enabled connectivity, along with all the benefits of dash cam ownership.

It might not be a name you’ve ever heard of, but DDPAI are big in the dash cam market globally and it’s easy to see why. The Mola is about half the size of an ice lolly and has a reasonably compact mount which makes it easy to hide on a shallow windscreen. The RSDC4000 HD GPS & WiFi Enabled Slim Smart Dash Camera's screenless, discreet design (about the same size as a credit card) features a full HD 1440p resolution camera with an extra-wide 140° field of view and 30fps (frames per second) recording, which allows you to capture true video high-quality images (day and night) from in front of your vehicle. Additional support for the Ring Rearview camera allows simultaneous recording from the front and rear to give all-around protection. The Mio is one of Halfords’ best-selling cameras, and it is certainly well priced and compact too. The suction mount is small and neat, while the device itself is the size and shape of two Toblerone chunks. I changed a few settings that I feel should be the default: 5-minute loop time, night vision on, and screen saver to on – which turns the screen off within a few seconds of starting up.

There are some downsides though. While the camera itself is small, the mount is twice as long as the camera. In fact it’s so chunky we suspect some of the electronics have been hidden inside, especially as it can’t be separated from the camera.