Thanks Kaido and zerogear.
@Kaido: I did not realize that there are two directions to record. That makes sense. I looked at the one you linked and it's got a lot of wires, which are kind of intimidating. I think for my friend (and for me) the easier install/maintenance the better.
The Falcon Zero looks like just what the doctor ordered. What is its drawback?
What does capacitor do? (the 3rd link)
There indeed are so many options in the brief time I did my search, and I am a little overwhelmed.
@zerogear: GoSafe 260 looks quite similar to Falcon F360 (the 2nd link Kaido provided). I do like that it kind of hides/disguise itself in a back mirror.
What about the models with integrated GPS? Are they worth extra $$?
I'd
like to record in a 360, but multi-channel systems aren't readily available (front & rear, left & right, interior facing out driver's window). Covers you if you get mugged at the window, rear-ended, t-boned, etc. Cheap insurance...at least you have video proof of what happened & can get someone's face or license plate. Aside from multi-channel systems not being off-the-shelf (or cheap), most dashcams aren't super reliable...just look at Amazon reviews for all of the issues you can run into. For example, like zerogear said, capacitors are nicer because they don't stand as much of a chance of exploding like batteries can.
GPS is nice for proving location on a date & time, but again like zerogear said, it can work against you (speeding or if you do something shady). There are tons of features available...like there's a Blackvue model that can hook up to your smartphone to view the video, rather than having to hook up the SD card to a PC. Or parking mode where if someone hits your parked car, it has a buffer & can get a video of them from a hit & run. Lots of options, lots of confusion, can be real hard to pick out a good one. Most are junk, based solely on reviews online at places like Amazon & Youtube.
The wedge models & the Falcon Zero clip-on types are probably the easiest ones to do. You can get a wedge for the front & rear too, which gives you better visibility out the back window. The big thing is getting power to everything because nobody wants to be switching batteries all the time, so you either have to DIY or take it into a car stereo type of shop for a clean install. Also like zerogear said, there are some higher-resolution models that give you a lot better visibility of license plates...remember the 1080p HD models are high-def, but it's also a small, cheap camera in motion, so it's not like taking a still picture. Plus it's useful to get IR (infrared) LED's on the camera so it can pick up images in the dark better. It can get expensive & complicated quick...you kind of have to sift through what you want vs. your budget, and then find the best fit for how you want to handle the installation. Basic checklist:
a. Number of cameras
b. Quality of cameras (SD, 720, 1080, UltraHD)
c. IR LED's on cameras (for nightvision)
d. Recording capacity
e. Visibility of installation from the outside of the car
f. Parking mode
g. Power, battery, capacitor
i. GPS
j. Smartphone hookup
k. Computer software (some tie into Google Maps to show you the route etc.)
l. Installation procedure (simple to complex, DIY to take to a shop)
m. Budget available
n. Reviews of hardware/software
The Falcon one is pretty easy (plenty of clones too, although keep an eye on the ratings). Here's a video introduction:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iD1mTqf0-EQ