Review of Lukas LK-9700 Duo Type B dash camera

I plan to add to this review as I gain more experience with the product and as items come to my mind.

Brand: Lukas
Model: LK-9700 Duo Type B - link to product on Mfr site
Cost: $370 (from Amazon.com - link)

Significant Features:

• 2.4 MP Sony Imager
• HD Video
• Front Camera on product body
• Rear Camera (separate - wired)
• GPS
• G-Shock Sensor
• 3.9" LCD Touch Screen
• Touch Screen User Interface (no hard buttons other than Record Now button)
• High Capacity SD Card Slots - 2 ea (256 GB per slot - 1 SD and 1 microSD)

What I like about this product:

• VERY easy to use, very easy to change settings, playback video etc.
• 2nd camera is nice to have - I mounted mine facing out the back window. It captures my hitch and front cap when towing and a nice view of the road when bobtailing
• They have a pretty nice viewer application (Mac and PC)
• I will likely add more likes, as they come to my mind

What I dislike about this product:

• Reflections of dash and items on dash due to distance of lens from windshield glass
• I will likely add a few more dislikes here later as they come to my mind

Features I'd like to see or see enhanced:

• WiFi data off-load, config push and firmware push
• Enhanced windshield mount that can get the lens closer to the glass to minimize reflections of the vehicle dash
• Use of 2 full-size SD card slots versus 1 SD and 1 microSD
• Loading/Reading of config file via viewer app
• Resize capability of Information (map of vehicle moving down the road) window
• Direction indication on information line of recorded video
• Full set of data on information line data of 2nd camera, similar to what is provided for front camera
• Better sensitivity of internal microphone of front camera (even on highet sensitivity, interior voices are still pretty low)
• Setting for volume of G-Shock sensor when it is triggered. It's pretty loud. I like the hourly announcement of the time and leave the speaker setting at 3 (highest), but would like to set G-Shock sensor separately from other speaker sounds
• Added 5-Nov-2014: Ability to read config.bin file from Lukas Viewer App to confirm settings
• I will likely add more enhancements I'd like to see in this product, as they come to my mind

Sample Videos:
Here's a link to an online gallery I've setup on SmugMug to place sample videos I've taken. I'll continue to add videos as I experiment with various settings. Any video that shows both the front and rear camera at the same time is a screen-capture. As such, the captured screen video may not show the actual quality of the recorded video. This is due to the capture resolution and the encoding/compression used after I captured the screen.

Cool videos, but what's that ding dong noise?

Peace
Dave

Dave, the "ding dong" is an audible notification that a g-force was felt higher than the setting. This causes that portion of the video to become a "permanent" event and will not be overwritten of the SD card.

The setting is pretty sensitive, so large bumps in the road are treated as events. So are accidents.

It is recommended to regularly format the SD card so you clear these non-events.

Jim - reflections - That first camera I tried had a rotating lens. Had the bracketing worked ok I would have been able to get the lens fairly close to the window. But, it did not allow it.
My Garmin, by way of design and mount will not allow the lens any closer then several inches. But, it seems to do a better job of not catching reflections.
With either camera, the screening on the top of the Ford windshield does not allow the camera to be placed high enough to get the best video and hid the camera from the driver's line of sight.

Jeff, the Garmin has a G-sensor calibration feature and once calibrated, e levels of sensitivity. Does the cam you are using do the same?

Jim,

You videos, the rear view seems to be a better quality?

Is the rear view not "mirrored"? Are you traveling in the left or right lane?

I like that rear view and could benefit from it because of my tool box.

How about a cab picture of the cam setups?

Duane,

I may have had the rear camera set to record at a higher quality. I just reconfigured the config.bin file to record the front cam at highest quality.

I too noticed that I had not flipped the rear cam video so I changed that as well.

I have a few install images here:
http://beletti.smugmug.com/Vehicles/2012-Ford-F450-Truck/Lukas-LK9700-Dash-Camera/

Duane,

The Lukas does have a G-sensor level that you can set. At first, mine was set pretty low, but now I have it adjusted to only record bigger bumps.

I will confirm my lens placement and also post some screenshots. I do not recall having any refection issues from the dash.

I wonder if your wife plans on making you wear one to keep track of you. Don

Added to review in post #1, an item under enhancements I'd like to see:

Ability to review settings of config.bin file from SD card within Lukas Viewer App (on computer - not in camera)