What does EV mean on a dash cam?
Exposure refers to the amount of light that a camera captures in a given shot. When it comes to dashcams, exposure is especially important because the camera is often recording while the car is in motion and encountering a wide range of lighting conditions. In Dash Cams, dynamic range is measured in exposure value (EV) differences. An increase of one EV represents a doubling of the amount of light. Conversely, a decrease of one EV represents a halving of the amount of light.
The exposure setting is instrumental in a Dash Cam – because this feature ensures that your video is crystal clear under all conditions.
Vantrue E series dashcam provides a wide variety of exposure levels. You can modify the brightness of the dashcams using the exposure option to match the background. While low-exposure settings generate actual footage in an overexposed scene without the risk of excessive lighting destroying your priceless clip, increased exposure produces brighter footage in a dark environment. When involved in an accident in an area with varying lighting, this feature is quite helpful. Vantrue E3 Dash Cam model technology assures high-quality recording in various weather, light, and road conditions. It also ensures that videos recorded can be used as an indisputable witness during insurance claims.
In the most straightforward explanation, exposure = brightness.
There are two main types of exposure to consider when selecting a dashcam: automatic exposure and manual exposure.
Automatic exposure means that the camera will adjust its exposure settings automatically based on the lighting conditions it encounters. This can be helpful because it means that the camera will adapt to changing lighting conditions without requiring any input from the driver. However, automatic exposure can also be a drawback because it may not always produce the best results. For example, if the camera is facing the sun, it may adjust its exposure in a way that makes the rest of the image too dark. Additionally, some cameras may take several seconds to adjust their exposure, which can result in missed footage.
Manual exposure means that the driver has control over the camera's exposure settings. This can be beneficial because it allows the driver to adjust the exposure to the specific lighting conditions they encounter. For example, if the camera is facing the sun, the driver can adjust the exposure to make the rest of the image more visible. However, manual exposure can also be a drawback because it requires the driver to pay close attention to the lighting conditions and adjust the camera accordingly. This can be distracting and time-consuming.
When selecting a dashcam, it's important to consider both automatic and manual exposure options. Automatic exposure can be helpful in many situations, but it's significant to choose a camera that adjusts quickly and accurately. Manual exposure can be beneficial for drivers who want more control over their footage, but it requires some knowledge of photography and can be more time-consuming.
Explore the Exposure Settings in Vantrue E3 dashcam.
The Vantrue E3 arrives with a default (0.0) exposure setting, the baseline of exposure levels.
The default exposure setting in the camera accounts for everyday lighting situations -- such as bright days or darker days.
On a typical, modest day, the default factory setting of exposure works perfectly.
The only moment you need to modify the exposure setting is -- when there is minimal light or too much brightness in any provided location.
Suppose your footage appears dark due to low brightness conditions. You can heighten the camera's exposure level, which will enable your dashcam to maximize the amount of light absorbed by its lens -- confirming footage appears brighter.
Let's view the exposure scale of the Vantrue E3 dashcam
Below are the exposure setting options your camera will come with:
• -2.0
• -1.6
• -1.3
• -1.0
• -0.6
• -0.3
• 0.0 (Default)
• +0.3
• +0.6
• +1.0
• +1.3
• +1.6
• +2.0
WDR To The Rescue
Fortunately, here come's the WDR technology. WDR is short for Wide Dynamic Range. The WDR technology is applied to view the image smoothly under the condition of severe light contrast. Significant decompensation appears in the captured image in shady-bright locations if you use the standard mode instead of WDR. The camera with WDR allows an imaging system to correct for the intense backlight surrounding a subject and thus improve the quality of the freeze frame. WDR coordinates and adjusts all of the angles and distortions that come with a vehicle taking pictures under differing light conditions. WDR purifies images to assure the precise capturing of backgrounds that combine bright and dark lights.
When you drive your car inside a tunnel or at night, it appears as a combination of dark and luminous. Suppose your dashboard camera records videos under these circumstances without WDR. In that case, you will discover that a particular portion of the video is very dark and another is very bright. This issue primarily damages essential details in the darker part -- which results in a security breach. WDR was created for conditions that have a considerable variation in background brightness levels. It enables your dash camera to achieve a balance between darkness and brightness. And record videos at a uniform brightness level without losing details, which is of vital importance when passing on evidence to an insurance firm or the police in the event of an incident.
Applied WDR To Video Capture
Dash Cams with WDR technology have advanced sensors that can produce a wider range of lighting, allowing them to record in a higher light depth. With the implementation of WDR powered by a premium Sensor, Dash Cams have an improved ability to provide enhanced images in the most challenging of conditions.
What Benefits?
In short, this feature improves the capability to observe more significant details and differentiate elements in an image. WDR increases the capacity to view a greater level of detail and enhances the ability to distinguish important features and shapes.
It works to attain perfection by capturing numerous images at different exposure levels. And perform tone mapping to confirm the best footage recording.