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Vantrue E360 Dash Cam: two-minute review
Dash cam manufacturers are becoming ever more inventive in their quest to stay ahead of the pack. This has resulted in many different variations on the theme, with many models offering much more than just a forward-facing recorded view of the road.
One of the big features starting to appear in the specification of the best dash cams is 360-degree capture. The Vantrue E360 Dash Cam is a prime example of this, and I’ve been using it for a while to see if it’s worth considering.
I’ve already tried the decidedly bulbous 70mai 360 Omni, which adopts a slightly different approach to 360-degree capture by using a revolving lens – the latest incarnation has been beefed up to shoot 4K video too. The Vantrue E360 Dash Cam isn’t quite as chunky, although it’s not far off, and it delivers a neat alternative for capturing more complete coverage of the road ahead, the road behind, and inside the vehicle cabin.
I’ve been testing the Vantrue E360 Dash Cam Ace bundle, which is a big box of tricks that includes the 5.2K, dual-lens 30fps unit that shoots with a 210-degree field of view from each lens to produce a 360-degree effect in playback mode. There’s also a more conventional rear-facing unit included for good measure, and the bundle also features a tripod stand, so the E360 can double as an action cam. The base-level package doesn’t include the rear camera and the tripod if those are surplus to your requirements.
One of the most appealing aspects of the Vantrue E360 Dash Cam is its ease of setup and installation. I was impressed by this fact when testing the Vantrue E1 Pro recently, especially when it came to working through the configuration steps using the rear screen. You get the same ease of use with this model, despite the fact that the specification left me thinking there might be some tinkering involved. That’s not the case however, and I was able to quickly pick my way through the touchscreen menus on the back of the Vantrue E360 Dash Cam.
Naturally, if the rearward-facing camera is part of the picture, there will be some extra wiring to install. Either way, Vantrue packs everything needed into the box, with a well laid out instruction manual proving invaluable. I tend to favor using static film strips for mounting dash cams, as they make for easier removal, and Vantrue has the mounting bracket design process down to a tee too. In fact, the overall feeling I got from the Vantrue E360 Dash Cam was that everything was really well thought out.
