What is the suitable memory card size for a dash cam?
2 Answers
It is recommended to use a 16GB or 32GB memory card for dash cams. You can choose different memory card sizes based on your driving duration to avoid insufficient storage capacity during usage, which may affect functionality and compromise driving safety. When selecting a memory card for a dash cam, the first consideration should be the video quality of the recorder. Most dash cams on the market support 720p or 1080p resolution. A 1080p video occupies nearly twice the storage space of a 720p video. For instance, a 4GB memory card can only record approximately one hour of 1080p footage, which is clearly insufficient—at least two hours of recording time is necessary. In general, an 8GB card is more suitable for 1080p recording, while a 4GB card is adequate for 720p.
I've been using dash cams for many years, and generally recommend 64GB to 128GB cards as the most suitable. If you mainly drive short urban trips, 32GB is sufficient, recording 4-5 hours of HD footage without issues; but for long highway journeys, 128GB can store several days of travel, preventing critical accident footage from being overwritten. I initially used smaller cards which filled up annoyingly fast, requiring frequent manual deletions – upgrading to larger cards made life much easier. Also pay attention to card speed – get Class 10 or U3 rated cards for smooth, stutter-free playback. Format correctly too – most dash cams support FAT32, while larger 128GB cards work better with exFAT (check compatibility). Ultimately, don't skimp on capacity – safety and evidence are far more valuable.
