BlackSys CH-200 Review - Best dash cam for the price?

Two years ago Korean manufacturer BlackSys introduced the CH-100 dash cam, which featured impressive hardware and features inside a unique build. The CH-200 follows the same design language as it’s predecessor while improving the internals and adding a few more useful features.

In the box you’ll find a cigar power cable, hardwire kit, cable clips, some literature and the two cameras. There’s also a one year warranty included in every purchase. The hardwire kit can be substituted for a Cellink B Battery depending on your preferences.

When it comes to storage, you have the choice between the free 32GB microSD or an upgraded 64GB option. There’s also a third 128GB option for more serious users. BlackSys claims that the CH-200 is also one of the only dash cams to support a whopping 256GB of microSD storage, which is one of the largest supported cards on the dash cam market. A 256GB card in this cam will hold over 20 hours of video footage.

On the outside, the front camera of the CH-200 looks essentially identical to it’s previous iteration. The front features the security LED alongside the sensor, with the GPS mount sitting on top. Flip it over and you’ll find an array of buttons for event recording, WiFi and volume, as well as the microSD card slot. On the back you’ll find ports for the rear camera, GPS, OBD and power. The WiFi port is located on the opposite side.

The polycarbonate shell is covered in a matte black paint that helps the camera remain less visible inside your car interior. The housing is relatively compact and doesn’t look out of place when mounted. While the choice of build materials isn’t the most durable option, it’ll likely survive an accident or two due to the most important components being safely concealed within the shell.

The rear camera also remains identical to the CH-100, with a small cylindrical shell housing nothing but the sensor and connectivity ports. There’s no built-in display to speak of with this model, so you’ll have to transfer your recordings to another device to view them. There is however a built in speaker, which will make a sound when it detects a potential collision.

The front and rear cameras feature identical Sony IMX322 sensors, which are capable of 1080p recordings at a smooth 30fps. The video quality is a large step up from the CH-100, offering double the bitrate and improved performance. The Sony sensor is also designed to see through tinted windows thanks to the improved low light image processing. Overall, recordings are sharp and clear even in the lowest lighting. The sensor also does a good job not overexposing bright lights at night, something many other dash cams suffer with.The front and rear cameras offer a generous 135 and 130 degree field of view respectively, which makes them more viable on multi-lane highways.

Parking mode is a much welcome feature with the CH-200 and the pre-buffering software allows you to see footage up to five seconds before the motion occurs. You can choose between time-lapse recordings or standard recording when your vehicle is parked, with the former option saving on time and storage space by only recording one frame per second.

Another nice feature found in the CH-200 is the super capacitor, which allows the camera to work in much hotter conditions. This makes sense as it would naturally spend a lot of its time in direct sunlight, especially if you’ve just parked your car somewhere in the middle of the day. This durability goes the other way too, which means drivers in colder locations will be able to use the camera without worrying about the internals freezing and damaging the footage.

To make file transfers easier, BlackSys has developed an Android and iOS app for the CH-200. With it you can change the camera’s settings and download videos straight to your smartphone without having to remove the microSD card. The app works over WiFi, which means drivers with high speed connections could end up transferring videos faster wirelessly than they would through the microSD card.

The app features a variety of settings for you to go through to ensure that the camera is working to your preferences. This includes configurable partitioning, which lets you choose how much memory card space to allocate to each recording mode.

The camera itself features some neat software tricks of it’s own, such as lane departure and forward collision warning, as well as a vehicle start alarm. Recordings are saved in .MP4 format, improving compatibility with iOS and Mac devices.

Unlike many other dash cam successors, the BlackSys CH-200 doesn’t take things too far or include any gimmicky features that you’ll end up not using anyway. It focuses on providing quality recordings and safety features, as well as maintaining a durable and reliable build.

Full Specs

Dimensions:
Front: 2.3″ x 3.9″ x 1.3″
Rear: 2″ x 1″ x 2.2″
Video:
Front : Full HD. 2.1M Pixels SONY IMX322 Sensor, (1/2.9”)
Rear : Full HD. 2.1M Pixels SONY IMX322 Sensor, (1/2.9”)
Chipset: Ambarella A12
Sensor: SONY IMX322 EXMOR
Display: None, view in APP
Lens Angle:
Front: 135°
Rear: 130°
Storage: microSD (class 10) 8GB to 256GB
GPS: Yes
G-Sensor: Yes
Temp Range: Operation temp: -20°C ~ 70°C, Storage temp: -30°C ~ 80°C
Battery or Capacitor: Capacitor
Audio Recording: Yes (on/off option)
APP: Yes, Android & iOS
Dual Dashcam: Yes
Model Number: CH-200
Manufactured by: Cammsys Corp.