Lumina’s new HD Zoom-Series dash cam promises to provide a multitude of features packed into a unique design at an affordable price point. At first glance, the dash cam is far from an eye-sore, with an advanced, perhaps even futuristic look that screams functionality. Although its compact, the sensor is still top of the line and the Lumina still packs an impressive feature set into its small build, including a sizable display, larger than we see in other smaller sized dash cams.
In the box you will find a set of car mount brackets, three cable clips, user manual, the charging cable and the unit itself. A storage card isn’t included, so just like with any dash cam, you’ll want to pick up a micro-SD that is class 10 or above, as higher read/write speeds will reduce any recording latency. The Lumina supports up to 32GB of external storage, which is more than enough to last a road trip or two.
There are a generous amount of connectivity options included in the box and on the device itself, giving you enough flexibility to place the dash cam virtually anywhere in your car. The extra component on top is perfect for mounting the camera on your roof and the bottom ports work perfectly for dashboard usage. The included mounts are well-designed, but can be substituted for double sided tape in certain situations. The camera angle is also adjustable, which allows for more flexibility when placement options are scarce.
The Lumina is made of polycarbonate and features a smooth, matte black paint all round. On the front of the unit, you’ll find the display and some navigation buttons. The sides are relatively clean, featuring just the essential connectivity ports. Flip it over and you’ll find the sensor. There is also a additional component on the top housing some buttons and the charging port. The design is somewhat similar to a handheld camera, with a clean, stealthy build that is compact and features only the essentials.
Moving on to the main attraction, which is the camera, you will immediately notice the bump in quality and field of view if you’re coming from the lower end of the spectrum. The Nikon six glass lens is capable of achieving 170 degree viewing angles, which is more than enough to cover a highway of any width. There is no fish-eye lens effect, which is something you would expect at this field of view. Videos are much more clear and accurate instead.
The camera itself is capable of recording Full HD 1080p video at a smooth 30fps with H.264 compression technology, which means faster rendering and writing speeds without taking a toll on storage. While the camera is not designed for low-light usage, performance is still adequate and it can be used for night driving. Where the Lumina really excels is daylight performance. Images are crisp and unlike most dash cams, that try to oversaturate for the sake of looking better, video is completely color accurate.
With the built-in manual controls, some features of the camera can be adjusted and the it is also capable of taking snapshots via the buttons on the device. Video quality can be changed and lowered to 720p to save storage space and the camera quality can be changed form the default 8 megapixels to 5 megapixels to further decrease storage space usage.
The built-in battery is a rather small lithium-ion unit that will only last around twenty minutes on full power. Given the processing power and the large display on the other side, this is somewhat understandable. The included micro-USB to cigarette lighter connector is long enough and will work fine for road trips. The idea to use a mainstream connectivity port was smart, as this alleviates the need to implement an array of ports that would otherwise retract from the clean and stealthy design. The camera will also shut down if the charging port or your car is off, which eliminates any chances of data loss or unexpected shut downs.
The Lumina features all the safety enhancements that you would expect at this price point, including a G-Sensor that will automatically detect accidents and lock footage, avoiding data loss or corruption. The LCD display on the front of the dash cam is great and can display recorded footage, eliminating the need to connect the camera to an external display. Regardless, there is an HDMI port located on the side of the device, allowing you to connect to larger monitors and televisions if you need to.
At the end of the day, the Lumina HD provides every feature you’d expect from a dash cam at this price point. The unique and compact design and the high quality camera is an added bonus. For budget-conscious drivers that are concerned about safety, the Lumina is perfect.
Full Specs
Dimensions: 4.7 x 3.9 x 3.2 inches
Weight: 11.2 ounces
Video: 1080p HD Video
Display: LCD
Lens Angle: 170 degrees
Storage: up to 32GB Class10
Battery or Capacitor:
Operating Temperature:
GPS: No
G-Sensor: Yes
Audio: Yes
Dual Dashcam: No
Model Number: Zoom-Series
What’s in the box?
- Lumina Zoom-Series DashCam
- Car adapter and cable (11ft 3inch)
- Wire clips with adhesive
- User manual
Sample Videos of the Lumina DashCam
Lumina daytime video footage
