Updated on July 29, 2023
When a team member from Z-Edge reached out and asked if we could review their latest dual lens car camera, we were more than happy to oblige and somewhat excited as we haven’t had one of their products in our clutches for some time. The last Z-Edge we reviewed was the Z3 Plus (voted the best dash camera 2016), and the model before that was a Z2 Plus dual lens. So, without further ado, let’s deep dive into the latest addition to their lineup, and give you an unbiased review and technical breakdown of features and settings for the Z-Edge Z3d Dual Lens Car Camera.
Quick Summary
| Image | Product | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Z-Edge Z3D Dual Lens |
| Check Price → |
Product Review
The Device
The Z3D camera is a well-built, robust, and slick-looking device. The piano black finish gives it a premium look, and is certainly nicer than a matt finish as seen on some of the cheaper cameras we’ve reviewed. It’s not the smallest on the market, but considering it has a 2.7-inch screen, it’s about as small as it needs to be. Around the edges, there is a slot for the memory card, a power button, and a couple of USB/micro USB slots for the power cables. On the back, you’ll find the menu and navigation buttons beside the screen.
Sensor
The Z3D from Z-Edge supports recording in HD 1080P 30fps video quality on both the front and rear cameras. This is thanks to the combination of a high-speed Novatek NTK96663 CPU and a cutting-edge OV4689 sensor. This not only allows for crisp day-time recording but night-vision is also recorded in clear detail.
Lens
Most high-end dashcams offer viewing angles around 150 degrees and above. The Z3D offers 150 degrees wide viewing angle, which is perfectly fine for a dashcam of this price range. A 150-degree view is enough to capture approximately 4 lanes width of the road ahead, and most occurrences of hazard appearing from sideroads or the sidewalk.
An important note is that the rear camera also supports a 150-degree angle, which is impressive for such a small device and price range. The previous Z2 Plus only offered 120 degrees on the rear cam, so this is a nice little upgrade.
As for night-vision, a highly-sensitive six glass lens image sensor captures much of the detail required for night time recording. The F2.0 ultra-wide lens aperture produces sharp and worthy footage even in low light conditions.
Video Recording
The Z3D doesn’t quite offer 4k recording just yet but does provide Full HD 1920 x 1080P recording capability at 30fps for both the front and rear camera connected. If you just want the front camera, you get an impressive 2560 x 1440P at 30fps. 1920 x 1080P is the standard norm among dash cams, and with the Z3D, quality Full HD suffices for both day and night time recording.
Audio Recording
Not everyone seeks out this feature, but some certainly do. It’s there as an option, so if you want audio recording on while you record video footage, it’s possible for both front and rear cameras. Alternatively, you can switch this off too.
Loop Recording
Loop recording means that videos are recorded and saved to the memory card at set intervals. It will automatically overwrite the earliest unprotected saved file once the memory card is full, thus recording videos cycle by cycle seamlessly. Intervals available are 1, 2, and 3 minutes.
Memory Lock Gravity Sensing
One of the most important features of any dashcam, the built-in G-Sensor automatically detects a sudden shake/collision and locks the current footage to prevent the video from being overwritten, thus providing evidence for insurance claims and traffic disputes. Sensitivity can be adjusted to your liking, most people prefer medium, as do we.
Parking Mode
The Z3D has an onboard battery (included), which means you can enable parking mode for the dash cam to continue monitoring your vehicle for unusual impact or collision when the engine is turned off and parked. You can also hardwire the dashcam so that it doesn’t rely on the built-in battery.
GPS
The GPS feature is a great option that every new dash cam should have, either preinstalled or as an option, at least. The built-in GPS on the Z-Edge Z3D can pinpoint the location of your car dash cam wherever you may be traveling at the time, anywhere on Earth. This is crucial for insurance claims because it can locate exactly where and when incidents have occurred. Other handy features of the GPS tracking data mean that while the video is recording, the Z3D will record location, speed, time, and other variables that can be later viewed on a GPS Multimedia Player.
Rear LCD Screen
The rear LCD screen on the Z-Edge Z3D is not a touchscreen and is a 2.7″ color unit. One of the neatest things we liked about the screen was the PIP (picture in picture) setting, which allowed us to view both front and rear cameras simultaneously while recording. Alternatively, you can set to display either the front or rear.
Setting It Up
The device comes out of the factory with many default settings, some of which you’ll want to tweak. For example, set the time and date, language, loop recording intervals, button beeps, audio recording On/Off, parking monitor, GPS, WDR, and much more. The menu is easy to navigate, so customizing your dashcam shouldn’t be a problem.
Still recording
Still recording or taking a snapshot is accessible through the menu options. If the device is on the recording screen, simply come out and navigate to the appropriate menu option and take a still as if it was a point-and-shoot.
SD Card
As for storage, the Z3D is compatible with external storage support of up to 128GB. It is recommended to use at least class 10 or above with write speed 20MB/s for best performance. Do not enter or remove the SD Card when the device is on due to the risk of file corruption.
Connectivity
One of the only downsides I can point out to this device is the lack of wi-fi connectivity. For most, it’s not a deal-breaker, because most people will seldom download files, especially when loop recording is slowly doing its thing. When you do require files, you will have to either plug the memory card to a card reader to download the files or use a data cable to transfer them. Perhaps wi-fi connectivity is on the cards for future models.
In The Box
In the box of the Z3D, you’ll get the user manual, front and rear dash cam, the suction mount with built-in GPS, a cigarette lighter power adapter, a long USB cable for the rear camera, a shorter cable for connecting the front camera, a tool for easing the cable into the trim area, and some cable management clips.
DashCamGurus Rating
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Video / View / Picture Quality
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Features
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The Verdict
Z-Edge has an impressive lineup of dash cams under its belt, and the Z-Edge Z3D is a great little device to add to its collection. It has pretty much everything you need from a dash cam (GPS, WDR, loop recording, parking mode, etc.) and much more. The dual lens is handy, and the build quality is second to none. Currently available on both the USA and UK markets for circa $120, you could easily pay much more for something of a similar spec.
After 1 week of using the Z3D, it’s certainly growing on me, and it currently resides among the top 10 best dual lens dash cams of 2023.
With more than 20 years of experience in the automotive industry, Ash possesses a deep understanding of the diverse needs and challenges faced by drivers on the road. His relentless commitment to road safety and ongoing research is fueled by a genuine desire to create safer environments for all drivers.
