MioFive Dash Cam Dual review: image quality at the heart of compact two-camera recorder

When I tested the original MioFive 4K dash cam last year my biggest complaint was that there was no option to attach a rear-facing camera for all-round coverage. Now, MioFive has addressed that concern with the inventively named MioFive Dash Cam Dual, which bundles the original camera with a secondary unit offering 2K recording capabilities.

Like the single unit, the Dual offers 4K recording from its front camera and focuses on image quality and ease of use rather than being overloaded with features, so besides a forward departure warning, features are limited to the usual GPS logging, wifi connectivity, impact activated emergency recording and a parking mode enabled by the optional hard-wiring kit. There’s also a dedicated low-light mode that takes advantage of the camera’s Sony Starvis sensor.

First impressions are of an impressively solid construction. There’s none of the flimsy plastics found on some dash cams but a heavy and robust unit. For a camera with a viewing screen (2 inches) it’s also impressively slimline, measuring just 116x50x55mm. It’s small enough to fit behind most rear view mirrors unobtrusively, helped by a compact mount that handles the power and rear camera inputs. The problem with the mount is its limited adjustability, so you’ll want to be sure of its position before committing to sticking it on. The rear unit is even smaller and swivels through 360 degrees, making mounting and calibrating it easy. 

Unlike most dash cams which use external microSD cards, the MioFive comes with 128GB of on-board storage but no option to expand this. From the camera you can either review footage on the unit’s built-in screen or use the accompanying smartphone app, which also allows you to manage the camera’s settings and view route maps of recently completed journeys. Compared with some dash cam companion apps, the MioFive software is easy to set up and use and comes with a variety of playback features, including frame-by-frame video playback and the ability to zoom in. From the app you’re able to use 5Ghz wifi to quickly download footage from the camera to share with insurers or police and there’s even an option to instantly upload clips to your social media channels, if the urge takes you. 

That footage, like the single-lens MioFive 4K, is impressively sharp from the front camera. The Sony sensor captures crystal clear images in most conditions and manages to record details well even when vehicles are travelling at high speeds. Standard recording is at 30 frames per second but you can boost that to 60fps at the cost of stepping down the resolution down to Full HD. 

 The rear camera’s 2K recording is pretty high-spec for a secondary camera and impresses with its clarity and sharpness in most conditions - not something that's true of all dual-camera devices.

Unsurprisingly, the rear camera with its less sophisticated sensor struggles more in low-light situations but still outperforms many alternatives, while the main unit’s dedicated mode helps get as much detail as possible out of dark scenarios. 

Priced at around £250, the Dual is significantly more expensive than MioFive’s own single-camera option but comparable with any number of other dual-camera options. It lacks the extra features of some of those alternatives but more than makes up with it thanks to its exemplary image quality and ease of use.