Wolfbox is a new vendor to us, but their first appearance has me wondering where the company has been all my dash-cam life. The three-channel (front/interior/rear) X5 delivers stunning 5K front captures in single-channel mode, and “merely” excellent front/interior/rear captures in 4K UHD three-channel mode.
Throw in GPS and a touch display with super-clever navigation and a star in the category is born. It would be darn near five-star territory with better night captures.
What are the Wolfbox X5’s features?
As mentioned, the Wolfbox X5 has three channels devoted to 5K maximum (5250×2160) front, 1080p captive interior, and 1440p rear cameras. However, you lose the interior and rear feeds if you set the front camera to 5K.
So the X5 is a 5K front-only, 4K UHD (3840×2160) with 1080p interior/rear, and 2.5K with 1080p interior and 1440p rear dash-cam system. Processing power must dictate these combinations, as the storage required for 5K (around 230MB per minute/h.264) was actually less than the 4K UHD (approximately 275MB per minute/h.264). Go figure.
The X5 has a fairly standard form factor — an approximately 3.8 x 3 x 1.5-inch black rectangle with a semi-permanent sticky mount/mounting plate.
While the interior camera is fixed to the angle of the main body, the front lens can be tilted approximately 10 degrees horizontally or vertically and rotated slightly in either direction. This is in addition to the forward/backward adjustment available from the mount/body pivot point.
The front/interior features a 2.5-inch (diagonal) display with four buttons on the bottom for browsing the settings menus, etc. Not having read the PR info, I thought that was it. However, the display is touch capable so you can also navigate using taps and swipes.
Throw in voice command such as “Wolfbox, lock video,” and the X5 is the least painful to adjust and operate dash cam I’ve ever used. I found the whole deal so clever, that I wonder why they bothered with the buttons. Nice job, Wolfbox!
On the left side of the unit is the SD/TF card slot (it’s covered with a captive plug — nice!) and the emergency save button, while the rear camera connector is on the right.
Of course, no modern dash cam is complete without phone connectivity and the X5 is no exception. You can see some screen caps above. The camera connects to your phone via its own 5GHz Wi-Fi hot spot, and it did so quickly and without fuss. This is not always the case.
Indeed, operationally, all props to Wolfbox. My X5 setup, configuration, and testing were like butter. At least with the second unit I received. The first proved defective and wouldn’t connect to its rear camera.
How much is the Wolfbox X5?
The X5 is $300 including the rear camera. That’s par for three-channel dash cam systems, if not a spectacular bargain. It does, however, include a 128GB memory card, which adds a bit of value — real and perceived. I should note that the best generally costs more, and given the touch display and excellent day captures, the X5 is quite arguably that.
What I do wish is that the camera was available in a cheaper single- or double-channel version. I like the 5K captures so much, I missed them when I put the camera into three-channel mode. Buying a three-channel dash cam and then using it as front-only does not make a whole lot of sense.
How are the Wolfbox X5’s captures?
Though the stabilization on the X5’s 5K captures was just a tad jittery on the edges, no doubt due, at least in part, to the 21:9 picture, the detail was absolutely fantastic and the color spot on. Hands down, the best I’ve seen. I was able to read license plate numbers of parked cars as well as those directly ahead. I’ve included two images so you can truly appreciate the detail.
There’s minimal fish-eye despite a wide 146-degree field of view. The interior FOV is 148 degrees, and the rear 136 degrees.
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