DDPAI has launched its new Z100 series of dashcams in Malaysia, and the range-topping Z100 Master has a front camera with two lenses, a 4K wide-angle and a 2K telephoto. The wide-angle lens also has a variable aperture that switches between F1.0 and F2.0, and DDPAI says it’s the world’s first dashcam to combine the two.
The Z100 Master went on sale on November 6 through the DDPAI Official Malaysia store on Shopee and DDPAI’s authorised retailers. As of November 12, the Z100 Master is listed at RM1,869, down from RM2,099, as a front and rear camera set with a 128 GB microSD card, and it comes with a 24-month warranty. It’s joined by the Z100 Pro and Z100, which also have two front lenses but without the Master’s variable aperture.
4K wide-angle and 2K telephoto front lenses
The wide-angle lens has a 20 mm-equivalent focal length and a 131-degree field of view, which DDPAI says covers four lanes. It records 3,840 x 2,160 video at up to 30 fps.
The telephoto lens has an 86 mm-equivalent focal length, which DDPAI says gives it more than 4x optical zoom, and a 28-degree field of view. It records 2,560 x 1,440 video at 25 fps. DDPAI claims it can capture number plates from up to 60 metres away, with long-range visibility of up to 100 m, though it adds that these were measured under controlled conditions.
Each lens records at its own native resolution and frame rate. As both are in the same front unit, there’s no separate telephoto camera to install.
F1.0 to F2.0 variable aperture, dual Sony Starvis 2 sensors
The wide-angle lens switches between F1.0 and F2.0 automatically, depending on the light. It opens up to F1.0 at night, and closes to F2.0 in bright sunlight to keep number plates from being overexposed. DDPAI’s lab tests, which compared it with the same sensor behind a fixed F1.8 aperture, claim up to 3.2 times more light in the dark and up to 1.23 times better overexposure control.
The wide-angle and rear cameras both use an 8 MP, 1/1.8-inch Sony Starvis 2 IMX678 sensor and record in 4K at 25 fps. The rear camera has a 126-degree field of view and an F1.7 aperture, while the telephoto lens is F1.6. All three channels support HDR, and DDPAI’s NightVIS 2.0 processing is designed to reduce noise in the dark.
Video is saved as MP4 files, in H.264 or DDPAI’s AI.265 format, on a microSD card of up to 512 GB. There’s a 3.0-inch IPS screen on the back of the front unit to play back footage without a phone.
4G dock, 24/7 parking monitoring and Wi-Fi 6
The Z100 Master mounts on a dock that holds the GPS and the power wiring, plus a 4G module in the 4G version, so there are fewer parts and wires to install. The GPS works with the GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS, Galileo and QZSS satellite systems.
With 4G, which needs a SIM card, the DDPAI app shows a live view from all three channels and the car’s location. It sends an alert with a photo, the time and location when something happens to the parked car, and a geofencing alert when the car enters or leaves a preset area. You can also talk to people in the car through the dashcam’s speaker and microphone, and emergency parking snapshots are uploaded to the cloud. Remote playback of recorded footage is coming in a November over-the-air update.
Parking monitoring needs a hardwire kit. In Time-Lapse Mode, the telephoto lens is switched off, while in Collision Wake-up Mode, both front lenses start recording when an impact is detected.
Footage can be sent to your phone over 5 GHz Wi-Fi 6 at up to 40 MB/s, according to DDPAI. There’s also Bluetooth 5.1, voice control for taking photos and video clips, and alerts for when the car ahead moves off or the driver shows signs of fatigue. A supercapacitor instead of a battery keeps it recording briefly if the power is cut, and the dashcam is rated to work in temperatures of -20 to 70°C.
Z100 Master kits, Z100 Pro and Z100
On Shopee, DDPAI Official Malaysia sells the Z100 Master, Z100 Pro and Z100 with a 128 GB microSD card, on their own or with a Fuse Hardwire Kit or a 4G Hardwire Kit, though the 4G kit isn’t offered with the Z100 Pro. The 4G Hardwire Kit set comes with a free DDPAI SIM card and a month of data, but U Mobile SIM cards aren’t supported.
DDPAI’s 3K IR cabin camera is sold separately. With DDPAI’s πLink system, it or a MINI Vision camera can be added to make the Z100 Master a four-channel dashcam.
The 24-month warranty starts from the shipping date and is activated automatically, with no warranty card needed, but it only applies if you buy from the official store.
As of November 12, without the add-ons, the Z100 Master costs RM1,869 (down from RM2,099), the Z100 Pro RM1,569 (down from RM1,799) and the Z100 RM1,169 (down from RM1,399). The Master and Pro come with DDPAI’s 4K RC5 rear camera, while the Z100 gets the 1080p RC3.
The Z100 Pro has the same 4K wide-angle, 2K telephoto and 4K rear cameras, but all three lenses have a fixed F1.6 aperture, and the front and rear cameras have a wider 135-degree view. The base Z100 also has a 4K wide-angle camera, but its telephoto lens and rear camera record in 1080p.
DDPAI’s earlier dashcams in Malaysia include the N5 Dual, which was launched in 2024 at RM449. You can buy the Z100 Master from the DDPAI Official Malaysia store on Shopee.
GALLERY: DDPAI Z100 Master
