Review
VIOFO A119 Mini 2 review
Buy this if you want a discreet front camera and will fit a hardwire kit. Skip it if you need a rear camera in the box.
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The A119 Mini 2 is VIOFO’s small front camera with the Sony STARVIS 2 IMX675 sensor. The maker lists 2.7K-class recording at 30fps and 2K at 60fps. That is a spec-sheet step up from older 1080p minis, and it is why this camera sits in our budget slot rather than a generic Full HD puck.
Parking mode is listed as three options: buffered auto-event, time-lapse, and low bitrate. Buffered mode is the one that matters for a car-park bump: the camera keeps a short rolling buffer and, on an event, saves the clip that includes the seconds before the hit. VIOFO’s own notes say you need the HK4 hardwire kit for those modes. Without it, treat parking as marketing.
We have not run our own night-plate tests. The night grade is B+ from the named STARVIS 2 sensor on the sheet — honest for this price band, not a plate-read promise. If night plates are the main priority, look at the A229 Pro dual kit instead.
Fit is the other reason it is here. The body is small enough to sit behind the mirror on most UK cars. That helps with insurance photos and with not blocking the view. It does not help if you wanted a rear camera — this listing is front only.
Who it is for
UK drivers who want a small front camera with a named Sony STARVIS 2 sensor.
People who will fit a hardwire kit so buffered parking is real.
Anyone who does not need a rear camera in the box.
Who should skip it
Anyone who needs a rear camera for car-park bumps.
Anyone who will only ever use the cigarette-lighter lead. Parking mode does not count on that lead.
The good
- STARVIS 2 sensor in a small body, which is the right starting point for night plates
- Buffered parking is on the spec sheet, with 15 seconds before and 30 seconds after an event
- GPS sits in the mount, so the camera itself stays small
The bad
- Front only — a rear bump in a car park is not in the frame
- The 1.5-inch screen is for setup, not for reviewing clips in the car
- Parking still needs a hardwire kit bought separately
Common questions
- Will it show a plate at night?
- Night grade is B+ from the named STARVIS 2 sensor on the sheet. We have not filmed a plate test.
- Parking without hardwire?
- No. Buffered parking needs the hardwire kit.
- Mini 2 or Garmin Mini 3?
- Mini 2 for evidence. Mini 3 for size only.
Next: how to choose, how we grade, or the Best 5.
Also consider
- VIOFO A229 Pro 2CH
4K STARVIS 2 at the front, 2K STARVIS 2 at the rear, dual HDR, and buffered parking once it is hardwired.
- Garmin Mini 3
A key-fob sized 1080p camera. Easy to live with. Thin as evidence, especially at night.
- 70mai A810S Front + Rear
4K Sony STARVIS 2 at the front, a STARVIS 2 rear, and parking modes that exist on paper — after a hardwire kit.