FineVu GX35 2CH Review: Small Camera, Big Questions

The FineVu GX35 is the one that surprises people. It is a tiny camera, so you might expect a stripped back budget unit. It is not. It carries a current generation Sony image sensor, a 147.4 degree lens, and a body 74mm wide.

So the question this FineVu GX35 review answers is how a camera that small is specified, and how it lines up against the alternatives. We are Michael and Harrison from The Dash Cam Guys. We do not sell FineVu, we sell VIOFO, Vantrue and Wolfbox, so take this as retailer buying advice rather than a neutral lab test. What we can do is put FineVu's published specification for the GX35 2CH beside two cameras we stock and support here in Australia, and show you where each one wins.

Worth noting up front: FineVu is well established in Australia, with an official Australian distributor, local warranty support and a dealer network behind it.

The short version

The GX35 is a genuinely clever compact camera with a current generation Sony sensor, a wide lens and full driver assistance alerts including speed camera alerts, which none of the alternatives here offer. It runs screenless through the FineVu app and uses an external GPS antenna. The Vantrue Sonnet 1 Pro is the closest match from our own range.

What the FineVu GX35 gets right

Give FineVu real credit here, because the sensor choice is the interesting part.

FineVu's specification lists the GX35 front camera as 2560 x 1440 at 30 frames per second on a 5.12 megapixel Sony STARVIS 2 IMX675. That is the current generation sensor. A camera sensor is what turns light into video and it is the biggest single factor in night performance, so putting the newest generation into the most compact model in the range is a genuinely good call. If you want the detail, we have a plain English explainer on what Sony STARVIS 2 actually changes.

The lens is wide too, at 147.4 degrees diagonal on the front. A wider lens catches more of what happens beside you, which is useful at intersections and in car parks.

It also keeps the full ADAS PLUS feature set: front vehicle motion alert, lane departure warning and speed camera alerts. FineVu's specification notes these only work while the GPS is receiving. Add the compact 74mm body, a supercapacitor rather than a lithium battery, HDR in FineVu's published feature list, and AI Heat Monitoring, a high temperature cut off that switches the camera to power saving mode when it gets warm while parked, and there is a lot of camera in a very small housing.

How the GX35 is specified

Operating temperature

FineVu rates the GX35 for operation from minus 10 to 60 degrees. For comparison, Vantrue rates the Sonnet 1 Pro from minus 20 to 60 and VIOFO rates the A229 Plus from minus 20 to 65. A published rating is a manufacturer's stated operating window rather than a prediction, and we have not heat tested any of these cameras. The GX35's AI Heat Monitoring is designed for exactly this, switching to power saving mode when the camera warms up while parked.

The GPS is an external antenna

FineVu lists GPS on the GX35 as "External", connected through a separate antenna port. In a body this compact that is a sensible engineering trade, and it means the antenna can be positioned where reception is best.

Practically, it means one more small part to mount and one more cable to route at installation. It is worth planning for, because ADAS and the speed camera alerts only work while GPS is receiving.

The rear camera and the memory card

FineVu publishes one resolution row for the GX35 covering both channels, 2560 x 1440 Quad HD and 1920 x 1080 Full HD, and lists the rear sensor as a 2.13 megapixel CMOS chip. On those published figures the rear channel is the Full HD one, which is a normal pairing at this size.

Cards top out at 256GB, and FineVu specifies its own brand of card in the storage row. Cards are consumables on any dash cam, so it is worth knowing what a camera specifies before you buy.

There is also no screen. FineVu lists the GX35 as "Non-LCD", so setup and playback happen through the FineVu Wi-Fi app on your phone. Plenty of drivers prefer a screenless camera on the windscreen.

The comparison

We picked one camera that lines up closely with the GX35 and one that steps above it. Usefully, all three use the same generation of Sony sensor on the front, which makes this a cleaner comparison than most. Every figure is a manufacturer specification, not our own test result.

Feature	FineVu GX35 2CH	Vantrue Sonnet 1 Pro 2CH (the close match)	VIOFO A229 Plus 2CH (the step up)
Front video	2K 30 fps	2.7K 30 fps	2K 60 fps
Rear video	Full HD 30 fps	Full HD 30 fps	2K 30 fps
Front sensor	Sony STARVIS 2 IMX675, 5.12MP	Sony STARVIS 2 IMX675, 5MP	Sony STARVIS 2 IMX675, 5MP
Rear sensor	2.13MP CMOS	Sony STARVIS, 2MP	Sony STARVIS 2 IMX675, 5MP
Front field of view	147.4 degrees	160 degrees	140 degrees
Screen	None	2 inch IPS	2.4 inch
GPS	External antenna	Included GPS mount	Built in
Max memory card	256GB	1TB	512GB
Power	Supercapacitor	Supercapacitor	Supercapacitor
Operating temperature	Minus 10 to 60 degrees	Minus 20 to 60 degrees	Minus 20 to 65 degrees
Driver assistance	ADAS PLUS with lane departure, plus speed camera alerts	ADAS and blind spot detection, no speed camera alerts	None
Warranty	Not published by FineVu	12 months, 18 with registration	18 months

How we put this table together. Every specification comes from the manufacturer's own published documentation: FineVu's English specification page at finevu.com, Vantrue's own Sonnet 1 Pro user manual, and VIOFO's product documentation at viofo.com. Three notes. FineVu publishes one resolution row covering both GX35 channels, so the Full HD figure above is the rear channel on those published numbers. FineVu's GX35 page lists the Wi-Fi differently in two places, so we have left that row out rather than publish a figure we cannot pin down. FineVu does not publish a warranty term for the camera itself, and FineVu's Australian distributor is the place to confirm the local warranty term. We have not tested any of these cameras against each other under matched conditions, so nothing here is a night video, number plate or heat result.

So which one would we recommend?

Both of these are cameras we sell, so weigh that accordingly.

For a straight like-for-like, the Vantrue Sonnet 1 Pro 2CH. It uses the same generation Sony STARVIS 2 IMX675 on the front, records at 2.7K, sees wider at 160 degrees, has a 2 inch screen, has dual band Wi-Fi built into the camera and takes cards up to 1TB. It has ADAS and blind spot detection, though not the speed camera alerts FineVu offers.

For the step up, the VIOFO A229 Plus 2CH. The upgrade here is specifically the back of the car: the rear channel is a full 2K on the same STARVIS 2 IMX675 sensor as the front, and the front runs at 60 frames per second. If you have ever tried to read the plate of a car moving the other way, those extra frames are the difference. You give up driver assistance features entirely, so this is the pick if image quality matters more to you than alerts.

Pro Tip: If you are buying the GX35 for the lane departure and speed camera alerts, budget the time to mount the GPS antenna properly and check it holds a fix in your car. Those features depend on GPS reception, and an antenna tucked somewhere convenient but shielded is the usual culprit. If you would rather think through the whole decision from scratch, our Australian dash cam buying guide walks through it.

Where do you buy a FineVu dash cam in Australia?

Easy, and it is one of the brand's strengths. FineVu has an official Australian distributor and a local dealer network, so genuine Australian stock comes with the warranty handled here and proper local support behind it. That is the route we would point you to if the GX35 is the one you want.

The thing that decides your cover on any brand is who you buy from, not where the stock was built. Buy from an Australian seller and the manufacturer warranty is handled here, and your consumer guarantees under Australian Consumer Law are against a business you can actually reach. Buy direct from an overseas seller and that unit's manufacturer warranty usually sits with another region, and while the ACCC says the Australian Consumer Law still applies to overseas businesses selling into Australia, it also says getting a repair, replacement or refund out of one is difficult in practice. Same story for every brand, ours included.

We do not carry FineVu. If you want to see what we do stock, have a look at our Vantrue range, VIOFO range and Wolfbox range, all genuine Australian stock with local support.

Parking mode on all three

All three need a hardwire kit to record while the car is off. A hardwire kit is a permanent connection to your fuse box that powers the camera when the ignition is off, with a low voltage cut off so it stops before your battery goes flat.

The GX35 is strong here on paper. It offers motion, impact, smart time lapse and a power saving parking mode, and FineVu publishes a low voltage cut off you set by vehicle type in the FineVu Wi-Fi app, which is a nicely thought out touch. The Vantrue and VIOFO models offer collision, motion, low bitrate and time lapse options. Whichever you choose, the install decides how well it works: the right circuit, the right cut off voltage for your battery, and cables kept clear of the airbags.

Which one suits you

The FineVu GX35 suits you if you want the smallest possible camera on your windscreen, the speed camera alerts and lane departure warnings are useful to you, and the vehicle type cut off voltage options suit your car.

One of the alternatives may suit you better if you want a higher resolution front or rear camera, you want a screen on the unit, or you would rather not mount a separate GPS antenna.

Want a straight answer for your car?

Compact cameras suit some cars and some drivers brilliantly, and a lot of it comes down to where you park and what your windscreen looks like. Tell us what you drive and where it sits overnight and we will give you an honest recommendation, including when the cheaper option is the right one, or when the FineVu is.

Message Michael or Harrison at The Dash Cam Guys any time. No pressure, no worries, and we will get you sorted.

Author: The Dash Cam Guys. Facts checked: 5 August 2026. Models referenced: FineVu GX35 2CH, Vantrue Sonnet 1 Pro 2CH, VIOFO A229 Plus 2CH. Firmware versions not recorded.