Vantrue S1 Pro Max Review: Dual 4K, and What It Gives Up

The Vantrue S1 Pro Max records 4K at the front and 4K at the back, on two Sony STARVIS 2 sensors. A genuine dual 4K system is rare, and if your rear footage needs to be evidence rather than context, that is the reason to buy one.

It is not a straight upgrade, though, and two of the differences run the other way. The standard model shoots 60 frames per second. The Max does not. It also sees wider, and right now it rates better with owners. Here is the honest comparison.

What does the Vantrue S1 Pro Max record?

Two channels. The front runs up to 4K at 30 frames per second. The rear runs up to 4K as well, but only if your kit came with the right rear camera. More on that below, because it catches people out.

Both channels use F/1.8 lenses across 155 degrees, and HDR can be set independently for each. HDR is high dynamic range. The camera blends a brighter and a darker exposure so headlights and shadows are both readable. Setting it per channel is a real advantage over the Pro, which has one switch for both.

There is a catch in the mode list worth knowing.if, for some reason, you change your resolution down to instead store more footage on the memory card. The front only stays at 4K in two combinations. 4K plus 4K, and 4K plus 1440p. Every other dual mode drops the front below 4K. There is no 4K front with 1080p rear option. So you cannot trim rear storage without giving up front resolution too.

How the S1 Pro Max differs from the standard model

Everything below compares the S1 Pro Max against the standard model, which we will call the Pro from here to save repeating it.

Figures from the official Vantrue user manuals, S1 Pro version 2 and S1 Pro Max version 1.5, checked 13 August 2026.

Where the S1 Pro Max wins

A true 4K rear channel on its own STARVIS 2 sensor, which almost nothing else in this bracket offers. Rear-end shunts and car park impacts are the claims Australian drivers most often have made against them. 4K behind you gives a readable plate where 1080p gives a shape and a colour.

Independently settable HDR on each channel is the quiet second win. Front and rear rarely face the same light.

Where the standard model actually wins

Frame rate. The Pro shoots 1440p at 60 frames per second. The Max has no 60fps mode at all. This is the most under-reported difference between the two, and it favours the standard model. For a plate on a fast crossing vehicle, or a car changing lanes hard in front of you, 1440p at 60fps can beat 4K at 30fps. Double the frames means half the motion blur per frame.

Field of view. 160 degrees front and 165 rear, against 155 and 155 on the Max. The Pro sees more of the adjacent lanes.

What about the S1 Pro Max ADAS features?

This is worth clearing up, because it is widely misreported. The two manuals list identical ADAS settings. Both offer forward collision warning, pedestrian collision, lane departure, forward vehicle departure and a virtual bumper. Both add blind spot warnings on the rear camera and driver monitoring on the optional cabin camera. There is no ADAS difference between them that we can establish from the manuals.

Two honest notes. Blind spot detection needs the rear camera fitted, and driver monitoring needs the optional RC08 cabin camera. On a two-channel setup you can run one or the other, not both.

More importantly: we've not yet met anyone who actually uses dash cam ADAS - and in our own vehicles we pretty much go ahead and disabled it on day one, I don't need an overly anxious backseat driver.

Final note dash cam ADAS is a driver awareness aid, not a safety system. It does not brake, steer or control the vehicle in any way, and it is not certified to Australian Design Rules. Never rely on it in place of your mirrors, a head check, or your car's own systems.

Which rear camera does the S1 Pro Max come with?

Check this before you buy, because it decides your maximum rear resolution and whether you can mount it outside.

The RC11 is IP67 rated and records 4K. The RC09 is waterproof and records 1440p. The RC17 and RC18 are not waterproof and must not be mounted outside the cabin.

The RC07 does not fit the Max. It is the Pro's waterproof rear camera and it does not carry over. Own a Pro with an RC07 on a canopy and thinking of upgrading? You keep the mount, but you need a new rear camera. That is the reverse of what most people assume.

The supplied rear cable is about six metres. Fine for most sedans, SUVs and maybe some utes, and likely marginal for a van or a canopy installation. Talk to us about the run before you buy.

What should you know before buying an S1 Pro Max?

Turn PlatePix off at night, or at least test both ways. Independent testers found white halo artefacts when HDR and PlatePix run together. One got better night plate capture with PlatePix off. Vantrue's own manual warns the setting darkens the overall image.

Pro Tip: On your first night drive, record the same stretch of road twice, once with PlatePix on and once with it off, then compare the plates at home. Ten minutes settles the setting for your car and your headlights rather than someone else's.

Will the S1 Pro Max cope with an Australian summer?

Both cameras use supercapacitors rather than lithium batteries and both are rated from minus 20 to 60 degrees Celsius. That is the right design for a hot car, and it applies equally to both models.

One measurement worth passing on. An independent tester recorded the RC11 rear camera's metal back panel at 54 degrees, with only 22 degrees ambient. The sealed waterproof body has no vents, so the 4K sensor radiates through the casing. Nothing to be alerted over, just be aware. Many camera do this by design.

What accessories should you add to the S1 Pro Max?

A hardwire kit for parking mode. All four parking modes need constant power. The manual warns against kits from other brands because accessory detection pins differ. Our VP05 hardwire kit shows live voltage, and the VP04 OBD cable avoids the fuse box on vehicles that keep that port live.

A big, fast card. At roughly 21GB an hour in dual 4K, this is the most storage-hungry camera in the Vantrue range. The manual supports up to 1TB, U3 or faster. We would not go below a 512GB high endurance card. Our Vantrue microSD card guide explains why endurance rating matters more than brand.

A CPL filter is listed as an optional accessory in the manual and does fit this model, despite an out-of-date compatibility note on Vantrue's own filter page.

Who should buy the Vantrue S1 Pro Max?

Buy it if rear plate detail genuinely has to stand up. Rideshare and commercial vehicles. Anyone who has been rear-ended and could not read the plate. Anyone who wants a waterproof 4K rear camera for a canopy or tray.

Look at the standard model instead if you want 60 frames per second, you want the wider field of view, you would rather not feed a card 21GB an hour, or the owner rating gap gives you pause. For most private drivers it is the more sensible camera, and we will say that plainly.

Line the range up in our guide to choosing a Vantrue dash cam, or browse the Vantrue range. If the rear cable run is the part putting you off, our installer finder will point you at someone local.

Vantrue S1 Pro Max questions we get asked

Does the S1 Pro Max shoot 60fps?

No. Every mode on the Max is 30 frames per second. The standard model does 1440p at 60fps. If frame rate matters more to you than resolution, that is the better camera for the job.

Does the standard model have blind spot detection?

Yes. Both manuals list identical ADAS and blind spot features, and Vantrue's own listing advertises ADAS and BSD on both. There is no ADAS difference between the two that we can establish from the manuals. Treat any of it as a driver aid rather than a safety system.

Can I keep my rear camera if I upgrade?

You keep the mount, which is shared between the two. You do not keep the rear camera. The RC07 that fits the standard model is not listed for the Max, which uses the RC11 or RC09 for waterproof mounting.

How much card does dual 4K eat?

Independent testing measured roughly 21GB per hour with both channels at 4K, which is about 47 hours on a 1TB card. Vantrue's own listing quotes up to 86 hours on 1TB. The published figures differ, and the measured one is the figure that matches dual 4K recording, so plan around 47 hours.

The S1 Pro Max verdict

The Vantrue S1 Pro Max does something few cameras do, which is treat the rear channel as seriously as the front. Dual 4K on two STARVIS 2 sensors, with a waterproof 4K rear option, is a strong package for anyone whose rear footage has to be evidence.

We are not going to pretend it is the obvious pick for everyone. It loses 60fps, it sees narrower and it eats storage. Need the rear detail? Buy it and hardwire it properly. If you do not need it, the standard model is the better buy for most people.

Not sure which way to go? Give Michael or Harrison a yell. Tell us what you drive and what you are trying to protect against. We will give you a straight answer, including when the standard model is right. No worries either way.

Commercial disclosure: The Dash Cam Guys sells the Vantrue S1 Pro Max and the Vantrue S1 Pro, and this is a buying guide to our own range, so treat it as retailer advice rather than an independent survey of the market. Specifications come from the official Vantrue S1 Pro Max user manual version 1.5 and the S1 Pro user manual version 2. Sensor part numbers are not stated in either manual and come from Vantrue's own product listings with independent corroboration, and are identified as such in the text. The storage and temperature measurements quoted come from independent testing at DashCamTalk, whose reviewer disclosed that Vantrue supplied his unit; we have cited his criticism and stated the disclosure. Owner ratings are from Amazon in the United States, retrieved 13 August 2026, and are anecdotal reports rather than a failure rate. We have not published our own controlled test measurements for either model, and we have not tested plate readability, ADAS performance or heat behaviour under controlled conditions. This is retailer review and buying advice, not an independent laboratory test. Facts checked 13 August 2026. If a specification, a feature or a price on this page is wrong or has gone out of date, tell us and we will correct it.