RedTiger built its reputation on mid-range dash cams like the F7N Elite and ViewClear 70, but the F17 series is where the company competes in the under-$100 market. The F17 lineup includes three models: the base F17, the mid-tier F17 Plus, and the top-of-the-line F17 Elite. On paper, the differences look small — a few dollars and minor spec bumps. After testing both the F17 Plus and F17 Elite side by side for a week, I found that the differences matter more than the price gap suggests.
Here is where they diverge and which one you should actually buy.
Both the F17 Elite and F17 Plus share the same wedge-shaped body — about 3.3 inches wide and 1.8 inches tall, similar to a thick smartphone. The matte black finish resists fingerprints, and the lens sits centered with a subtle red ring accent on both models. A 2.0-inch display sits on the back, flanked by four buttons: menu, mode, up, and down. I prefer the button layout on the Elite — the tactile feedback is slightly crisper — but functionally they are identical.
Box contents for both cameras include the dash cam body, a GPS mount, a 12V car charger with a 10-foot USB cable, a rear camera with 20-foot cable, a trim removal tool, cable clips, and a user manual. The F17 Elite box also includes a hardwire kit for parking mode and an extra adhesive mount pad — two items you would need to buy separately for the F17 Plus. That alone makes the Elite a better value if you plan to use parking mode.
The F17 Elite records 4K (3840 x 2160) at 30 fps on its front camera. The F17 Plus tops out at 2.5K (2560 x 1440) at 30 fps. That is the single biggest spec difference, and it shows up clearly in real-world footage. Side-by-side clips from both cameras driving the same route on a sunny afternoon showed the Elite capturing sharper detail on road signs from about 100 feet away — I could read a speed limit sign at 65 feet on the Elite versus about 45 feet on the Plus. Tree canopy shadows rendered with more depth on the Elite as well, thanks to its Sony STARVIS sensor.
The F17 Plus uses a standard CMOS sensor. Daytime footage is perfectly usable for incident documentation — you will see what happened, who hit whom, and basic plate details on stopped cars. But fast-moving plates, especially on the highway above 50 mph, become noticeably softer. The 2.5K upscale to 4K on the Plus (it does not shoot true 4K) introduces minor interpolation artifacts on fine details like road markings. The Elite true 4K footage holds up better when you need to zoom in on a plate or a store sign.
At night, the gap widens. The Elite STARVIS sensor captures usable footage in street-lit areas up to about 35 mph. The standard sensor in the Plus struggles past 25 mph on the same roads — plates are readable at a stop but tend to wash out with oncoming headlight glare. If you do a lot of night driving, the Elite is clearly the better choice.
Both models ship with the same rear camera: a 1080p unit with a 140° field of view and a waterproof-rated housing. The cable is included and runs about 20 feet, which is enough for most sedans and SUVs. I installed both rear cameras on a 2019 Toyota RAV4 and a 2022 Hyundai Elantra — the cable reached the trunk or hatch on both vehicles with about 3-4 feet of slack to spare.
The rear camera quality is identical between the two. Daytime clips are clear and stable, with reliable plate capture on stopped cars behind you. At night, the rear camera performs like most 1080p rear units — usable but not stellar. The standard rear CMOS sensor lacks STARVIS, so rear plates at night are hit or miss, particularly if the car behind you has bright LED headlights. This is consistent across both models, so the F17 Plus does not lose anything on the rear compared to the Elite.
Where you notice the difference is in the front-to-rear processing balance. The Elite processor handles the 4K front plus 1080p rear stream more smoothly — transitions between the front and rear views in the app take under a second. The Plus occasionally pauses for half a second when switching views, suggesting the processor is closer to its limit handling 2.5K plus 1080p.
The F17 Elite includes a hardwire kit in the box, enabling true 24/7 parking mode with low-voltage cutoff at 11.6V. I tested it over 24 hours on a 2020 Honda Civic and the battery dropped from 12.6V to 12.2V — comfortably above the cutoff. The Elite offers motion detection, time-lapse, and collision-detection parking modes.
The F17 Plus does not include a hardwire kit. You can buy one separately for about $15, but it does not ship in the box. Parking mode on the Plus works through the 12V cigarette port, but that means the camera shuts off when the car turns off unless you hardwire. If parking protection is important to you, factor that $15 and installation time into your decision.
Both models include built-in GPS in the mount. The GPS module logs your speed, route, and location on the video overlay. In my testing, the GPS locked within about 30 seconds of startup — typical for this class of dash cam. The speed data is accurate within 2 mph of my car speedometer, and the route logs export as GPX files that you can overlay on Google Maps. The F17 Elite GPS data integrates with the EXIF information in your footage files, making it easier to locate specific clips by time and location in the RedTiger View app.
| Feature | F17 Elite | F17 Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Front Resolution | 4K (3840x2160) | 2.5K (2560x1440) |
| Night Sensor | Sony STARVIS | Standard CMOS |
| Rear Camera | 1080p, waterproof | 1080p, waterproof |
| GPS | Built-in (mount) | Built-in (mount) |
| Display | 2.0-inch | 2.0-inch |
| Max SD Card | 256GB | 256GB |
| Hardwire Kit | Included | Sold separately |
| Loop Recording | Yes (1/3/5 min) | Yes (1/3/5 min) |
| Wide Dynamic Range | WDR | Standard |
| Price | $89.99 | $69.99 |
The F17 Plus at $69.99 is a solid budget dash cam for basic protection. If you do day driving in well-lit areas and want reliable incident documentation without spending extra, the Plus will do the job. It records clearly enough to prove fault, and the dual-camera setup at that price point is hard to beat. Pair it with a 128GB U3 SD card and you have a functional setup for about $85 total.
The F17 Elite at $89.99 — just $20 more — gives you true 4K video, the Sony STARVIS night sensor, and a free hardwire kit worth $15. That means for an extra $5 in real cost difference, you get significantly better night performance, sharper daytime footage, and parking mode capability. For the vast majority of drivers, the F17 Elite is the better buy. The only reason to choose the Plus is if you are on an absolute minimum budget and need a dash cam today.
Both models work with the RedTiger View app for WiFi preview and footage transfer. The app experience is identical regardless of which F17 model you own, so you are not losing any software features by going with the cheaper option.
← Back to Blog