Help selecting cameras for dashcam DVR

[omgmpg 0]

tl;dr: Looking for specs for a board cam that would make for a decent dashcam

 

Greetings everyone. First post; registered after lurking & not being able to find exactly what I'm looking for. I'm also fairly ignorant to camera optics so please be gentle.

 

I'm getting a 4 channel mobile DVR for my car. Still deciding on which particular one. My problem is finding the proper camera(s) to connect to it. I'm going to start out with just one camera, forward facing through the windshield, and mounted behind the rear view mirror. (I will add additional cameras - rear facing, interior - later). I want a camera that is low profile, will blend in with the interior of the car, and that won't block my view, hence my decision to go the custom route rather than an off-the-shelf dash cam that's limited to two cameras (max) and most likely is clunky, has a suction cup mount, and cigarette lighter power source.

 

So I've been looking around at board cams, which I could box up and mount indiscreetly, but they are all over the place in regards to specs and prices. For a front facing dash cam, mounted behind a rear view mirror, what specs should I be concerned with? I want a color camera with as wide a FOV as possible without sacrificing resolution to read a license plate at say 50 ft or so. I'm guessing a 90 degree FOV is acceptable, but greater would be better.

 

What about night driving? Since the head lights will be illuminating the road how important are lux values? If I run the DVR in "parking mode" - which I'm considering doing - lux becomes a little more important so a balance of decent night driving along with darker parking lot capture would be nice. (Yes, I will be taking into consideration battery drain with a DVR that includes a shut off timer).

 

So, all that said, can anyone recommend what specs (focal length, aperture, etc) I should be paying attention to while sifting through all the options out there? If you were building a system for this purpose, what would you choose for the best balance between all the available options?

 

Thanks!