been toying with the idea of a dash camera but not really clued up on VFM range or a top of the range unit, ...have had a search but can't find any topic here[sure there must be],driving a Sportage ]... any hints please
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Back in 2017 we bought the Nextbase 312GW and it is still going strong. We have never had cause to check the footage due to an accident but we have checked it out occasionally because of something interesting or unusual that happened as we were passing and getting the footage is simple. We got it originally because a number of car insurance companies were offering discounts at the time if you had a dash cam and it saved us more in insurance that first year than it cost to buy, but the discount didn’t continue which was disappointing.
I am sure this is an old model now and has probably been superseded several times but we have been pleased with it and would get another Nextbase in the future when this one eventually packs in.
I bought a Nextbase 512GW February 2018, to replace the cheapo one from Lidl that I bought.
The Lidl was fine during daylight hours, however, NBG for night vision, and I was doing a lot of driving at night; hence the upgrade to one with good night vision.
I only had to retrieve one video so far, a night time one, and the footage did not show the number plate that clearly. However, it captured the livery on the side of a van that overtook me after it got impatient with me being slow around a roundabout, for me to report him to his company for inappropriate behaviour (the driver put on the high beam to dazzle me after I overtook it on a long straight road after the roundabout).
I bought an extra magnetic mount and cable for my van, so that I can transfer the dashcam between the van and the car with ease.
If and when required, I would replace mine with a newer model.
I did consider getting a dashcam + sat nav in one unit, and decided against it, for the reason that I would prefer to have the sat nav closer to me and not so high up as the dash camp.
Also, I can get a better sat nav and dashcam in 2 separate units than one combined one. However, that may change as technology improves with time.
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
I can recommend a Nextbase dashcam, they are invaluable for both evidence and peace of mind. Most of them also have a shock sensor to activate them if your car is bumped whilst parked. Don't worry about choosing one that you can download to your mobile phone, it is quicker and easier to simply plug it into your laptop to download footage. If it does not come complete with a polarising filter then buy one to eliminate reflections on your windscreen.
Have a next base one too, one for car and one for the camper. Soooo glad as my van was hit a few years back whilst stopped to allow a truck to pass. Caught on dash cam, ended up going to court but fault was clear from camera! It’s not the best, around £80 but it was good. More expensive had a wider viewing angle.
Will now always have one in van. It’s lasted well though.. we have also had some great scenic stills from it.
I should mention the sound is very good......too good lol I cringed at hearing my expletives played back!
When considering the purpose of a dash cam, image quality is everything, you ideally need to read on the recorded image a number plate from some distance (not possibly with some cheaper/inferior cameras with low resolution), AND good night vision capabilities (again many cheaper ones fail miserably here!).
I've had a Nextbase 412GW for a few years now, it was a compromise between price and image quality, it's ok for day and night but would benefit from better resolution to pick up number plates at a greater distance.
Some have built in GPS devices which record your location AND speed and 'G forces' like acceleration, cornering and braking forces, that can be a double edged sword that can save or damn you in a dispute! - great if you're a careful driver, less so if a tad reckless!
Again sound recording can work for or against you depending on circumstance, arguing with a passenger is doing you no favours when claiming you were fully attentive on the road, but exclamations that some nutter is driving at you builds your case!
Some, like my device, have inbuilt batteries and impact detection, that will start filming if the car is hit when parked. On my unit it's as good as useless, the wind or a passing car rocking the car can set it off and that depletes the battery in no time, so it stops that feature working when the battery is flat.
Many features can usually be switched on/off as you desire.
Size can be an issue when it comes to where you mount the camera on your windscreen, some are quite bulky and won't fit behind a sun visor (restrict or stop sun visor being lowered properly), ideally it needs to be looking through an area of screen wiped by the wipers, BUT the law also requires your view to be un-obscured, can be a tricky conflict of interests, and that's compounded by where you can run the power cable without that becoming a nuisance!
All things are resolvable, just takes perhaps a little more thought than what appears at first to be a simple device just plonked on the windscreen.
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: dash cams..
via mobile 21/2/2022 at 9:08am
