How to choose a car camera?

Car camera is a small but mandatory accessory for every driver, which will be useful in our car even when our daily routine is not long journeys, but short escapades on crowded city roads. The mentioned video recorder can be an invaluable tool in our hands when a collision with our participation occurs, or when we are witnesses of a dangerous accident. What should you consider when choosing a good car camera? We suggest!

Why is it worth having a car camera?

A car camera is an extremely useful accessory, which today should be a compulsory equipment of every car. Roads are getting more crowded and dangerous every year. We should remember that the safety systems installed on board even the most modern means of transport are unreliable and a world without accidents and road collisions is a pipe dream

The recordings from car cameras are often not only a piece of evidence when it comes to dangerous events on the roads. These devices also protect our cars while parking, thanks to passive and active parking modes.

What type of video recorder to choose?

Video recorders can be divided into devices from the lowest, medium and highest price brackets. The cheapest models are designed for the least demanding users and offer really basic functionality – low resolution of recorded material, passive parking mode etc. The mid-range models are slightly better equipped and record video in Full HD resolution

The most expensive car cameras, on the other hand, often include a 4K recording function, a set of high-end sensors and an active parking mode supported by the presence of a G-Sensor. It is always worth betting on the highest quality recorders. These are, for example, car cameras from Nextbase.

What to pay attention to when choosing a car camera?

There are several factors that we should take into account when looking for the perfect device for us. First of all, a good video recorder must record video in high resolution. Often it is the details that show us the cause of an incident on the road and because of too low resolution we could miss them. Moreover, a car camera must be safe for the driver himself

Its grip must adhere well to the windshield so that the recorder does not fall down while driving and distract our attention. In such situations it is very easy to lose control over the vehicle and have a collision or a dangerous accident. A good car camera should be equipped with a decent quality, easy to read screen

It plays a special role when the video recorder offers the user the function of reversing camera. This is when – the bigger the screen is, the better. We will have a good preview of the space behind our car and we will be able to catch all the obstacles that may cause danger while reversing or parking.

An extremely important function of video recorders, which we should pay attention to, is a parking mode. Its task is to observe the space around our car in our absence and initiate the recording process in potentially dangerous situations – collisions or parking bumps. Depending on the price range represented, parking mode can be divided into passive or active. What is the difference between them? Here is the most important information about them:

• Passive parking mode – often found in car cameras from a slightly lower price range. It is not a devilishly effective solution. After stopping the car videorecorder equipped with such a solution goes into sleep mode. The first fiddle is then played by the overload sensor, the so-called G-Sensor. It detects shocks caused for example by hitting our car by another car. When an unpleasant event of this type occurs, the camera initiates video recording. This is an unreliable solution, not always passing the test. In addition, the operation of the passive parking mode depends on the capacity of the battery built in the car camera.
• Active parking mode – a more advanced solution than the passive mode. However, it is worth remembering that if we decide to purchase a device equipped with it, we have to provide it with constant access to a power source (e.g. by using a special car powerbank) and a capacious memory card – due to the fact that the video material is recorded continuously by the webcam. Of course, we can also decide to record video material in a loop – if we cannot afford to buy an expensive memory card that often costs as much as the DVR itself. A car camera with an active parking mode activates it when parking is detected. The image is then recorded in continuous mode (for example in a loop). Most often, we can also choose one of several variants of image recording:
  • Motion detection mode – initiates recording of an event when motion is detected in the field of view of the camera or when the camera detects a shock (for example, as a result of a collision). A useful function in the case of some cameras is the so-called buffered motion detection. It initiates the work of the video recorder just a few seconds before the actual event that triggered the reaction of the device.
  • Time-lapse mode – simply time-lapse recording. In this mode the camera takes pictures one second apart. Then, it puts them together into a recording. This saves space on the memory card. However, sometimes it happens that such a way of recording in the parking mode makes you miss some important event for the collision.
  • Low-bitrate mode – this mode consists in recording video material in lower quality. It should be used in situations where we do not have a large memory card. High-resolution video can fill up the portable memory quite quickly, as even a few minutes’ recording in 4K resolution means at least several hundred MB of used space on a microSD carrier.

Recommended models of car cameras

Which models from the Nextbase offer are particularly worth paying attention to? Quite a good proposal may be Nextbase 622GW. This is one of the cameras from the higher price range. You have to pay 1099 PLN for the discussed device. For such an amount we get a video recorder that records in high 4K resolution. Its advantages are also SOS function, Bluetooth module and support for H.256 codec. The camcorder from Nextbase supports memory cards with a capacity of up to 128 GB. The image is displayed on a modest 3″ screen. The device is powered via miniUSB port.

The second of the sample devices is Nextbase 422GW. It is also a very decent Full HD car camera. Similarly to the previously discussed device, it has been equipped with mini-USB interface. In addition, it is worth knowing that this recorder offers support for microSD cards with a maximum capacity of 128 GB. The video is recorded in MP4 format. The viewing angle of the device is a satisfying 140 degrees. The screen, in turn, is characterized by a diagonal of 2.5″. You have to pay 699 PLN for such equipment.

The last of the presented devices is a low-end device. Nextbase 222 costs 399 PLN. The manufacturer has equipped this equipment with a screen diagonal of 2.5″. The viewing angle of the camera is 140 degrees. The cheapest camera in the set records images in Full HD resolution. The power is supplied through a mini-USB port.

Summary

Choosing a good car camera is not an easy task. Deciding on a purchase should not be influenced by the moment. Let’s check carefully what devices are available for sale at the moment. Let’s also determine the scope of functionality that will be necessary in the course of using the recorder. We should also remember to buy a good and capacious (although it depends on our budget) memory card. The car camera market is growing every year, so I think that everyone should find a device that meets their expectations and financial possibilities.

Photo: customer press material.