Nextbase Rear View Camera Review
Sounds ideal for people who’d rather not run cable to a dedicated rear-window camera, but the reality is a bit disappointing.
Verdict
This add-on rear-view camera for Nextbase dash cams sounds ideal for people who’d rather not run cable to a dedicated rear-window camera, but the reality is a bit disappointing. The videos it captures are very dependent on careful aiming and the position of your forward-facing dash cam. Get it right and the best you can hope for is a narrow angle rearward view, crowded by bits of underexposed cabin. Unless you really can’t face the cables, get a rear window camera.
Pros
- Simple upgrade to an existing Nextbase dash cam
- Adjustable aim
Cons
- Narrow angle, partially obstructed videos
- Lots of camera shake
Availability
- UKRRP: £69
- USARRP: $100
- Europeunavailable
- Canadaunavailable
- Australiaunavailable
Key Features
- A rear-view, add-on cameraThis camera slots straight into selected Nextbase dash cams, providing a rear view without the extra cabling
Introduction
The Nextbase Rear View Camera is an add-on for selected models in the company’s dash cam range.
It’s a great idea: instead of running a cable from the dash cam to a rear-window camera, this module plugs straight into your dash cam, and uses a telephoto lens to zoom in on what’s going on through the back window. Unfortunately, the reality doesn’t quite live up to the promise.
Design, features and video quality
- A simple slot-in upgrade
- Hard to aim
- Disappointing video quality
This module is compatible with the NextBase 322GW, 422GW, 522GW and 622GW dash cams. It slots directly into the camera body, so there are no extra wires to fit. Depending on which dash cam you have, you may find that using it reduces your forward-facing resolution. The 622GW is unaffected, while the 322GW will support only 1080p forward and 720p rearward video. The 422GW and 522GW will offer a choice of 1080p front and back, or 1440p front and 720p to the rear.
While NextBase’s Cabin View Camera uses a wide angle, 140° lens to capture the cabin and windows, the Rear View Camera has a tight, 30° telephoto lens to fill as much of the frame as practical with the car’s rear window. Sadly, this throws up a few issues.
This camera’s very sensitive to the positioning of your dash cam, and the direction you’ve aimed it in. Its lens assembly can be moved through a small range to let you fine-tune things, but if your dash cam’s significantly off-centre, you may find part of your rear view is obscured by your car seats or headrests.
Even when properly targeted, it’s inevitable that you’ll film some of your car’s cabin. Your friends or family might not like it, but they’ll be underexposed and slightly out of focus anyway. On bends or undulations, you’ll find that following traffic is often cropped out by the narrow field of view, before reappearing as the road straightens out.
Another issue with the telephoto lens is that video is far more susceptible to camera shake than the wider lenses more typically used in dash cams. Bumps and ridges that barely registered on my front-facing 622GW were headache-inducing on the Rear View Camera connected to it. The narrow angle also has the effect of exaggerating the closeness of traffic behind – making it look more like you’re being tailgated when you’re not.
This camera coped quite well with low light conditions, continuing to record useful footage well into dusk. At night, however, it compared less well to rear window-mounted alternatives.
But more than anything, videos just weren’t especially sharp, even in broad daylight. While I could often make out details including the number plate of following cars, this could be tricky unless I was driving in a straight line and there was little comparative movement between our two vehicles.
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Should you buy it?
You don’t want to run cables: This add-on module may be worth it if you flatly refuse to add a cabled rear-window camera
You want the best quality footage: If you want a decent quality rear view recording, you’ll need to settle for cables
Final Thoughts
Not all great ideas work well in practice, and the Nextbase Rear View Camera is one of them.
While it’s simple to fit, it can be challenging to aim, and its telephoto lens contributes to an all-round disappointing performance. If you’re dead set against wiring in a rear-view camera, consider the Nextbase Cabin View Camera instead – I felt it captured more of the road, although it comes at the cost of passengers’ privacy. But if you want the best view behind, there’s not really a substitute for putting a camera on the rear window.
How we test
We test every dash cam we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
Used as our main dash cam for the review period
We take sample video during the day and night to see how good the footage really is.
We test any smartphone apps to see what additional features are on offer.
We test any additional safety features, such as lange change warning, to see how useful they really are.
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FAQs
No, the three-model rear-facing camera range is only for use with selected Nextbase dash cams
Full specs
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
