Recently we talked about a new dashcam company, Nextbase, as we covered two of their models, including their entry level model as well as their second from the top of their lineup. We wound up liking the cameras quite a bit thanks to their performance as well as certain unique features. Now, we get to move on toward their flagship model, the 612GW, a 4K dashcam with GPS and touchscreen.
I mentioned in the previous story that their models enhance as you move up through the lineup. With each model comes various upgrades and features. The same applies to the 612GW as it pulls out all the bells and whistles Nextbase (currently) has to offer.
First, the build of the camera is only slightly similar to the others. Where the others have a heavier focus on plastic throughout the body, the 612GW features a mostly aluminum build, adding to it’s durability. Not that you are going to strap this to the front of an ATV (it isn’t an “action” camera) or anything, but it is nice to know that you are getting a little something extra for what you are paying.
The size of the camera is somewhere between the previously covered 212 and 512GW. Being slightly smaller than the model before it might be partially due to the fact that it utilizes a full touchscreen vs a screen surrounded by touch-sensitive buttons. They also decided to drop the R-Cam input (for optional rear cam), which also relieves a little bit of space. The first of the two changes is fantastic as it leads to a solid user-experience vs buttons or touch sensitive areas. The decision to cut the R-Cam port was a surprise, but we doubt the majority of consumers would opt for the rear camera anyway. This could also have something to do with hardware and the ability to record two sources at the same time while working with 4K.
Moving forward, it still has an HDMI output. It has the microSD slot on the side, that can support up to 128GB capacities. They recommend you use no less than 64GB for the best experience (else you won’t be able to hold onto much of the trip before files begin to be overwritten throughout the rotation during record). It is also recommended you use a U3 class card if you plan to use the 4K resolution setting, else the card may be too slow to keep up with the recording.
There is a mini USB port on the top that is used for connecting the camera to a computer for the purposes of updating its firmware and copying the files off of it. The latter of which you can do so even quicker if you take the card out and use a USB microSD card reader. You will want to always make sure you check for firmware updates before using the camera to make sure you have the most stable experience.
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The top also has a power button for turning it on and off manually. Although it also turns on automatically when you plug it into anything, so you probably won’t find yourself using the button much. On the side of the camera you can find a red button with an exclamation point on it. This will trigger it to save the current video separately so that it isn’t included in the rotation and overwritten. Perfect when something happens (like an accident) or you witness something the camera was pointed at.
It uses the same suction cup and mount as the other models. When the camera is installed in your car, the power will be running to the mount vs the camera, and the mount feeds the camera power-wise. The camera slides in and out of the mount with a magnetic click, making it easy to do so while also making sure the camera is secure against your windshield. We were never able to cause the mount and camera to “accidentally” become separated–even a good slam to the brakes led to no doubt that the connection is reliable.
The front of the lens contains a polarizing filter than can be adjusted to eliminate some of the glare on the windshield from the dashboard. It adjusts by rotating it and by reducing the glare you are able to increase the quality of the video by focusing on what’s outside of the car.
Performance
Image quality is fantastic with this camera. It supports of course up to 4K, and it does so at 30fps (frames per second). You can also drop it down one level to QHD (1440p) while gaining 60fps. Both modes have their strengths and weaknesses but you will more than likely find yourself leaning toward 4K since you can get so much image out of it. The downside to that is that 30fps is going to show a bit more motion blur and artifacts compared to 60fps. With 1440p@60fps, you will get less motion blur and little to no artifacts, however the image will obviously be smaller, thus you won’t get as much detail as you would with the higher resolution. Which option depends on your own preferences than anything else, but we found that the 4K setting was its strong point. You can see a breakdown in the difference between 30fps and 60fps in this video where we used the previous 512GW model we covered as an example.
As mentioned, the image quality is fantastic. You are able to make out so many details in the image compared to a 1080p dashcam, The image is much smoother, colors are great and well…it’s 4K (what do you expect?). The following video provides some sample footage and a breakdown between 1440p@60 vs 4K@30, so that you can get an idea of what we are talking about.
Typically, with 1080p cams, you do get a lot of information and detail out of the image, but things like license plates aren’t always easy to get a good shot of unless you aren’t moving and the plates are close by. With 4K you seem to pick up a lot of the detail previously missed, which only adds to your arsenal of information in case someone hits you, they were completely at fault and trying to argue the fact.
It gives you the option to enable time lapse mode where you can make a fun video out of your trip, and all of the typical options you’d expect out of a dashcam like audio recording (optional) and parking mode. it supports their Replay 3 software, which allows you to edit and share the videos, as well as track your progress and path taken. The software features Google Maps built-in that shows your position on the map and follows you throughout the video. It also displays various bits of stats about your current speed, average speed, top speed, direction and more. This makes for a fantastic feature that I guarantee you will find yourself playing with.
As for the parking mode, like their other cameras, the sensitivity of the G-sensor is a bit too high even in the low setting. It not only triggers if someone bumps your car, but it can also be triggered by simply knocking on the window. We found that these leads to a LOT of false positives. Because of this, we find that we preferred to keep the option disabled. Hopefully this is something that can be fixed within a firmware update, allowing you much wider range of sensitivity adjustment.
We have found the GPS to be spot on when going back to review any of the videos in the Replay 3 software.
What’s in the box
It comes with everything you need, including the USB cable for connecting it to your computer with, the 12v adapter for powering it inside your vehicle, the suction cup and mount, a double-sided sticker solution in case you don’t want to use the suction cup and some paperwork that walk you through everything.
Our Conclusion
Like the previous two models we have covered, we found this 612GW to be a great camera. Better than the other two models in that the detail you get out of the videos gives you everything you need and more. It isn’t perfect, but we have yet to see any camera that is going to give you perfect details in every thing you see (ie, every single license plate) that you’d be willing to hang from your windshield. Its GPS is spot on and its a durable product with solid performance. We are a fan of the software and the ability to follow the progress of your trip on the map when reviewing the videos and the amount of details it preserves about speed and everything else is a valuable thing to have when insurance companies are involved after an incident (as long as you weren’t actually at fault of course). The only thing that affected the score was the fact that the parking mode is far too sensitive in the low setting. You get high, mid and low–but it feels more like really high, pretty high and high. The camera performs quit well for the price, but for that price, it needs more flexibility within the sensitivity settings of the g-sensor. Beyond that, this is a fantastic camera to have in your car, and its performance took us by surprise.
| Buy from Amazon | Buy from Nextbase | |
Our Rating | Average Price* $249.99-$299.99 |
*Average price is based on the time this article was published
Video:
Additional Images:
Specifications:
Nextbase 612GW:
- Resolution: 4K@30 (Max)
- GPS Logging: Yes
- Reflection Free: Yes
- Wifi Enabled: Yes
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