Nextbase 412GW
Nextbase’s 512G is a great dashcam, but the new 412GW has a higher resolution (2560x1400) and a couple of features that make it a better buy.
Design
The 412GW looks a lot like the 312GW, and has the same magnetic ‘click-and-go’ mount. It means you can quickly remove the dash cam from its mount without having to unplug any cables. The magnet is quite strong, so you have to hold the mount to prevent the ball joint moving around as you pull the camera backwards.
One change is that the buttons are now touch-sensitive. Despite our reservations about this, they work pretty well and LEDs light up when you touch them to help you know where to press.
In the box you get two mounts, one suction cup and one adhesive. The latter proved the best as it meant the dash cam could sit higher on the windscreen, and there were no worries of this falling off.
You can use the bundled power cable to attach it to your car’s accessory socket, but as our Ford Focus doesn’t cut power to this when you turn off the ignition, we installed the Nextbase hardwire kit. This costs £14.95 and includes adaptors to attach directly to the fuse box in most cars.
As with all Nextbase dash cams, all the options are preset to optimal settings, and the time and date are found automatically via GPS.
You can choose whether you want video clips to be two-, three- or five minutes long and you can lower the resolution if for some reason you don’t want to record at the highest 2560x1440 pixels. There’s a parking mode (which won’t work if the camera doesn’t have power with the ignition off), and the expected file-lock feature which write-protects a video recording on the microSD card if there’s a significant impact.
No SD card is included, so budget for a decent quality one. Cards up to 32GB are supported, which is enough for four hours of recording at the top quality.
Performance
We were impressed with the quality of videos in various conditions. Although it doesn’t record video at 60 frames per second (fps) at the full 2560x1440, you can lower the resolution to 1920x1080 where you can select 60fps. Overall the 412GW captures lots of detail and you should have no trouble reading number plates in daylight. The image is very sharp. But one thing it doesn’t benefit from is the 512G’s circular polariser, which cuts down on reflections from the windscreen.
The latest firmware update adds the ability to change exposure compensation, so if you find that the image is too dark or bright, you can manually adjust it with this setting. At night, the HDR mode helps to retain some shadow detail and overall, this is one of the better dash cams for night-time recording.
One area yet to be improved is downloading videos via Wi-Fi. As with the 312GW, it’s painfully slow to copy even a single clip from the camera to a smartphone. It’s much more convenient to remove the camera and connect it to your laptop or PC to transfer the files.
It is possible to review the footage on the camera itself using the 3in screen, and with its small battery, the 412GW can be removed and used to take photos outside the car if you need to record any extra evidence after a collision.
Verdict
The Nextbase 412GW is an excellent dash cam that’s easy to install and will capture great-quality video evidence should you ever need it. It doesn’t have all the frills you’ll find on some dash cams, such as speed camera warnings, but it does its job well.