About the Nextbase 622GW 4K Dash Cam

I was in search for a new dash camera because I wanted to upgrade to 4K which my older GiiNii GD-250 did not allow. I love to record the roads that I travel for my personal collection and a 4K dash camera would be perfect to capture more vivid details.

Following a few of days of extensive research, I selected the Nextbase 622GW 4K Dash Cam Model NBDVR622GW relying on reviews from various sources like Amazon.com, Best Buy, TrustedReviews.com, and TechRadar.com. The 622GW is currently the top-of-the-line model from Nextbase and the only one that records 4K footage. On Best Buy it was rated 4.1 based on 51 reviews.

The Best Buy store at East Madison, WI had the item available for same day contactless curbside pick-up so got my hands on it by the evening of 21 November 2020. The price was $319.99 plus taxes.

I have been using this camera for about a year now and it has been doing well. So, I will jot down some of my notes and thoughts that I have collected over time.

Nextbase 622GW mounted
on a Toyota RAV4

Packaging and Build

The packaging was impressive and the first impression after unpacking the camera was that it felt much heavier than my older one. The body felt solid and sturdy with an elegant silver finish. In the last one year of its use, it has withstood several falls while mounting it to the windshield without a scratch on the body or the lens-enclosure glass.

Mounting

The camera has to be mounted on the car's windshield or on the dashboard using a mount with adhesive which are included in the package. There is also a mount extension in the package which lets you use a suction cup instead of gluing it directly on the windshield. For me the suction cup worked for about 6 months and then started giving away, so I switched to directly gluing to the windshield anyway.

Display

The camera has a 3-inch display screen with 960 x 480 resolution. The start / stop button is conveniently placed so you can easily access and control the recording. The display continuously displays the live feed and also lets to playback recorded videos.

Recording

By default, the camera records videos on 1-minute video files which you can also set to 2 or 3-minute files. As the microSD card fill up with video files, the camera automatically deletes the oldest file to make space for new recordings.

The camera features a G-Sensor to protect the recording currently in progress, if it senses that a pre-determined threshold of force on the camera has exceeded. This is useful to protect recordings that are captured during a road accident.

The camera also has a built-in GPS which lets you stamp GPS coordinates at the bottom of the recorded video. In addition to the GPS stamp, you can also add a date / time and a speed stamp. There is a permanent stamp that says "Nextbase" which is really annoying, and I wish there a setting to turn it off.

You also have an option to record timelapse videos and videos with enhanced image stabilization.

There is also an integrated microphone to record the audio which I have always kept turned off. The one time that I tested the feature, the captured audio was fairly clear.

Video Quality

The camera can record footage at the maximum of 4K at 30 frames per second. There are other options available as well which are listed below:

1. 4K @ 30FPS [3840 x 2160]
2. 1440P @ 60FPS [2560 x 1440]
3. 1440P @ 30FPS [2560 x 1440]
4. 1080P @120FPS [1920 x 1080]
5. 1080P @ 60FPS [1920 x 1080]
6. 1080P @ 30FPS [1920 x 1080]

The lens has a field of view (FOV) of 140 degrees which provides a wide coverage on both sides of the road. The camera also features a built-in polarizing filter integrated into the lens, specifically designed to minimize glare and enhance the sharpness of the recordings. To achieve the best clarity, you have to adjust the bezel located at the front of the lens until the captured image reaches its optimum clarity, while minimizing any glare. 

Storage

The makers recommend using a U3 Type Micro SD card so it can utilize the high data transfer speed of 312MB/s to store high-quality video. I have been using a SanDisk Extreme PLUS 128GB microSDXC UHS-I Memory Card which seems to perform well without issues. The camera stores about 90 minutes of 4K footage on a 32GB memory card. So, a 128GB should let you store about 360 minutes of footage.

Power

The camera draws power from the 12-24Vdc outlet of your vehicle. The cable is long enough so you can route it around the dashboard to have an uncluttered look.

Mobile App

There is a companion mobile app named MyNextbase Connect which can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play. The mobile app provides advanced features such as emergency SOS to automatically send your location, medical and vehicle details to the nearest Ambulance or Emergency Response Service. I have never used this feature and based on some reviews; my understanding is that keeping the camera paired with your phone with Bluetooth is often unreliable.

Warranty

The device comes with 1 year of manufacturer's warranty on the parts.

Conclusion

The camera contains all the features that I needed. In my experience, the device has performed well. The video quality is amazing, and it is easy to set up. The touchscreen is easy to use. There was a small hiccup on a trip to Traverse City when for a brief period it wouldn't turn on - automatically got resolved by itself after a few hours. I never unmounted it from the car's windshield because removing the microSD card was a more convenient way to carry the footage to be copied to my computer. At this point I am considering it as a good choice.

The product homepage is at: https://nextbase.com/dash-cams/622gw-dash-cam/

An archived page of the NextBase 622GW on Best Buy is here. 

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