Verdict
The Nextbase 522GW style cam offers a solid mix of features and well video recording timber . But while its big screen and built - in polarising filter are useful additions over role model lower down the Nextbase range , it ’s no ripe than the mid - range models at capturing what ’s happening around you . Unless you really need its bighearted screen door or Alexa functionality , I ’d save money and choose the 322GW .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
TheNextbase 522GW sits one down from the top of the company ’s extensive dash Cam River range , the622GW .
It ’s quite well assign , with GPS sustenance , Alexa desegregation and an SOS feature . There ’s also a big 7.6 atomic number 96 people of colour touchscreen and a polarising filter to help cut down on public eye .
But despite some upgrades , it shares the same 1440p answer as the next model down in the range of a function . Is it worth the extra outlay ? Here are my thoughts .
Design and features
The Nextbase 522GW dash cam sit near the top of the caller ’s six - model range . Despite sharing many of the same specification as the 422GW , it ’s larger to make elbow room for a braggart 7.6 curium screen , which has a significantly higher resolution .
This camera record the same 1440p , 30fps telecasting as the 422GW , but interestingly it uses a gamey resolution 5.14 megapixel sensor whereas the crummy camera has a 4MP sensing element . give the availability of these ‘ spare ’ pixels , it seems left over that there ’s no electronic image stabilisation feature on the 522GW .
What you do get is the same G - sensor - controlled parking mode find on the relaxation of the Nextbase chain . There ’s Bluetooth and Wi - Fi , allowing you to link the 522GW with Nextbase ’s mobile telephone app , from which you could change options and download footage of an incident . This link also turn on the SOS mode , which again uses the g - detector to discover if you ’re involved in a serious incident . If you ’re unresponsive , your phone will mechanically touch the emergency services .
This camera has a slot to connect one of Nextbase ’s rear view or cabin cameras , which we ’ve brush up separately . It also supports Alexa integration , allowing you to control the camera and media playback . As with the 422GW , I had upshot getting this to work decent . While it could be ready to hand for vocalism - gratuitous control of sound and call in an older car , it ’s not really needed if you have CarPlay or Android Auto .
It ’s deserving explain one rising slope in a spot more detail . Like the range - top 622GW , the Nextbase 522GW has a polarising filter shroud the front of its electron lens array . You might need to revolve it , but get the alignment right and it should improve visibleness through your windshield , cutting down on glower and musing of the cabin under sealed lighting conditions . The camera ’s freehanded screen is helpful for fine - tuning this , but you could apply the app ’s springy panorama feature to retard when you ’re getting the good results .
Finally , I should advert that this camera overleap out on advanced number one wood safety aids such as lane departure warning or hand brake stop notifications . While these might be useful in honest-to-god vehicles without them build in , I have n’t typically found the flair Cam River versions to be especially responsive or helpful , so it ’s not a great loss .
Performance and video quality
NextBase ’s magnetic windscreen mount makes it easy to fit and take this tv camera from the car , although you will need to unplug the pumped Rear Window Camera if you purchase one . You ’ll likely want to start the screensaver rather than have the bountiful , distracting screen stay on while driving .
In most cases , enable parking fashion will be sensible , too . This is well used with a hard - wired power link , for which you may purchase an optional outfit , but I ground that the camera ’s small-scale battery was enough to power it while our oft used car was left idle .
I found it in particular hard to release the microSD card from this tv camera , need to repair to a mates to push it in far enough to release .
There ’s no doubtfulness that the Nextbase 522GW produces high quality video . In daylight I could distinctly see all particular of dealings , route signs , pedestrians and other route user . As with most decent dash cams , it was easy to read phone number plates provided they were n’t moving too rapidly in relation to my car .
down winter sun is often a stern test for hyphen cams . The 522GW ’s polarising filter helped improve footage when the Lord’s Day was blasting through the front screen , cutting down glare and completely removing reflection of the cabin that otherwise would have interfered with the view out . However , I felt at times that the television camera ’s exposure was darker than I ’d like .
While the Nextbase 522GW captured a wide range of brightness – from houses lit by the sun to the unlit road below – it seemed more concerned in the former . gayly , you could tweak the photo in the video preferences – it ’s deserving noting that this does n’t bear on the rear view camera if you ’ve got one connect .
I was a mo less impressed with this camera ’s dark performance . Despite a wide 𝒇/1.3 aperture , it did n’t seem to enamor any more detail than cheaper NextBase television camera such as the 322GW . In fussy , it tend to underexpose darker areas of the build , meaning footage bear slight detail of pedestrians , shop fronts or even cyclists , unless they were almost directly under street ignition .
deepen down to lower resolutions and framerates did n’t seem to help things . hike up the photo by a few stops did amend the results pretty , but at the cost of quite a chip of noise creeping into the video .
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Should you buy it?
The Nextbase 522GW offers a bad silver screen , decent telecasting quality , and a helpful polarising filter .
The Nextbase 522GW is not brilliant at snap up detail at Nox .
Final Thoughts
This is another good Nextbase dash cam , but I feel like it ’s not really a grand upgrade over the 422GW – or even the 322GW . While its polarising filter is very welcome , I could easily live without its bigger screen and Alexa integrating . sacrifice that its resolution supercharge over the322GWdoesn’t seem to facilitate it grab any more detail from the road , I ’m not convinced it ’s worth the redundant money . That ’s not to say it ’s poor note value , though – it still compares well to many rival .
Trusted Score
How we test
We quiz every sprint River Cam we reexamine soundly over an extended menses of prison term . We habituate stock tests to compare feature by rights . We ’ll always tell you what we find . We never , ever , accept money to review a product .
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FAQs
This is a forward - face camera , but it ’s compatible with Nextbase ’s range of cabin and rearward view camera , available separately .
There ’s no hardwiring kit in the box , but you could buy one separately .
A polarising filter can aid filter the light reaching a lens . It ’s particularly useful when you ’re take through glass , as you’re able to rotate it so that it block unwanted reflexion from inside the car that would otherwise show up on your windshield .
