Dashcam 2024

[Vatreni]

Hi all,

About to get an ES300h.

Can anyone who has got a front/rear dashcam recommend (or otherwise) a model. I know Lexus sell a Nextbase one, is it any good? As important to me as the video quality is the look of it. I don't want  a screen - in fact ideally it will look built into the windscreen and not a box on the side. I won't be installing it myself for sure!

There's an older thread on here but no recent recommendations, so grateful for any advice.

[SH20]

I purchased a LS500h recently which was fitted with the official recommended Nextbase dashcam, no screen and only the front camera was fitted.    Very streamlined and hardly visible as it fits next to the interior rear view mirror cameras.   Using the Nextbase Cam Viewer App it uses Wi Fi to connect the camera to your  phone seamlessly.  It's then possible to view the individual files on the phone and select any you might want to download for sharing.  You have to be in the car to do this, however you can remove the camera very quickly and then connect it to a computer if you want to view files.   The App allows for auto connection to the phone if you wish or you can do it manually by pressing the wi fi button on the camera.    I've been used to screen cameras in the past and still have a Nextbase 522GW front and rear set up in the wife's Yaris and did try my Nextbase 622GW  front and rear set up in my LS500 using the existing hard wire kit for the original Lexus approved camera.    I now use only the original Nextbase Lexus front camera as it is less obtrusive for sure.     Go with the official Lexus recommended front and rear set up  but ask the dealer where they are going to mount the rear camera if you have a rear screen blind as the camera location is critical if you still want to use the rear blind.   I believe the rear Lexus approved camera can just fit either side of the blind but the dealer might recommend fitting it centrally at the bottom of the rear screen.    The dealer will have fitted lots so know the best location.  If you don't have a rear screen blind then it won't matter. 

[scythe]

Yep, I agree with Steve. Front camera has no screen, and fits tightly on left hand side of central mirror and stuff, and there's a back camera of equal quality. And it's very discrete.

: o )

[macdoir]

I ordered the Lexus Nextbase for my ES at initial purchase,  As a dealer fitted option the quality of install was poor. The rear camera is too bulky for the rear blind to clear, this results in having to fit offset (mine still clips the edge of the blind after having dealer reposition.) I also find downloading via WIFI very slow and the connection quickly timing out and dropping. I had the same camera in my last car and was disappointed to see none of the issues were fixed by Nextbase. 

The time when I wanted the footage after a deer jumped out in front of the car and grazed the rear 1/4 panel the camera caught nothing despite heavy breaking. 

I think manufactures should provide cameras integrated as Tesla does, so come on Lexus get your finger out and integrate what now is considered essential. 

[SH20]

Someone said in a previous thread about dash cams and why manufacturers tend to avoid factory fit cameras. It's to do with data protection and privacy yet everyone and their dog rely on dash cam footage all the time, e.g Police and Insurance Companies. So as stated, if Tesla do it then what's the problem.  I would never rely on a dealer myself to install a camera system no matter how many times they have done it. A fitter is not going to take enough care when routing cables etc and the issue of the rear camera being too big to avoid the rear blind is an example of a fitter not giving a f...

 

[mister_johnn]

I ended up buying a Garmin Mini 2 because is one of the smallest dash cams without a screen, has WiFi, and went the extra mile by fitting it in the mirror. Had to take down the case from the dash cam, make a good cooling system for the CPU, add a power converter plus a few modifications to the plastic case of the mirror. I like to keep everything nice and tidy, so I took power from the mirror and avoided having extra cables coming from the fuse box or cigarette lighter. All that was noticeable to the mirror was the camera lens next to the mirrors light sensor.

I had similar setups in my previous cars, but with different dash cams.

[Vatreni]

3 hours ago, mister_johnn said:

I ended up buying a Garmin Mini 2 because is one of the smallest dash cams without a screen, has WiFi, and went the extra mile by fitting it in the mirror. Had to take down the case from the dash cam, make a good cooling system for the CPU, add a power converter plus a few modifications to the plastic case of the mirror. I like to keep everything nice and tidy, so I took power from the mirror and avoided having extra cables coming from the fuse box or cigarette lighter. All that was noticeable to the mirror was the camera lens next to the mirrors light sensor.

I had similar setups in my previous cars, but with different dash cams.

Wow that's pretty impressive. Shame they don't seem to do a rear one although I suppose you could just use another one of these as they're tiny. You should have videoed your handywork and put it on youtube. There's a huge demand for people tinkering with electronics.

[mister_johnn]

16 hours ago, Vatreni said:

Wow that's pretty impressive. Shame they don't seem to do a rear one although I suppose you could just use another one of these as they're tiny. You should have videoed your handywork and put it on youtube. There's a huge demand for people tinkering with electronics.

You are right, this is not for everyone without some experience in electronics. The hardest part is to find the power cables by using a multimeter, and make sure everything is insulated properly after the connections are done.

I still recommend the Garmin Mini 2 as a dash cam. Being so small can be easily fitted at front or rear without causing any distraction when driving. Their application is not great for getting video footage from the camera via WiFi, but as long as you can remove the MicroSD card and put it in a laptop you should be good. Their application doesn't split the video in sections (like every 1 min, 3 min) so you end up having a very long video and is very hard to trim by using the app, most of the time is crashing.

I didn't use NextBase yet, but my previous dash cam were from Xiaomi and I can say that their software was easy to use and never crashed, the videos were good quality.

At the end of the day I recommend any small dash cam which doesn't cause a distraction when driving, without a screen, with WiFi, and a good quality video in which you can read the number plates other cars.

Regarding the installation of a dash cam you have 2 options, the simple one is to use a USB from the car to power the dash cam and you can hide the cable under the panels or to get power from the fuse box by using a fitting kit for dash cams that includes all the necessary extras, there's plenty of videos on YouTube on how to do that, and you can hide the cables under the panels. Not hard, but it shouldn't cost much to have it fitted either, it's all up to your budget.

[LenT]

6 hours ago, mister_johnn said:

it's all up to your budget.

This is really the key to the whole setup.

I’ve had BlackVue cameras almost since they came on the market, but they are among the pricier of options.  But it all depends on how much technology you think will be really useful to you.

No point in paying for facilities you might never use - such as being able to sit in a restaurant and check the live camera feed while you eat!

BlackVue has the Power Magic Pro which connects to the fuse box and provides a monitored power supply when the ignition is off so that the camera is always on standby when parked.

Another feature that attracted me to the BlackVue is that it’s a small cylinder that sits between the screen and mirror - and is generally invisible from outside the car.

You can check out the range at www.blackvue.com

As regards fitting, I used a local auto electrician on the basis that they’re probably installing more - and on a regular basis- than anyone at Lexus.