A dash cam can be useful as evidence in clarifying who is at fault in an accident. We show the ten best dash cams from our tests.
If there is a crash in traffic, the anger is great. In addition to the danger to life and limb, the material damage is often very annoying for car owners. Blame is quickly assigned. A tried and tested piece of evidence for clarifying who is at fault after an accident is a car camera – also known as a dashcam. This records what is happening around a possible accident in order to be able to better reconstruct the course of events later during the police investigation and the clarification in court.
Dash cams are widely used in many European countries. In the UK, for example, car owners can expect discounts on car insurance if they use a dash cam. For a long time this was not the case in Germany, even though many of these cameras are now being sold.
The problem with the legal use of a car camera is the issue of data protection. When operating, it is important and challenging to comply with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Exactly how this can be done, however, is controversial. A BGH ruling from 2018 shed some light on the matter, which, among other things, addressed the question of whether and under what conditions dashcams can be used legally. There is a balancing of interests between the right to self-determination of the persons concerned and the right to protection of the motorist’s property. Dash cams are not banned in this country. Anyone can buy one and use it in principle.
It is generally not permitted to film what is happening on the street permanently and without a good reason. The crux of the matter with using a dash cam is that you can never get consent from those involved. A workaround would therefore be to ensure that recordings are not permanently collected on the memory card. According to the judgment, however, even illegally created recordings can be used for clarification in court. In addition, the police have the right to confiscate the camera, and the recordings can then be used against the owner. We explain more on the subject in the guide How the dashcam meets all legal criteria .
In this article we compare the ten best dash cams from our tests. In doing so, we take into account the possibilities for GDPR-compliant operation as well as the technical equipment with regard to image quality and other assistance systems or special functions. We offer a good introduction to the topic with the Dashcam guide: Legal issues, technology and car cameras from 40 euros .
Furnishing
A loop recording is essential for data protection-compliant operation in Germany. The car camera always only records a few temporary video clips and overwrites them again and again – in theory. In practice, many dashcams keep creating new recordings and only overwrite the older ones when the microSD card is almost full.
The Transcend Drivepro 230Q Data Privacy (test report) records a maximum of two videos, each 1 minute long, which are continuously overwritten in an endless loop. With the cameras from Nextbase you can specify in the settings that only a maximum of four clips are recorded. Garmin even offers the option to record only once, which will be continuously overwritten – that’s how a loop should work.
Also a “must-have” in connection with the loop function is a G-sensor – also known as an acceleration sensor. No, the motion sensor is not supposed to show how fast you drive the quarter mile in “Fast and Furious” style. Rather, the dashcam detects abrupt decelerations when braking hard, as can happen before an accident. The loop poses a challenge for the car camera in the event of an accident. To prevent the camera from simply overwriting the valuable video again, if there is a long delay, the dash cam automatically saves the video in a protected area that cannot be overwritten.
A rechargeable battery is also advisable and useful, although not essential. This ensures that the car camera is still supplied with power after a possible accident, should the cable come loose from the 12-volt socket. Other functions are more for convenience, such as a successful app connection, with which you can view the camera image and download video clips via the smartphone. There are even devices that can access Amazon Alexa in connection with the cell phone. Driver assistance systems, such as a lane departure warning system or a collision warning system, are also of interest to owners of older vehicles.
Many car cameras also offer parking surveillance. Here the dash cam remains in stand-by, registers vibrations and starts recording. However, the camera is then dependent on its own battery as soon as the ignition key is removed. But that may not be enough for parking surveillance. That’s why many manufacturers offer hardwire cables to permanently connect the dash cam to the on-board electronics and the car battery. From a data protection perspective, however, such monitoring is problematic. Transcend deliberately does without this feature in the Drivepro 230Q Data Privacy.
picture quality
Another important criterion is the image quality of the car camera. The decisive factors here are the resolution, the type of image sensor and the viewing angle – also known as the field of view (FOV). If the recordings are only blurred, they do not help clarify the question of guilt. We therefore limit ourselves to cameras that offer at least Full HD (1920 × 1080 pixels). Some top models even resolve in QHD (2560 × 1440 pixels), the top model Nextbase 622GW (test report) even manages 4K (4096 × 2160 pixels).
If you use a dashcam abroad, you should observe the regulations there. In Hungary and the Czech Republic, use is only permitted with a low resolution – i.e. more HD or SD, not Full HD. We show more about the regulations abroad in the Dashcam on holiday guide: Get legal protection and avoid high penalties of up to 10,000 euros .
For the field of view (FOV), we recommend a viewing angle of at least 130 degrees in order to adequately cover what is happening in front of the car. Many dashcams do more. With a FOV beyond 160 degrees, however, a distorted fish optic occurs, in which objects that are further away may not be seen as clearly. All dash cams tested here provide an image quality that allows road users to be seen sufficiently well. It gets a bit more difficult when deciphering license plates. No model has completely convinced us here.
The image reproduction of the recordings should not be underestimated. With 60 fps (frames per second) instead of 30 fps, the videos not only appear smoother and more natural, but also provide more images for a possible reconstruction of what happened in the accident in slow motion. However, 60 fps are usually only available with lower resolutions such as Full HD. As a rule, the setting options of the dashcam allow adjustment to a desired resolution or frame rate.
1st place: Nextbase 622GW
The winner of our list of the best is the Nextbase 622GW (test report) . It owes this primarily to the high resolution of up to 4K and the diverse special functions such as voice control, connection to Alexa via smartphone or an SOS function. If the camera and smartphone notice that the driver does not move after a sudden braking manoeuvre, the cell phone sends an emergency call to a predetermined contact, including GSP data. However, the service is only free for the first year. The loop function allows the restriction to a maximum of four videos in parallel. You have to select this option in the settings first. A parking function is also available. The app is connected via Bluetooth and WLAN, GPS and a battery is also on board.
In daylight, the image quality is impressive in both 4K and QHD with a viewing angle of 140 degrees. The latter even allows 60 fps, making it our favorite choice. A digital image stabilizer (EIS) can be switched on. There is even a polarization filter – polarizing filter for short. This minimizes reflections on the windshield when taking pictures. Alexa is a nice feature, but we don’t see any real added value in it. The image quality deteriorates in the dark, and vehicle license plates are no longer so easy to read due to reflections.
The communication with the smartphone app works well, the processing is impeccable. The dash cam with a large LCD is also very bulky and bulky, which could bother the driver. It gets very warm at high temperatures. With a price of 270 euros, the Nextbase 622GW is one of the most expensive car cameras.
2nd place: Garmin Dash Cam 67W
The Garmin Dash Cam 67W (test report) follows in second place . In terms of form factor, Garmin’s model would have deserved first place as well. The case is nice and compact and handy. It’s only half the size of the Nextbase 622GW and the shape is reminiscent of a petrol lighter. There are no gimmicks like Alexa, but instead it offers some driver assistance systems such as the start-up alarm, lane departure warning system or collision warning when the safety distance is small. This makes them interesting for owners of older cars without such functions. Particularly commendable is the optional restriction of the loop function to just one 30-second clip. You have to activate this in the settings first.
The Dash Cam 67W allows QHD resolution with 30 fps or FullHD with up to 60 fps. The photos are good, but have room for improvement in image sharpness. They can’t quite keep up with the Nextbase 622GW. The field of view is very generous at 180 degrees. GPS and a battery are also part of the equipment in addition to an LCD. With prices starting at just under 210 euros, it is already significantly cheaper than the number one.
3rd place: Nextbase 422GW
The Nextbase 422GW (test report) follows in third place . This offers almost all the features of the top model 622GW including SOS and Alexa. Even the size and design are almost the same. However, the resolution is lower with a maximum of QHD, which is still above average. The viewing angle is sufficient at 140 degrees. Voice control, SOS and Alexa are also on board. With a price of 160 euros, the 422GW is significantly cheaper.
4th place: Nextbase 522GW
The Nextbase 522GW (test report) is largely identical in terms of features and appearance to the 422GW model. A polarizing filter is also used here. Then why is the camera only in fourth place and not third place? This is due to the higher price of 180 euros, which in our opinion does not justify the advantage of the polarizing filter.
5th place: Transcend Drivepro 230Q Data Privacy
The Transcend Drivepro 230Q Data Privacy (test report) is not only our winner in terms of value for money, but also a good option in terms of data protection. By default, the loop mode is set so that only two video clips are created and automatically overwritten. In addition, the manufacturer dispenses with parking monitoring. However, this means that it is not an option for recording landscapes while driving.
