Disappointing 612GW

[Paul Iddon]

I think it's caused by the weight. The next model NB release is being looked at for the mount to be improved already.

 

[kohakoo]

I think it's caused by the weight. The next model NB release is being looked at for the mount to be improved already.

Hi, It must be related to that because I fitted the 612GW to my 512GW Mount and had exactly the same problem.

If NB come up with another stronger mount, I think a replacement mount would be in order for those that took the trouble and effort to modify this one.

Thanks by the way to previous posters that gave me this idea, its fantastic.

I don't think its just the stem of the ball thats too weak, its the thin plastic covering the GPS that its moulded to also. Thats where it appears to flex when supported and slight pressure applied.

 

[Paul Iddon]

Glad to be of help Kohakoo.

Paul.

 

[Kremmen]

I think the design and mount on the 380 is the way to go.

Rock solid and you can mount and unmount the camera one handed without it having to be re adjusted.

If NB produced a 380 with 1440@60fps and a polarising filter then that would be the Rolls Royce.

As it is I will never go back to a stalk mount having got the 380 even though it's 1080@30 and no filter.

 

[DoubleDoom]

I wish I had seen this thread before I bought. I have just returned by 612GW because the vibration was significant. It was fine in my wife's petrol car. However, in the Land Rover Defender, a car that is rather bouncy, the camera was a near constant pendulum on such a weak mount. My older 402G has a far more rigid mount and none of the wobbly video issues in the Defender.

 

[GeoffLad]

I must admit to being disappointed also to the quality of video image 'juddering/vibration'. I've done the blu tack trick (dictionary wanted to correct to Buttock ;-). Mine is attached via the adhesive pad, and the ball joint locked real tight. Its mounted on the windscreen of my petrol T-roc (small SUV).
I feel this should be sorted by Nextbase by offering a free, better constructed base, to compliment the obviously great hard/software that this model pocesses.
Can I request, as others have please, that this be looked at and an alternative base connection be offered? I believe that this would go a long way by yourselves showing commitment to the people who have invested in purchasing this model.

 

[Nextbase Support]

Hi @GeoffLad sorry to hear this, can you email us at support@nextbase.co.uk we can test a mount and get in on it's way to you.

 

[GeoffLad]

Thank you for the swift response NextBase Tiffany, very much appreciate your showing concern.
I will be delighted to email yourselves regarding this-on its way.
Regards.

 

[GeoffLad]

Late reply, due to having an op in hospital. Thank you so much for sorting this out NextBase Tiffany-I've replied via email-Great service and support from you and your colleagues their at NextBase.

 

[xnsys]

Add me to the list of problems with this device - it's not great and even my cheap and nasty old non GPS dash-cam can record better videos at 1080p than this can in 4K

The videos are shaky, can't read anything in any light when in motion - definitely can't read number plates - it's like every frame is double exposed.

Night time videos are terrible, and number plates are just yellow squares - seems that the video is over exposing in places, and under exposing in others - reverse HDR if you like.

And Jason @ Nextbase support is just fobbing me off - to quote "The shutter speed is going to be slower due to the weather at the moment causes a lower level of light making the camera use a slower shutter speed to ensure a bright image. "

My question is ... How does the 412GW manage to take better images in the same light conditions then?

I wish I hadn't bought this device in all honesty, and contemplating which way to go for a refund and get something better if this is not resolved STAT.

Example of the double exposure, I was stationary at the time.



And this one shows movement at 40MPH - can anybody read the road-signs? lol

 

[Kremmen]

The 612 is very heavy, double that of the 412, and the pendulum style mount often doesn't hold the camera firm enough on some road surfaces.

Search here for the BluTak trick to help firm up the camera mount.

Also, test the record quality with the car stationary and if possible, the engine not running = remove all vibration.

 

[xnsys]

I had thought about trying the blutac method as mentioned previously, but thought to myself this isn't an Ikea product and therefore I expect it to work as advertised out of the box.

The first screenshot was with the engine off and stationary - The engine cuts out when stationary... The camera itself seems to be double exposing resulting any moving images being blurry.

Looking through this thread, you can see a prime example of it in one of the users "Kev_wilts" posts - #41

Using the link to his videos and the one named "wobbly" you can see that even in daylight the double exposure problem exists with moving items in the image.

Look at the Keep Crossing Clear signs and the "South Western Railway" on the moving train.

 

[xnsys]

Just been scouring the internet and looking at the sample footage, even the sample footage provided by NextBase shows the problem, I wish I had checked this before!




Now compare this to the BlackVue DR900S, and with cars in the same position I can actually read the license plate.




For comparison - the clips are located here...

NectBase -

BlackVue -

I think I need to put this not fit for purpose device back in the box and try to get my money back, as in my opinion it's not of merchantable quality, and doesn't do what it promises.

 

[Falsificator]

I think I need to put this not fit for purpose device back in the box and try to get my money back,
as in my opinion it's not of merchantable quality, and doesn't do what it promises.

I suggested that the manufacturer modify the firmware for free to achieve high-quality video.
I have been waiting for an answer for three months already...
Here you can see the result of modifying the firmware for the same hardware:
https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/f1-firmware.31818/post-436814

 

[xnsys]

Those images doo look sharper and much better, although looking at this one it still seems to have the motion blur that's the problem - fine having the sharpness if you plan on using it as a standalone camera.

You can see it on the ML in the picture - my mates G1W takes better videos and that was about 1/8th the price!

Imagine the scenario, you have the camera in the car, and another one side swipes you making a total mess, the camera springs into life because you have parking mode enabled, but it's so terrible at capturing an image that you cannot see the license plate of the car that damaged yours, and therefore it's useless and the person causing the damage gets away, and you're left with footing the bill to get your car fixed - not exactly useful.



Good work none the less! And this is a bit like the NetGear fiasco with Voxel making firmware to fix the manufacturers problems - leave it to the general public to make things work

 

[Falsificator]

Those images doo look sharper and much better, although looking
at this one it still seems to have the motion blur that's the problem - fine having
the sharpness if you plan on using it as a standalone camera.

Since the action camera is not dashcam, I wanted to get a more cinematic picture as a result.
For the dashcam, sharpness parameters can be made completely different...

Imagine the scenario, you have the camera in the car...

The optics of the action camera has a very wide viewing angle. The aperture is not sufficient.
As I wrote above, these are completely different gadgets for different types of shooting and scenes.
Here is an example of shooting in cloudy weather (4K & 1080-60):

 

[kamkar]

Now compare this to the BlackVue DR900S, and with cars in the same position I can actually read the license plate.

That are far from the same, aside for the angle the target car are in.
In the BV footage the camera car are going 46 MPH past a parked car, in the BV 900 footage a car are passing the camera car at a speed only a few MPH higher.
So you are comparing 46 Vs 0 MPH target to lets say 46 Vs 48 MPH target, so it is only natural the one will have much more motion blur Vs the other as the aggregate speed difference between camera and target are so large.
If you look at what is on the side of the road or the divider behind the nice white car in the BV footage, all you will see are blurred grass due to motion, maybe a little less in the BV footage as the place of capture seem to be better lit.
Also the lighting conditions in the 2 videos seem to be vastly different.

 

[xnsys]

So you are comparing 46 Vs 0 MPH target to lets say 46 Vs 48 MPH target

But I'm also comparing this to me being stationary and a car moving towards me at 10mph - see the FIAT in post #70

Plus looking at this image with a car moving at 30mph towards me being stationary - the G1W doesn't motion blur like this...

 

[xnsys]

Just look at the clarity of this one compared to the screen grab I've posted above - the white Ford is going no faster than 30mph, same as the ASDA van - and how much motion blur is on the Ford? Can't even read the license plate - you can with the BlackVue.

 

[kamkar]

The G1W probably have a sensor better at capturing light, thats the problem of the current high pixel sensors, to make room for all of them they have to be smaller pixels and so worse at capturing light.
Thats why serious dashcam makers haven't jumped on the 4K bandwagon yet, the trade off for the higher resolution are too high, sure on a stunning summer day 4K will be awesome, but as the sun touch the horizon and go below it things quickly change.
So us living up here in the cold north, we have to choose our camera to perform best in bleak weather as thats what we have most often.
Dont get me wrong i would like to sample a 4K camera, but thats easy for me as i have plenty of 1080p cameras to support it in low light situations, i would not like to only have one of the 4K cameras in my car, so for the moment i would have to advise against going that route.