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With front, rear, and dual-camera cameras, Vantrue’s Nexus 5 (N5) has arguably the best coverage of any dash cam out there. It is also equipped with many features and the latest technology. The only thing is that it’s not cheap.
The Vantrue N5 is a first for us and, to our knowledge, a first in the industry. This is not a three-channel system, but a four-channel one with front, rear and two interior cameras: one from front to back, the other in the rear window forward.
Dual interior cameras not only provide more thorough interior lighting, but also capture activity outside the side windows, something the front and rear cameras cannot do. Blind spots may prevent full 360-degree coverage, but it’s pretty close.
For some users, the only problem may be the price, which is $400 (£370). However, Garmin’s single-channel but sleek Dash Cam Live costs more, and Cobra’s three-channel SC 400D (one of our favorites) costs just as much.
The bullet front/cabin camera is 4.88 inches wide and 2.7 inches tall (from magnetic mount to camera base). Despite its larger size, it features a clear and easy-to-read 3.18-inch color display. The SD card is stored under a fixed magnetic cap on the left side of the device, and on the right side there is only a logo.
The included auxiliary power cord plugs into the Type-C connector on the mounting base. This means that when you remove the camera, it loses power and you can’t get a closer look at it. On the plus side, this means you won’t have to unplug the power cord every time you take it out. Yin and Yang.
The front camera on the N5 has a maximum non-standard ratio of 4:3, 2592×1944, but the default is 16:9, 2560×1440. The rear camera and both interior cameras have 1080p resolution.
The front camera has a field of view of 158 degrees, while the other cameras have a field of view of 160 degrees. They are located on the wider side to help cover as much area as possible. All use Sony STARVIS sensors: IMX675 on the front panel and IMX307 on the rest.
At the bottom of the front camera there are four buttons for navigating the menu, switching Wi-Fi (to connect your phone/app), start/stop video recording, start/stop audio recording and other functions. N5 also supports voice commands: “lock video”, “take photo”, etc.
The rear/rear cockpit housing has the same cylindrical design as the front one – a nice departure from the usual mismatched styles. It is smaller, however, at just 3.34 inches wide and 1.5 inches tall. Both the front and rear interior cameras can be rotated by approximately 45 degrees, allowing you to adjust the shooting angle. One end is a Type-C connector for cable connection, and the other end is open.
Both the front and rear cameras in the cabin are equipped with infrared illumination, which you will see in the “Camera quality” section below.
Both front and rear camera housings use semi-permanent adhesive mounts; but the front mount is adjustable both vertically and horizontally, so installation does not have to be precise.
The front camera housing is magnetically attached to its mount and is removable, while the rear camera is fixed. They are connected by a Type-C cable that is 20 feet long and slightly thicker.
I prefer the rear camera to be removable too, since I park the convertible in town but leave it unlocked (though this doesn’t always prevent break-ins and theft). But to be honest, despite all the idiotic sobbing, I have never lost the rear camera. Don’t expect your luck to be the same.
Tip: I switched to using a standard razor blade to remove sticky braces. Not only are they easier to get under dishes than a knife, but they can also quickly scrape up leftover food. Disassemble the entire razor before opening it with your hands or other tools (razors can break easily).
If you are new to this task, you might want to read our article on how to install a dash cam. There are some drawbacks, such as the rearview mirror obscuring the front interior camera, as I partially did during the N5 test. Ouch.
GPS is built-in, watermarked, and embedded in the video, so you can use the downloadable player to keep track of where you’ve been. FINE
If there is a driving recorder that you want to use with a 512GB SD card (with limitations), then the N5 is your best choice. Capturing four streams at relatively high resolution can quickly exhaust storage space.
The default resolution for the front camera is 1440p, which equates to speeds of around 110MB/min, but you can drop it down to 1080p, which equates to speeds of around 80MB/min, similar to other cameras. However, when you add all four together, you’re consuming between 19 and 24 GB per hour. 720p also works with all cameras, but it loses a lot of detail. Why buy a high definition cash register camera that runs on 720?
Of course, the camera will delete old videos when it needs space, but if you’re documenting your trip, it’s a good idea to keep a few things on hand until you’re sure you don’t need them. Buy a higher capacity card.
The N5 of course offers a parking mode, but it requires constant power, so you’ll need a wired kit or OBDII cable. There are no “bad driver” features like lane departure warning, but to be honest, I don’t like them and don’t use them because they can be distracting at the wrong time. Improve your driving if you feel you need them.
No dash cam on the market captures the events in and around your car better.
I find the N5′s shooting to be very useful, if not outstanding. Given the default resolution is 1440p, I expected more detail (less compression) in the front view. The first shot maxes out at 1944p, which essentially just shows more of the sky and dashboard. If there is a real advantage in detail, it is difficult to see. I understand why the default is 1440p.
However, the head-on shot provided rich HDR colors (all cameras support HDR) and showed off a rainbow I wasn’t aware of during actual driving. The detail is so good that you can make out the license plate of the FedEx truck even though it is less than 10 feet away at this point.
Images captured by the front camera also showed rich colors and good detail, including bags under the eyes. Hehe, it’s still early!
During the day, the color and detail of the rear camera is also quite good. Note that the lack of a rear seat in the MX-5 means cameras can’t capture the action from the side like they can in a four-seater. Sorry, Fantru.
The night shot from the front has good color, but the detail you see on the license plate is a bit obscured by my headlights. Twenty feet closer and there they are. In fact, the Nexus 5 handles headlight glare quite well. Those halos and streetlight glare are caused by a slightly dirty windshield. Yes, I know.
Night shots from the rear camera show good detail, thanks in part to the street lights overhead. But other lenses without this help demonstrate similar qualities.
As I already mentioned, take the image captured by the front interior camera as a warning. I mounted the camera partially behind the rearview mirror, which obscures the top of the image. When installing the front camera with a fixed car camera, install it lower to avoid this problem.
Infrared lighting helps illuminate the interior of the front cabin camera and prevents it from overreacting to outside headlights. Apparently, the infrared light makes the image halftone.
The rear interior camera does an excellent job of capturing what’s happening inside. But again, the close proximity of the two-seater’s rear windows means it can’t collect much data from the sides.
The N5 uses supercapacitors to keep it running for several seconds after a power outage, retaining current captured data. The advantages of supercapacitors are almost endless cycling and a wider operating temperature range. The downside is that you only get power for a few seconds, whereas the battery can power the camera for up to half an hour.
The G-sensor setting was too sensitive for my MX-5 and its track suspension, so I had to turn it off, but at lower settings it works great. I haven’t crashed my car, so I can’t say how it would perform in a serious accident. In any case, you should immediately turn off the DVR after such an incident to save the video.
No dash cam on the market captures the events in and around your car better. I think passengers will appreciate the rear cabin camera, which captures backseat activity in a way that the front cabin camera can’t.
John Jacoby is a musician, former x86/6800 programmer, and longtime computer enthusiast. He reviews TVs, SSDs, DVRs, remote access software, Bluetooth speakers, and a variety of other consumer technology hardware and software.
Post time: Jan-17-2024