Street View camera generations

Google Street View has been shot with several camera rigs over the years, and the image quality and the shape of the blur tell you the generation. Knowing the generation narrows down both the year and the regions where that camera was used.

How to tell the generations apart ▾Where each generation is found ▾

How to tell the generations apart

Car cameras

Gen 1

The first camera (around 2007–2008). Very low resolution and soft all over, with a yellowish cast, dark edges and a grey smear at the bottom. Little survives today.

Examples:Japan Italy Monaco Mexico New Zealand

Gen 2

Medium resolution with slightly harsh colours. A round blur at the top of the sky and another at your feet, with no car shape visible.

Examples:Canada Republic of Korea Belgium Isle of Man Japan

Gen 3

Sharp enough with natural colours. No blur in the sky, but a car-shaped blur (in some regions the car’s bonnet) at the bottom. The most common generation.

Examples:New Zealand Finland Slovakia Curaçao Cambodia

Gen 4

Very sharp and vivid, with high contrast and a slightly cool tint. The car blur at the bottom is small and usually looks bluish.

Examples:United States Belgium Latvia Israel

Car variants

Low Cam

Camera mounted lower on the car (for privacy). Gen 4-grade quality, but the view sits low: the ground fills more of the frame and the blur at your feet is bigger. No blur in the sky, unlike Gen 2.

Examples:Japan Switzerland Liechtenstein Sri Lanka

Small Cam

Shot with the newer compact camera. Gen 4-grade quality, no car outline, but a large, soft blur spreading from the bottom centre.

Examples:Norway North Macedonia Greece Brazil Australia

Bad Cam

So-called “bad cam”: slightly poor image quality with an oversized blur at your feet. Highlights are handled oddly, so the sun and sky often blow out into glaring white. Mixed into official coverage in some places.

Examples:India Cyprus Poland Latvia Lithuania

Where each generation is found

Pick a generation to shade the regions shot with that camera. “Newest car gen” shows the most recent car camera in each region. Click a region on the map to open its guide.