An exterior vehicle camera is disclosed for monitoring an operating area of a vehicle comprising a camera housing with a camera module having a camera electronics, and camera optics carried within the housing. A recording opening is formed in the camera housing facing toward a recording direction. A transparent recording window covers the recording opening, and is disposed adjacent a recording end of the camera optics. The camera housing and the recording window are formed from plastic materials having sufficiently identical thermal characteristics so that formation of condensation is reduced within the housing at the recording window.