Rear View Camera - opinions please.

[Supertoadylight]

Just starting to think about placing a rear view camera in the car - no time like the present! Wanted to know what setup's other "rear viewers" had gone for. The camera choice seems simple enough and there is plenty on the market - I thought this one looked ideal:-

http://vision-uk.co.uk/productPage.php?productId=5...

However my dad Peter has decided he wants a more specific "rear view mirror" style monitor. i.e. it it is mounted where a rear view mirror would normally be. Trouble is - all the ones online have 7" monitors and total dimensions are 250mm x 120 mm x 23 mm

...Obviously this is WAY too big and the fitted Roll cage means there is not much space between the bars on the roof.

The only idea I have to to mount this monitor "upside down" (fix it to the roof) and mount the camera upside down to "flip" the image:-

http://vision-uk.co.uk/productPage.php?productId=1...

All the others on the website seem too big and it is the same all over the internet.

Any different setups or ideas about monitors? Any help would be great!

Thanks,

John

[Stig]

I had a rear view camera linked up to a Pioneer AVIC-X1R Head unit in the Can-Am. Worked a treat.

[cito quod fortis]

I've just started looking for something like this too and it is the mirror type that I'm looking at. With my other plans, putting a head unit in is a non starter, so I think it has to be a "mirror cam" for me. I think I'd find the 3.5" screen too small. The 7" is probably a bit big, but I think there will be just about enough space if I make a bracket to fit it to the roll cage.

Most of the cheaper reversing cameras will only be good for slow moving, so the picture may not be so good when on road / track. The one you link to looks ok and has night vision, but I'm not sure how good the image quality will be - do you know?

Another question is where best to mount the camera. The most discrete place is probably by the number plate, but I think this will be too low. Other options could be in the wire mesh or making a hold in the fibreglass above the mesh.

To add to John's questions, it would be good to know what set ups anyone has, how good they are, what they cost, where to mount the camera etc.

Cheers. Andy

[Supertoadylight]

Hi Andy - have just got off the phone to "vision-uk" and they have found a better monitor than on their website but it is still 3.5". I think it should be OK for size as if you sit in the car and offer a 3.5" diagonal cut out piece of paper...its quite close anyway! That camera is a fairly expensive one and you can find a video of a camera with almost identical stats being used here:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C3AI8oZJxg

Looks good enough to me!

We will be mounting the camera at the "top" of the mesh grill. (hoping mounting it near the edges will reduce virations/movement in the camera itself). If it becomes an issue, we may build a small frame which will be bonded to the fibreglass above the grill for extra stability.

Thinking of parking sensors as well due to the fact we will be using the car a lot.. not sure as yet though - plus worried they will look 'orrible!

Total cost is looking around the £200 mark.

Hope this helps, still looking for advice from others though!!!???

John

[V8Dom]

hi
ive used a narrow view camera like this one

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

make sure it is a reverse image camera otherwise the picture will be like you looking arround rather than a mirrow image... its infra red so night time great but does suffer with bright light ....

monitor i used was a 7 inch kenwood item which came with stick on pad mounting......stuck on roof at front and monitor sits neatly inbetween roll bars....

works great. cant see a jam sandwich over 200 yards though but can see their lights...

dom

[GTRMikie]

Hi John

I've got a 7" rear view mirror type monitor mounted on the "face" of the dashboard using a home made bracket. This is coupled with a wide angle bullet type camera mounted in the top of the rear grill, again using a home made bracket. This set up works fine apart from the fact that a narrow angle camera would be better, since it is difficult to judge the distance of following cars with the wide angle camera.

I see you are based in Surrey (Caterham?) I'm in Bletchingley, near the golf course, if you want to see my installation.
Mike

[John1949]

If you have not put a Audio system consider a Pioneer N-4 or N-5 You get Nav, rear view cameria, Sound system with Ipod, Radio XM bluetooth for your Phone. The best of everything.

Edited by John1949 on Tuesday 24th November 00:54

[Supertoadylight]

John1949 said:

If you have not put a Audio system consider a Pioneer N-4 or N-5 You get Nav, rear view cameria, Sound system with Ipod, Radio XM bluetooth for your Phone. The best of everything.

Our initial intention was to put an audio system in the car but having driven it home we both decided we would on all accounts probably never use it. Who needs a radio with THAT engine behind you!

Im currently in conversations with the guys at vision-uk who have done work with the ultima factory on instrumentation so the guy knows about the car and whats required out of a rear view camera/monitor.

However - i see that general consensus advises against a 120 degree lens? I was thinking 120 would be "best of both worlds - parking and driving" but i notice GTRMikie wants to change his 120 for a 60 degree lens????

John

[Supertoadylight]

GTRMikie said:

Hi John

I've got a 7" rear view mirror type monitor mounted on the "face" of the dashboard using a home made bracket. This is coupled with a wide angle bullet type camera mounted in the top of the rear grill, again using a home made bracket. This set up works fine apart from the fact that a narrow angle camera would be better, since it is difficult to judge the distance of following cars with the wide angle camera.

I see you are based in Surrey (Caterham?) I'm in Bletchingley, near the golf course, if you want to see my installation.
Mike

Hi Mike that sounds great - nice to know there is a local around!!

As posted above how bad is the 120 degree lens at judging distance? I was hoping to get compromise between parking and driving views with a 120 degree lens...?

[GTRMikie]

Supertoadylight said:

As posted above how bad is the 120 degree lens at judging distance? I was hoping to get compromise between parking and driving views with a 120 degree lens...?

I find the 120 lens not very good for judging distance. You think the car behind is good distance back, only to glance in the mirror and see it up your **se, but for reversing it's fine, although it takes a bit of getting use to - objects seem quite far away until the last instant, when they appear very close! My preference is for a narrow angle camera so you get a realistic view of what's going on behind! My monitor has two inlet feeds, so I could use two cameras and swap between them!

[GTRMikie]

Supertoadylight said:

As posted above how bad is the 120 degree lens at judging distance? I was hoping to get compromise between parking and driving views with a 120 degree lens...?

I find the 120 lens not very good for judging distance. You think the car behind is good distance back, only to glance in the mirror and see it up your **se, but for reversing it's fine, although it takes a bit of getting use to - objects seem quite far away until the last instant, when they appear very close! My preference is for a narrow angle camera so you get a realistic view of what's going on behind! My monitor has two inlet feeds, so I could use two cameras and swap between them!

[Supertoadylight]

GTRMikie said:

Supertoadylight said:

As posted above how bad is the 120 degree lens at judging distance? I was hoping to get compromise between parking and driving views with a 120 degree lens...?

I find the 120 lens not very good for judging distance. You think the car behind is good distance back, only to glance in the mirror and see it up your **se, but for reversing it's fine, although it takes a bit of getting use to - objects seem quite far away until the last instant, when they appear very close! My preference is for a narrow angle camera so you get a realistic view of what's going on behind! My monitor has two inlet feeds, so I could use two cameras and swap between them!

hmmm...sounds interesting. I might try to go for a 90 degree lens as a further-further compromise!!

Although....using the camera as an initial marker and then using your side mirrors to assist does not sound too bad..... Plus 60 degree would be useless for parking....

Might invest in parking sensors - found some today that are like a "tape" that sticks to the inside of the bodywork - i.e. not visible at all...!

...decisions decisions!!!!

[Steve_D]

When I followed the ebay link someone posted they are also selling a wide screen 280mm x 100mm which can display three cameras so could handle wide and narrow angle or a complete panoramic view.

Steve

[V8Dom]

I have the narrow lens as listed and you will not need the wide lens as an addition.....

I dont feel the need ..... the mirrows and the 60 degree camera will be all you need...


Dont forget most monitors also allow you ide/zoom,narrow and normal picture viewing!!!!!!!!



Dom