Back-up Camera

[daniel]

I'm pondering adding a back-up camera to my '04. I don't really need it, as I've learned to park my car without it. But I'd like to hear from folks who have a back-up camera (factory or after-market) as to how they like it, whether they consider it a fun gadget or a really useful feature, etc. Apparently a good one would not be cheap. (I have the CANview unit v.2, soon to be installed, so I'd need the $100 converter and for quality would probably go with Costal Tech's $375 camera.)

[AlphaTeam]

I used it a lot at first. Now I don't even look at it. It is kinda usefull if you have to do a lot of parallel parking and have to know how close you are. BUT with the wide angle lens it is kinda decieving. If I could turn it on while driving forward....maybe. But I would not really care if it was there or not. It does kind of have a WOW factor. I don't even tell people about it and let them discover it for themselves. When they see it come up on the MFD they are wowed...but it is just a novelty for me.

EDIT: Oh also. With the road salt here it gets dirty and I have to clean it with my finger all the time. Or if it rains and there is a little drop of water it interfears with the view.

[kente777]

Originally posted by AlphaTeam@Mar 22 2006, 02:58 PM
I used it a lot at first. Now I don't even look at it. It is kinda usefull if you have to do a lot of parallel parking and have to know how close you are. BUT with the wide angle lens it is kinda decieving. If I could turn it on while driving forward....maybe. But I would not really care if it was there or not. It does kind of have a WOW factor. I don't even tell people about it and let them discover it for themselves. When they see it come up on the MFD they are wowed...but it is just a novelty for me.

EDIT: Oh also. With the road salt here it gets dirty and I have to clean it with my finger all the time. Or if it rains and there is a little drop of water it interfears with the view.

[snapback]228569[/snapback]

I use it all the time. It's got a wide enough angle where I use it as my primary back. I throw a paper route and it is dark the majority of time. It saved me once from hitting a woman and her dog when they came out of nowhere.

This doesn't mean that I don't turn to look or use the mirrors. However, I have never once had a close encounter while exclusively using the camera.

This in and of itself is worth the extra money I paid for package 3.

Ken

[gilahiker]

Originally posted by kente777@Mar 22 2006, 02:08 PM
I use it all the time.  It's got a wide enough angle where I use it as my primary back.  I throw a paper route and it is dark the majority of time.  It saved me once from hitting a woman and her dog when they came out of nowhere.

This doesn't mean that I don't turn to look or use the mirrors.  However, I have never once had a close encounter while exclusively using the camera.

This in and of itself is worth the extra money I paid for package 3.

Ken

[snapback]228573[/snapback]

Ditto! I use mine all the time backing out of my driveway and I have avoided hitting any number of dog walkers. It's absolutely fabulous in the dark. I also use it for parallel parking (I've been able to squeeze in some really tight places, parking perfectly, without any problems using the camera).

Once again, like Ken I still use the mirrors and turn and look. It is a great safety device (my salesperson knew two parents that had run over their children in the driveway and he thinks it should be standard on all vehicles).

I didn't think I really needed one...but it is totally worth it...

[darelldd]

I thought it would be a toy, but now think it is one of the best things about the car. When parked between two large cars (in perp parking) you can't normally see if somebody is coming down alley behind you until you pull out far enough to be in their way. With the camera, you just poke your Prius butt an inch beyond the car next to you, and presto! You can see around the corner. I LOVE this feature. It works so well that I sometimes feel guilty knowing what all is behind me. I'm not used to that feeling! Lots of kids in my neighborhood, and lots of toys left behind/around the cars. It is a great safety feature to be able to see directly behind you before backing.

[ErrantPixel]

I've had a hard time remembering to check it .. But I have found it quite useful on several occasions.

General parking lots, good to see if carts or small children are around ..

It's very useful on the streets where you park in at an angle. 9 times out of 10 I come out to my car and have a huge suburban on my passenger side, making visibility backing up (in to traffic) a nightmare. The wide angle of the rear camera can usually give me a view down the street to see if anyone is coming.

One improvement I would like to see though, are lines superimposed showing the boundaries of the car (I've seen this on other cars). Since the view is so wide, its hard to tell what is in your path, and what is just "off to the side" ..

[glenk]

I back into a tight space in my garage. Can't drive in forward because I then wouldn't be able to open the door. The camera allows me get within 3-4" of the wall with ease. Many people hang objects from the ceiling to accomplish the same thing though.

Parallel parking is where the camera excels. Try to do it in the rain when your rear window is full of water drops, no way! But with the camera, it's a piece of cake.

The camera came with the SK and side curtain air bags for $1475. I'd paid that amount just for the camera I like it so much.

[Kestrel]

I disabled the rear beep on mine, so I use it primarily as a check that I am indeed in reverse. Once I've confirmed that, I rely on turning to look and on the mirrors.

I haven't really used it for visibility purposes yet--but given the positive responses above, I'll give it another try!

[darelldd]

Originally posted by Kestrel@Mar 22 2006, 01:27 PM
I haven't really used it for visibility purposes yet--but given the positive responses above, I'll give it another try!

[snapback]228643[/snapback]

Another place it comes in handy is when you need to sharply turn out of a parking spot and you have to worry about not backing over something while at the same time trying not to drag your front bumper on the car next to you. With the camera display, you can look forward and see the front corner AND where you're going in reverse. Once you get the hang of it, you'll seriously miss it in your other cars. I know I do!

I use it primarily as a check that I am indeed in reverse.

Yikes! that's got to make it the most expensive reverse indicator ever!

[Rancid13]

Like Darell said I too thought the reverse camera would be just another fun toy that came with the Prius, but I've found it to be helpful on a number of occasions.

Especially when I'm visiting my parents and there are cats, dogs, and a toddler running around outside that might be behind the car at any given time while I'm reversing out of the driveway. The car's so quiet that you can't count on them hearing it approach, and even with the mirrors and turning around to check blind spots you still cannot see what is directly behind you on the ground.

And I have to agree with what others said on here that it works fantastically at night, it actually shocked me the first time I reversed at night and saw how well-lit the area behind me looked in the mfd screen when I glanced at it.