Thoughts on rear view mirror/camera systems

[sjarriel]

I thought I would share my thoughts/experiences with several rearview mirror camera systems, specifically the Hansshow v1 (9") and v2 (11-12") units, and the Pormido PRD80 (9") and PRD81T (11") units. First thing I discovered is that the Pormido units have the exact same mirror stalk as the Hansshow units, with an 'adapter' that attaches with a screw to it. The 'adapter' is what allows the Pormido units to be adapted to various vehicles. And the Hansshow unit's 'adapter' is the one that fits into the recess for the CT. The lightest of the 4 units is the Hansshow v1, weighing almost 100gm less than any of the others. It is also slightly smaller than the Pormido PRD80. I'm pretty tall (around 6'3") and found that the units all caused significant obstruction of forward vision (sort of like how the A pillars obstruct some forward vision). So I'm partial to the smallest unit of the bunch. The way the various units are powered is both similar and different. The Hansshow v2, and both Pormido units get wired to Batt, Accessory and Ground. The Hansshow v1 only connects to Batt and Ground. The Hansshow units do come with specific harness adapters to connect into the CT wiring. The v1 wants to be connected to part of the harness in the housing that covers the forward camera and GPS antenna. I haven't measured the actual voltage at that takeoff point yet, but would guess that it is 12-15V. The Hansshow v2 wants to be connected down in the passenger footwell. Hansshow found a connector that provides both the Batt and Accessory feeds (?), even though the original Tesla harness that it fits into doesn't have an actual wire to carry the Accessory signal anywhere. I'm guessing that is how the v2 unit is able to automatically turn off when you leave the truck. The Pormido units do not come with the adapter harness, but could easily be connected to the Hansshow v2 harness. The Hansshow v2 unit's power cable includes what appears to be a step-down voltage regulator that drops the 12-15V down to 5V, so you can't use this harness directly with the Hansshow v1 unit or the Pormido units (all of them want ~12V power source). The Hansshow v1 unit and the Pormido units appear to use similar rear-view cameras with 4-pin cables. But the Pormido units do not appear to provide power to the rear-view cameras directly like the Hansshow v1 unit does. Pormido provides a 4-pin extension cable that has a separate power/ground feed spliced into it. Trying to drive a camera directly from the Pormido units results in them continuously rebooting, and never showing an image. All of these rear-view cameras appear to be using a Sony Starvis v1 sensor. And all of them give a very wide angle field of view.

So my personal thoughts about failings of all of these systems are as follows.
1) The inclusion of a front facing camera and any recording functionality is a total waste when installed in a CT (or any current model Tesla). The Sentry Mode captures far more than this already.
2) The use of a wide-angle lens in the rear-view camera is again totally redundant in a CT. What I really want to see is a field of view that is like what you would get when looking at an actual rear-view mirror (maybe 35 degree field of view). This would make the object appear close to the actual distance when you are looking at the screen.
3) The use of a Sony Starvis v1 sensor in the camera means you are losing quite a bit of low light/HDR performance, when compared to cameras with Starvis v2 sensors.

So far, I have not found any rear-view camera/mirror system that really adds anything helpful to the CT. I'd love to hear other peoples thoughts. The ideal unit (IMO) would be a smallish screen that has not recording function (maybe helping to keep the weight down a bit more?), provides only the display of the rear-view camera, and uses a camera with a Starvis V2 sensor. If anyone knows of such a unit, please let me know.

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[seussiii]

So far, I have not found any rear-view camera/mirror system that really adds anything helpful to the CT. I'd love to hear other peoples thoughts.

I did some research when Chuck made the video on his. It has a "neat" factor but I just stuck with the screen and it eventually caught on. More $$$ for ammo/beer.

 

[Jhodgesatmb]

And if it includes side views I would love to hear it also.

 

[sefar]

I have the Hannshow v2 and it is useful for me.

Tailgate down, or if I Want to see into the bed I can, easily. The rear resolution is good as well.

Making turns, I can still see what is behind me.

The rearview mirror was useless anyway.

I tend to agree about the front camera being unuseful but it is integrated on my model so it wasnt a hassle. As an attorney, I appreciate the extra recording angles and device. Several clients have won their cases because a dashcam showed the whole truth and more views is always better.

 

[hemiarch]

Hesitant to recommend the s92 because I had a hell of time getting to work right.(See multiple other threads). Once I got it working well, it’s excellent though and a total game changer for the driving experience.

 

[shopaholic]

“”What I really want to see is a field of view that is like what you would get when looking at an actual rear-view mirror (maybe 35 degree field of view). This would make the object appear close to the actual distance when you are looking at the screen.””

Agree with you . Main reason decided to wait and see if any OEM option coming up. The current rear view cam like these after market stuff shows as if the vehicle in the rear is much farther than it is, which is not too helpful.
I sent a message to Hansshow, never heard back from them regarding placement in the driver FOV on the dashboard as they already have a unit.

 

[hemiarch]

Boy. An oem option would be amazing. Unlikely I think. It’s a safety item and offering an aftermarket/oem option would be an admission the truck can benefit from it. Slippery slope legally.

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