1) For those who live in the snowing regions, have you experienced that the camera at the back got blocked by the snow or dirt ?

2) Does the camera have problems capturing motion at night or in the dark (like in the underground parking garage ?

 

I don't live in the snow or dirt, but my camera has always been clear.

The camera looks fine at all times since the backup lights (and I think some camera specific lights) illuminate the area behind the car. I can always see the area behind the car.

 

Is the camera mounted somewhere around the licence plate ? I am just wondering, if it is mounted externally, it would somehow be covered by dust/dirt eventully unless the car is kept cleaned at all times. Even my sensors on bumper got covered by dirt/snow sometimes (if I don't wash the car for a while).

 

let me tell u this... i went snowboarding last week and it snowed... i can see MUCH clearer with the dirt from snow then the rain water... by far... much better

and ive gotten used to using the camera at night as well as the day ... where i usually park, there are street lights so its good.. and the brake lights help a little...

 

Here in Saskatoon we have had allot of snow and rain. Snow itself is not a problem, but when it starts to thaw and you have dirty water splashing around the rear camera is rendered useless. You can wipe it off, but it's dirty again in no time. on the bright side the RDX is excellent in snow. Last week we had a huge blizzard and my RDX was awesome!

Rusty

 

Yes, that's what I thought too unless you constantly wipe the camera len clean.

Yes, the RDX rides pretty good on the snowing days in the last couple weeks. Finally, we got snow to test in Toronto

 

What is this "snow" you speak of? And it rains during the day where you are???

The camera works just great here in sunny California.

 

do you plan on getting a back up camera? cuz u got a base right?

 

I got the backup sensor installed and it works great. I was thinking about getting the backup camera as well, but the place who installed the sensors for me told me not to as he has the clarity problems we discussed above on his car. That's why I am posting this thread to confirm with you guys.

Yes, in California, of course, the camera should work ok, at least in the daytime. That's why I specified snow dirt or in the dark.

By the way, I only want two features from Tech. HFL and rear camera, but for me, it was not justified to pay CAD4,000 + 14% taxes on these two. Now, I guess the rear camera is off my list.

 

Well if you did get a rear camera, you'd also have to get a screen to view it on....

 

Works absolutely fine in the dark. I use it every night when pulling out of my parking space at work.

 

Creativeguy, how did the RDX work in your rare California snow yesterday?!! You have probably had almost as much snow as we here in Toronto have had now!

 

I didn't hear about any snow. The thing with CA winters is that it is either cold or wet, but seldom both at the same time. There is quite a bit of frost on the cars in front of my house. Maybe I'll scrape that onto the street and then report how the RDX does driving through it.

 

icic shouldve just gotten the tech haha.. the HFL and navi are the sickest part of the car... the camera is great, works well all around except during the rain... the rain drops makes it blurry... even the dirt and snow works great

 

Yes, I know. But for CAD4,000+14% taxes. It is an expensive toy especially when I don't really need the Navi (see my explaination in other thread - Tech vs Non-Tech)

By the way, just curious, how can the external camera work well with dirt ?

You live in NY, you probably know what BOSTONBR explained below, right ?

Backup sensors work in all conditions including raining days too

 

Thanks for being honest and simply saying that you just didn't want to pay for that stuff. That is a perfectly valid reason for buying the Base.

Too many people on these discussion boards are trying to justify their decision by claiming the tech features aren't useful, don't work well, or are a waste of money. I think most everyone who did buy a tech will think that those features are very worthwhile. Some of the arguments I've seen are just silly.

 

Yah, it actually snowed last night in the Santa Monica hills above Malibu and it stuck for a few hours. Heard they even got some in Westwood but it was likley hail. New York's been warmer than LA lately. At least I've had a chance to give my heat seater a work out. Gets plenty hot for me.

 

Have you guys compared the picture quality of your backup camera to that of the TL or MDX? My boss has an older MDX, and I'd swear the picture (on a sunny day with a clean lens) is a lot crisper and color saturated than mine. Mine just looks like a cheap webcam. Just wondering if maybe I got a bad cam....

Mike

 

I think you'll find several other RDX owners with the same observations. I'm a little dissappointed in the quality of the video display on the RDX. Not a big deal but annoying when the sun is shining on the screen ... and the back-up cam has little color depth or resolution.

 

well yea hes jsut saying that it gets dirty easily... well ionno how well a aftermarket camera would work, your gunna need a screen somewhere.. i dun like the sensors.. the beeping gets annoying and with the camera... i can literally stop a cm from the car

 

It's not the greatest picture, but does the job. Someone suggested cranking up the brightness so I did (by turning the big dial when the camera is active). There is a lot of stuff in this car for ~35k. A mid level camera doesn't worry me.

 

I agree it does the job. While backing up I've seen a couple obstructions I probably wouldn't have without the b/u cam. I think the video quality comments stem from the fact that we're just getting used to hi def and iPod quality displays. Not needed here but is noticable.

 

very funny


I have also had my back up lens get very dirty. When the weather is crappy, I've gotten in the habit of wiping it off when I arrive at my destination so it's clear when I leave. After doing this the other day, I thought the picture quality was excellent, very crisp and clear (especially compared to how it looked when it was full of gunk). But I've never had a back up camera before, so I have nothing to compare it to.

 

Nevr having had a camera before, I don't like it. I think it makes things look further away than they are. I don't trust it so I turn to look anyway, therefore what good is it?

 

Yes, I never meant to imply that it 'doesn't do the job'. It actually does the job just fine. I just think it could be clearer. My comparisons have nothing to do with my HD TV or ipod - I'm comparing it to other backup cams, like the ones even in some cheap GM products. I think they could have just used a better cam. I'm wondering how it compares to the cam in the new MDX...

Mike

 

Yeah. The fisheye lens distorts things. But it is better than nothing. I paced it off and found that it is about 10 feet from the top of the screen to the bottom.

 

I never had a back up camera either, and I don't need one. I have to say I USE it every time I back up though. I'm surprised much wieght you folks put on that camera when you back up. After all, even if I did have a sensor with it, I'd still be turning my head! I think it's meant to be a tool, not a substitution (like side mirrors).
I noticed how much I use it when it got dirty, and I couldn't see out of it.

 

I can't speak for everyone else, but my comments have nothing to do with whether I use the camera or not. In fact, I only use it when backing into a spot to get a feel for my distance from the car behind me. Other than that, I always use my side mirrors and my own eyes. Whether or not we use the darn thing should have nothing to do with a discussion about quality. I'm not the type of person that says 'who cares if it's junk, I don't use it anyway'....

Mike

 

I just make the wife get out and look if there is rain on the camera lense.

 

Just playing I do notice that rain makes it hard to see. I dont mind but wonder why the MDXs looks so long on the rear hatch compared to the RDX. Maybe it is for this reason.

 

catnippants...didn't mean anything by it. I guess that was just my interpretation. *Big Hug*

 

Hehe...that's ok. I didn't mean for my post to sound offended. :-) I just found it odd that the theme of most of the responses to my question was along the lines of 'I don't care, I don't use it anyway'...

For what it's worth, I had my wife stand behind the car when I test drove it to give me an idea of the distance to things. I can now use it quite effectively when backing into spots, against curbs, or parallel parking lines. It really is VERY handy...

Mike

 

sounds like you have that down to a science. I love it!

 

I wish Acura would have given us memory seats, and power passenger seats , or inside trunk release, and left the camera off.

 

I have the RDX and an FX35. The image quality on the FX is MUCH better than the RDX. I may take it in to see if it's working right. Yes, all cameras get blurry in rainy driving with muck covering the lens.

 

There's nothing wrong with your RDX camera. The FX's camera is 10x better. The distance indicator also makes it more practical and less useless. Once you've used the FX's camera you'll think the RDX is cheapo ghetto.

 

So the FX's backup camera shows the distance as some backup sensors do ? That's cool

 

Bringing back a thread from ages ago...

I have always thought that the camera view in my car was disappointingly cloudy (like that Claritin commercial before they pull the film away). Anyway, I had the car at the dealer for some other stuff and asked them to take a look at it. They gave me a loaner RDX (an '08 - mine's an '07) and the picture quality between the two was dramatic. The '08 was crystal clear. I showed the tech the difference between the two, so they replaced the camera... That did nothing, so next week the tech (who is the shop foreman) is going to call Acura to see what's up. The next step may be to replace the navi screen... Short of a defect in the screen, I can't imagine what else would cause such a disparity in the picture quality between RDXs...

 

My '08 RDX is the first vehicle I've owned with a backup camera. I like it, but most of the time I forget I have it. Yes, dirt has been a problem this winter. The image seems clear, but I have nothing to compare it to. I wish the camera had the proximity lines like on the '09TL. That would be a big help. Hopefully, the '10 will have them.

 

Please do keep us posted. Mine absolutely SUCKS. Since I still have a bunch of warranty left, if there is an improvement available, I will most certainly make a stink. I think Acura missed the boat on this one. They really skimped on the video electronics in this car.

I've also frequently wondered why they didn't put the cam inside the rear window - so the rear wiper could keep the view clear. Seems like a no brainer to me...

Mike