Has anybody tried retrofitting a rearview camera (non-OEM)?

Pseudo Nim · 02-25-2010, 09:19 PM

I'm looking to set something up, am curious if anybody's done anything really clean. There's a few options avaiable on eBay, but I think they replace one of the lights, and somehow I'm betting that for $40 it won't be a color-matched LED like on my license plate... dunno though.

Anyone done this?

-pN

stevenqdz · 02-25-2010, 09:32 PM

have u checked?
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=324134

there r 2 person i believe did a package deal on it... cost about 500

Pseudo Nim · 02-25-2010, 09:34 PM

Ooh, thanks. Holy crap, that is NOT cheap... wonder how much better it is than the 40 dollar cameras, hehe.

stevenqdz · 02-25-2010, 09:41 PM

the reason it cost so much i believe cuz they can it connected to idrive using Multimedia Interface Kit and enable to to watch dvd on it as well and all the pnp cables...i mean if u can get a cheap av input screen and buy the 40 dollar ebay camera it might just work.

Pseudo Nim · 02-25-2010, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevenqdz

the reason it cost so much i believe cuz they can it connected to idrive using Multimedia Interface Kit and enable to to watch dvd on it as well and all the pnp cables...i mean if u can get a cheap av input screen and buy the 40 dollar ebay camera it might just work.

*points to signature*

stevenqdz · 02-25-2010, 09:48 PM

wow nice work on the pc...if u decided to buy the ebay camera let me know how it work out...i always wanted a back up camera but dont have 500 to spend right now and not too good with cutting cables and connections....

Pseudo Nim · 02-25-2010, 09:50 PM

hehe yeah .. that's why i was looking to see if anyone had tried one or not. i guess after all this work, 40 bucks isn't the end of the world even if it isn't the greatest... one of the kits you mention might be better quality-wise, but hell.

stevenqdz · 02-25-2010, 10:09 PM

subscribed to this thread...

. if not too much trouble later in future can post ur feedback and review on the camera here. thanks in advance

scanboy · 02-26-2010, 11:42 AM

I've tried one of those license light camera, not only the light color (warm white) is hard to match, the intensity is hard to match and the picture quality is not so good either, specially at night. Now I have the Farenheit license frame camera, this is a bit better in quality, but kinda in the way when you open your trunk.

Pseudo Nim · 02-26-2010, 02:43 PM

Hmm. Any idea of the camera you tried? The ebay sellers are insisting that they have white LEDs on their camera, so should be identical...

doba_s · 03-01-2010, 05:22 PM

Here is the camera that matches factory White LED light.

It has CCD chip which is better than CMOS and it has the highest TV line resolution that you can get today with such a small cam.

Night shot

Day shot

License plate lights:

Pseudo Nim · 03-01-2010, 05:24 PM

Interesting - how much do you sell it for? (just the camera + wires, nothing else)

doba_s · 03-01-2010, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pseudo Nim

Interesting - how much do you sell it for? (just the camera + wires, nothing else)

more info here

http://www.alekshop.com/multimedia

Thanks.

Pseudo Nim · 03-01-2010, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doba_s

more info here

http://www.alekshop.com/multimedia

Thanks.

My bad, the huge logo in your sig didn't give it away at all

ouchie... bit steeper than the ebay ones I was looking at

scanboy · 03-02-2010, 03:27 PM

doba_s: Do you have camera that replaces the trunk opener. I've seen those in the M3 forum, but those are pnp to iDrive, I don't have iDrive, just looking for the camera.

scanboy · 03-02-2010, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pseudo Nim

Hmm. Any idea of the camera you tried? The ebay sellers are insisting that they have white LEDs on their camera, so should be identical...

Maybe they do have matching white led now, but the one that I got was just warm white. Not just the color, the intensity and the light pattern on your license plate too, they are difficult to match.

e90_guy · 03-03-2010, 06:00 PM

All the screen shots on your website are for the new Idrive. Do you have screen shots for last gen IDrive? BTW what's difference between the standard version and the PIP version. Thanks

NBTBRV8 · 03-04-2010, 04:10 AM

I did this on my E46 coupe, by far the biggest job is getting the camera to fit. The wiring whilst a little time consuming is very easy.

Personally I'd only go OEM.

nyc3r · 03-07-2010, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doba_s

more info here

http://www.alekshop.com/multimedia

Thanks.

looks like it only works on 2009+ w/ idrive.. no love for pre lci

Technic · 03-07-2010, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nyc3r

looks like it only works on 2009+ w/ idrive.. no love for pre lci

Keep reading, there's a pre-LCI version in there.

02-25-2010, 09:19 PM	#1
Pseudo Nim twinborific 118 Rep 4,836 Posts Drives: fast, sometimes slow Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: i am a citizen of the world iTrader: (9)	Has anybody tried retrofitting a rearview camera (non-OEM)? I'm looking to set something up, am curious if anybody's done anything really clean. There's a few options avaiable on eBay, but I think they replace one of the lights, and somehow I'm betting that for $40 it won't be a color-matched LED like on my license plate... dunno though. Anyone done this? -pN __________________ Doko ni itemo, hito wa tsunagatte iru...
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02-25-2010, 09:32 PM	#2
stevenqdz First Lieutenant 10 Rep 394 Posts Drives: 08 335xi e90 Join Date: May 2008 Location: VA iTrader: (8) Garage List 2008 e90 335xi [0.00]	have u checked? http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=324134 there r 2 person i believe did a package deal on it... cost about 500
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02-25-2010, 09:34 PM	#3
Pseudo Nim twinborific 118 Rep 4,836 Posts Drives: fast, sometimes slow Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: i am a citizen of the world iTrader: (9)	Ooh, thanks. Holy crap, that is NOT cheap... wonder how much better it is than the 40 dollar cameras, hehe. __________________ Doko ni itemo, hito wa tsunagatte iru...
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02-25-2010, 09:41 PM	#4
stevenqdz First Lieutenant 10 Rep 394 Posts Drives: 08 335xi e90 Join Date: May 2008 Location: VA iTrader: (8) Garage List 2008 e90 335xi [0.00]	the reason it cost so much i believe cuz they can it connected to idrive using Multimedia Interface Kit and enable to to watch dvd on it as well and all the pnp cables...i mean if u can get a cheap av input screen and buy the 40 dollar ebay camera it might just work.
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02-25-2010, 09:48 PM	#6
stevenqdz First Lieutenant 10 Rep 394 Posts Drives: 08 335xi e90 Join Date: May 2008 Location: VA iTrader: (8) Garage List 2008 e90 335xi [0.00]	wow nice work on the pc...if u decided to buy the ebay camera let me know how it work out...i always wanted a back up camera but dont have 500 to spend right now and not too good with cutting cables and connections....
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02-25-2010, 09:50 PM	#7
Pseudo Nim twinborific 118 Rep 4,836 Posts Drives: fast, sometimes slow Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: i am a citizen of the world iTrader: (9)	hehe yeah .. that's why i was looking to see if anyone had tried one or not. i guess after all this work, 40 bucks isn't the end of the world even if it isn't the greatest... one of the kits you mention might be better quality-wise, but hell. __________________ Doko ni itemo, hito wa tsunagatte iru...
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02-25-2010, 10:09 PM	#8
stevenqdz First Lieutenant 10 Rep 394 Posts Drives: 08 335xi e90 Join Date: May 2008 Location: VA iTrader: (8) Garage List 2008 e90 335xi [0.00]	subscribed to this thread.... if not too much trouble later in future can post ur feedback and review on the camera here. thanks in advance
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02-26-2010, 11:42 AM	#9
scanboy Lieutenant 16 Rep 458 Posts Drives: E90 Montego Blue+Black Int. Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Torrance iTrader: (0)	I've tried one of those license light camera, not only the light color (warm white) is hard to match, the intensity is hard to match and the picture quality is not so good either, specially at night. Now I have the Farenheit license frame camera, this is a bit better in quality, but kinda in the way when you open your trunk. Last edited by scanboy; 02-26-2010 at 12:01 PM..
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02-26-2010, 02:43 PM	#10
Pseudo Nim twinborific 118 Rep 4,836 Posts Drives: fast, sometimes slow Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: i am a citizen of the world iTrader: (9)	Hmm. Any idea of the camera you tried? The ebay sellers are insisting that they have white LEDs on their camera, so should be identical... __________________ Doko ni itemo, hito wa tsunagatte iru...
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03-01-2010, 05:22 PM	#11
doba_s Major General 405 Rep 6,107 Posts Drives: X7 l Cayenne l 997.2RS Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Danville iTrader: (26)	Here is the camera that matches factory White LED light. It has CCD chip which is better than CMOS and it has the highest TV line resolution that you can get today with such a small cam. Night shot Day shot License plate lights:
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03-01-2010, 05:24 PM	#12
Pseudo Nim twinborific 118 Rep 4,836 Posts Drives: fast, sometimes slow Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: i am a citizen of the world iTrader: (9)	Interesting - how much do you sell it for? (just the camera + wires, nothing else) __________________ Doko ni itemo, hito wa tsunagatte iru...
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03-02-2010, 03:27 PM	#15
scanboy Lieutenant 16 Rep 458 Posts Drives: E90 Montego Blue+Black Int. Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Torrance iTrader: (0)	doba_s: Do you have camera that replaces the trunk opener. I've seen those in the M3 forum, but those are pnp to iDrive, I don't have iDrive, just looking for the camera.
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03-03-2010, 06:00 PM	#17
e90_guy Private First Class 13 Rep 158 Posts Drives: 2008 335i Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Richmond, BC iTrader: (1)	All the screen shots on your website are for the new Idrive. Do you have screen shots for last gen IDrive? BTW what's difference between the standard version and the PIP version. Thanks
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03-04-2010, 04:10 AM	#18
NBTBRV8 Captain 137 Rep 859 Posts Drives: LCi E60 530i Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Australia iTrader: (0)	I did this on my E46 coupe, by far the biggest job is getting the camera to fit. The wiring whilst a little time consuming is very easy. Personally I'd only go OEM.
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