Subaru Outback Forums banner

Gentex/Sony Rear Backup Camera System

49K views 57 replies 21 participants last post by  Cozmo85 
#1 ·
I wanted a backup camera system but didn't want the whole $1500 moonroof package to get it so this is what I went with. I wanted to keep it pretty close to OEM and I didn’t want an additional display mounted somewhere so I went with the auto-dimming Gentex rearview display. Here’s a breakdown on the components:

Monitor: Gentex GENK-332 Autodimming 3.3" Monitor Rear View Mirror. This is the exact same mirror/monitor that comes with the OEM Moonroof package minus the Homelink function. I had the stock Gentex autodimming mirror with compass and this is the exact same size, same button, and uses the same mounts. That exact OEM monitor by Gentex is available for about $650 I believe. The GENK-332 was online for $379 no tax/free shipping. I saw it on Amazon yesterday for the same price.<O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p
Camera: Sony XA-R800C Rear View Camera. From what I read cameras with CCD sensors performed better in most situations than the CMOS sensor cameras. The Sony has a CCD sensor and is specific for 16:9 aspect ratio displays (the Gentex is a 16:9 monitor) and has a 138 degree view angle which IMO is just about right. Some of the cameras with a 180 view angle make the view way too distorted throwing off all depth perception. I checked out several backup cameras at a few local shops and most of the cheaper cameras felt “cheap”, the Sony just felt more substantial and is made in Japan</ST1:p vs. most of the others that were all Chinese. I didn’t take a pic, but the night view in complete darkness is pretty impressive with just the reverse lighting – you can see just fine up to about 25 ft. They have this camera on the shelves at CC for $199 but on their website for $119. I found it on sale on Amazon for $79 with shipping. I did see the cameras that fit into the license place light mount and say for Subaru on ebay for about $29 from China, which are nice because they are a little more hidden, I just didn't trust the quality of a $29 camera.<O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p
Installation: I wasn’t about to mess with the electrical system on my new OB so I had 3 local auto electronics install shops give me quotes of $75, $160, and $275. I went with the $160 guy because he really sounded like he knew what he was talking about and said he had installed quite a few very similar systems.<O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p
So the whole system cost me ($379+79+160) = $618. Certainly not the least expensive system on the market, but I am very please with the quality of the components, the displayed image, and the installation work. With a little practice you can back into a parking stall pretty quick without even looking over your shoulder or side mirrors – kind of cool. Also you have a much lesser chance backing into a bollard or even worse backing over something.

Automotive tire Vehicle Tire Car Motor vehicle
Rear-view mirror Automotive mirror Auto part Mode of transport Mirror
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Mid-size car Subaru
Auto part Automotive engine part Family car
Text Illustration Paper product Paper Drawing
 
See less See more
5
#2 ·
I wanted a backup camera system but didn't want the whole $1500 moonroof package to get it so this is what I went with. I wanted to keep it pretty close to OEM and I didn’t want an additional display mounted somewhere so I went with the auto-dimming Gentex rearview display. Here’s a breakdown on the components:

Monitor: Gentex GENK-332 Autodimming 3.3" Monitor Rear View Mirror. This is the exact same mirror/monitor that comes with the OEM Moonroof package minus the Homelink function. I had the stock Gentex autodimming mirror with compass and this is the exact same size, same button, and uses the same mounts. That exact OEM monitor by Gentex is available for about $650 I believe. The GENK-332 was online for $379 no tax/free shipping. I saw it on Amazon yesterday for the same price.<O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p
Camera: Sony XA-R800C Rear View Camera. From what I read cameras with CCD sensors performed better in most situations than the CMOS sensor cameras. The Sony has a CCD sensor and is specific for 16:9 aspect ratio displays (the Gentex is a 16:9 monitor) and has a 138 degree view angle which IMO is just about right. Some of the cameras with a 180 view angle make the view way too distorted throwing off all depth perception. I checked out several backup cameras at a few local shops and most of the cheaper cameras felt “cheap”, the Sony just felt more substantial and is made in Japan</ST1:p vs. most of the others that were all Chinese. I didn’t take a pic, but the night view in complete darkness is pretty impressive with just the reverse lighting – you can see just fine up to about 25 ft. They have this camera on the shelves at CC for $199 but on their website for $119. I found it on sale on Amazon for $79 with shipping. I did see the cameras that fit into the license place light mount and say for Subaru on ebay for about $29 from China, which are nice because they are a little more hidden, I just didn't trust the quality of a $29 camera.<O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p
Installation: I wasn’t about to mess with the electrical system on my new OB so I had 3 local auto electronics install shops give me quotes of $75, $160, and $275. I went with the $160 guy because he really sounded like he knew what he was talking about and said he had installed quite a few very similar systems.<O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p
So the whole system cost me ($379+79+160) = $618. Certainly not the least expensive system on the market, but I am very please with the quality of the components, the displayed image, and the installation work. With a little practice you can back into a parking stall pretty quick without even looking over your shoulder or side mirrors – kind of cool. Also you have a much lesser chance backing into a bollard or even worse backing over something.

View attachment 19344 View attachment 19345 View attachment 19346 View attachment 19347 View attachment 19348
What wiring had to be done to the mirror, do you have any idea?
 
#3 ·
So it sounds like a worst case scenario was $1000 if I pick up the OEM mirror (keeping the Sony camera and using the priciest install). The $500 savings doesn't sound too bad, especially compared to what I expected. If I can find a good local shop that would do it for something near the $160 you paid, things could turn out even better.

Now to locate a few install shops.
 
#4 ·
The mirror came with a couple feet of wiring that included one for power, one for the reverse trigger, a ground wire, and a RCA video jack. There is just one port on the back of the mirror that everything clips cleanly into and it comes with a wire cover that hides the wire from the mirror to the headliner. If you have an autodimming mirror already it looks identical to to that. It came with a basic wiring diagram that my install guy looked at and seemed to know just what it was telling him to do.

The camera comes with plenty of wiring to get from the camera to the display. I also comes with a small "camera controller" unit that gets installed somewhere near the camera behind one of the panels.

If you know what you are doing it didn't look terribly complicated to do yourself, but I wasn't about to experiment with the electrical system on my own. I would recommend getting a couple/few quotes and go with the guy that sounds like he knows what he's doing. The guy that did mine told me it would take him 2-3 hours to do (which it did) and typical rates for that are about $75/hr. at least with the places I checked with. I you want any closer/differnt pics just let me know.
 
#5 ·
Does the wire from the camera to the mirror run down the center of the roof, or does it skirt the edge and then swing back over when it gets to the A pillar? Either way, how well are the wires hidden?

Also, how does the wire connect from the hatch to the body? Does it run with the wiring for the third light?
 
#6 ·
I didn't stay there and watch the installation so I can't say for certain, but I thought he said he would run it along the drivers side closer to the edge than middle then down through one of the existing wire harnesses at the top of the hatch. He even showed me that instead of making a separate hole in the plastic for the camera wire (fairly thick) he was able to just barely notch out one of the corners of the license plate light housing and run it through there. Like I said I'm not sure where the little controller unit is mounted, but you can't see any evidence of a camera installation anywhere other than the camera itself of course - I'm pretty sure any good installer will do it this way that's why I stayed away from the $75 guy that said he could do it in an hour.

This guy did a lot of DVD entertainment system installs so he was pretty good with hiding wires and re-installing the headliner just like it came from the factory.
 
#8 ·
2012 backup camera

I'm bumping this thread because I have a similar question. We just got a 2012 Outback Premium. As the original poster mentioned, we didn't want a sunroof but we did want a backup camera. I'd like to buy the original mirror with the display built in and Subaru's camera. I've talked to the local dealer and their parts department is telling me that Subaru isn't going to offer either of those items as an accessory. So what they're saying is they won't sell those parts to me, nor install them. I'm wondering if the wiring is already there, especially since we have the upgrade mirror with the compass and Homelink built in. Also, is there anywhere else I can buy the parts from directly and have a reputable installer install the items? Any guidance would be appreciated.
 
#9 ·
I installed a Gentex 332 and a camera that I bought on E-Bay. You can read about it here:

http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums...er-w-question-regarding-rear-view-mirror.html

The Gentex mirror is exactly what the factory installed, I bought it from Sigma Automotive, which is the cheapest source on the web, cost $376.

Just search E-Bay for Outback backup camera, there will be pages of hits. They go for about $25, complete with shipping from China. (How do they do that?). Be sure to get the NTSC/CCD version. I picked up a spare just in case.

The camera is awesome good, which is sort of depressing since it comes from a no-name source in China. I installed the camera in place of the right license plate lamp (it includes LCD lighting for the plate). The camera works well, although in low light the image is a bit grainy. It projects a grid onto the monitor which is calibrated at about 1 foot intervals, so you will know exactly where you are. If you mount it on the right side, the right border of the grid works perfectly as a parking guide. Really good stuff.

It's not hard to install, but if I had it to do again, I would drop the headliner rather than snaking the wiring. I'm sure a shop that does stereo installations could do it with two or three hours labor.
 
#10 ·
I appreciate the idea but I'd still like to find out about getting the Subaru OEM parts. I am looking for the prices of the camera and mirror, maybe when I get an actual quote, I'll look at going aftermarket. I really like the mirror we have now and I don't want to give up the Homelink, compass and auto dimming features. To get the Gentex version of that it's over $700. The dealership says they cant' even quote me a price on either the camera or the mirror ( kind of dumb if you ask me) So I'm still trying, if anyone has access to pricing for the Subaru parts and if they can tell me if the wiring already is in place, I'd much appreciate it.
 
#11 ·
I appreciate the idea but I'd still like to find out about getting the Subaru OEM parts. .

I'm not sure about the camera, but Gentex is the OEM mirror. The Gentex backup mirror with Homelink is the exact mirror in the OB (~$700 online). The Gentex 332 is the same mirror without the Homelink feature ($379 online).

Subaru doesn't make backup camera mirrors (OEM as you referred to) - they source them from Gentex. The same is true for the camera, but I don't know who Subie sources them from - probably from the same place in China that you can find on ebay.


FWIW - I wasn't really sure about spending that much on a camera system that I didn't know if I would actually use or not, but I have found it to be worth every penny and use it daily. Twice it has saved me from backing into something - campgrounds tend to have a lot of obstacles that are just high enough to crunch a bumper if you're not careful.
 
#12 ·
I imported the described Gentex mirror from the US through Amazon.com and bought a camera, Kenwood CMOS-200, locally from an automotive mail order shop. The installation was done by a local Subaru dealer by one of their electronics specialists. He told me not to worry as he has already done several similar "simple jobs" in the past. I was charged for 1.5 hours of work only.

Interestingly, I have what in the US would be called a Premium model that also had ("factory installed") reversing sensors. In effect, I use both - buzzing and blinking from the sensors for the distance, and picture for the general view. The system works perfectly ! - It also performs ideally at night as the reversing lights provide more than enough illumination for the camera.

The Kenwood CM0S camera was a bit expensive but I prefered to stay away from the Chinese products.
 
#13 ·
I appreciate both your posts, and clearing up the confusion for me concerning the Gentex mirror. I actually found a site that sells the mirror just like mine and the monitor for around $450 (hopefully that pans out). So, if no one else posts something to help me locate the Subaru camera, I'll probably go with either the Sony or another similar product. The Subaru dealership said they won't install it because somehow it would void the entire manufacture's warranty, so hopefully I can find a talented installer to hook it all up without destroying my brand new car.
 
#14 ·
Not to belabor the point, but give some consideration to the Chinese cameras. They fit in place of one of the license plate lamps with no drilling, are nearly undetectable unless you know where to look, and work well. A little grainy at night, but otherwise no compromise. If you are concerned about reliability, you can buy half a dozen spares for the price of the Sony camera. Anyway, everything is made in China these days.
 
#15 ·
Actually mxfrank, that sounds like a good idea. I could always change it out down the road too. I'm still researching into the wiring situation. No one at my local dealership seems to know if the wiring is already in place or not. I can't get anyone there to research it either. I guess the 2012s are just to new for anyone to have much knowledge of.
 
#16 ·
No one at my local dealership seems to know if the wiring is already in place or not. I can't get anyone there to research it either. I guess the 2012s are just to new for anyone to have much knowledge of.
I can answer that. For some reason, there are several different harnesses for the Outback. I think that's because the camera wiring is supplied by Gentex.

If you currently have the compass/autodim mirror, you will have most of the wiring you need in place. The plugs won't match up, so you will either need to source the Subaru version of the mirror harness (I think the part number was posted here somewhere), or splice the harnesses. It's easier just to splice into the wiring bundle. I used vampire taps, which are crimp fittings that allow you to splice without solder. If you are adding homelink, you can draw an always-on feed from the cabin light. The point is all the signals and power feeds are already in place. The wires that won't be there are the coaxial camera feed and the camera power line. I snaked these through the headliner, and then through one of the rubber tubes between the roof and hatch. If I had it to do again, I either would have dropped the headliner, or at least released one side of the head liner to run the wiring. Running the lines through the rubber tubes is very difficult without at least dropping the rear of the headliner.

If you currently have the homelink mirror, then you have everything except the camera coax and the camera power line. So it's about the same as above.

If you have a non-electronic mirror, you will need a switched power feed, a ground and a reverse feed. The reverse feed can be snaked from the back and attached to one of the backup light power feeds. The switched power feed can also be drawn to the rear, and probably tied to the rear wiper power feed.

The aftermarket Gentex mirror includes feeds for autodimming sideview mirrors, which don't exist in an Outback. Simplest thing to do is to snip these two leads at the back of the mirror.

None of the wiring is rocket science, but if you're not familiar with auto electrical systems, it's a difficult first project. Anyone who installs car stereos should be able to do this for you.
 
#17 ·
Hey Trojans1993,

Like you I did not want to get the whole Moonroof package but did like the rearview backup camera option. So I am off ordering the Gentex 332 and camera. I noticed you are in the same area (I am in Anaheim, Ca) and was wondering if you could provide the shop name that installed your equipment. Thanks.
 
#18 ·
Here's the place I went to. He did a great job and left no trace on the interior of a camera system being installed. Took him about 5 hrs and charged $160 - sorry I can't remember his name, but I'm pretty sure it was one of the owners. Just tell him that they did a friend of yours a few months back and make sure they give you the same (or better) deal.

That place at the north end of Anaheim Blvd was the one that quoted me $75 but I didn't get a great feeling there. They were telling me they had a complete system they would install for me for like $120 or something, that's when I split.

I think you will be very happy with the system, I use it everytime I backup and really helps manuvering in tight spots.


Advantage Audio & Auto Sports
<CITE>www.advantageautosports.com</CITE> - 793 West Lambert Road, Brea - <NOBR>(714) 990-9600</NOBR>
 
#19 ·
Trailer monitoring option

I, too, did not want a moonroof and navigation so I have ordered (Tadi Brothers) a license plate mounted CCD camera (to get a centered view) and a 3.5" monitor that I plan to mount above the rear view mirror or in the sunglass holder if it will fit. I also want to do a twist and be able to switch on the monitor while driving down the road to monitor the contents of a small and narrow utility trailer (used to haul my Harley and/or camping gear). Anyone done this type of install? Can I have it both reverse and switch activated or do I have to select only one option?
 
#20 ·
I, too, did not want a moonroof and navigation so I have ordered (Tadi Brothers) a license plate mounted CCD camera (to get a centered view) and a 3.5" monitor that I plan to mount above the rear view mirror or in the sunglass holder if it will fit. I also want to do a twist and be able to switch on the monitor while driving down the road to monitor the contents of a small and narrow utility trailer (used to haul my Harley and/or camping gear). Anyone done this type of install? Can I have it both reverse and switch activated or do I have to select only one option?
There is a illustrated guide in post 99 on how to do this here: http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums...ips-tricks-lockout-override-3.html#post209370
Also if you read through the thread others have accomplished the both reverse and switch activation with switches and/or diodes. If not done right the reverse lights come on with the switch. Which could be good or bad depending on the sitution.
 
#24 ·
Hi there,
I just got the 2.5 premium CVT, and thinking of the backup camera. My major concern was the warranty issue. It was mentioned in one of the posts here that installing the camera will void the warranty. Should I worry about that?

Dealership said they cannot install the camera, and suggested I can do it at third party installer.
 
#25 ·
Any aftermarket addition on it's own will not void the warranty. Modifying an OEM part to function in a manner that is not within its design would. As long as you install the camera and monitor as described, everything will be fine. There are a couple of DIY's on here or you can stop by a local specialty shop and get them to quote the install. It's not overly difficult, unless you are apprehensive about tearing into the interior of a new car!
 
#27 ·

I'm almost certain both of those will fit and work with the Gentex, however, I was told by a camera buddy of mine to go with a CCD sensor camera for better low light conditions and they hold up longer??

If they have that same style with a CCD sensor I would spend a few more bucks and go that route. Either way, I love the Gentex setup I had installed and glad I had it done, I can definitely say it has saved my butt at least twice (usually in campgrounds) which would have cost more than the whole system.
 
#31 ·
I did purchase this same one (from the same guy in Hong Kong) and already got mine installed last weekend. The installation cost was $150 in my local stereo shop.

With Gentex 332 that I purchased from Amazon.com at $376, the total cost is about $550, and I am really happy with the result. Highly recommended!

I also thank Trojans1993 and mxfrank for their helpful tips and inspiration!
 
#29 ·
That installation pricing and timing sounds about right. They should be able to do it real clean with no signs of the installation left behind. I thought the guy that did mine said it was pretty because a portion of is already pre-wired or something like that.

The camera looks right, it just seems very affordable for a Sony CCD sensor camera, but they are very clear about it being CCD vs CMOS so I would say give it a try. Once the wiring is in place I dont think it's too hard to swap just the camera out if needed and for the price how could you go wrong.

Good luck, let us know how it goes.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top