Backup camera

[Rat]

Does anyone know how to adjust the brightness of the backup camera display? I have changed the brightness in Settings to the maximum, but it doesn't seem to affect the camera display, only the menus. I had to reset those back to medium since my wife says the brightness hurts her eyes at night. The camera to me has been almost useless because the display is so dark. I can make out the colored lines - barely - but I can't make out the terrain except at night when the backup lights are bright enough relative to the general background to make the area immediately behind the car distinguishable. During bright daylight the camera seems to close the aperture so much that the entire scene is little more than a black rectangle with colored lines on it.

 

[planet4ever]

It sounds like you should have yours checked. Mine is very clear except in the rare case of sun streaming in from the passenger side and reflecting off the console. When that happens, I can't see anything on the console. [Yes, I know about tilt, but I usually don't bother with it, because the problem goes away as soon as I turn the car.]

I must say I do love that backup camera. We live at the end of a court, and there are often two vehicles parked (illegally) nose in against the short curb section on each side of our driveway. The predictive lines make it so easy to thread the needle between the tails of those vehicles, which stick out nearly halfway to the middle of the court's turning circle.

Ray

 

[DesertDenizen]

It sounds like you should have yours checked. Mine is very clear except in the rare case of sun streaming in from the passenger side and reflecting off the console. When that happens, I can't see anything on the console. [Yes, I know about tilt, but I usually don't bother with it, because the problem goes away as soon as I turn the car.]

I must say I do love that backup camera. We live at the end of a court, and there are often two vehicles parked (illegally) nose in against the short curb section on each side of our driveway. The predictive lines make it so easy to thread the needle between the tails of those vehicles, which stick out nearly halfway to the middle of the court's turning circle.

Ray

+1 on all counts!

 

[ebill3]

My back-up camera works just fine. I love it. When first used, didn't think I'd adapt to it, but now sure wish there there was one on the ICE SUV. Audible alarm is fine, but the camera is priceless.

 

[gbarry42]

Two things: One is, that there's a day/night feature (and button) on the display, so that the brightness of it at night doesn't have to have any bearing on how bright it is during the day, and the level for each is settable. The other is, the day/night function is keyed to the headlights, which in turn is keyed to the light sensor, if the headlights are set to Auto. Knowing all this, you may be able to make sense of the bright/dim behavior. In my case, everything is dim while inside the garage, and as soon as I back out into the sunlight, just as I notice the camera seems dim, the headlights go off and everything jumps to full brightness.

If none of this makes sense or seems to have anything to do with your problem, then maybe your camera (or the input to the nav box) really does need to be looked at.

 

[Rat]

I probably should have been more specific in my description of the problem. Maybe 80% of my backing up is from my garage across my driveway into the street. I rarely have to back up while out except at night (when there is no problem). My driveway is covered by an enormous, beautiful shade tree and of course the inside of the garage is dark compared to the outside when there is bright sun out. So when the sun is bright, I can see at the top of the screen the house across the street just fine as it is fully lit by the sun. It is the area immediately behind my car and along the length of the shaded driveway near the ground that appears too dark to see any detail. That's the area that is most important to be able to see with the camera. I think I would be unlikely to see a pet or obstacle there while backing, at least not with the camera, so I just look over my right shoulder and check the side mirrors like I would in any other car. I don't think the camera is defective, I just need a way to adjust the brightness so that the dark areas are lighted better, and the bright areas can go to pure white if necessary. If this were an SLR camera, you could adjust the aperture and take care of this problem. I was hoping there was such a control somewhere.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

are you familiar with the easter egg that allows you to show the backup display while driving? i am relatively sure there is a brightness control there you can adjust or take it to the dealer

 

[SierraQ]

I probably should have been more specific in my description of the problem. Maybe 80% of my backing up is from my garage across my driveway into the street. I rarely have to back up while out except at night (when there is no problem). My driveway is covered by an enormous, beautiful shade tree and of course the inside of the garage is dark compared to the outside when there is bright sun out. So when the sun is bright, I can see at the top of the screen the house across the street just fine as it is fully lit by the sun. It is the area immediately behind my car and along the length of the shaded driveway near the ground that appears too dark to see any detail. That's the area that is most important to be able to see with the camera. I think I would be unlikely to see a pet or obstacle there while backing, at least not with the camera, so I just look over my right shoulder and check the side mirrors like I would in any other car. I don't think the camera is defective, I just need a way to adjust the brightness so that the dark areas are lighted better, and the bright areas can go to pure white if necessary. If this were an SLR camera, you could adjust the aperture and take care of this problem. I was hoping there was such a control somewhere.

If your headlights are not set to auto or on (that is the view screen is in day mode) then it sounds like you are hitting the classic issue of a camera seeing a hotspot which throws off the auto-aperture similar to SLRs like you say. There is no way to adjust this that I know of, even in the diagnostic screen. However, I have generally observed that the camera compensates correctly in every condition I have encountered, even when the sun is right behind me.

This may be obvious, but you are not perchance wearing polarized glasses are you? Those will make the gauges and screen appear dim.

Does the camera behave in conditions other than the one you describe? If not I would suggest your camera is malfunctioning. As I said, it works pretty good for everyone else it seems.

 

[vrwl]

are you familiar with the easter egg that allows you to show the backup display while driving? i am relatively sure there is a brightness control there you can adjust or take it to the dealer

Say what?!?! Really? I'd love to be able to display it while driving. Please point me to where I can read more about that.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

are you familiar with the easter egg that allows you to show the backup display while driving? i am relatively sure there is a brightness control there you can adjust or take it to the dealer

Say what?!?! Really? I'd love to be able to display it while driving. Please point me to where I can read more about that.

well, if i could i would. its not all that great mostly because the view is covered by menu options to adjust sight angle, zoom, etc. so all you really see is the road directly behind you.

i wanted to be able to see the driver of the car behind me but it is blocked

oh never mind...found it (wasnt as easy the first time i devoted 15 seconds to the task!)

Yep, you too can keep your backup camera displayed for your whole trip!

1) Go into navigation system diagnostics (turn off radio, press Map three times, Radio Power two times, Map once).
2) Select Confirmation/Adjustment.
3) Select Camera.
4) Select Correct Draw Line of Rear view Camera.
5) Drive!
6) Press Back when you're done goofing around!

 

[dandrewk]

are you familiar with the easter egg that allows you to show the backup display while driving? i am relatively sure there is a brightness control there you can adjust or take it to the dealer

Say what?!?! Really? I'd love to be able to display it while driving. Please point me to where I can read more about that.

well, if i could i would. its not all that great mostly because the view is covered by menu options to adjust sight angle, zoom, etc. so all you really see is the road directly behind you.

i wanted to be able to see the driver of the car behind me but it is blocked

oh never mind...found it (wasnt as easy the first time i devoted 15 seconds to the task!)

Yep, you too can keep your backup camera displayed for your whole trip!

1) Go into navigation system diagnostics (turn off radio, press Map three times, Radio Power two times, Map once).
2) Select Confirmation/Adjustment.
3) Select Camera.
4) Select Correct Draw Line of Rear view Camera.
5) Drive!
6) Press Back when you're done goofing around!

I tried this several times, could not get it into diagnostics screen. Is there a trick to it?

 

[91040]

It is finicky. Try pushing the buttons at a steady rate but vary the speed until you find the one that works.

Yep, you too can keep your backup camera displayed for your whole trip!

1) Go into navigation system diagnostics (turn off radio, press Map three times, Radio Power two times, Map once).
2) Select Confirmation/Adjustment.
3) Select Camera.
4) Select Correct Draw Line of Rear view Camera.
5) Drive!
6) Press Back when you're done goofing around!

I tried this several times, could not get it into diagnostics screen. Is there a trick to it?

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=84419#p84419" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

read thru the topic, i ALSO had a real hard time getting it to work. in fact after a dozen attempts, i was convinced it would not work at all. so i gave up, but not completely. i would try it a few times every couple days or so and finally one day; it worked.

i think you have to be fairly consistent in the timing of the button pushes. not too fast, not too slow. get a metronome and pace it for best results.

 

[Rat]

This may be obvious, but you are not perchance wearing polarized glasses are you? Those will make the gauges and screen appear dim.
Does the camera behave in conditions other than the one you describe? If not I would suggest your camera is malfunctioning. As I said, it works pretty good for everyone else it seems.

I do have polarized sunglasses, not super dark, but medium dark. I had a cataract at age 40 and had the lens removed from one eye and replaced with a plastic lens. The ophthalmologist said UV radiation can cause this and people with very light blue eyes (like me) are more susceptible. I am under strict instructions to always wear sunglasses while outside, even on cloudy days in order to make sure I don't get another cataract in my other eye (which in fact I do have the beginning of). Even apart from this, bright sunlight has always hurt my eyes, much more than it does for other people, so I would say not wearing sunglasses is not an option. My good eye is 20/20, so I have decent vision, but I am not about to risk that just to get a better view in the camera.

 

[Nubo]

This may be obvious, but you are not perchance wearing polarized glasses are you? Those will make the gauges and screen appear dim.
Does the camera behave in conditions other than the one you describe? If not I would suggest your camera is malfunctioning. As I said, it works pretty good for everyone else it seems.

I do have polarized sunglasses, not super dark, but medium dark. I had a cataract at age 40 and had the lens removed from one eye and replaced with a plastic lens. The ophthalmologist said UV radiation can cause this and people with very light blue eyes (like me) are more susceptible. I am under strict instructions to always wear sunglasses while outside, even on cloudy days in order to make sure I don't get another cataract in my other eye (which in fact I do have the beginning of). Even apart from this, bright sunlight has always hurt my eyes, much more than it does for other people, so I would say not wearing sunglasses is not an option. My good eye is 20/20, so I have decent vision, but I am not about to risk that just to get a better view in the camera.

As far as I know cataract risk is from UV radiation. UV-blocking and polarization are 2 separate properties. Glasses can block UV without being polarizing.

 

[SierraQ]

This may be obvious, but you are not perchance wearing polarized glasses are you? Those will make the gauges and screen appear dim.
Does the camera behave in conditions other than the one you describe? If not I would suggest your camera is malfunctioning. As I said, it works pretty good for everyone else it seems.

I do have polarized sunglasses, not super dark, but medium dark. I had a cataract at age 40 and had the lens removed from one eye and replaced with a plastic lens. The ophthalmologist said UV radiation can cause this and people with very light blue eyes (like me) are more susceptible. I am under strict instructions to always wear sunglasses while outside, even on cloudy days in order to make sure I don't get another cataract in my other eye (which in fact I do have the beginning of). Even apart from this, bright sunlight has always hurt my eyes, much more than it does for other people, so I would say not wearing sunglasses is not an option. My good eye is 20/20, so I have decent vision, but I am not about to risk that just to get a better view in the camera.

As far as I know cataract risk is from UV radiation. UV-blocking and polarization are 2 separate properties. Glasses can block UV without being polarizing.

Right. I am not suggesting you do not wear then of course, only that it may be a factor. Try looking at the screen without them just to see if it makes a difference. My polarized sunglasses dim the displays by about 50%--still readable but notably less bright. You can tilt your head right or left to reduce the effect, or use non-polarized glasses.

Beyond that, you didn't mention of the camera works for you in areas other than your driveway?

 

[SierraQ]

Does anyone know how to adjust the brightness of the backup camera display? I have changed the brightness in Settings to the maximum, but it doesn't seem to affect the camera display, only the menus.

I think I just realized one of the problems here. You are changing the system brightness, NOT the camera brightness. The camera can only be changed while in reverse so the camera is on. There will be a button in the corner of the screen. Press it to get the camera controls.

Interestingly I just experienced the a scenario myself this morning. Half the driveway was in deep shade and the rest in sunlight. Thinking of this post I tried to see detail in the shaded area. I could not. I tried touching the screen camera editor (while in reverse) and adjusting the blackness level. That helped a little. Forcing the screen into day mode with the day/night button made a notable difference and seemed to help more than anything.

Try messing with the camera controls after you revert your system brightness to normal. You have brightness, contrast, black level, and tint to play with.

 

[lkkms2]

Does anyone know how to adjust the brightness of the backup camera display? I have changed the brightness in Settings to the maximum, but it doesn't seem to affect the camera display, only the menus.

I think I just realized one of the problems here. You are changing the system brightness, NOT the camera brightness. The camera can only be changed while in reverse so the camera is on. There will be a button in the corner of the screen. Press it to get the camera controls.

Interestingly I just experienced the a scenario myself this morning. Half the driveway was in deep shade and the rest in sunlight. Thinking of this post I tried to see detail in the shaded area. I could not. I tried touching the screen camera editor (while in reverse) and adjusting the blackness level. That helped a little. Forcing the screen into day mode with the day/night button made a notable difference and seemed to help more than anything.

Try messing with the camera controls after you revert your system brightness to normal. You have brightness, contrast, black level, and tint to play with.

Great catch. After I put the car in reverse I could not find a button on the screen (different firmware?), but I hit the Menu button after it was in reverse and found all the options. That should help Rat. Nice to know if I need to adjust later. Good for me right now.

 

[Rat]

Does anyone know how to adjust the brightness of the backup camera display? I have changed the brightness in Settings to the maximum, but it doesn't seem to affect the camera display, only the menus.

I think I just realized one of the problems here. You are changing the system brightness, NOT the camera brightness. The camera can only be changed while in reverse so the camera is on. There will be a button in the corner of the screen. Press it to get the camera controls.

Interestingly I just experienced the a scenario myself this morning. Half the driveway was in deep shade and the rest in sunlight. Thinking of this post I tried to see detail in the shaded area. I could not. I tried touching the screen camera editor (while in reverse) and adjusting the blackness level. That helped a little. Forcing the screen into day mode with the day/night button made a notable difference and seemed to help more than anything.

Try messing with the camera controls after you revert your system brightness to normal. You have brightness, contrast, black level, and tint to play with.

Finally! Someone knows the answer -- almost. This is the first I knew there was in fact an adjustment to the camera brightness. I was inf act adjusting the brightness on the menus, maps, etc. However, there is no button on the touchscreen. The menu button does bring up controls, though, and I have fiddled with those. So far, I've only backed up once with the adjusted camera view, so it is too early to tell whether it will help, but thanks for answering the question. None of these controls makes an obvious difference as I change it, and they are painfully slow to react to my presses, so it may be a long arduous process to find the optimal setting.

 

[rlewis123]

Does the backup camera come standard on a 2013 SV or do I have to go SL to get that feature.