Comparing four different front camera setups

[HankLloydRight]

All tests were done with each camera installed in the nose of the car, as normally.

I think the problem with the hi-res camera was @ohmman trying to run it all the way to the back of his trailer. It seems to work fine on the front, and there are some long cables in between.

The lens on all three: Original, Amazon, and Broken all look identical.

In terms of the closeup view of the hi-res camera, that's what I though also, but it did seem to focus and work OK for the first close-up test using the initial test pattern (see post #2).

 

[HankLloydRight]

Also, am I right to assume that the Amazon camera has a different lens on it, producing a narrower field of view?

That's probably just the way I took the photo of the touchscreen.

 

[gabeincal]

Correct! It appears the fixed focus point on the new hi-res camera is set further back than the original camera.
This actually makes a lot of sense! The original camera was specifically for judging clearance when you (the driver) were backing up and getting close to objects. The new hi-res camera was developed for use with the new FSD Autopilot. For that application, higher level of detail is preferred prior to being a few inches away, so the fixed focus point was set further back.

Now THAT makes total sense. So it's almost like if you have AP1, you're not better off with the new hi-res camera as it's a little harder to see details at close distance which is what the driver uses the camera for in the first place.

 

[HankLloydRight]

you're not better off with the new hi-res camera as it's a little harder to see details at close distance which is what the driver uses the camera for in the first place.

As I've said before, do you really need 1080P to see the parking curb?

Or are you doing a molecular analysis of the concrete?

A 320x480 camera would still do the job perfectly fine.

 

[JohnnyG]

Now THAT makes total sense. So it's almost like if you have AP1, you're not better off with the new hi-res camera as it's a little harder to see details at close distance which is what the driver uses the camera for in the first place.

Although.... Some people have said that they experience better low light sensitivity with the new camera, so that could be an advantage for some. But yea, from a driver's perspective, the higher res really isn't necessary, especially seeing that we can't record from these cameras, so zooming in on that guy's license plate after the fact isn't going to happen.

 

[verygreen]

As I've said before, do you really need 1080P to see the parking curb?

Or are you doing a molecular analysis of the concrete?

A 320x480 camera would still do the job perfectly fine.

The backup cam is not 1080p anyway, it's only 1160x720. And of course high resolution is important - what if you want to discreetly read that newspaper laying on the ground in the parking lot?

The amazon camera does look like original Tesla part to me, btw.

 

[lunitiks]

The backup cam is not 1080p anyway, it's only 1160x720

How about the CID (res)?

 

[verygreen]

How about the CID (res)?

[     3.574] (II) TEGRA(0): Printing probed modes for output LVDS-1
[     3.574] (II) TEGRA(0): Modeline "1920x1200"x0.0    0.00  1920 1920 1920 1920  1200 1200 1200 1200 (0.0 kHz)
[     3.574] (II) TEGRA(0): EDID for output HDMI-1
[     3.574] (II) TEGRA(0): Output LVDS-1 connected
[     3.574] (II) TEGRA(0): Output HDMI-1 disconnected
[     3.574] (II) TEGRA(0): Using exact sizes for initial modes
[     3.574] (II) TEGRA(0): Output LVDS-1 using initial mode 1920x1200
[     3.574] (--) TEGRA(0): VideoRAM: 32768 kByte
[     3.574] (--) TEGRA(0): Virtual size is 1920x1200 (pitch 0)
[     3.574] (**) TEGRA(0):  Driver mode "1920x1200"
[     3.574] (++) TEGRA(0): DPI set to (132, 132)

 

[HankLloydRight]

Ok, if anyone is concerned about the resolution of the "old" cameras, here's a couple of pics for you. In front of my car in this garage is some standard white wood paneling, you can see it in the photo below:

Here's that exact same white paneling in front of the camera (in this case, it's the Amazon version). Enough detail for you?

 

[lunitiks]

Enough detail for you?

Not really. It is a Tesla so I'd expect to see electrons.

 

[berkeley_ecar]

Many thanks, @HankLloydRight, for sharing your findings -- I just ordered one of the Amazon cams, and will message @artsci that I'm "in" if he can get another run of the front camera kit put together.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

Great stuff, many thanks!

I gather none of these yet use the mid-2016 onwards, latest Tesla rear-camera? The one also AP2 uses?

 

[verygreen]

Great stuff, many thanks!

I gather none of these yet use the mid-2016 onwards, latest Tesla rear-camera? The one also AP2 uses?

I believe the amazon cam is the same as what you get with AP2 for backup camera.

 

[berkeley_ecar]

Oops, I may have spoken up too quickly! So the kit may not be compatible with my 2017 S? I will write another note to @artsci to clarify that, and may be selling a $40 cameria to someone else

 

[verygreen]

Oops, I may have spoken up too quickly! So the kit may not be compatible with my 2017 S? I will write another note to @artsci to clarify that, and may be selling a $40 cameria to someone else

Since the CID is the same between AP2 and AP1, the camera should work with HW2 cars.

 

[lunitiks]

I believe the amazon cam is the same as what you get with AP2 for backup camera.

You mean this one posted upthread? That's not the AP2 BUC..

 

[verygreen]

You mean this one posted upthread? That's not the AP2 BUC..

it does not really matter, I believe.
CID is the same, so whatever you plug in there should be compatible protocol-wise.
You don't want to cut in between AP and camera anyway, you want to cut in between ap and cid so ap always has backup camera picture.

 

[lunitiks]

You don't want to cut in between AP and camera anyway, you want to cut in between ap and cid so ap always has backup camera picture

Agreed.

Just to be clear on the different backup cameras:

The camera in pre-AP2 Teslas (actually pre-MS facelift) are:
1006773-00-D
1006773-00-E
1006773-00-F

AP2 Teslas (actually all Teslas since ca July 2016 when MS was facelifted) is:
1061269-00-B
This is the one @HankLloydRight calls "hires".

Design difference:

 

[verygreen]

Agreed.

Just to be clear on the different backup cameras:

The camera in pre-AP2 Teslas (actually pre-MS facelift) are:
1006773-00-D
1006773-00-E
1006773-00-F

AP2 Teslas (actually all Teslas since ca July 2016 when MS was facelifted) is:
1061269-00-B
This is the one @HankLloydRight calls "hires".

Design difference:

You are right - this is how my backup camera looks like in the car.
Note that HankLloydRight connected the "highres" camera to his existing system and it worked further showing that the protocol is the same and the cameras are interchangeable, whatever differences there are might only be in optics and the like.

 

[lunitiks]

Note that HankLloydRight connected the "highres" camera to his existing system and it worked further showing that the protocol is the same and the cameras are interchangeable, whatever differences there are might only be in optics and the like.

Yep. One big difference however between the "old" trio vs. the "new" is that the latter has a built in defroster / heating thread, while none of the old ones do. However I'm not so sure the heating works w/o the full AP2HW. According to the wire schematics, there's some "heating grid" going on that seems to be reliant on the PX2-unit. Btw anyone with an AP1 facelift car (new BUC but not AP2 setup) should chime in with flir on this one