Which is better - parking sensors or a rear view camera according to car owners?
Content
The camera appeared much later than the standard parking sensors, but is used no less often. The principle of operation is simple: the camera is attached to the back of the car, and the video signal is displayed on the display in the cabin. In other words, these are the driver’s eyes, which show what he is not able to see while driving.
Systems that facilitate the process of parking and minimize the risk of damaging your own and the car of others have appeared a long time ago. They have become a common addition to vehicle specifications. That is why it is so difficult to make a choice and determine which is better: a rear-view camera or parking sensors.
What is parktronic
In simple terms, parking sensors are a parking radar, or an acoustic parking system (APS). From a technical point of view, it is a set of emitter sensors that send and receive reflected pulses. Based on this, conclusions are drawn about the presence of an obstacle and the distance to it. Minimizes the risk of collision with any object and alerts the driver.
What is parktronic
Such systems are divided not only by the number of sensors, by the method of installation (mortise and overhead) and the type of notification (sound signal or video information), but also by the algorithm of operation.
Two main options:
- The ultrasonic system is able to detect single obstacles depending on the frequency of the installed sensors, but at the same time, thanks to a constantly reflected signal, it estimates the distance in a stationary position.
- Electromagnetic parking sensors - able to notice single obstacles, such as a pole or chain-link mesh. Another advantage is the measurement range (minimum distance) up to 5 cm, which cannot be afforded by ultrasonic pulsed systems.
Advantages of parking sensors
The advantages of parking sensors include:
- Ease of use - the notification system is based on sound signals, a motorist with little driving experience will be able to park easily, relying on them.
- Minimum technical requirements - available for installation on any make and model, regardless of the electronic filling of the car.
Despite the narrow list of advantages, they do their job well, which makes it difficult to make a choice and determine which is better, parking sensors or a rear-view camera of a car.
Radar Disadvantages
The disadvantages of the systems include:
- The risk of malfunction - any type of sensor is based on receiving a signal, and if adverse conditions occur, whether it is ice, snow or a layer of dust, the information received may be erroneous.
- Limited reaction - taut cables, fittings, as well as small objects up to a meter high will not be identified. If there is an object capable of absorbing the signal, the system will not provide reliable information about the presence of objects.
- Damage to the body - ultrasonic systems during installation require the presence of holes on the bumper of the car, but the installation of standard parking sensors and painting the sensors to match the body color allows you to level this minus of the system.
- Labor-intensive installation - wiring inside the cabin can be a problem, but there are wireless systems that eliminate this process.
- Primitive alert system - give a general idea of the presence of an object, without providing information about its size, source of origin (for example, it can be a moving object in the form of a pet or an empty plastic bag flying past).
Installation of parking sensors
Despite all the disadvantages, parking radars are widely used and are not inferior to more modern parking systems.
Rear view camera
The camera appeared much later than the standard parking sensors, but is used no less often. The principle of operation is simple: the camera is attached to the rear of the car, and the video signal is displayed on the display in the cabin. In other words, these are the driver's eyes, which show what he is not able to see while driving.
Unlike classic parking sensors, these systems do not differ in the principles of operation. Features are only technical specifications:
- camera resolution and viewing angle;
- type of matrix (CCD or CMOS);
- screen sizes and colors.
The camera can be supplied in different configurations (only a video camera or a complete package with a monitor and a mounting kit).
Benefits of a rear view camera
The rear view camera has undoubted advantages:
- The volume and quality of data - all information about the situation behind the car is displayed on the screen online.
- Additional options - in addition to the picture, the system shows distance information, for example, the distance to the object and the marking line along which the maneuver should be made, it helps to estimate the dimensions of the vehicle in a particular area.
What does the rear view camera look like?
It is worth noting that the set of benefits will depend on well-chosen equipment. For example, a large viewing angle reduces the line of blind spots in the sides of the car, but a large viewing area becomes uninformative on a limited screen size, respectively, an advantage becomes a disadvantage. High resolution and CCD-matrix, when mounted on a miniature rear-view mirror display, will also lose their functionality.
Disadvantages of the camera
The main disadvantage is the price-quality ratio. The higher the quality and technical characteristics of the equipment, the more expensive the system. It is worth considering whether it is necessary to invest in a camera with a more expensive CCD-matrix, which is capable of producing good image quality at a minimum level of illumination, if you do not drive in such conditions.
The second indisputable disadvantage is condition for using the rear view camera. Due to the fact that it is located on the outside of the car, there is a constant need to keep the lens clean. Otherwise, a good picture on the screen at the right time will not be available.
What to choose
Currently, most cars sold are already equipped with one or another parking system. When the car does not have such standard equipment, then the choice should come from the experience of the driver. If it is not there, then the rear-view camera, which provides more informative information, gets the advantage here. But still, you should choose for yourself which is better, a rear-view camera or parking sensors.
Comparison of benefits
All advantages are based on the function performed - the provision of data on obstacles, the level of information content of which depends on the quality of the installed equipment. When installing any of the systems - the more accurate information you want to get, the more money you need to invest. When installing parking sensors, it is necessary to increase the number of sensors (it will minimize blind spots), and a camera with a good resolution will give a clearer image.
Parktronic mechanism
Installation of a rear view camera does not require damage to the body, unlike ultrasonic parking sensors. For some car owners, this is an essential argument when choosing and deciding which is better, a camera or parking sensors.
However, in its total weight, the parking radar is cheaper than the rear view cameras. In addition, it has an advantage over the camera - the ability to use at any time of the day, even the simplest parking sensors are able to "see" in the dark. For a camera with such properties, you will have to pay many times more.
Ease of installation also gives an advantage to parking radars, as it does not require the installation of a display. Many people think about what is better, parking sensors or a mirror with a rear-view camera, because not all cars are equipped with a head unit with a monitor. The solution to the problem is a mirror with a display, but in this case the picture from the rear view camera will be small and will not give the desired result.
Price comparison
If you are an experienced driver, then the difficulty of parking arises only in unfamiliar, poorly lit places. You can solve this problem with parking sensors for a small amount - from 1 thousand rubles. Buying a system with a rear view camera will cost the owner of the car at a price of 4000 rubles. The cost of hybrid devices varies from 5000 rubles. and, as noted earlier, the price depends on the technical characteristics and can reach up to 20 thousand rubles or more.
How parking sensors work
Therefore, if the issue of price is acute, and you need to buy an “assistant”, then between the parking sensors and the rear view camera it is better to choose what will come out cheaper, including taking into account the installation.
Owner reviews about parking sensors and rear view cameras
In the difficult question of choosing which is better, parking sensors or a rear view camera, reviews can give a number of clues and determine preferences.
Due to the fact that chambers appeared earlier than cameras, there are much more reviews and questions discussed on the forums on this device. There are those who are not ready to change their favorite parking radar system for a monitor with a color picture and do not even think about what is better: a rear view camera or parking sensors.
Each system has supporters and opponents, whose opinion is based on personal experience of use.
The main drawback, called the owners of parking sensors, is the sound warning system. If there are sensors in the front of the car, they can react to non-existent obstacles (rain, snowfall, fog) or snowdrifts on the roads, while the sound signal is constantly triggered.
Xiaomi rear view camera
The advantages of motorists include affordable prices and a relatively simple installation system - there is no need to install a display.
Rear view cameras have won the hearts of inexperienced drivers, as they greatly simplify the parking process. I like the stable performance in bad weather, although there is a constant risk of lens contamination.
Reviews of parking sensors with a rear-view camera and a monitor indicate a significant proportion of car owners who show sympathy for the hybrid system, considering it the best option to facilitate the process of parking and maneuvering in unfamiliar places.
Based on such a variety of opinions, it will not be easy to determine which is better, parking sensors or a rear view camera, according to reviews.
