Review on Chuanganzhuo Camera Universal Normal Reverse by Brandon Gaines

Very good reversing camera at a very reasonable price. For around $15 with some spare change, you get a standard definition camera in a heavy metal body that feels very solid and of very good quality. It comes with a camera, mounting nut, adapter cable that converts the proprietary 4-wire camera connector to a separate RCA video jack, and power cord. There is also a long video and taillight RCA cable that connects the camera to the main unit or monitor. The video quality of the camera is good. It's standard definition, not HD, but it does the job. It has overlaid green/yellow/red leads that can be turned off by cutting the loop on the camera cable. Overlay guides are always at the bottom of the video image, no matter how you aim the camera itself. This is a neat trick that allows you to mount the camera in any orientation you want. By default, the video image is reversed so that it appears as if you are looking into a rearview mirror when viewing the image on the main unit/monitor. The image can be returned to normal by cutting another loop of wire on the camera cable. There are no infrared LEDs or other lighting in the camera. However, with the light from my RAV4's reversing lights, it offers great visibility at night. At night the camera gives me a much brighter rear view than my mirror or when I turn my head and look back. The camera is said to be waterproof to IP67 standards, which means it will not leak water if submerged to a depth of 1 meter. within 30 minutes. I haven't further waterproofed my setup (i.e. no silicone gasket) but will update this review if I run into any water issues. The camera requires 12 VDC to operate. For a standard rear view camera, connect the reverse light cable to power the camera when the car is reversing. If you are using this with a head unit, you will also need to connect this 12v signal to the head unit's "return" line to activate the monitor when the car is reversing. There is a red wire on both ends of the long video cable which can be used to send this signal or to power the camera itself if you wish to connect to the 12v on the front of the car. The camera manual is very detailed. rudimentary. The pictures in the instructions don't even look like the camera itself. The purpose of the red wires at each end of the video cable is not specified. I've posted a full guide along with an example camera image. Poor manual aside, I'd say this camera actually looks pretty premium in terms of feel and construction. It worked fine for me out of the box. I will update this review if I find any issues with it.