Backup camera quality

Not 70k trucks.

I have absolutely no issues with the backup camera in my 19. It's not like you're driving with it on all the time right? Just use your mirrors and use your eyes.

 

Pro starts at $70,915 (Pre tax) here in Canada. I agree with what you're saying, but you would think something as simple as a camera could be a bit better for this kind of money.

 

Oh yes. That was first thing thought that maybe there was road salt or something on it. I’ve cleaned many times. In some lighting it is acceptable but lower light and other situations it’s low quality hazy grainy quality

 

you don’t have MTM so the quality on yours is slightly better (even though it still sucks)

Also to all the people saying "just use your mirrors", you’re missing the point.
It is absolutely a shame from Toyota to provide this quality.
Cars from 15 years ago had better backup camera quality than that. So yes, most of us don’t buy a 4R for their backup camera but it doesn’t mean Toyota should provide potato resolution in this day and age. Even for the base 4Runner. Spending over $35k and getting this quality is laughable.
Kinda like saying to just roll down the windows if the A/C barely blew cold air. You better get a proper A/C system when you buy a new car for over $35k in 2023 (thankfully it’s the case for the 4R)

ps: unlike others here, I did test drive mine before I bought it and did notice the crappy quality. It didn’t change my mind on buying the truck but still makes it deplorable to see this from Toyota

edit: I just realized that the cheapest 2023 4R is $40k! This is insane and an even better reason to complain about the camera quality

 

The image I have is nothing like this image. My 4Runner backup image is better than on the Honda Ridgeline that I had before. To me, it is like the camera set at far lower resolution than it is capable of. The only time I've had anything remotely like this is when the camera gets dirty, but even then this looks more like some kind of s/w glitch causing the camera to be in a low-res mode.

 

I just took delivery of my '23 Pro about a month ago and this is my 4th 5th gen ('20, '21, '22 and '23) and this was the first thing I noticed. All 3 prior years were MUCH clearer. Not even close. The '23 on the other hand with the multiple cameras offers additional angles - which are also just as blurry.

 

This is very disappointing. How could they think this was acceptable to put this out there and not even warn people the camera quality was shitty or say on update was coming to fix it. did they think no one would notice the shit quality. It’s almost a joke the quality of this camera in year 2023. Embarrassing

 

It gets better with a better headunit. But i get the point.

To keep raising prices with no high quality improvements. Shit, some people are paying over $60k usd now and can't even get 2 key fobs. Same crappy headunit for years, cameras, etc for a decade.

 

Im waiting on a 2023 4Runner. Is it possible to upgrade the head unit and front and rear camera and retain the MTM and all Toyota features in new head unit?

 

Following. Curious about this as well!!

 

I’m not sure about this yet. would be nice though if Toyota did a recall and just fixed it. Feel like Toyota bamboozled me

 

If you can't see a small child or pet in that because the resolution is so bad, the problem might be your eyes and not the camera.

Robbed? If you never looked at it before dropping $70k, that's on you for not knowing what you were buying.

Don't get me wrong, the resolution isn't great but it does the job...

 

I hear ya OP, def a little grainy for sure. I do Audio Visual for a living, it ain't no 4K screen that's for sure, but you bought a 4Runner not a Tesla. And like buddy said, din you test drive it first.

For what it's worth, I added flood lights under my rear bumper recently and the picture quality in low light and nighttime really improved imo.

 

your quality is not as bad as OP because you don’t have MTM

 

@semprenissart is that right, what's MTM haha

 

On my 2016 TE, I never paid any attention to the backup camera. But since getting the Tundra, I've used it a lot...it's a larger vehicle and the screen is bigger and usable.

This is disappointing because I was looking forward to using MTM on my next 4R. I was able to remove all PIOs but MTM is FIO just like a moonroof is so I will need to decide on delivery day if this is a deal-breaker.

 

The video quality on my '23 OR backup cam looks better than the OP's.

 

multi terrain monitor aka Birds Eye view

 

this photo I used is actually as good as it gets. Under perfect lighting, weather conditions, time of day and alignment of stars and moon this is how it looks. A lot of other times more grainy and have to be careful.

My neighbor has a 4 pound rat dog that like to run into my driveway when I’m backing out. Only matter of time before it gets turned into a fur pancake.

 

I found it fairly useless if it’s raining at night. My 68 year old eyes didn’t help either.
Added some LED pods in the 2 holes under the rear bumper. Put a switch on the lower dash under the steering column. World of difference.

 

Ok, the poor quality of the camera wasn’t a deal-breaker for me. We took delivery of our second 5th gen last night.

I really like MTM. Will come in handly at the mall parking garage

 

I noticed this as well. It is something with the low lighting that makes it just awful.
I am skeptical a software update could fix this, but if it somehow does, that would be very nice.

 

Anyone find a solution to
Improve the quality of the MTM cameras? Install new head unit?

what about if one wants to get rid of the MTM system, and only have the back up camera? Is there a way to do this? Get rid of the front camera as well and replace with a grille without the camera? Or is way to swap out the front camera with a different one? Getting ready to purchase new 2023, and like everything except the MTM and front camera. The simple backup camera on friends 2019 is better.

 

@4runnerboxer I think the answer is more $$$ lol

 

I'd guess we're getting a much worse looking image on this forum than you're getting from looking at the backup screen. You've added more sources of distortion by taking a picture of it, then potentially having the image downsized to lower resolution to display here. The right side of the image (Sirius XM, HD Radio) is badly out of focus, which suggests you probably didn't get the camera parallel to the navigation screen, the focus point was left of center and you didn't have a fast enough shutter speed to prevent some camera shake. I'm not saying the backup camera resolution is good, just that it can't be as bad as what we're looking at here.

 

Actually I think it looks better in the photos posted here than it is in person.

Again, seems only the issue is really bad if have the MTM system.

 

Poor resolution, yes, but MTM has been very useful when parking our "pavement princess" so far. I do wish the monitor was bigger and raised a bit so I can still have what's in front of my vehicle in my periphery.

 

Just wish as well there was a way to make the camera in front smaller so does not stick out - front grill would look better if camera was less obvious.

anyone try to modify?

 

I mentioned somewhere else that Cali Raised LED has a kit called the Anytime Backup Camera that includes a camera for the front dash that is supposed to be higher resolution than the factory backup cameras for Toyota. Installing this kit gives you both a forward looking and a backup camera through the navigation system. The camera Cali includes in that kit is made by Natika. Natika cameras are available separately on Amazon for around $40. But I don't know if they're compatible to replace your backup camera, or if the camera is the problem. As others have said, it could be a software issue or something else. If the cameras are compatible, it might be worth a $40 gamble to see if it improves or fixes the situation. Edit - I'm getting the Anytime Backup Camera kit installed on Wednesday and will try to remember to come back and let you know if the navigation screen view to the front is significantly better than the one with the existing backup camera on my 2018 Limited.

 

I wonder if you could get rid of the stock from camera and replace with the smaller aftermarket camera? Would still get image or is all software related. I am surprised no one has found a solution to this, made modifications, vendors creating alternatives.