Review Natika Front Facing Camera

[406Camper]

Purchase Date

Feb 28, 2022

Price of Product

28.62

Star Rating

4.00 star(s)

Would you ultimately recommend this product or vendor?

Indifferent (explained in review)

Good when it works (see build thread). No fisheye effect. Crapped out after 10 months. I just bought another one for $33. Will see if the company is going to do anything about it.

Source: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09BFBCPB8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Captqc]

Mine has been working for four years now so perhaps crapping out in less than a year was a fluke.

 

[bonifacio]

Good when it works (see build thread). No fisheye effect. Crapped out after 10 months. I just bought another one for $33. Will see if the company is going to do anything about it.

Source: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09BFBCPB8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I also have a Natika. Not the same model.
Source: https://www.amazon.com/NATIKA-Backup-Camera-Waterproof-Reverse/dp/B07H852D49

Might be the same internals. A lot of times they'll rehouse stuff. Mine has been holding up for 3-4 years now.

What was it doing? Wiring damaged when you removed it? Enough slack in the line for movement? There's always that chance of failure. I know the Natika are very popular with the front cameras in aftermarket Toyotas. Haven't seen much on them dying. You might have gotten a bad one.


Did you contact them through Amazon or directly?
I'd try direct if you haven't. They claim they are 24/7 and it should carry a 24 month replacement warranty.
[email protected]


Hopefully they follow through and send you a replacement before the Amazon return window closes. If you already installed it, you could send back the replacement in it's place.

 

[406Camper]

@bonifacio, I had that model you have as well. I tested both of them and found the model I chose (WD-779) had better resolution and less 'fish eye'. it had a 135 degree viewing angle. I will install the new one and return the old one.

Mark
406Camper

 

[Mike Z]

I have the "Premium" Natika front camera option that came with the Anytime Backup Camera kit. Their tech support which is very responsive when you have a question said that this camera is 170 degrees. Does anyone know that the stock backup camera on the 2023 Tacoma has for viewing angle? It's hart to tell from the attached pictures as the shadow interferes with the view of the center of the back bumper. One thing I don't like about the Natika camera from the kit is that the guide lines are not accurate for the width of the truck and there is no adjustment for this. The OEM rear camera guides are fairly accurate with about 5-6 inches of safety margin from hitting the curb. Are their any front cameras that have a choice of guide widths to match to the vehicle?

I've only had the camera for about 10 months but it works fairly well. I'd prefer if it had a parking mode so once turned on it would switch from the rear camera to the front camera for parallel parking but it's not possible with the supplied switch. You can turn the front or back on when driving but it does not know what gear you are in. This models uses simple jumper harnesses with a relay and a 3 position switch so it doesn't mess with the factory wiring much. I think they make another more expensive model with a controller that uses the radio mode and up/down buttons on the steering wheel and that model might sense the gearshift position. The basic model I bought has less bulk to cram behind the head unit and less chance of the dealer blaming the aftermarket camera if the truck electronics fail under warranty.